University 2020 :4: The wait for grades and better days ahead

[MillicentMartha]

New thread for us. Interesting times.

Old thread here

Mine is spending his time sleeping! I tend to look at it that it's exactly the same as it would have been, just s couple of months earlier and no exams or revision to get through. His college is still having weekly online lessons, but that's probably because it's fee paying, so while they have reduced the fees by 15% they have to justify the other bit! The tutors seem to be using the time to teach what they want in their subject rather than having to stick to a syllabus rigidly

That sounds good, Light. A bit of education for interest rather than an exam factory. Must be quite refreshing!

Ds is sleeping an awful lot too, along with Xbox. School still providing lessons, not all day but usually every weekday, I think ds actually likes a bit of structure and is certainly enjoying carrying on with his guitar and drum lessons too via zoom . I think they're having interesting discussions and those that aren't interested don't bother logging on which is fine I guess .

Dd seems ok ish. Relieved not to be revising. Listening to lots of music and painted her room. Is hanging out with us a lot and making cocktails. I am trying to find the positives about first term being online eg you will be able to see your existing pals, ease into your studies etc but it’s a hard sell

New girls that's a great slant I hadn't thought of about starting uni later, being able to spend time with home friends that you haven't been able to see all summer

So long as they can see them by then!

I guess meeting in small groups will be ok but I’m an optimist!

Has there been an absolute confirmation that uni will start online only in September? DD’s course is fairly practical and not sure how it would work online plus she has to start training for the Specials in the Constabulary local to the uni, which is 2.5 hours away from us.
Otherwise DD, like many other year 13’s so it seems is forming a close relationship with her bed and I’m not when the last tim she has a shower was. I’m working 45 hour weeks in the NHS and DH is holed up in what was DD’s study now wfh. He does remove the light from the ceiling rose in the lounge every day so that DD can take her online dance class with her dance school (long legs).
DD has cooked some amazing meals and to be fair to her she does have dinner on the table every day when I get in from work.
Otherwise she spends a lot of time in her pyjamas, wrapped in a blanket (which we have nicknamed her “lockdown blanket”), sometimes tied around her waist, other times worn as a cape, but always about her person in some way.
No work or any comms from the school.
She said she will be happy if she got her ucas predicted grades.

No nothing definite and I think unis will want to open - else risk losing more students or be asked for discounts. But to protect their staff they may feel online is the way. Just guessing - who knows.

This is the latest communication to students at Durham, talking about next academic year.

Thanks goodbye - I found that really positive. My dd not going to Durham but I’m sure he speaks for all. Ps seems like a lovely intelligent man 👍

sometimes tied around her waist

@JufusMum, we've got a yr12 DS with a similar sartorial 'style'. My favourite on him is a rather fetching goldy-yellow fleece throw I got him from the 'remaindered' shelf in Wilko a few months back.

DD has been doing overtime, 3 or 4 dance classes online a week. Cooking on her days off. She is a much better cook then I am. She also has an old (my one from when I was v young) that she drapes over herself. If not that it is my fleece that is about 5 sizes too big for her.

Just glancing over at DS...yes, pyjamas and a fleece blanket.

Thanks for posting the link goodbye I also found it very reassuring. DS is prepared for a possible on line start. He's been pretty good about keeping himself busy with new projects and Maths competitions. He's also been cooking for us (I'm a HCP so out a work every day and dh is putting in 12 hr days at home) and spending more time socially with us which is the unexpected bonus of this difficult time!

As I said to a friend recently, there is nothing they can do about it now, it’s out of their hands, much as it would have been after their exams finished. I’m trying to think positively and I’m making sure I’m not pushing my concerns on to him, while quietly checking previous exam results and trying to work out where he might be ranked!

@MillicentMartha, this description made me laugh, because I too am covertly checking previous exam results and asking DS subtle (to my mind) questions about how his classmates are doing. Yesterday he looked me in the eye and patiently but firmly asked me not to bring up the subject again because there's nothing that can be done about it now. I'm not sure that's strictly true, because classes are continuing at his school..

It's interesting, and a little disturbing, to read about the widely varying approaches of different schools. I wonder if there is a pattern: from reading this thread it seems maybe it's the independent schools that are continuing to teach (a cynic would say it's to justify fees). DS is at an independent school and they definitely have not stopped working although each teacher seems to have a different approach. Some are asking pupils to do past papers and send in the marks, some are setting timed work. I don't think there's very much actual teaching going on, but I guess they'd finished the syllabus.

DS has a full timetable of Zoom/Teams lessons, but says that there is a definite drop off in attendance of those who are not taking either that subject or a similar subject at university.

DS’s state comprehensive is really only setting work for those subjects where they hadn’t quite completed the syllabus for Y13. For his maths he’s been given a pack of past papers to work through but it seems optional as far as I can tell. My school is a state grammar and they have stated that they won’t be using any work done at home to decide ranking etc.

There was a discussion around this earlier in the thread. Children who don’t or can’t do any work set after the lockdown (maybe because of a lack of tech or sibling child caring responsibilities etc) must not be disadvantaged. As they are are now in competition with each other for ranking places, those who do do the work set must not therefore be advantaged.

Literally no work at all for DD4, but tbf they had completed each syllabus by the time schools closed on 20th March, although only just. The school's attention has turned firmly to other year groups which is entirely fair. At this stage Y13s should be capable of working independently towards any degree subjects if that's what they want to do; I can't see any need for school intervention, other than fees.

That's very true Millicent but we should also add in those children who may be finding the whole COVID/lockdown situation harder than others which may be affecting any work done. DS school (small non selective indi) is continuing teaching, mostly setting work to be returned but the occasional taught lesson. They say it's for completion of the syllabus and for consolidation/revision of the material because that's what brings true understanding. In reality it's probably justification of fees and to provide some routine and structure for the students which is helpful.

Returned work or assessments may be used to justify or confirm rankings if needed but with very small classes (5 to 7) I would hope they know the individual situation of the students in each and they have been at pains to say students who do not engage or return work will not be disadvantaged.

I’d expect so, Oratory, with such small classes. Yes, there may be many reasons why students may not do well in work set during lockdown. My own DS2 age 20 has ASD and compartmentalises home and college. He is really struggling trying to college work at home.

I expected Dds school to be more timetabled than it is but it's very laid back... (indie) .. Girls split into groups depending on degree etc. just 4 girls in Dds group, 3 of which are also hoping to go to same Uni similar courses. The girls just have a weekly meeting with their Mentor who has given them guidance on 8 hours work each week.. DD is at the moment reviewing research papers by Chris Whitty! There are plans to introduce project management workshops. ..no normal school work at all.

Dds perfecting the art of also making cocktails.. I brought her a kit for her birthday... Good investment by me

DD has work set by school; they've been given some reflective tasks to do and degree subject septic reading and tasks to work through. She's also contacted the head of her degree course who said there's no pre course reading to do and they'll let them all know about the course materials in August as usual with the enrolment information.

Honestly, where's the edit button?! Subject specific not septic

I've heard the same from a number of people who were promised Uni prep or 'enrichment' courses after Easter. I suspect it's just becoming more time consuming than they thought to implement from a distance alongside the real priority of setting grades and ranking (and looking after their own health and families).

You would also expect that those year 13 students that want to engage would be able to find their own resourses.