Thread 32 - Corona Cohort 'May' the Mumsnet force be with them for their venture to exams

[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 31

CONGRATULATIONS ZEBRACAT !

Oh no, Wheresthebeach, that sounds so stressful! Your poor DD. Glad she feels ok about it - well done to her for keeping her composure.

Yes, it’s really unnecessary isn’t it. Ds is also laid back and aware that grade boundaries are usually low anyway. But I can’t see that many concessions have been made for this lot at all.

@Wheresthebeach poor dd, that sounds really stressful 😫

Thanks - she seems to have coped okay.

I'm hoping the grade boundaries are low, God knows this group has had a hard time.

Sorry been awol (again) turns out Dd was suffering very badly with PMS. DH was called to get her from college where she was throwing up with pain earlier in the week . Thank goodness she didn't have any exams. Turns out she has not been taking her Mefanamic acid and prescription ran out .

Thread moving fast I will catch up. Hope all the Double Bubble lot if GCSEs plus A levels coping OK. And anyone else had exams this week of course.

I'm scared the thread will move to fast...here is the link below

new thread for summer

Do the threads run out these days or do they keep going past 1000?

Beach that sounds unnecessarily extra stressful.
Mass was nice. I'm down at caravan. Singapore noodles, glass of wine, sat in the sun. And bunting. As ED said re her school bunting, there is bunting everywhere as I drove from Surrey to Dorset.

Didn't even think of that !

We shall have to use this one up and see.

I might as well fill up this part if the thread by having a little wee moan about Dd College, well the general situ really. In the main it has been great, supportive of her mental health individually etc. It is really like a stepping stone to uni. But..there seems to have been no attempt to help the kinds bond socially at all. It is a large College, we are Hants so most go, six forms are few and far between.

Her last day yesterday, now on study leave. Nothing. The cohort must have found it really hard to bond, they have mostly been wearing masks , few social opportunities last year. I find it really sad. I suspect the staff are too busy and there is no 'one' person assigned to coordinate such a thing.

Dd has made two or three good friends. The Music performance opportunities have been limited by necessity but have been a good experience for her when undertaken. Optimistically I'm hoping it will make her Uni experience seem amazing, strong emphasis on contributing to the social/societies community when you're a muso so lots of shared experiences.

I'm pretty sure from feedback from those with older kids that the college wasn't always like that...another covid casualty?

@OrangeCinnamonCroissant that is a shame. Most of DH's friends from primary school went to the most northerly of that college group and I get the same impression from talking to their mums. Staffing levels have been cut. Also one of my friends is a lecturer there and says she can see a huge difference in the mental health, anxiety levels, lack of social confidence etc for our year group compared to previous years (she has worked there a long time). Even around town its not like normal years, there are far fewer gangs of students hanging out together in public places. I had the time of my life at the college on the hill in the group, admittedly many years ago.

Laughing at if 1000 still works, post update.

Orange that is such a shame. Ours has been fabulous. 3 of my friends (bath and Brighton) say their dd's has been good.

I went to the school mass yesterday, it was lovely. Parents don't go to secondary school much do they? They had a bbq. And then a pub crawl. They've got a prom next month.

The head of sixth form explained how they all grown and matured in difficult Covid times and had all stepped up in the last couple of weeks with the loss of one peer. It is clear to me, And when I talk to other people who have had siblings go through that particular school in previous years and through other schools in previous years they've made a particular effort this year to accommodate all the children, even more so, in the Covid difficulties. School have done a really really good job.

I'm sorry dd's haven't. Uni will be the making of her hopefully?

Thanks @especially it is what it is I guess. She is quite independent now ...I know she can get herself up and to a lesson without the draw of mates/fun times etc.

@Oblomov22 I seen to remember a parents bbq and mass at my RC secondary school. Back then there was a lot of reliance on parents for contributions something to do with funding model from LEA, despite being in Surrey we weren't a terribly rich school. Anyway it was a nice event ...they made us sixth formers help out with serving etc.

I AM glad Dd got herself a little job, that has helped her maturity a bit. She is still behind, but they all are.

Interesting to hear at the Uni the other day, that they have had some real increase in issues with student behaviour and mental health incidents .

@OrangeCinnamonCroissant - that is such a shame and I totally get it. DD has been at the same school for 15 years and yet she doesn't feel like she knows her 6th form at all (apart from her friendship group) There seems to have been a big drop out after yr11 and new girls coming into 6th form in yr12. Lots dropped out end of yr12 and DD says no effort has been made to do anything together as a yr group in the last 2 years so she hasn't gotten to know anyone outside of her friendship group or those she knew in yrs 7-11. There are only about 60 students if that in yr13 so it wouldn't have been hard! They had their last day yesterday and it was terrible apparently. Nothing about the past at all, no photos, no reminising. They were given some food, ice cream van and a cake oh and a Class of 2022 water bottle to take away. So sad (newish head who has cancelled everything that used to take place). Everything that she missed she will hopefully get at uni so that's something at least. I am sure it will be the same for your DD but it still hurts doesn't it as you want them to have the full experience where possible.

I too am watching this thread waiting to see if it does go past 1000 although it's nice to have new threads anyway :-)

Such a shame @Heifer ! The opportunities were there and as you say is a small year. At Dd secondary school they had 'reward' days with ice cream vans and bouncy castles once a term.

I really hope there is no more uncertainty going forwards, at least in terms of Covid. Not much we can do about the uncertainties in the wider world.

This generation will grow up to be so different.

That’s a shame for your DD too. DS’s school have some optional activities w/c 27th (although DS still has an exam that Wed so won’t be doing any Mon/Tues/Wed). There is also speech day, which again is whole school but is pretty emotional for the leavers and their families.

DD still has to decide between 6th form and college. Academically school would be better, she’d hit the ground running, all her dyslexia support is already in place and the subject teachers for her choices are amazing. Parents I know whose DC have gone through that 6th form say they are treated much more like adults than in the rest of the school. But college would give more independence / scope for a wider friendship circle, but that is really pot luck especially as she is so shy. No one else from her school is going to the college she would go to (there are quite a lot in a 10 mile or so radius from here). The shyness is a worry when it comes to the academics too, with 6th form study being more discussion based than GCSE, she might struggle at college with total strangers and be shy of asking teachers she doesn’t know for help. And she’s at the mercy of South West Railways (school is walkable).

DD went to college where she didn't really know anyone - friends went to a different college but she chose hers because of course choice. She's not really got to know anyone in her classes but luckily merry a girl from primary school and they've become good friends. There was a small prom last night (party in the community hall) but not many went because they just don't know each other. Lots met up in town later though.

My DD has the same dilemma ED. She went for college but she doesn't rate the teaching at school that highly (a risk because who knows what it will be like at college). Mostly because she is fed up of always seeing the same faces and hearing about the same dramas, she wants a change and doesn't feel particularly supported at school. Still wobbles about it though and worries about making friends, she is quite reserved.

School sounds much more positive for your DD but then again if new places and people are hard for her then college might be a good stepping stone for uni.

@OrangeCinnamonCroissant Feel sorry for your DD. Same for the DS of a friend. Huge 6th form college but not made a friend in two years. At the start they only did half days to halve the number on site so no lunchtimes. Zoom lessons not conducive to forming friendships. No clubs/activities. When they were in college old style seating of only two pupils at a table so no group chat. It's been dire but luckily he gets on well with his brother. Older sister of a friend of DS had a wonderful time three years ago.

Y12 was not what DS had hoped for, but he made a few good friends. He said it felt odd having a leavers' service when he had hardly been there (for 2020/21 Y12 and Y13 alternated days, and with lock downs and other closures they were in for less than 30% of the year). He was glad he changed schools as he felt ready for somewhere new (and needed to escape the ex girlfriends!) I think people going to sixth form this year will have a better time.

It was MUCH worse for DS1 starting university in 2020, with most social stuff shut down and Scotland were stricter than England. He said that his year group just don't have the big friendship groups all the others have. For 2021/22 he said the level of immaturity of first years really struck him, it was obvious that they had missed out on stretching their wings in Y13.

I have still not worked out who was most adversely impacted by Covid, primary schools will take ages to catch up and there is a general expectation of a bit dip in the attainment gap between the wealthy and those without access to IT and lots of support at home. I have no idea whether all the measures were worth it - did Sweden get it right?

What did Sweden do @Monkey2001 ?

I agree, my DS is at a sixth form college and didn’t make any new friends, he has some good friends that he already knew and still goes out with friends who stayed on at his schools 6th form.
His last day at college was last week and it was very much a non event but they are having a summer fete for them but not until July and we’ll be away as we didn’t know about it until after we’d booked. DS isn’t bothered though as he has no attachment to the place/teachers etc.

Sweden did actually do remote over 16. And unis.

I think it's just a very different country on the whole. Not overcrowded , high social equity so tend to follow advice and guidelines. Sense of personal space also different. I think I'd go for Norway tbh!

I thought the Swedish policy was mainly to protect vulnerable but they kept bars etc open at least for our initial lock downs, so young people were much less impacted than they were in most of Europe. I think they tightened up after the rest of us.

They actually didn't do a good job of that. They messed up care homes too. And that definitely did do remote learning from the start for over 16s.

Sorry to hear about the rubbish sixth form experience @OrangeCinnamonCroissant and @Fiddlersgreen . Ordinarily I think dd would have chosen the big sixth form college in the next town. She had a place and liked it, but I thought colleges would be more stringent re covid (part in part out etc) and advised her to go to the boys grammar, as all the girls would be new and it’s a year group of 200 so hopefully more of a community. She’s made lots of new friends so that worked out well, but she was irritated by the uniform and strict rules.

One good thing is one of her Music teachers also works at the Uni she will hopefully be in September and have said they will keep in touch.

Tbf she did enjoy the college experience when it got going, the independence was a bonus. I just think more could have been ah well...
One of her friends made is going to uni in the next city on so hopefully that friendship will continue.