Year 6 parents support group

[3asAbird]

Reading various social groups for my children school we already based on ages of our kids have been the most affected and hard done by some think current year 7 has crap year year 6 and year 7 although I think last years year 6 was mixed.
As there school who went on residential before march were fine.
That last summer rates were low and year 6 were one if key year groups allowed to return.
Granted they dident have senior transition days? Sports day or summer school.
Trips including life skills cancelled.

When the pandemic hit i had 1 year 9, 5 and 4 so not key years.

This year year 10 start gcses been rubbish for eldest.
My year 5 coped surprisingly well and has taken news if no play or sports day well.

But my year 6 is struggling her class only had 1 isolation period however half her schools off right now.
Senior transition day off but they hope to do summer school.
Inter primary sports postponed to seot when shes no longer primary.
No sats I guess good thing.

Her school are planning activities final couple weeks but so worried more cases and be cancelled or they won't make it to end of term.

My son due to sen attends a different school and year 6 had their activities canceled and doing 20 day self isolation and seems like so many year 6 have covid.
They did manage swimming no idea about sports day guessing not.
No usual social events feels very depressing.
I hope and pray his year 6 experience is better next year

How is everyone managing their year 6 disappointment and stress.
As its 2nd child to attend seniors she seen her older siblings have an amazing year 6.
I'm trying be postive but so many local cases especially in schools and 3 weeks left of term may schools should have prioritised key year groups.
Year 7 totally collapses at eldest school so they broken up for the year.

It’s not a competition to be fair but if we are playing that game, then no this year 6 haven’t really had it worse.
Last year my year 6 child had no warning what so ever about anything being wrong and literally they had everything whipped away in March just as things were about to get fun- it had been all hard work preparing for sats before that with the promise of fun from May.
My Y6 wasn’t allowed back in school at all. Literally nothing was done for them.
The had seen schools in autumn granted but the problem has been their entire y7 has been messed up. Getting the bus was very difficult last autumn as the numbers allowed on were so greatly reduced. Until 4 weeks ago, there has been nothing fun. No food etc, no dance, no science experiments, no DT, no indoor PE, not allowed to lockers at the end of the day or no lockers at all, no music making, no singing, no events whatsoever, no rag week, no performances, no charity fundraising. So the all the things she was looking forward to were gone. It’s been boring dry work in one classroom all year. As a result, she has called school a hell hole. It’s so boring and the chances for meeting new friends and doing new things has been cut right down. That’s on top of having to wear masks all day from 7:30am-4:30pm
I pray that this Y7’s when they get in to school in September, have a more normal and enjoyable experience - going to different classrooms, enjoying practical lessons with no masks.

I have a daughter in year 6, the only worry she has at the moment is that she is going to start secondary having never set foot in the building. All open events and transition events have been online. The school themselves have been amazing and done they can to help, but online events are just not the same as being able to go in person. The residential etc being cancelled is disappointing but hasn’t caused any upset.
In terms of being the most affected year, it’s not a competition. I would say every year has been affected. Obviously the exam years have been massively disrupted. My son, who is currently year 8 so a relatively unimportant year, hasn’t had a full year at secondary yet and as a child who enjoys the more practical hands on lessons and after school clubs he hasn’t particularly enjoyed the time he has been there.
I hope that next academic year is more settled for everyone.

Not saying its competitors all years had it hard.
Just key transition years feel as parent harder.
I think last summer government said take back year 6 my daughters school did for final term my sons school had them back the last 2 weeks.
Last year my son did few days July rates were low and bubble of 15 back then last July felt easier less stressful.
Last year some schools dident miss out on residential if they went before march sadly our 2 school always go march June so was cancelled.
Some schools locally and reading here have managed year 6 residential trips this year.

Depending on where uk you are depends on how many cases and self isolating schools have done.

Its not a even picture.
Some senior transition days and sports days have happened.
Its very much up to school and council you in.

My year 6 saw her school autumn term year 5 but knows no one going to this senior school although has big sister show her round and they seem to think summer school happen unless that another bubble that bursts.

There are fun activities planned for our year 6 last 2 weeks but lots concerned that maybe cancelled if more cases.

Its the uncertainty. The trying stay postive when we exhausted .
The dread you have a new email.
I hope we can end well and the cases become less.

No idea how school will work sept with no bubble no distancing no masks no vaccines I worry as disruptive as this year.

There’s another argument that current Y1s are among those that have had it worst and are most likely to have long term impacts. They’ve lost two whole terms out of the first years of school (more for those who’ve been hit by a lot of isolations). Those years set the foundation for learning and the things they would be learning in that time about behaviour and learning cooperatively aren’t really things that could be adequately taught online.
Many have never had trips etc and all the opportunities for activities outside school have been limited too. Those experiences and interactions are crucial for building speech and vocabulary, which in turn feed in to literacy skills.
It’s a pandemic. No one has sailed through it unscathed. It’s been rubbish for everyone in different ways.

It has been pretty bad for all children. Write to your mp and make it clear that you don't want this to happen next year. If your mp isn't helpful don't vote for them in the next election.

How is everyone managing their year 6 disappointment and stress

By not constantly talking about it in front of them and making a big deal out of it... here is an ideal opportunity to teach your child that coping with change, especially unexpected change, is the key to resilience and success.

@3asAbird

Not saying its competitors all years had it hard. Just key transition years feel as parent harder. I think last summer government said take back year 6 my daughters school did for final term my sons school had them back the last 2 weeks. Last year my son did few days July rates were low and bubble of 15 back then last July felt easier less stressful. Last year some schools dident miss out on residential if they went before march sadly our 2 school always go march June so was cancelled. Some schools locally and reading here have managed year 6 residential trips this year.

Depending on where uk you are depends on how many cases and self isolating schools have done.

Its not a even picture.
Some senior transition days and sports days have happened.
Its very much up to school and council you in.

My year 6 saw her school autumn term year 5 but knows no one going to this senior school although has big sister show her round and they seem to think summer school happen unless that another bubble that bursts.

There are fun activities planned for our year 6 last 2 weeks but lots concerned that maybe cancelled if more cases.

Its the uncertainty. The trying stay postive when we exhausted .
The dread you have a new email.
I hope we can end well and the cases become less.

No idea how school will work sept with no bubble no distancing no masks no vaccines I worry as disruptive as this year.

I would rather have my Y6 in school with uncertainty than what happened to us last year- total certainty that primary school finished on March 20th with 1 weeks notice. Something is better than nothing and last year nothing is what we got. Not a single contact did my daughter have with her primary school until the very last day of term where they had 1 morning in. There were no online transitions either for our large secondary school. No transitions happened at all in any form for us. No residential either. Last July wasn’t better. Yes there were lower cases but there were still outside and inside restrictions on meeting socially. No one had been vaccinated so people were still scared. It was stop very much a one in one out in lots of shops here too

I have a year 6 and the two terms off did have an impact. Not with the school work, he did well with that, just screen based learning became too much.

He’s happy to be back at school and seems mostly ok but a recent isolation really made me mad, ott as only one case but half the school.

He has had induction at new school and will do sports day so he is picking up, I just hope no more isolation.

Yr 11 fine as on holiday and happy, nursery age no impact, very happy to be there

But for yr 6 I’m glad he’s switching schools (and sectors)

Think it depends on the school but my DS is currently in year 6 and I do believe that, on balance, it has been worse for his year than the previous year 6. It’s an indie and academically year 5 is the most important as they do 11 plus and entrance exams at the beginning of year 6. This went ahead normally for the previous year 6 as Covid wasn’t even a thing then. This year, the kids missed a chunk of year 5 when they would normally be preparing and had last minute changes in timing and format of the exams when they got into year 6. Year 5 and 6 are the years that they really get into competing for the school at sports and get awards for playing a certain number of matches etc. Last year’s year 6 got to complete for most of that apart from the last term. This year’s have missed all of this year and a lot of year 5. Likewise the head boys and girls and prefects got to perform their duties “normally” for most of the previous year 6. This year, my head boy DS had to do video recordings from his bedroom. The current year 6 have had very little opportunity in year 5 or 6 to view secondary schools whereas the previous year 6 could go to open days as normal in their pre-Covid year 5. Last year, year 6 only missed one proper sports day. This year, it’s two. Also, although the usual end of term events couldn’t go ahead last year, things were far from normal outside school. This year, they can witness 10s of thousands of fans at Wembley but their parents are not allowed in the school hall for their last prize giving.

@lonelyplanet

It has been pretty bad for all children. Write to your mp and make it clear that you don't want this to happen next year. If your mp isn't helpful don't vote for them in the next election.

I agree. I’ve done this re isolation

Labour so not as useful as I just got a spiel back but I would say worth writing

How is everyone managing their year 6 disappointment and stress

By highlighting the positives. Honestly, my DC and his friends are not in the least bit 'disappointed or stressed'. We have a few parents in our year who are just going round criticising the school (who I think are being great). The sense of entitlement is truly shocking - it's all about them, very little to do with their kids. Our school cancelled PGL, however some parents took all the kids who wanted to go over a weekend. Kids had a great time, but a few parents are so angry that the school didn't do it. The same week the school had a big outbreak amongst the staff and just managed to stay open - if they had gone to PGL which requires additional staff accompanying Y6, the school would have been forced to close other year groups.
There have been a few threads started about how terrible it is for Y6 leavers, in my day we just left school.

@BunsyGirl

Think it depends on the school but my DS is currently in year 6 and I do believe that, on balance, it has been worse for his year than the previous year 6. It’s an indie and academically year 5 is the most important as they do 11 plus and entrance exams at the beginning of year 6. This went ahead normally for the previous year 6 as Covid wasn’t even a thing then. This year, the kids missed a chunk of year 5 when they would normally be preparing and had last minute changes in timing and format of the exams when they got into year 6. Year 5 and 6 are the years that they really get into competing for the school at sports and get awards for playing a certain number of matches etc. Last year’s year 6 got to complete for most of that apart from the last term. This year’s have missed all of this year and a lot of year 5. Likewise the head boys and girls and prefects got to perform their duties “normally” for most of the previous year 6. This year, my head boy DS had to do video recordings from his bedroom. The current year 6 have had very little opportunity in year 5 or 6 to view secondary schools whereas the previous year 6 could go to open days as normal in their pre-Covid year 5. Last year, year 6 only missed one proper sports day. This year, it’s two. Also, although the usual end of term events couldn’t go ahead last year, things were far from normal outside school. This year, they can witness 10s of thousands of fans at Wembley but their parents are not allowed in the school hall for their last prize giving.

I will agree if this year 7 is badly impacted as well. However if your Y6 gets a normalish y7 with practical fun stuff, clubs and social things then it will be ok. Y7 is such an important year to settle into such a new change and my y7 hasn’t enjoyed it much at all. She usually loves school but has said that it’s all a big scam. All the things they said would happen in y7 havent and she thinks it’s just a ploy so you apply to go to their school. So sad

I think it has been hard on all kids whatever their school year, and to an extent depends on what their schools have done as some have allowed more than others, and how many isolations they have ended up with.

Whilst you say last year’s year 6 went back in the summer, not all schools had them back, and it was a far less normal version of school than this year has been. My son was in a bubble of 8, they were meant to stay 2m apart all the time and had no contact at all with other bubbles so he didn’t see his closest friends except in the distance. He did enjoy his time in the bubble, but it was very different. He has also now had year 7 where he has had to wear masks, and do LFTs twice a week, plus not have many of the normal secondary experiences.

Last year I also had a year 4 whose last day at first school was in March, lost all his end of first school activities, then had to start middle school after almost 6 months of not being inside a school. I know he feels his year 5 has been all the boring bits of school without the fun stuff.

I really feel for current children in transition years who haven’t been able to see their new schools at all, but I would try to focus on the positives with your child and enjoy what the school has been able to organise. I hope they can get a more normal school year next year.

What about this year's year 11s & 13s?

We have a Y7 & Y5 and it's been rubbish for them, for all, but this year's 11&13s surely must "win" the prize for worse school years past 18 months.

OP try imagining doing your GCSE or A'level years online, and then think whether an adventure residency trip for 2/3 nights being cancelled is even in the same ball park.

@frozendaisy

What about this year's year 11s & 13s?

We have a Y7 & Y5 and it's been rubbish for them, for all, but this year's 11&13s surely must "win" the prize for worse school years past 18 months.

OP try imagining doing your GCSE or A'level years online, and then think whether an adventure residency trip for 2/3 nights being cancelled is even in the same ball park.

I do agree - it’s been horrible for the exam years. However, depending on the next year I think this year 10’s will have had a very rough ride too (for sitting GCSE’s next year). However the year group I feel the most sorry for actually is last years year 13’s (this years first year uni students) No a levels and all end of term stuff cancelled last minute plus an absolutely god awful first uni year. That first year in uni is just something you never get back. You might be able to defer 1 year but after that being 20 with 18 year olds just isn’t the same.

I think all kids have had a crappy year and it's a shame for kids who have had to miss out on fun things. However, I really don't know what sort of logic would suggest that Year 6 kids have had a worst time than others. As far as I can see, they are better off than most other groups--they are old enough to be capable of a certain amount of independent study, young enough that they are not taking any "serious" exams (I think SATS were cancelled?) and have plenty of time to catch up.

I think the worst-off kids are the 14+ kids who are studying towards real external examinations, and especially those in actual exam years. And also the kids under 7 or so who will have really struggled with the remote learning especially if they do not have a parent who has enough time to supervise them and teach them.

In my day, we didn't do all these endless transitioning stuff and proms and hoodies and residentials in Y6. I'm sure these are "nice to have" but I really think it's not a big deal compared with the horrible situation for older kids and their exams, or little kids who have wound up being ignored in front of the TV for hours while parents work and are now going to be struggling with schoolwork because they have not mastered basic skills.

This years year 6 have had it much better than last years.

Last year school shut in March a majority of schools didn’t actually take the year 6’s back in and if they did it was a hand full to a room. They then moved to a brand new school they again hadn’t been in because no transition days. They got all the boring prepare for stats and none of the fun or preparing for secondary.

Then they got dropped off at brand new schools, with no idea who their teachers where going to be or the other children in their classes. They didn’t know where the classrooms would be, they haven’t got to do practical lessons, they haven’t in a lot of cases even met the ready of their year 7’s because bubbles, my ds has a certain area of school and they don’t leave that area. They can’t have hot dinners as they are not set up for the new year 7’s no lockers as they are outside of their areas. They haven’t met the rest of the year groups or other teachers because bubbles.

Same as this this reception classes no taster days, no parents staying for settling but out or preschool and straight into a new environment.

@marsepile

How is everyone managing their year 6 disappointment and stress

By highlighting the positives. Honestly, my DC and his friends are not in the least bit 'disappointed or stressed'. We have a few parents in our year who are just going round criticising the school (who I think are being great). The sense of entitlement is truly shocking - it's all about them, very little to do with their kids. Our school cancelled PGL, however some parents took all the kids who wanted to go over a weekend. Kids had a great time, but a few parents are so angry that the school didn't do it. The same week the school had a big outbreak amongst the staff and just managed to stay open - if they had gone to PGL which requires additional staff accompanying Y6, the school would have been forced to close other year groups.
There have been a few threads started about how terrible it is for Y6 leavers, in my day we just left school.

But In your day did you watch for years as every other year group had a wonderful last term in Y6? Did you walk past the fun day with water guns and bouncy castles every year hearing the squeals of delight? Did you sit through 6 years of leavers plays? Did you watch for 6 years as each older year group got dressed up and made a fuss of for their leavers disco? When you have seen this for years and it’s finally your turn, it is a big deal for a 10 year old (and their mum!) to have that taken so suddenly. In feb 2020 no one would have Begun to even imagine what would make all that go for the whole year group. Not saying it’s worse that anyone else but it is / was a big deal Also to add I am 45 and I had a leaving disco, special dress down party day and we signed each other’s books / shirts. Quite sad for you that you don’t have that memory because it was an extremely fun time.

I think it’s been shit for all to be honest but I would say it’s been the worst experience for those right at the very beginning of their education (early years) and those right at the end. I have one that fell into one of those brackets.

@OnTheBrink1

I have a year 6 and I try not to think about it too much. He’s off school at the minute isolating too 😢. It’s sad isn’t it?

Onthebrink - I have great memories from that time when I was young! Please, don't be sad for me.
Also, most schools, like mine, are doing what they can. My kids school are having a leavers disco - run by the teachers and have done a school play which has been filmed. When the school are unable to do things (because of regulations and staffing issues) we, the parents, are stepping in. We are determined to do what we can (read my post - the parents organised a residential when the school felt they couldn't). I don't see it as just the school's responsibility. What annoys me is the parents that just moan about what their children are missing out on and blaming the school.

It depends on the school really and individual circumstances. My niece was a year 6 last year and my friend has a year 6 this year. Last years were way more disadvantaged last year as they didn't have their residentials, end of year stuff at all and yes they did have them back but my niece lives with someone who is CEV so didn't go back and even though some did, they did nothing fun or to do with transition to high school. This year, residentials in some schools are happening and some end of year/transition stuff.

There have been many year groups to suffer. My year 8 with SEN hasn't had a full year at school and my daughter was Year 11 last year and her end of school days was cut short with only a couple of days notice. No end of year stuff and a prom dress that's never been worn. Oh and she didn't get the results she deserved either as they went on mocks which are usually lower than the real deal. She couldn't get in to where she wanted to go and ended up at a place miles away and had added a year to her learning. My Year 4 has had no major problems but he's still affected and I'm sure my moving up to primary in September 4 year old has been affected by not been in nursery at a crucial learning year followed by a possible disruptive year this year.

I think it's unfair to decide on one year that's been affected worse than others. I know a few kids in the moving up years that were pleased to not do the whole end of year/school stuff.

My year 6 has had nothing. No residential.
No leavers assembly,
No school trips, no fun day or disco. I think that’s quite unusual though and most schools have managed to plan at least one fun activity.

I have a Y6. I think it has been hard but there have been benefits - no SATs for example. They missed their residential but the school are doing a leavers' celebration. Tranisition has been virtual but the secondary school are doing a transition day just for Year 7s in September instead.

I teach KS1. Academically KS1 have been affected worse than older primary kids, IMO, as they have missed a greater proportion of their schooling at a time when they are still learning the key basics.