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Original poster

Year 7 the lost generation

245 replies

Marzipan12 · 17/03/2021 09:08

I've heard this a few times now, the thinking is that year 7 have missed out more than anybody else. This annoys me surely at this point every year group has missed out. My child is year 8, missed over an entire term of year 7, disrupted learning so far in year 8 and home learning for half a term. Every other year group has missed the same. Some year 7 parents think their kids have missed out more, regardless that they had time back in school to finish year 6 and didn't miss an entire term of their first year in high school. I would say this puts year 7 at an advantage over other year groups. They certainly are not the lost generation that some are making them out to be in fact they are one of the more fortunate year groups.

OP posts:
Lentillover1900 · 17/03/2021 13:04

I approach life trying to extract the positives
Rather than actively (almost aggressively in some cases!) seeking out the negatives.

I suggest you do the same Op

ChazP · 17/03/2021 13:09

@YouLando

I completely agree. I had a miserable time at school. Uni was where I really found my place. I had the best 3 years there. My heart bleeds for this generation of students that they’ve not had the opportunities I had. I don’t know how I would have turned out if I hadn’t had that chance.

lookingsusbro · 17/03/2021 13:34

I have a dc in in year 7 and one in year 8. My year 7 dc has definitely lost out on more than the one in year 8, and all of my dcs have lost an entire year of education. Missing the end of year 6 didn't just mean not having to take their SATs. It meant missing out on the class breakfasts during SATs week and the icecream party after the last test. They missed their prom, end of school play, last assembly to say goodbye to their teachers and friends going to different schools. Plus they didn't get the trip to a theme park that my dc was so looking forward to after seeing their sibling getting all of this the year before. Not to mention the transition/induction days they should have had at their new school to get used to the way high school is run compared to primary.

In comparison, my year 8 dc has 'only' missed the year 7 residential (as will my current year 7 dc) and of course the missed time at school. Current year 8 are nowhere near being the worst hit, nor do they need to be a priority.

My dcs high school, along with all the other local ones, have been back to lessons in different classrooms as normal since the October half term, they were only kept in form groups for the first half term.

All year groups have lost out in the last year and if any should be a priority it should be years 10-13 as they are the ones with the least amount of time to catch up on the missed work.

gorillasinthemist · 17/03/2021 14:23

How dramatic and oddly competitive.
@Marzipan12- I've never seen anything about Year 7 being a 'lost generation'. Where have you read this?

I do think the Year 7s have missed out more than Year 8s but the other years that have particularly suffered are those in exam years (Year 11 and 13 and 10/12).
You need to have a bit more perspective and focus more energy on supporting your own child rather than arguing about which year group has been most affected.

bluebluezoo · 17/03/2021 15:04

Current year 8 are nowhere near being the worst hit, nor do they need to be a priority

It depends on the child though. Mine was the only child from her primary to go to her secondary. She had been struggling with friendship groups as most had established ones from primary that transferred across.

So now she’s had a year off. The tenuous friendships she’d started to form have withered a little as they hadn’t got to the swapping phone numbers point- dd didn’t really have a phone until the last 6 months.

So she’s going back essentially having to break into those friendship groups again. It’s tough.

Some year 11’s had good predicted grades and good coursework, so they will likely do well. There will be some though that would have done well in exams and will suffer for not having that opportunity.

Like pp said some kids won’t have had access to laptops and online schooling. Others will be sat at home with middle class furloughed parents who have helped them. Some will have had parents do their work for them and be consistently scoring a*’s....

It’s more individual than a “year group” suffering most.

Hesma · 17/03/2021 15:35

OMG get over yourself

lifeturnsonadime · 17/03/2021 16:22

Spare a thought for the thousands of SEN children with no school because of the lack of SEN provision.

My eldest hasn't been in school for 4 years.

hennaoj · 17/03/2021 16:36

Some year 7's didn't get to go back for the end of year 6. Mine didn't because there were too many in the younger classes. All children have had it hard but think about those children with SEN who don't have school places, before and after the pandemic.

FireflyRainbow · 17/03/2021 16:39

I think year 9 has had it hard. Was due to start deciding what GCSE options to take when lockdown 1 started then had a rush 2 weeks ago to pick some random subjects to study for GCSEs that they know nothing about and have never done before.

Bagamoyo1 · 17/03/2021 16:47

I think all year groups have had a tough time, but certain ones have had it slightly harder because of missing crucial things.
Reception/year 1 - missed early stuff, learning to read, making new friends etc
Year 7 - missed out on all the "end of primary schools" things that they'd been watching their predecessors enjoy, and missed out on secondary transition days
Year 11 - messed up and cancelled GCSEs
Year 12 - messed up and cancelled GCSEs, no leavers jollys.
Year 13 - messed up and cancelled A levels
First year post school - messed up and cancelled A levels, no leavers jollys.

All year groups have been affected, but I'd say it was less significant for current years 2,3,4,5,6,8,9,10. Covid permitting, they will catch up with where they should have been, and won't miss any of the big stuff.

Bagamoyo1 · 17/03/2021 16:50

@FireflyRainbow

I think year 9 has had it hard. Was due to start deciding what GCSE options to take when lockdown 1 started then had a rush 2 weeks ago to pick some random subjects to study for GCSEs that they know nothing about and have never done before.
Surely by year 9 they'd have spent a bit of time studying all their potential GCSE subjects? My DS did his GCSE options in April of year 9, so would have to have pretty much decided by Christmas. There was an information evening in the February, but that could easily have been online if necessary.
IncludesFreeOnlineEdition · 17/03/2021 16:51

@Tal45

I think it's probably been very hard for the Yr 7's to settle into Secondary. It's also very hard for the current Yr 10's and Yr 12's who have missed a lot and have no idea if their exams next year will take that into account at all. But IMO it's worst for those who finished their A levels last year and have had this as their first year at university. Now that is really shit.
I have thought this too, although I would also add current Year 11 who also missed lots of Year 10. I agree about those who missed out on sitting A Levels in 2020, had the disruption, angst and incertainty regarding grades, then possibly began university only to have to isolate and learn online. I hope they have an awsome 2nd year!
MintyCedric · 17/03/2021 16:52

I think any kids going through a transitional year have probably had it marginally tougher, but ultimately (all going well from hereonin) it'll all even out over the next few years.

laudete · 17/03/2021 16:54

I don't think that Y7 are a "lost generation", per se. However, I do think that the first year group at all schools - whether primary, secondary, or prep - are emotionally and socially "younger" than they would have been if lockdown hadn't occurred.

Bagamoyo1 · 17/03/2021 16:55

Years 11 and 13 are facing huge inequality of GCSE and A level grading. The grades are being done by teachers, and schools have the option to use exam questions if they want to.
This means that some schools are doing full-on exams - exam conditions, external marking etc. Other schools are not doing any testing at all. It's all at the school's discretion. Which is massively unfair.

Kinneddar · 17/03/2021 16:58

I have no idea what stage Y7 is as I'm only familiar with the Scottish system but the year I feel sorry for is our S6 (the final high school year)

My niece was in that group and her school life ended abruptly last March. She didn't sit exams, didn't have their prom, didn't get a chance to do things like say goodbye to classmates and teachers. Her college year has been done at home. Her fellow students are just faces on a zoom call, she's missed the whole college experience and hadn't made any new friends. She turned 18 and hasn't been out for a legal drink yet 😁

But hopefully by the new school year in August it'll be a whole new experience for her but I definitely think she and others her age have missed out on a lot of experiences we all took for granted

emilylovesfun · 17/03/2021 17:02

@Marzipan12

I've heard this a few times now, the thinking is that year 7 have missed out more than anybody else. This annoys me surely at this point every year group has missed out. My child is year 8, missed over an entire term of year 7, disrupted learning so far in year 8 and home learning for half a term. Every other year group has missed the same. Some year 7 parents think their kids have missed out more, regardless that they had time back in school to finish year 6 and didn't miss an entire term of their first year in high school. I would say this puts year 7 at an advantage over other year groups. They certainly are not the lost generation that some are making them out to be in fact they are one of the more fortunate year groups.
Personally I don't think year 7 is the lost generation. My daughter, who's in year 10, thinks that her year is the lost generation. He last full year of school was year 8 this is a monstrosity! She is clueless as filled with anxiety about her exams. As no one knows what's going to happen. Unfortunately I agree with my daughter as it's outrageous that they've missed so much of school and may still have to sit their GCSES.
MoiraNotRuby · 17/03/2021 17:09

I think year 13 have had the worst of it all.

My DC are year 11 and 9 so I'm not being biased but I've seen how hard it is to face these wierd GCSEs after a year of disruption. A levels are so much more important and thats why I feel worst for year 13.

littlemissmagic · 17/03/2021 17:23

I think this discussion needs a bit of perspective.

Those children who during the pandemic have been affected by serious illness in the family, loss of a close family member, divorce, domestic violence, etc

These are the children I have most sympathy for. Try dealing with these difficult issues on top of transitioning to a new school/missing exams. The support these kids would usually get from school & friends fell away this last year.

It's been tough for all year groups. But if all you have to worry about is whether your child's year group is the worst affected? I think you you don't know how lucky you really are.

DuckbilledSplatterPuff · 17/03/2021 17:32

They've all missed out. But at the same they're all had to go through it.
I think its hard for every year group in different ways.
Finding out that their last day of sixth form was in March without notice or goodbye was a shock to the system and then six months of uncertainty about how exams would be graded and how unis would react until was sad, lonely and stressful.
Plans to get a part time job have gone out the window.

Glittertwins · 17/03/2021 17:40

Our two were year 7 and now year 8 but I don't think they had it worse than anyone else - we are thankful that they have done very well with all the online since January and that they aren't in exam / exam prep years.

BeautifulDay12 · 17/03/2021 17:40

I am mum of a y7 child. The disjointed transition has hit her hard. I’ve never suggested that it’s been worse for y7s though. Is anyone actually saying this? It’s been really tough for most kids I am sure, but I don’t know if other years have it worse for other reasons. Certainly exam years have missed out. However, the transition from primary to a huge secondary where my dd hasn’t yet made many friends, stopping, starting, stopping again really has caused her a lot of anxiety. I didn’t know it was a competition however.

squirrelloveranon · 17/03/2021 17:42

Year 7s haven't had to pay out £9000 a year in tuition fees plus rental costs for a house they aren't allowed to live in while they sit in their bedrooms at home learning online and get blamed by the government for spreading COVID. Graduation ceremonies are also cancelled and student loan repayment cost is 6% pa.

So no, university students have had it far far worse.

InsufferablePerformanceFather · 17/03/2021 17:56

I think people should get a grip. I have a year 11, year 9 and a year 7. They have all missed out but I'd hardly call any of them a 'lost year', let alone 'lost generation'. what a load of melodramatic twaddle.

Tumbleweed101 · 17/03/2021 18:16

I have a Y7 and a Y10. I'm far more worried about my Y10 child in relation to missed contact teaching than I am my Y7.