Thread 23 Covid Cohort Stepping Into Christmas, Tests, Mocks & Interviews

[OrangeCinnamonCocktail]

This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting. It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, please don't within this thread. Please also be sensitive when responding to threads about grades.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this will continue.

Our DS/DD may go down various paths (such as employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided for anyone interested they will most likely find us within the Further Ed board.

Previous thread

@20newnames/ DS / Engineering
@Alsoplayspiccolo/ DD / English + Film
@AnneofCleavage/ DD / gap year? Primary Education
@BlueMarigold/ DD / Biology
@cariadambyth/ DD / History / Southampton, Bath Spa, Warwick, RHUL
@collywobble/ DS / PPE, Economics / Lancaster (AAB)
@crazycrofter/ DD / Child (?) + Mental Health Nursing
@Decorhate/ DS / Economics + Politics
@Delphigirl/ DS / Oceanography
@DoggerelBank/ DS / tbc sciencey
@ealingwestmum/ DD / Middle Eastern and European Studies
@EerilyDisembodied/ DS / History or Environmental Management
@estherfrewen/ DS / History / Birmingham (ABB), Cardiff (ABB-BBB), Warwick (AAB)
@EwwSprouts/ DS / Biology
@Fiddlersgreen/ DS / Journalism / Bournemouth (104 pts), Brighton (BCC), Cardiff (ABB)
@Fruitygal/ DD / Biology
@Hattifatteners/ DD / Vet Med
@Heifer/ DD / Biology
@Hopeful201/ DS / Medicine
@Horace123/ DS / Classics / Edinburgh 34/665
@icanbewhatiwant/ DS / History + Philosophy
@Isthisjustnormal/ DS / Comp Sci
@JustHereWithMyPopcorn/ DS / Law
@KingscoteStaff/ DD / Medicine
@Knickerthief1/ DD / Child nursing / York
@Monkey2001/ DS / Medicine
@mummabear74/ DD / Environmental Science
@mummyinbeds/ DS / Law + French Law / Birmingham (AAA), Kent (AAB)
@Nard75/ DS / Maths
@NCTDN/ DD / Liberal Arts
@Oblomov21/ DS / Accountancy / Southampton ABB
@OrangeCinnamonCocktail/ DD / Music (uni)
@PaddingtonPaddington/ DD / Music (cons)
@Piggywaspushed/ DS / Social sciences / Birmingham (AAB-ABB), York (AAB-ABB)
@ProggyMat/ DD / Classics / Bristol (BBB), Edinburgh
@SandyBayley/ DD / Medicine
@Seeline/ DD / Liberal Arts / UEA (AAB), Kent (BBB), Nottingham (AAA)
@Shimy/ DS / Business + Management / Birmingham (AAB-ABB), Loughborough
@singingstones/ DS / Neuroscience
@Volterra/ DS / Maths
@whatsnext2/ DD / English joint hons
@Wheresthebeach/ DD / gap year? Marine Biology / Southampton, Portsmouth
@whoamitojudge/ DD / RyanAir cabin crew training
@Zebracat/ DD / Liberal Arts or Anthropology
@ZittiEBuoni/ DD / tbc applying next year

Gosh this thread moves fast. We have got a parents evening this week so that will be very useful for finding out exactly where we are. DS should hear about a new Saturday job as well.

@OrangeCinnamonCocktail

Parental influence / input - me 100%, DH - 0% (DS is our eldest so this is our first time through). DH came to one open day with us. To be fair some of the earlier ones were restricted due to social distancing and he does things with DD while we're away for the day (she's not interested in coming along yet). All the research, UCAS stuff etc is me.

Hi, thanks everyone. My DC wants to do either software engineering or computing. They're a bit secretive though and I don't actually know what courses they've put down on the UCAS form. I think (hope) I'll be allowed to know once it's submitted.

@OrangeCinnamonCocktail sorry to hear about your mum and sending you best wishes.

Mocks next week for DD.

Just saw a news item about second jabs for 16-17 years olds so that’s good news for DD as thought she would have to wait till 17 years 9 months (due next May).

Good news for 16-17 yr olds and 40 -50 will get booster - great news for us just under 50s

@BudapestdreamsSoftware engineering not sure there’s anyone’s DC looking to do that in this group so exciting to have different courses - have they asked to go on open days? I hope they do show you their courses soon - must be super nerve wracking not knowing.

Welcome Budapest. I guess all DC deal with the shortlisting process in their own way. I hope they feel a bit of pressure easing once they’ve submitted, it’s not easy being kept on sidelines I can imagine but your patience to take their steer will be respected (even though they don’t say so)!

Welcome, Budapest!

DD still hasn’t submitted her UCAS form…nor is her PS finished…nor has she finalised her top 5.
We’ve managed one open day only.
School deadline is the end of the month, so she’ll have to get a move on, but she says she’s snowed under with NEAs etc.

Has anyone’s school told parents about new mock arrangements, in light of the government announcement last week? Ours only does one set, in January, and I can’t see how they can fit a set in before Christmas.

I’m also worrying about GCSE content for DS - for example, he hasn’t started poetry in English, but we haven’t been told it’s been cut.
Compared to where DD was at the same point in year 11, he seems hugely behind.

I realised this weekend how mentally weary I am from it all; when DD was in year 10 and 11, I felt energised and excited to be involved to help her do her very best, whereas with DS, I can barely summon up the enthusiasm to check whether he’s doing his homework

I feel like I have almost given up caring, because of all the uncertainty around exams and the future.
God knows how the kids are keeping going.

@Alsoplayspiccolo No- no news here. DD only has one set of mocks after Feb half-term. School have been using the same system for several years. They do have fairly large tests each half term which they use for the half term grade reports, but they are not done in true exam conditions (fitted in lesson slot, not in the exam hall etc), but unknown questions and in silence, so don't know whether they could use those? I really can't see them fitting in two further sets of exams, especially one before Christmas. It would play havoc with their teaching plans, and DCs would be missing more valuable learning time. Hopefully, as long as schools can show a record of schievement that will be enough.

Piccolo I feel the same. Wrung out. I posted that a couple of weeks ago and I still feel the same.

Like 20new I have younger Ds2 in year 8, and he seems so very behind compared to where Ds1 was, and they are getting minimal school homework now - apparently as a school policy, new 'trial' 🙄, plus because families couldn't apparently cope with it during lockdown? One mum a teacher told me it has been proved that they don't need as much homework as previously thought. Not being a teacher I couldn't question this but it just doesn't sit well with me.

Dd had ‘second chance UCAS’ exams before half term, which were done in exam conditions so would qualify. It would be unfair though as lots of kids didn’t need to up their UCAS predictions in one or more subjects so didn’t revise too much for those. Dd took that approach to Psychology - fortunately she still got a B, but she’s aiming for an A (and got that in the summer).

Ds (year 11) has mocks in 3 weeks, scheduled in anyway, before the guidance. I’m not sure it would be fair to take an average from the 3 sets of exams though? I mean ordinarily you’d expect to see some improvement between mocks and the real thing?

Seeline, I caught a Primrose Kittrn video on YouTube and she said that schools HAD to do proper mocks in the next 5 weeks, ie in an exam hall, with invigilators.

It seems like madness. This time of year is mad busy for schools in the run up to Christmas and preparing year 13s for interviews etc.
I wish the bloody government would come out and say what their plans are for exams, instead of piling more pressure on.

@Alsoplayspiccolo and @Oblomov21 - yes, it all feels exhausting at the moment! I don’t think I’d be this worried about ds at this point in a normal year, but the thought that these mocks could be his final grades worries me a lot!

@Alsoplayspiccolo

I've just had a look athte actual guidance:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-contingency-arrangements-for-gcses-as-and-a-levels-in-summer-2022/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-other-exam-centres-on-contingency-arrangements-for-students-entering-gcses-as-and-a-levels-the-advanced-extension

and I think Primrose Kitten is incorrect. The 'Guidance on collecting evidence to be used to determine TAGs if they are needed in summer 2022" section allows for variations.

I don't think it's intended to be an average of three grades as the DfE seem to think every exam would be on different content.

God knows, tbh.

the third set of exams in the summer term are madness. Workload for teachers is the biggest issue and - yes- how this takes away form important lesson time.

I don't understand why school exams in the summer term could happen and external exams go ahead. it seems mutually exclusive

On the homework front - there is no robust research but it has been shown that high quality homework supports learners BUT widens the gaps we are supposed to be closing... schools that have got rid of homework often have incessant after school 'clubs'.

V pleased to hear about boosters . Just want DS's sense of smell back now

Feeling the same here too. Poor DS year 11 has 3 mocks today and is full of cold. He has had nowhere near the same effort as I put in with DD with revision planning/help etc. They are just being done in class.

@Alsoplayspiccolo we had a letter from the school about GCSE English and cutting out the poetry as they had only just started teaching it, it’s the one they are dropping. History on the other hand no letter just told in class which topic they are not doing.

DDs school had early January mocks booked in with the possibility of something in March then suddenly 2-3 weeks ago the teachers were told by the SLT that there were to be mini mocks in early December. January’s mocks we’re moving to mid rather than early Jan. We assumed then that Someone knew something was brewing as the school are normally very early and structured with their planning and last minute changes just don’t happen. So we are early December and mid January for mocks plus possibly March. 3rd set sounds totally pointless - DD think those would be if exams were cancelled only. Teachers saying not enough time to teach crazy world

DD has geography NEA to do for after Christmas as well as revision.

Piggy
"supports learners BUT widens the gaps we are supposed to be closing... "

Supports learners. But closes gaps? Which gaps are those?

DS (y13) mocks in the next two weeks, his school only does this set normally. DD (y11, different school) mocks mid Jan, again they only do this one set. Neither school has communicated with us following the announcement.

Comparing my y11 involvement for the two DCs - they are totally different personalities, at different schools and doing very different work (DS did 3 GCSEs plus 3 BTECs, DD is doing 8 GCSEs). But I did a huge amount of revision with him for the BTEC exams which took place before lockdown, and then for a y12 BTEC exam. DD wants minimal help or intervention, in fact she pushes any suggestions away. I am trying to be as engaged and supportive over her 6th form choices as I was for DS and she is happy about that though.

@Alsoplayspiccolo

Seeline, I caught a Primrose Kittrn video on YouTube and she said that schools HAD to do proper mocks in the next 5 weeks, ie in an exam hall, with invigilators.

It seems like madness. This time of year is mad busy for schools in the run up to Christmas and preparing year 13s for interviews etc.
I wish the bloody government would come out and say what their plans are for exams, instead of piling more pressure on.

Our mocks aren't until January so that can't be right.

In exciting news (for us) he UCAS application has now been properly submitted with teacher stuff and everything. All of the fingers are crossed in this household now.

Well done to your DS Popcorn, fingers crossed!

DS had what were called internal exams last week. I think they were under full exams conditions as think they always are but that’s an impression rather than fact. Also the Further Maths was deliberately really hard to push them so i hope that doesn’t backfire.

Listen to what PK says in the first 30 seconds, re mocks before Christmas.

Who is this person??