Thread 29 - Covid Cohort - Whirlwinds and Waiting

[OrangeCinnamonCroissant]

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 28

Well, DD has tested positive today. She's had cold symptoms since Thursday but tested void twice by PCR (must have been doing it wrong) and finally + by lft today. She's not feeling particularly ill but is pissed off because she was supposed to have a maths mock tomorrow.

DH is also feeling a bit coldy but LFT neg so he's been for a PCR this morning. I took one alongside DD yesterday because I had been in the car with her and anyone can just stroll in and have one now. Mine was negative but I will do an LFT before going to work tomorrow. Might do another pcr too, the test station is next to work.

Oh dear Hope you are all OK.

DS has suddenly started coughing... hoping it is just food stuck in throat...!

Hope you are all ok @ExtremelyDelighted. DS is on day 6 now and feeling a fair bit better. Just got him to do another LFT now so will see if that is negative.

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. Having looked at accommodation costs, I can see we'll be tightening our belts quite a lot for the next few years! The maintenance loan DD1 will get won't fully cover rent, so we'll have to supplement that as well as pay for her food, travel, etc. It's eye-watering!

DS was filling in a form for a bursary from a local 'philanthropic' builder. I have multiple issues with his scholarships but, since DS is eligible, I am putting those hypocritically to one side. He can get an extra £1000 in first year, so not to be sneezed at.

We have a local charitable trust which offers modest grants to students who go to university - DD should qualify (it's based on postcode and links to the area) so we will definitely be applying. Even a couple of £100 will help towards books etc.

Dd would get £1k at Southampton as an access student but she’s really leaning toward Nottingham now. It’s frustrating but it’s not really enough money to be a deciding factor (well it might be for me personally but she’s not thinking that way). She says she’ll try and get a job this summer but she’s got a camp, 2 festivals and then she’s volunteering at another festival and visiting some friends in Cornwall so I’m not sure if a job would fit around all that! I want her to have a good summer after the last couple of years but I’ve told her from next year on she’s got to work to fund her own fun!

@heifer I thought the same about catered and I think dd might agree after the offer day on Wed - I’ll let you know!

@Volterra you’ve got a lot on your plate too! Good luck with the move! We have to be moved by Sept for ds’ sixth form and we’re not even on the market yet. I think we might have to rent.

@Wheresthebeach dd has no official diagnosis but we submitted a letter from her therapist which explained about anxiety. She now does her exams in a small room and gets rest breaks - I understood these things are at the school’s discretion.

Wheresthebeach, that doesn’t sound right! Access arrangements aren’t traded off against each other!
Rest breaks and small room invigoration are at the discretion of the exam centre and don’t need to be applied for to the JQC.

Okay so now I’m quite cross!
Thanks Also and crazy that’s something I need to look into on Monday.

Love this thread

www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/AA-regs-2020-2021-version-for-website.pdf

Wheresthebeach

Thank you Also that’s so helpful

Thanks all for the info re rest breaks - DD is being tested in early April for ASD & Dyslexia. We've had to wait ages for an appt along with having to get the money in place to pay for it. I was lead to believe that any diagnosis would be too late for A levels so was really doing this for uni. I've just emailed the Senco at school to ask about rest breaks as she did mention them to me in December when she went through the schools test results they ran. Basically DD doesn't qualify for extra time as she only had 1 indicator score below average and she needs 2. The senco suggested that we get DD tested privately for possibly being on the spectrum. I've spoken to an education pys who agreed it was worth doing. Anyway. I've just emailed the school senco today (for tomorrow) but she has already seen it and replied (feel bad about that being on a weekend) I did put urgent (Monday) in my header... Anway, she said that the test results school did don't allow for rest breaks (this isn't what she told me at the time) but it would be a good idea to trial them for her mocks this week and once our private report comes back they can use that to get it for the A levels... The problem is that DD likes the idea of rest breaks but not walking out in front of 200 people! Do they usually sit them at the back so asnot to disturb anyone ? In a perfect world DD would get extra time and be sat in a room on her own but that isn't going to happen..

@Wheresthebeach, @Alsoplayspiccolo - this is the latest version I believe
www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/AA_regs_21-22_FINAL.pdf

@Heifer my DD trialled rest breaks during her last set of mocks which worked well for her. Those that have rest breaks sit exams in a smaller room. They just go and sit at the back of the room for however long they need once the invigilator has agreed. The poor invigilator has to keep track of start/finish times taking all the individual breaks into account for each student. I think there were between 10-20 students in the room depending on subjects. I thought others taking breaks might disturb DD but she was fine.

Thanks @Seeline that is useful to know - DD would love a smaller room anyway Unfortunately she isn't in school today (study leave) so can't speak to them beforehand. I've asked if she can speak to them tomorrow and if she feels comfortable with it then trial if from Wednesday.

Thanks @Heifer. I think we're stuffed under the 'normal way of working' criteria as DD has never had them, although has asked for them and been refused.

She's an eye appointment this month with the specialists as she's struggling again. Maybe a report from them would help, but its not her normal way of working so I doubt they'd do it. Harrump.

@Wheresthebeach - yes the "normal way of working" is mentioned a lot in that document isn't it. But I didn't think it covered rest breaks as that is something the school can give if they have evidence it needs?

I was planning that once DD gets a diagnosis (if) that although we have missed all the deadlines I would push really hard for extra time and explain why we are past the deadline but after reading that document if doesn't look good due to the number of times if mentions not having it just before the exams. But surely other people have diagnosis just before exams as it takes so fllippin long!

@kiwiandcherries DD will firm Chichester with Oxford Brookes as insurance but only once she gets the go ahead for a 2023 start year.

Welcome Harriet 😀

Sorry to hear of another positive on here @EventuallyDelighted 😟 Hope it's short lived and no one else in the family gets it.

@Piggywaspushed great news on the bursary for DS - how many do they normally give out a year? Hope his coughing turned out to be nothing.

Good luck to all applying for extra time/ rest breaks 🤞🤞That's great your DD got her rest breaks @crazycrofter and good luck next month @Heifer for your assessment for DD.

I think the issue is that they are so worried about people abusing the system, that it makes it hard for those who need help. They don't want people to get extra time etc who are using it because the kids aren't doing terribly well rather than there's a genuine issue. Hence the need for documentation, deadlines etc.

Two of DD's scores qualify her for 50% extra time, and the report suggests applying for it but the school refused. Largely because they said she was doing well so didn't need it.

@Wheresthebeach - that is terrible that the school refused to try. DD is also doing well (A*AB) in last mocks but that doesn't mean she isn't finding it tough. She hasn't finished a single exam/test since starting A levels. I am really hoping that something is found that could then enable her to get help at uni. She only actually wants extra time and doesn't want to chat to someone about it etc to find ways to cope but I've said she should be open minded to anything that will help her.

@Heifer - The help at Uni is great. Much more helpful than at schools - which is so odd. I think it was Southampton that the Prof commented that it was so much easier for dyslexic kids to get the help they needed at University - the fight was getting there.

@heifer @wheresthebeach dd rarely finishes an exam and struggles with speed but school wouldn’t test her. She’s also doing well with exactly the same grade profile as your dd @heifer. In the end I didn’t push it because she said she’d be ok if she got rest breaks and exams in a smaller room and school seemed willing to accommodate that. For history she uses the breaks as a way of getting a bit of extra thinking time - reads the question then takes a five minute break (I think there are 4 essay questions?).

@crazycrofter - it's crap isn't it that if the child is doing well their issues are often ignored. Are you going to get anything in place for uni?

DD pushed herself for 2 lots of tests in school and I emailed to back her up. The problem is that she did find the tests too easy and they came back as processing above average whilst DD obviously struggles. She felt there were too young for her.

She does have other issues I spoke to the Senco about which is why she suggested going down the private route of testing for ASD. DD isn't keen on this tbh as feels she is dyslextic but now it's been pointed out I can see a lot of signs that DD has. She admits herself that she has been masking at school for years.