Y10 & Y12 - it's gone very quiet...

[SausageCrush]

There was talk about Y10 & Y12 going back to school in England after half term. Now silence. Is that optimistic - or ominous?

15th June for us. Reduced four hour day. Teachers only allowed in for shifts only.

Strange world.

We (secondary teacher) had an email asking if we lived with anyone who was shielding, so I'm hoping there's something in the pipeline, but once again I think there's been very little proper guidance from the government and schools will probably be left to make it up as they go along, with the NUT taking the hard line and looking obstructive (I think their points are valid, but I don't think the way they are presenting themselves is coming across well).

So really no-one knows what each school will do, and it won't all be the same and the playing field will still be uneven for poor y10 and 12

Don’t think the official guidance has come out yet, but it will probably be as ill thought out as the Primary School guidance.

My DS is Y10 and I am very happy with what his school is providing but it is frightening to see what some schools are doing and what little work some students are doing. GCSEs are going to be a nightmare next year if they want them to be a level playing field for everyone.

We are getting a letter on Thursday outlining what our (private) school is proposing to do. At the moment they are providing almost full day of online learning, but ideally want these two crucial year groups back in school. They sent us an extensive survey about it. My daughter is working hard but is also stressed that they will fall behind, particularly in the more hands on subjects like art, DT, sciences, drama etc.

Boris' speech said "face to face time" which I interpreted as a meeting to see how online learning is going.

DSS (Y12) is at a private school who said last week that they'd be confirming the plans this week, but were looking towards having half the students in at a time from 1 June. Maybe alternate weeks? We'll have to see what they say this week. DD (also Y12) is at a state sixth form that doesn't seem to believe in communicating with parents (not ever really). She tells me she had a survey asking their views on online learning and whether they would like some time with their teachers, but nothing on what their actual plans are. The online provision has been very mixed, and DD is not enjoying it and losing motivation so I'm hoping they do have them back at least part time but am not very optimistic - it's a large and crowded sixth form with a very unionised workforce (frequently striking) and a lot of kids reliant on public transport to get in.

It has all gone very quiet on Y10/12 hasn't it?

Which is a bit odd, isn't it? Surely, if we can rely on one year group to socially distance properly, it would be Y12?
Far more sensible to send Y10 and Y12 back than R, Y1 and Y6.

Year 12 is a huge headache.

Government guidelines suggest teaching children in 'pods' of 12 or so. Ideally, they stay put in one classroom, with the same teacher, or the teacher(s) come to them.

Now, that sounds do-able (well, sort of) until you think about your average year 12.

How many children are doing the same set of A levels in your child's school?

It will be possible to arrange some matching groups of 12 - but not many.

And then there's the whole safety headache.

That little pod of 12 will be visited by a number of teachers, themselves circulating between groups - not great if the idea is to limit infection.

Or perhaps they'll just do the one subject ... all day.

And what about subjects that are practical? Requiring use of objects?

It's a headache.

Not insurmountable but, you know what, surmounting the difficulties is going to require cash.

My guess is that a huge inequality issue is going to raise its head when children return in large numbers. It's not going to disappear.

Independent schools will probably move to half of classes out of school and lessons going on in school being live-streamed uploaded.

State schools can't do that: they can't be sure their students have the equipment in the home to do that and they don't have the money to invest in technology themselves to achieve it.

So I think there are going to be continuing issues about inequality generating trade-offs between safety and even the kind of educational provision that is available for quite a long time.

It's tricky.

My Y10 and her entire tutor group met with the headteacher and senior team online today. They were told that they've not been forgotten (not that I think there was much danger of that given the messages they receive daily via SMHW) and that the school is trying to work out what can happen after half-term. They explained that they are waiting for the government's instructions, that these keep changing and the students will be told as soon as they feasibly can. I don't think much information was gained from the session but the students seemed to be enjoying the virtual contact.

Thank you theirtheir, of course, I hadn't considered that they'd all have different options. And far more difficult to be taught by non-specialised too.

I completed a survey that my son's school sent to Y10 and 12 patents around their comfort levels and desire to see their kids back for some time. My son very much needs it, he's missing the guidance and motivational chats (he loves his 6th firm teachers) and the off the cuff clarity over anything on the syllabus he needs explaining.

@theirtheir is that from the Secondary School guidelines, have they been published now?

8th June here. 2 hours a day Mon-Weds every other week so approx 18 hours of schooling before the summer holidays

I have DC in both years. The work set for my year ten has been patchy and inconsistent to say the least. Three zoom lessons in eight weeks. Email from school yesterday to remind us that next week is half term, not to disturb the teachers as they need a break and they will continue to discuss the best way forward after their week off.
After working all the way though this pandemic as a nurse with flimsy ppe, doing extra hours and had annual leave cancelled, their attitude riles a bit tbh.
Gutted for my DC.

My school has some plans. Sorry @Pipandmum but we've been sent guidance from health and safety bods which makes it look almost impossible for the "hands on" bits of science at least to be happening for a while

The online provision for my year 10 child has been very good but communication around any return to school has been limited to “we plan to facilitate some face to face time, the structure of which will be dependent on guidelines”. I’m not hopeful it is going to be enormously valuable academically but should do them the world of good socially, if I can work out how to get him there! He usually relies on a tube/bus combination which I can’t see being an option.

My school is taking year 10 and 12 back on the 8th of june. Parents were informed yesterday.

As teachers, we have no idea how it's going to work, but we are putting our best foot forward.

Communication about opening is hard though. New guidance is coming out daily at the moment. Rather than waiting for the guidance to be written then giving the announcement, it's all been reactive instead of proactive.
We don't know what we're doing yet. That does make me anxious but I have no control over it so trying not to worry.

How many children are doing the same set of A levels in your child's school?

That's madness if the Government was going that route! It doesn't affect us as dd is year 13, but none of her a level sets matched up. Drama would need to be together (small group anyway) as there practicals are together.

And good luck to the non specialists trying to teach each other's subjects!

Our school has communicated they are making plans, extra signs, one way routes etc. They are going to send out a questionnaire to y10 to see what academic support they most need on return, going to try to do more video lessons, etc.

They have also said they are proceeding with 'extreme caution'.

Have just had an email from DSS's (private) school. They are opening from 1 June for Years 10 and 12. Half the year group in one week, and half the next, so alternating weeks of school and home study. That'll give them class sizes of around 12. Normal timetables, normal teachers, etc. Some staggering of lunchbreaks (Y12 can eat in their frees), hand washing, outdoor as much as possible, etc. I'm happy for him. But also a bit pissed off that we've still had nothing at all from DD's state sixth form. It's going to make next year's exams hugely unfair. Though maybe the state schools will be shown up a bit by the independents, or at least be able to see that it can work ok.

@Greendayz it's great your kid is going back, but please dont compare well funded private schools with low class numbers (you say a half class is 12. In my year 10 class I have 31). Every state school is trying to figure out how it is going to work for them, but there an enormous amount of logistics around student safety that need to be considered, provisions for vulnerable kids and those with SEN (which many private schools dont have to make many provisions for), not to mention staff safety. It's not like state schools simply arent bothering. They just dont always have the resources or space that private schools have

DD Y10, school has been shut from beginning of lockdown completely, key worker children going to another local school. Letter this week states as no guidance has been given they can't even start to make plans. Online provision has been hit and miss, today's Maths meet came with the line they'll keep it brief as they are sure they would prefer to be out in the hot weather

The school I work in has begun making plans for one way systems,I've ordered lots of signage for around school and extra cleaning equipment etc Our Head is keen to get them back in whatever form they can.

I am very worried now. DD has struggled so much and she was so hopeful even just to get back to see friends, even though she fully understands it will be very different, I really hope some formal guidance comes out very soon.

I do realise the pressures on state schools are different @squidge. But if half of 31 is too many to have in a classroom at once, why not a third at a time - ie 10? I don't see how private schools can have it all planned out, while state schools appear to be just sitting around waiting for further guidance. I've had absolutely zero communication from DD's sixth form since this all began two months ago. Nothing at all.

It's likely about getting some kids back in some form so we don't have two years of cancelled exams. Academies will compel some students and teachers back. Terminal exams will then take place with the same standards expected pre-COVID - it's not possible to retrain markers.