Year 11s shouldn’t have finished school early

[solarlights]

www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jun/03/schools-should-not-send-exam-year-pupils-home-early-says-ofsted-head

My DD went on exam leave on April 31st only attending school for the exams that were supposedly cancelled —but not—
They finished completely on 24th May despite missing months and months of school over their GCSE course, so what’s all this about? Our year 11s have been totally let down.

@Foosterin

No I am not blaming teachers, I'm a teacher myself. I'm just stating a) don't think the kids are glad to finish, many are just lost and b) this is not a typical summer - there are very few opportunities out there.

Ours showed the signs of shutting off from work anywhere from April onwards. (some before that)

Are all kids glad to finish? Probably not
Some are glad to be done
Others would have been happy never to come back from lockdown.

Y11 last year were cut loose in March when things were completely locked down, so while it is pretty crap for current Y11 to have their long summer (and it's not that much longer^ than usual) during a pandemic, and it's entirely natural to wish for something to occupy them, it can't be teachers coming up with it.

It just can't. There's no space in schools for it in terms of workload, teachers are overwhelmed trying to sort the grades out and teaching the kids still in school who have been neglected while the Y11 and 13 assessments have been going on.

If your DD wants some bridging work/preparation for whatever her next steps are, please ask and I'm sure there will be lots of suggestions.

We've finished teaching them the entire curriculum in my school. They did final exams just before the half term and there is literally no point in them still being in school after this point. It will become a baby sitting activity which is a waste of time for us and them.

We are providing a full series of live online lessons for them to engage with if they wish (general skills and an introduction to A levels despite us not having a 6th form) until the summer holidays.

The kids need a break, we need time to focus on catching up other year groups who will do proper exams.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

That’s said from such a position of privilege.

Lots of year 11s in our school couldn’t engage in home learning as their parents were working and they had 3-5 younger siblings to look after all day.
That’s just one example of why some kids didn’t ‘engage’ in their home learning.

@Principessa2070

Isn't that standard anyway? I officially went on exam leave in early may back in 2005!

This is nothing like normal years as I have already stated, there is nothing for year 11s to do. I agree the Ofsted statement is timed to be pure posturing, too late to make any difference. But this doesn't mean the issues raised are not valid.

I just don't get what programme could be put in place that would be relevant to all students? Obviously in some schools it's likely everyone is going on to A levels and so they can do some prep work. But in other places, kids are off to do apprenticeships, vocational qualifications or to large FE colleges to study subjects not available at GCSE level at their school.

But even if exams had gone ahead as usual, the final day of compulsory education for y11 is the last Friday in June. It CANNOT be teachers' responsibility to give them direction - we have too many other things to do which have been neglected for at least a month in order to NOT let year 11 down.

NCS is running. Online learning and volunteering courses are running. I am doing DofE expeditions for the last 2 years' of students to catch up. Students can socialise. The world is opening up. Let year 11 have the long summer!!

Ha last year my year 11 finished 20th March last year. He did not start again until 3rd September. 5 and a half months absolutely no schooling.

It made for a very difficult September/October getting back into it for 6th Form. Then with another lockdown for almost a term has made it really difficult.

The school years 10-13 are so time sensitive IMO. Especially we have found for 6th Form. So much has to be squeezed into the two years that while online teaching continued it was by its nature sub standard to actually being in the classroom.

I think that rather than having an extremely long summer that building on education could never be a bad thing

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

If the students have been engaging with the online learning provision, then they wont have missed much, if any, schooling.

Exactly.

The less students in schools the better given the lack of distancing, no masks and new variations. Many parents will be glad they don’t have to go and the nice weather means they can enjoy some downtime.

Can someone link to ofsted report last year about students who finished year 11 on 23rd March 2020?

What have they said schools should have been doing for these pupils on-site?

Answer - nothing!

All our local colleges did do some online zooms and some projects to keep them learning and up skill them but no one thought the schools were responsible for these kids once their exams finished (or were cancelled even!)

@Evvyjb

But even if exams had gone ahead as usual, the final day of compulsory education for y11 is the last Friday in June. It CANNOT be teachers' responsibility to give them direction - we have too many other things to do which have been neglected for at least a month in order to NOT let year 11 down.

NCS is running. Online learning and volunteering courses are running. I am doing DofE expeditions for the last 2 years' of students to catch up. Students can socialise. The world is opening up. Let year 11 have the long summer!!

If normal exams had gone ahead then in between exams revision would've been done. Instead minds are being left unused now for the next 4 months. Teenagers being as they are are unlikely to be using that time wisely 🙄

@Evvyjb personally I'm not saying it's teachers' responsibility, I am agreeing with Ofsted that there should have been something in place for year 11s this year. Some teachers on here appear to have no empathy at all. Yes they've had it crap. So have the kids though. Yes there is some NCS provision this year, but not as normal in either scale or content. Online learning has been done to death by this cohort. They need more.

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss i guarantee you don't have DC in year 11

@Foosterin I hope I am not included in the teachers with no empathy - I have just planned and risk assessed 3 Duke of Edinburgh expeditions for the current y10 (who should have done bronze in y9) and y11, who will now have to opportunity to complete their silver award. Over weekends. I have provided physical learning packs for the GCSE to level transition. I have personally arranged work experience and volunteering through personal contacts for students who I know will struggle without direction (because I have been personally coaching them through mental health crises).

But I am also allowed to be utterly exhausted and have nothing left to give in the next 6 weeks. And it cannot be down to schools (teachers) to fix yet another social problem.

Foosterin

IMO the teachers on here (and I am one) do empathise with the yr 11s and parents (its even possible to be a teacher and a parent).

I just don't believe that this is something that should be foisted on teachers and we shouldn't be blamed for the lack of foresight of the government, the DfE or the shit show that is ofsted (a group that failed its last review).

How can schools continue to teach them subjects when they have completed their assessments and will not be continuing with most of their subjects! It makes no sense. Usual bullshit from Ofsted. I would like to see the head of Ofsted come up with a workable plan for just one typical state school for how to provide a meaningful curriculum for the next six weeks with the existing timetable constraints for young people who will not be continuing with the vast majority of the subjects offered by their schools.

My y11s are ready to leave, as they would normally be at this time of year.
As a parent, my daughter who is now y12 was left from March-sept 2020 with nothing last year, she’s coped. Doesn’t mean all will, but doesn’t mean all won’t either.
School have to do what they can within the constraints imposed by government.

Bernadette for some schools for four months last year (March - July) there was no online learning!
DS is heading to do two science A levels without finishing the GCSE syllabus.

[quote Onceuponatime1818]@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

That’s said from such a position of privilege.

Lots of year 11s in our school couldn’t engage in home learning as their parents were working and they had 3-5 younger siblings to look after all day.
That’s just one example of why some kids didn’t ‘engage’ in their home learning.[/quote]
And now do the parents of young kids manage without an exam age teenager at home during lockdown? They tag team it ot do whatever it takes to get through the day

It's not the teachers fault if the the parents are using up all (really all??) Of the exam aged childs time to babysit children they didnt choose to have.

The parents (and realistically how many families have a 16yo then a massive gap then a load of small kids to watch whilst both working full time?) Should have taken on the bulk of the burden and allowed their teen time to do schoolwork.

@cptartapp

Bernadette for some schools for four months last year (March - July) there was no online learning! DS is heading to do two science A levels without finishing the GCSE syllabus.

This thread is about this years provision, and the teachers who have commented on it are reassuring us that they have delivered the full curriculum.

And I feel sorrier for this years kids. With far far more disruption and missed learning than last year, and to be given grades based on where they are now, rather than what they 'would have achieved on a good day' like last year.