Do you think your kids' educational achievement will suffer?

[Echobelly]

I think I'm lucky as my kids aren't in really essential years (start of primary, secondary exams) and both schools are mounting a fairly good provision online, especially the secondary. And TBF, we are a very fortunate household where the kids have space and equipment to learn. Even with DS (Y5) having ADHD, I don't feel as though either of them will underperform academically in the long run because of this.

Emotionally/socially I have more concerns for what they've missed out on, especially with DS having some challenges to managing social skills, and DD missing out on chunks of her first and second year of secondary school - I feel that chould have more of an impact for them than missed learning.

@StrawberryLipstickStateOfMind I know where you're coming from. I'm not a single parent but we both work full time in critical roles - never had a school place. The school pile on the stress, the head teacher even threatened me. She's a nasty bully and sadly her true colours revealed this lockdown - she has no compassion or support for families and if anything would far rather engage in making trouble than supporting the kids. I really feel for the teachers there and the kids. The gaps will be huge and I'm sure they'll also find that a lot of parents claiming they were getting on ok actually have kids that have struggled. It's been unrelenting pressure and hard work that few people have sympathy for which makes it harder. So let me just say you're doing amazing for your kid, to keep a job going in this pandemic, a child more or less happy you've already taught them a lot of good stuff there, no consolation when they're missing their education but you should be proud x

DS (year 7) is doing extremely well but I’m aware that he’s very privileged. His school are certainly continuing with the curriculum as they would have done, he has a quiet space or work, a top of the range MacBook, full fibre broadband, my job is flexible and I understand most of what he’s learning (except computer science!), we’re able to buy any equipment he needs and he has no shortage of reading material or sports equipment. I’m aware that other aren’t so lucky though, the education gap is going to be wider than ever, sadly.

Socially, I do worry though as he’s an only child and having just gone into year 7, he was only just cementing his new friendships.

No, I think they'll be fine. My dd is just choosing her options too so heading into GCSE years.

For my year 2 child - no
For my year 9 child - yes

Educationally no.
Socially perhaps but in the same position as their peers so hopefully future bonding over "lockdown experiences".

Who knows?

Can only try to mitigate the damage.

Not at all. Dd is bright and motivated to learn.
Our school has been excellent and dh and I are both more than capable of filling in any gaps ourselves. If for any reason that fails we also have the resources to hire private tutors.

Dd is already scheduled for several academically oriented holiday camps over the summer holidays. If they get cancelled the programs will switch to online classes like last summer.

Yes. They are year 10 and year 11. How could it not? With the best online provision possible (and school are doing a good job) it's not the same as being at school, particularly for the year 10 who is doing more practical subjects than the year 11.

Year 11 son was on course to do really well in GCSEs, but last term with missing school through isolation and now this recent lockdown has been really tough on him MH wise and he's more or less given up. He should still do well enough to carry on at 6th form, but he is not going to do anywhere near as well as he would have done if this whole shitshow had not occurred. I'm just hoping he bounces back if / when they let us out again and the damage isn't permanent.

Year 6 and year 9 both are doing well and enjoying home learning. DD10 took her 11+ in November (one of the only children in the whole country to sit an exam last year!)

What it meant though was lockdown 1’s learning was serious from the start so they’ve both been used to doing all the work from the beginning.

No I’m not.

They’re in Y4 & Y2, both confident academically anyway and enthusiastic about school and learning. I suspect they’re not quite where they’d be had lockdowns not happened but they’re still more than meeting age related expectations. They also have a lot of time to ‘catch up’.

They have heaps of advantages though. As a teacher there are other children I am very very worried about.

Yes. My Y11 isn't as motivated and just won't do as well in GCSEs as she would if she'd gone to school as normal for the last year.
Hopefully this won't go on to impact A levels.
But socially the impact has been dreadful for them.

My DC have been at home for a year now due to CEV. Young for year R DC is now far ahead of peers (we are on approved remote learning from school so this is assessed regularly by a teacher) and the Y4 who was never in top sets has been moved up in literacy and reading so I feel like mine have not suffered academically infact quite the opposite they have really benefitted from learning at their own pace with 1:1 attention and in a way which is catered individually to them. Socially i think the return to school will be harder on them but i don't worry that they won't be able to cope with it, i think it will just take a bit to get back to

@Frazzzledmrs that's horrendous! Our headteacher is actually lovely and from a conversation from her it seemed to be pressure the government were putting on schools but your headteacher sounds vile!

Thanks for your kind words, I think all of us are just doing our best. I do honestly think all of our DC will be alright, especially if they can stay well mentally- I don't want to minimise things because it's clearly concerning educationally but I do think if it's handled well they will be alright. We can only try to be as vocal as possible I guess, put pressure on the DfE and government in any way possible.

Mine really struggled in the first lockdown (summer born, Y1). This time round (Y2) she's a bit more mature and able to do some work independently and has got most of the basics under her belt (standard phonics, pencil grip, etc). She's massively missing out socially though.

Not academically, but socially. She needs to spend time with her peers, falling out, making up, negotiating, leading, following etc.

Yr 13 absolutely - totally messed up and not just academics but socially too in the run up to higher education
Yr12 - also yes = the stress of last years exam fiasco got to her and she hasn't really go over it - massive anxiety over what is going to happen at A level to the extent she cant really cope with online learning as she is too worried.

No think it will be fine.

In fact, reading this thread the message is that the younger ones - esp primary will probably be OK and have time to make up but the older ones from yr 1 upwards are really not OK either personally or academically which is really troubling reading.

I have a year 8 (as well as 3 others) and he’s my biggest worry. He’s fucked. He’s supposed to be choosing his GCSEs after half term and he’s missed the best part of a year of school. Online learning means his tiny amount of SEN intervention has ceased, and he can’t access all the work. It’s going to impact on his results and, ultimately, his entire life. Absolutely awful.

Not that anybody gives a fuck. Why on earth we aren’t prioritising the next generation is beyond me.

My DD1 is yr 5 and will be fine. She's able and a people pleaser, so was doing really well at school before.

My DD2 is year 1. She's capable but utterly disinterested in doing anything that anyone asks of her, even moreso home. I'm hoping that she will mature out of that. I think the biggest risk for her is that the school doesn't really have a good baseline to judge her from. If she "achieves expected" then I think the school may well think that's enough. But with a normal education, I think she would be achieving more than that. I really don't want underachievement at this stage to follow her through school due to low expectations.

Yes, mine is year 11. With the shit show that was year 10 and the unknown way they will be examined I believe she will not achieve what she would.

DD1 is in Year One. Thankfully she was bright-ish to start with, so we haven't had to put in too much work...! She has engaged well with home learning and has come on in leaps and bounds with her writing and maths. She works much better on a 121 basis (as I'm sure most do) so I think it's done her the world of good being at home. Going back to the distracting enviroment of the classroom might be hard for her and I'm a bit worried she might regress.

Also missed out on work experience which would have been good. So many things lost for teenagers and so much hostility towards them. Feel so sad for them.

Academically for one - no, yes for the other.
Emotionally and socially- yes and perhaps

It’s just crap all round

No. I wish they could do their exams though instead of this stupid teacher predicted grade farce.

No. Mine is in year 11 ad he’s been working at and predicted A*s since year 9.

He’s also working every day now and very dedicated to his studies.