Oxbridge Aspirants 2021 - New Thread (2)

[Baaaahhhhh]

Sorry posted last message on the last thread:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3757768-Oxbridge-Aspirants-Sep-2021

Here is the new one......

Congratulations to your Ds @gindinner.

Do they sit the STEP exam in the summer?

Congrats @gindinner. Your DS must be really happy.

DD is similar, favouring Durham over Oxford. Although, she wouldn't turn Oxford down in the unlikely event she was to get an offer.

In the meantime, she's working hard on an her A'Level coursework and EPQ.

Great news @gindinner 😊

Fab news @gindinner

That's great gindinner

That's great gindinner

Anyone else signed up for Exeter Virtual Open Day tomorrow? Will have to drag ourselves out of bed for that one! Have been enjoying lazy mornings in bed :-)

Can I ask what everyone is doing about keeping their dc from having to miss the entrance assessments through covid?

We had a wobble yesterday when DS's gf was pinged by the app and told to SI for twelve days as her phone had been hung up in the staff room next to someone else's at work, who'd subsequently tested positive.

We had a panicked moment thinking what if that had been DS- he wouldn't be able to go into school and sit the test if SI. I think we've decided to just keep him in our family bubble until next Thursday to remove the risk - will run it past his HT but that seems safest option?

Pumkintopf - thinking of doing that too..... I know the colleges say they won't discriminate if our DC can't sit the tests, but I think my DD has worked hard for the BMAT and hopefully it will help her application.

Our only problem is she has only had 3 weeks at school this year and was looking forward to getting back (And I say what's another couple of days going to matter!)

I know Milly- it's really difficult isn't it? Especially when your dd has had to be out of school already, we've been lucky so far with that although other year group bubbles have had to isolate. But I agree, he's worked so hard for the NSAA I'd like him to have the opportunity to show what he can do.

DD is semi-isolating. She is in her second week of half term, so saw her friends, and did stuff last week, up to Thursday, giving a break of 14 days to the HAT. This week we are basically staying at home, not hard with the crap weather. She has cancelled her driving lessons this week and next, just in case, thinking that being in a car for an hour with someone who also sees several other teens in a day is pretty high risk!

I had a fright too. Last week went to visit my DM in her care home. Two days later they had a positive case, who happens to be DM's husband. However, I didn't see him, as you can only see one person at a time, and DM tested negative, although she is now in isolation, so fingers crossed all is well. It just highlights how interconnected we all are though, even with trying to be careful.

Baah - so true. Glad your dm is ok. We cancelled DS's first driving lesson booked for this week too...

Doing the same here. The date has passed for registering to do an online test (with evidence) so if there’s a track and trace now it’s curtains

If someone does have to SI or falls ill, what evidence is needed? Obviously you can’t have people ducking out of the exam on their own say so.

Good point Irma - I've had a quick look but can't find the answer to that, not sure if anyone else knows?

We had been wondering about the same issue. I wonder if you were isolating as a contact but well could you sit the rest in a separate room?

DD did her driving test yesterday. She did a couple of lessons earlier in the week with proper KN95 masks on her and the instructor. For the test she had to wear the more basic surgical type one provided in the test centre.

She is spreading herself a bit thin though as she is doing essays for her US applications, practising for her TSA and doing research projects that are part of her Leaving Cert exams.
As we are in strict lockdown here all the social events she might have attended over midterm are cancelled so at least she isn’t tempted to go out.

For Oxford admissions tests, there is some information here:

www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/guide/admissions-tests/2021-entry

Remote invigilation available for some tests, but not so much information about what happens if a candidate is too ill to take the test, rather than just self isolating. Dd has had half term this week and has left the house only once so far. We’re in a Tier 2 area. Her test is on Wednesday at school, and she’ll be going to school as usual on Monday and Tuesday. She says she would rather be at school than at home, so we’re just going along with that and hoping for the best. Worrying times ...

Dc has already had 2 and a half weeks out of school due to + tests in the year. Im also thinking it might be better for them to stay off until the Admissions test day.

@ChimneyPot I wonder if you were isolating as a contact but well could you sit the rest in a separate room?

We were told absolutely under no circumstances could they accommodate self isolating. So our decision was made.

As Ds was sent home mid morning on 12th October we have informed college he is not coming back in until the morning of the 5th November for the test.

It will mean he will have 4 days now as "unauthorised" which is a strange one given that pre-covid if he wasn't in college he absolutely would be missing his education. However, now he dials into lessons using Microsoft Teams, the teacher shares the smartboard so he is actively being taught. He has to upload any work at the end of the lesson so he isn't actually missing any education.

He is going in the morning of 5th, sitting his test and then due to bubbling he has to come straight home, not join his class!

Cambridge have said no one will be disadvantaged but as I said up thread, they sit an admissions test for a reason, the A levels are not enough for them to determine a suitable candidate.

I forgot to add, since Ds was sent home there have been 4 more positive cases.

Oh Oxford peeps, what a nightmare you are having to navigate. I feel for you.

A bit of good news here in that DS has been invited to (online) interview for the University of Manchester. Up until that email they had not even sent a 'thanks for your application' so nice to see they know he exists ;)

Can I ask do students wear masks in school all day in England?
They do here and they sit a metre apart so would not be considered a close contact of another student in their class. They are only close contacts of people they sit with at lunch.
I think DD will go to school next week but have lunch on her own. They don’t share smart boards with students at home. They just set work for them. So she would be missing 3 days of school as well as the day of the test.

Chimney no they don't- my dc wear masks in communal areas such as corridors but not in classrooms. In each of my DC's schools cases, wherever they have had a positive test the whole year group bubble have been sent home to isolate.

So there is probably a significant risk they could be sent home as a contact, I don’t know anyone who has been sent home from secondary school here.

Though one of my nephews was sent home from primary school. Primary school children don’t wear masks.

No masks when seated in lessons but have to wear them in all other areas/ on the move. Dc says they sit as close together in classes as before but are all forward facing on tables of 2. Yr 12 bubble is separate to year 13

DS has an offer from Nottingham, really elated. His first offer, he says it’s a nice feeling, and makes it all real now.