Every child in every year group will return to school in September, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said.

[itswhereitsat]

I didn't catch the briefing but read the above comment in the news. The big question is, did he say whether children returning would be part-time or full time? Or did he just gloss over that bit?

*Well... No? Because the link the bubbles together. If their parent gets covid they could potentially spread it to 30 children instead of 15. If you have 3 kids that 45 and so on and so on.

This is why it's pointless.*

I see what you mean.

All I meant was, they link the bubbles together whether they go to the childminder or not?

I suppose arranging bubbles around siblings would be difficult too though...

My guess is that about 35% of secondary pupils are in quite different sets for math & English.

Thing is you cannot remove all risk, however you can take all “reasonable” steps to reduce risk.

The issue I have as a Parent is assessing risk accurately because of course we are not allowed all the details of who is in what group and who has contact with each other, and a lot of people do “what they perceive is best for them” anyway, even with all these super helpful guidelines!

All I meant was, they link the bubbles together whether they go to the childminder or not?

Exactly!

I suppose arranging bubbles around siblings would be difficult too though...

Impossible if you've one in reception and one in year six or a different school entirely.

If we start watching science experiments as a standard then why keep the expensive science labs?

And how short is short term?
Year 10’s are 3 months behind their gcse work already. Many shortcuts will have to be taken to try and catch them up alongside new work.

Not schools fault. This is down to the government when they closed schools and told schools to concentrate on the MH of students, staff and families. To open to provide care for key worker children.

It’s also down the parents who have now created this gap by demanding schools provide a full time table despite government advice. Still employing tutors to ensure they stayed caught up. With what I don’t know. Who knows had parents stopped being so bloody demanding the catch up would have been easier because of how schools deliver the curriculum. How many weeks could have been scrapped for all.

How many have forgotten to make up for any gaps can easily be covered before they leave education at 18?

Oh and one of the ways local schools were going to try and plan for sets in September has been vetoed by the guidelines. The school were going to do the exams in bubbles but system said nope. So now sets will be based on last years work including Septembers year 7.

@TrustTheGeneGenie

"History and geography require trips, virtual experiences aren’t the same beciase well it’s just watching the tv*

They require trips? Christ.

I managed to get an a* in a history GCSE solely based on 1940s Nazi Germany without visiting it.

If that's the attitude then there is no hope.

The Geography syllabus requires fieldwork- not a visit to a geographical feature like an oxbow lake.

@TrustTheGeneGenie

"History and geography require trips, virtual experiences aren’t the same beciase well it’s just watching the tv*

They require trips? Christ.

I managed to get an a* in a history GCSE solely based on 1940s Nazi Germany without visiting it.

If that's the attitude then there is no hope.

Really? I don't know how you managed that. I've taught GCSE History for 30 years now and there's never, ever been a year or an exam board that only required 1940s Nazi Germany. Not even when they were the old 'O' level.

You must be very special.

It’s nothing about attitude. To pass exams the boards have certain criteria to meet. History and geography aren’t my thing so I wouldn’t know the full details. I just remember a lot of trips when my older 3 were at secondary. Although concentrating solely on a single war wouldn’t have gotten them very far, not even sure they would get any pass.

But ok let’s chuck them back into the curriculum. The planning still stands.

8 year groups, classes of 30, into bubbles of 10, and each subject has several sets based on learning. Even on a normal school day, the whole year couldn’t have English on the same day and time as their form mates. Some did the practical side whilst others did the other stuff, and swapped every term to allow all students to access the curriculum.

Really? I don't know how you managed that. I've taught GCSE History for 30 years now and there's never, ever been a year or an exam board that only required 1940s Nazi Germany. Not even when they were the old 'O' level

Yes really. That was the topic of my final exam anyway so perhaps there was different coursework. There's not need to be so snidey about it?

But history doesn't require trips nevertheless.

@BlessYourCottonSocks and @flamingochill

My memory is sketchy but I was thinking I’m sure they had to do more to get a pass. If it was that easy teens would be lining up around the block to get on the course 🤣

What year was the history gcse test?
Saves me reading through them all when we start using them for practice tests at home. Although will be interesting to see other exams for the same year.

I'm being snidey because your claims are untrue.

The A was introduced in 1994 - and I have been teaching longer than that. I teach GCSE and A level History and am extremely familiar with exam board requirements. I would agree that history doesn't require trips, but you are attempting to argue with professionals who do this job for a living and scorning their attitudes, whilst setting yourself up as some kind of 'expert' on what is needed to get an A in GCSE History.

If you want arguments to be taken seriously don't add exaggerations or downright lies.

@BlessYourCottonSocks

I'm being snidey because your claims are untrue.

The A was introduced in 1994 - and I have been teaching longer than that. I teach GCSE and A level History and am extremely familiar with exam board requirements. I would agree that history doesn't require trips, but you are attempting to argue with professionals who do this job for a living and scorning their attitudes, whilst setting yourself up as some kind of 'expert' on what is needed to get an A in GCSE History.

If you want arguments to be taken seriously don't add exaggerations or downright lies.

Are you being serious?

I remember what my exam was about, ffs.

You're clearly not familiar with how to be polite, though are you?

I'm not attempting to argue with you, I'm just saying history doesn't require trips because plenty of us passed exams (regardless of the topic!) Without them.

I am being serious. Whatever your final exam was on or whatever you think you remember, no one ever passed a GCSE in History that was based solely - as you claimed - on 1940s Nazi Germany. There has always been a far broader specification than that.

I'm familiar with and capable of being polite. But I'm a little tired of posters having digs at teachers and setting themselves up as knowing more about what goes on in schools and exams than the professionals.

Now that's rude.

I wouldn't dream of telling you how to do your job - whatever that may be. I have the manners to assume you don't need my advice or opinion. And yet, every day on Mumsnet, teachers are repeatedly told what needs to happen in schools for teaching to be effective.

@BlessYourCottonSocks

I am being serious. Whatever your final exam was on or whatever you think you remember, no one ever passed a GCSE in History that was based solely - as you claimed - on 1940s Nazi Germany. There has always been a far broader specification than that.

I'm familiar with and capable of being polite. But I'm a little tired of posters having digs at teachers and setting themselves up as knowing more about what goes on in schools and exams than the professionals.

Now that's rude.

I wouldn't dream of telling you how to do your job - whatever that may be. I have the manners to assume you don't need my advice or opinion. And yet, every day on Mumsnet, teachers are repeatedly told what needs to happen in schools for teaching to be effective.

Whatever I think I remember? Right ok. I must be lying then.

I'll rephrase I passed my history exam based on Nazi Germany amongst apparently, other things, without going on any trips. As did a lot of others in my year.

I'm not telling you how to do your job but I'd like to think a history teacher who has taught longer than I've even been alive, would rather continue to teach students with no trips and manage to get them to pass, than to just abandon history all together cos ugh it's too haaaaaaaard

If not there's a problem no?

I get the feeling you're probably someone who would tell me how to do my job and would be particularly arsey about it too.

*I'm not telling you how to do your job but I'd like to think a history teacher who has taught longer than I've even been alive, would rather continue to teach students with no trips and manage to get them to pass, than to just abandon history all together cos ugh it's too haaaaaaaard

If not there's a problem no?

I get the feeling you're probably someone who would tell me how to do my job and would be particularly arsey about it too.*

Now you just made all that up. I've absolutely never said teaching history was too haaaaaaard. Or that I couldn't do it without trips. Or that pupils couldn't pass.

The only thing I pulled you up on was the lie you told about what was required to get an A* in GCSE History. And that's because it's my job.

I have never told someone else how to do their job. Unlike you.

I'll bow out now, as I've been teaching Y10 all day and have stuff to do for tomorrow.

The only thing I pulled you up on was the lie you told about what was required to get an A in GCSE History. And that's because it's my job*

It wasn't a lie though? And it's not your job to be nasty on the internet for no apparent reason is it? No. You're probably going to tell me I never even got an a*, didn't even do a GCSE in history and never even went to school next.

I have never told someone else how to do their job. Unlike you

I haven't told you how to do your job? I mean you seem pretty confident that you know so much better than everyone else so?

So if you passed based on Nazi Germany what year did you sit?

I do remember several years ago that there was concerns about the exams being too easy because of a disproportionately high amount of passes. Iirc the exam had changes made again.

2010 changes were made to include trips if the school could to help with learning.

From info from previous years it seems that history does now have a compulsory trip. Never thought about this until now. Will have to ask the school this week because if it stays in the curriculum my youngest will be starting sometime from September

I do remember several years ago that there was concerns about the exams being too easy because of a disproportionately high amount of passes. Iirc the exam had changes made again

2011 I think?

Thanks for insinuating I only got that grade because it was too easy. That's not rude at all.

I wasn’t insinuating anything just remembering something.

I’m interested to see the test papers from the year
You got your gcse. I remember the war being a part of the units and some exams were taken to count towards the gcse.

@canigooutyet

I wasn’t insinuating anything just remembering something.

I’m interested to see the test papers from the year
You got your gcse. I remember the war being a part of the units and some exams were taken to count towards the gcse.

All I remember was Nazi Germany. Possibly Russia? That could have been something different or coursework. I didn't expect to be jumped on by a rabid history teacher claiming im a liar and this that and the other to be honest. I was just making a point that you don't NEED trips and it's not a good enough excuse to ditch a lesson all together.

If a subject requires trips then a teacher's "attitude"isn't going to change the fact that a trip is needed for the final exam. The final exam isn't written by the teachers directly.

My dd would be pissed off if previous generations really got an A for just Nazi Germany when that was only one out of four modules for her last year.

@flamingochill

If a subject requires trips then a teacher's "attitude"isn't going to change the fact that a trip is needed for the final exam. The final exam isn't written by the teachers directly.

Then surely for one year they can have an exam that does not require it?

I'm not saying absolish it forever. Surely changing it is better than cancelling it all together?