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Original poster

No school for us til 9th April at the earliest. Royally fucked off now.

725 replies

WeAreFromThePlanetDuplo · 18/02/2021 17:30

Announcement just made for NI that most kids won't be going back to school until after the Easter holidays, and there's no guarantee of that. So fed up.

OP posts:
MarshaBradyo · 19/02/2021 13:39

I’m hoping for primary and maybe exam years, we’ll see though.

seepingweeping · 19/02/2021 13:48

I think Scotland will follow suit. Our nurseries and P1-P3 are returning on Monday but upper years and secondaries are not until Mid March at the earliest. I can't see them going back before Easter.

HauntedPencil · 19/02/2021 13:58

Juniors and Key years going back here on 15th (caveat that with no issues in cases etc)

Original poster
WeAreFromThePlanetDuplo · 19/02/2021 14:20

@ArmsClary I've sent you a PM.

OP posts:
Woolff · 19/02/2021 14:33

@MarshaBradyo

I’m hoping for primary and maybe exam years, we’ll see though.
Exams are cancelled
MarshaBradyo · 19/02/2021 14:37

That mage me laugh out loud Woolf I hadn’t noticed for my yr 11

MarshaBradyo · 19/02/2021 14:40

Do you teach secondary Woolf?

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 19/02/2021 14:44

Sympathies OP

I don’t agree this is what needs to happen at all. Certainly nothing else should open up before the schools do, but I really think they need to be in now. Their education and well being isn’t a price worth paying.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 19/02/2021 14:45

Infants and yr 7 (English years) should be in first if there’s a choice.

Poor year 7 have suffered so much!

Woolff · 19/02/2021 14:47

@MarshaBradyo

That mage me laugh out loud Woolf I hadn’t noticed for my yr 11
Year 11 won't be sitting any exams.

I posted about my class of year 11s earlier on when a PP mentioned 'exam years', but was told my experience with all 30 of them didn't count compared to one person's child's experience at home.

They won't be sitting exams though. And they've covered the course content anyway. They wouldn't be our priority if we could only have a percentage in the building, and a choice.

MarshaBradyo · 19/02/2021 14:55

Yes I know they’re not. It still works as communication on which year.

I have seen other posts still prioritising exam years and hope their view is the one that aligns with choice.

Woolff · 19/02/2021 15:02

@MarshaBradyo

Yes I know they’re not. It still works as communication on which year.

I have seen other posts still prioritising exam years and hope their view is the one that aligns with choice.

It still works as communication on which year.

Is this meant to translate as to Year 10 more than likely, and probably Year 9, will sit external exams for the first time in a while, so they should go back first???

I'll trust my head to make the decision on who we prioritise and in which ways, rather than random parents and their personal preference.

MarshaBradyo · 19/02/2021 15:03

You can trust your head but they probably won’t decide will they? Did they last time on which years?

I’ll trust the announcement rather than some random teacher on mn who really does not want to return.

Redtulipses · 19/02/2021 15:06

They won't be sitting exams though. And they've covered the course content anyway.

This is unfortunately not the case with year 12s doing a one year AS course. They've missed out on so much teaching this school year. They need to be back in school so they can be taught and assessed!

HauntedPencil · 19/02/2021 15:07

I've referred to exam years purely as shorthand and everyone knows what years are being referred to and that the actual physical exams are cancelled yes.

Woolff · 19/02/2021 15:09

@MarshaBradyo

You can trust your head but they probably won’t decide will they? Did they last time on which years?

I’ll trust the announcement rather than some random teacher on mn who really does not want to return.

The announcement messed up a lot last time.

But we were given freedoms to choose how to teach what was year ten (current year 11).

We were told up to 25% at a time. Some got more than others, as a result of thr professional judgements of teachers like me.

And I have no problem returning. I've only been at home for my holiday. I'll return again on Monday.

Just me and my colleagues being in wasn't responsibly for the positivity rate in our workplace being 3% in the autumn term.

That was the 1500 children who weren't able to distance. So you can 'hope' for exam years 'maybe', but that doesn't best serve the whole population.

Inastatus · 19/02/2021 15:12

@MarshaBradyo - I agree with you that ‘exam’ years need to go back and I’m desperately hoping for this for my yr 11 DD. They might not be sitting GCSE’s but there will be some form of assessment and we still don’t know what that will look like. My DD has been told by her teachers that every assignment she does could count towards her final grade - that’s a lot of pressure. They might have covered the course content in theory but obviously this has been mainly delivered remotely and there will inevitably be gaps. I feel sorry for Woolf’s year 11’s that she doesn’t believe this year group should have priority!

MarshaBradyo · 19/02/2021 15:13

Yes so you had to stick to that year 10 - and the 25% limit. Your head couldn’t choose any year.

I see others in your profession have mentioned exam year on here. We’ll see on 22nd.

Woolff · 19/02/2021 15:17

@Redtulipses

They won't be sitting exams though. And they've covered the course content anyway.

This is unfortunately not the case with year 12s doing a one year AS course. They've missed out on so much teaching this school year. They need to be back in school so they can be taught and assessed!

As soon as AS levels are continued into A2, there are no marks from the first year carried forward.

It's all terminal assessment in year 13 nowadays. I wouldn't have thought many students would be stopping at AS level for every subject they took in sixth form.

LadyPenelope68 · 19/02/2021 15:21

@MarshaBradyo
have seen other posts still prioritising exam years and hope their view is the one that aligns with choice
Why would they bring Y11 back now as a priority though, it’s already been said exams are cancelled. The priority now should be Year 10 and 12 as they’re the ones doing exams next year hopefully. Year 11 aren’t a priority now.

MarshaBradyo · 19/02/2021 15:22

[quote LadyPenelope68]@MarshaBradyo
have seen other posts still prioritising exam years and hope their view is the one that aligns with choice
Why would they bring Y11 back now as a priority though, it’s already been said exams are cancelled. The priority now should be Year 10 and 12 as they’re the ones doing exams next year hopefully. Year 11 aren’t a priority now.[/quote]
They are still facing assessment in terms of grades that impact next stage.

Even if we still don’t know what that assessment is.

Why does that not matter as much now?

Redtulipses · 19/02/2021 15:26

*As soon as AS levels are continued into A2, there are no marks from the first year carried forward.

It's all terminal assessment in year 13 nowadays. I wouldn't have thought many students would be stopping at AS level for every subject they took in sixth form.*

At our school, some year 12s are taking an AS exam, in an additional subject to their other 3 A levels. So yes, it is a one year course with assessment at the end of year 12.

Woolff · 19/02/2021 15:26

[quote Inastatus]@MarshaBradyo - I agree with you that ‘exam’ years need to go back and I’m desperately hoping for this for my yr 11 DD. They might not be sitting GCSE’s but there will be some form of assessment and we still don’t know what that will look like. My DD has been told by her teachers that every assignment she does could count towards her final grade - that’s a lot of pressure. They might have covered the course content in theory but obviously this has been mainly delivered remotely and there will inevitably be gaps. I feel sorry for Woolf’s year 11’s that she doesn’t believe this year group should have priority![/quote]
They were my priority last year when the previous cohort finished early. They were the ones to get live lessons over their younger siblings through the first lockdown and assuked that they would be sitting exams despite their first year being disrupted, so worked well.

They were the ones back in June. They had summer school. I've done intervention after school with them from Sept to Dec (I can't do this for all 9 of my classes). I've done formal assessments with them weekly, sharing grades and helping them improve.

I can judge that they've already shown they can woke at or above their target grades. They are good at my subject and will be able to move on to the next step of their education. Ordinarily, we'd be revising now and practicing exam technique for high stakes external exams. Everything they do improves their skills, but they are not behind.

My younger classes have missed out too, but for longer, are less able to motivate themselves and likely will go back to the usual system when it's their turn to be 'exam years'.

So there's no need for you to feel sorry for students who are doing well but also have the misfortune of having a teacher who is also responsible for over 200 others.

Inastatus · 19/02/2021 15:26

[quote LadyPenelope68]@MarshaBradyo
have seen other posts still prioritising exam years and hope their view is the one that aligns with choice
Why would they bring Y11 back now as a priority though, it’s already been said exams are cancelled. The priority now should be Year 10 and 12 as they’re the ones doing exams next year hopefully. Year 11 aren’t a priority now.[/quote]
Of course they should be a priority! They are still going to be assessed we just don’t know how yet. They’ve got the next few months to still make a difference to their grades - you can’t just wash your hands of them at this critical stage!

MarshaBradyo · 19/02/2021 15:27

Anyway just people views. As I said other teachers have also said exam years.

Personally I’m glad they still see value in in school for year 11 even if not all do.