Interhigh parents, come this way. . .

[WhyHasAllTheRumGone]

Following on from a thread in chat, it was suggested we might like to get together over here.

I've one DS currently in year 10 at IH. We are based in Staffordshire. I guess I'd just like to chat with other parents in a similar situation.

[lizzyj4]

Some people get it, but most families don't. If the LEA suggests IH for a child who has previously been in school or who, for example, isn't coping in school, they sometimes fund it. But it depends on the LEA too. Some LEA's seem very open to the idea, others not at all.

IH parents in your area should be able to give you a clearer idea of your chances.

[ShiningArmour]

Thanks, it is expensive.

[user1471537877]

Interhigh will give you a free trial now, Bristol has it as part of their local offer

We are funded but we're ground breakers apparently

[Verbena37]

Can I ask about how they differentiate work by ability?
Are there different sets based on pupils ability as there would be in real school?

[user1471537877]

In the first 3 years they are just in forms, if a child is struggling or advanced they can be taught the particular subject in a different year

they can also be placed out of year like our DD who missed most of a year and is a late August child

They run a dylslexia support class and a math rescue class

Our experience of year 9 is mini exams every half term, which will help them determine classes for the chosen options in key stage 4

[Verbena37]

Thank you .
Also, do you know how they practice writing for GCSE's if all of their previous work is done online, rather than by hand?
Or are the IGCSEs all done on laptops?

[sayatidaknama]

I've got a DS in Yr 10. He started in Oct. It's ok. Nothing amazing imo but a solution to a short-term problem for us. Mixed ability classes except for Maths. He doesn't interact with any of his classmates except in class and that is limited to just work.

Verbena, they can handwrite and upload work if they want. The iGCSEs are taken at test centres so I presume hand-written unless they have SEN.

[Verbena37]

Oh so they scan it in and upload? Cool.
I just don't know whether it's the right thing for DS or not. It's such a big leap to deregister your child from school.

DS is 12 in yr 7 bit has been slowly increasing the days he refuses/is unable to go to school due to anxiety. He has high functioning autism but actually, we've seen how very un high functioning he is when it comes to mainstream! InterHigh seems so much more a better solution, especially because DH is so against me home educating him.

[user1471537877]

Verbena, many socialise online after school

DD started the final term of year 7 and has been there 2 years

Many of her classmates are on the spectrum and generally get on well

Academically DD is coming up as a level 7 which projects to old style A's and B's

For us it's the reduction in anxiety that's key, on bad days lessons are in pjs, you couldn't do that in mainstream

[socksonradiator]

Hi, we're an Interhigh family too.

Our eldest joined in Yr7, stayed till IGCSE's, went back to mainstream 6th form and is now at Uni (everytime I say that, it makes me feel so old!)
We now have a Yr11 (currently sitting IGCSE's and planning to go to mainstream 6th form in September), a Yr10 and Yr8.

Thanks for starting the group Rum

[Verbena37]

So DS began his trial half term yesterday and all seemed to be going well until he woke this morning stating he had a headache from the off.
He didn't get up and when I lost it a bit due to having literally 2 minutes until log on for class beginning, he proceeded to have a full on melt down!!
The class had already started so I said I would private message the teacher to say he would be absent due to being poorly. He went batshit crazy!!

He has now said I've ruined everything and he won't be going back and that was his only option!!
I've since apologised and said perhaps I should have just calmly believed the headache thing and messaged I could absent.
Anybody know the correct procedure to message in if they're ill?
Should I have called or messaged the admin team?

Hoping DH can talk him round later. Feel like crying. We so very badly need InterHigh to work out.

[socksonradiator]

Hi Verbena37,

Sorry to hear that you've both had a difficult time this morning but please be reassured that every one at Interhigh (staff and pupils) are very laid back and fluid with adapting to changes in your personal circumstances and one will be upset that your son didn't make it to class today.

Do you have a parent login yet? If you do then that's where you can go to log an absence. There's no immediate deadline to do it (10-14 days or something!) If you don't have a parent login then email or ring admin and let them know that he wasn't well. They'll not pry and I'm sure they'll be very relaxed and understanding about it.

Your son doesn't need to worry about what the teacher or his class mates will think. Very often students (sometimes teachers!) have blackboard or internet connection troubles and don't turn up to or disappear halfway through a lesson. No one ever seems to ask where you've been or what happened. Tomorrow when he logs in, it will all be as usual

Our 1st Interhigher joined this time of the school year and it is a hard time for them to join. The classes will be revising subjects covered during the past school year in preparation for the end of year tests and it can seem a little alienating at times. Come September everyone will be on the same page again and he'll feel a lot more at ease. It's also quite stressful for them to figure out the software, the structure of the school and flow of the lessons and his new teachers for the first few weeks but I'm sure if he can give it a shot for a while, he'll soon settle in.

I don't know your circumstances but if you think it would help him, maybe you could slowly build up the number of days he attends as he settles in until he manages the full week? Please don't worry at home by yourselves. Reach out to the staff at Interhigh and I'm sure they'll be more than happy to help you. They'll want to see your son settled and happy as much as you do

I have rambled on and I've typed this on my phone so apologies for grammar and spelling!

Hoping you and your son can put this morning behind you. We all have those mornings don't we

Socks

[Schroedingerscatagain]

Hi verbena

Didn't want to leave you unanswered, it's ever so early days so just reassure him and draw a line under it

DD hates transitioning and always drives me bonkers cutting it fine into lessons

Reassure him (and you) no one says anything about missing lessons, just log in to your parent panel and authorise the absences and it done

Was it a specific subject he's worrying about? I'm off to physio with DD shortly (need to log in and authorise her absence myself) but if you need a hand hold I'm here

I think it can take a while for our kids to realise the old ridged rules don't apply anymore, do something outrageous but fun, eat sweets in class, lessons in pjs or even bed so he feels in control

[Verbena37]

Ahh thanks ladies!
Your posts really helped me.
When I logged into the second lesson (literally just to let the guy know again he wouldn't be there), another student typed 'you're late ds'.
Another boy then asked who he was.
I couldn't hide my iPad fast enough and DS read them and went loopy again!

You've both given me some good tips and advice though and I'll be hopefully putting them into practice tomorrow.
Off now to log in as a parent (I do have parental log in) and mark today as asbsent.

Thanks again,
Verbena

[socksonradiator]

Ah, yes there's always the 1 or 2 busy-bodies per class but don't worry, nobody takes any notice of their incessant chatter! They'll soon realise your son is a quiet one like the other 95% of the class and leave him be and he'll soon learn to tune them out

Glad we could be of some help

[BattyPatty]

We are considering Interhigh from September for DD going into year 12. Does anyone have experience of doing A levels with Interhigh?

She is struggling through some GCSEs just now after a long absence due to anxiety. Going in to school has never been easy for her, and after years of enduring it DD believes she has had enough and wants to study at home. She is quite academic and keen to do A levels.

A big concern is that spending even more time at home will not help her anxiety about social situations with peers, and that she will gradually lose touch with the few friends she has.

Would love to hear your experiences,
Thanks

[Schroedingerscatagain]

Hi Verbena

I mentioned your DS to DD on the way to physio, she's one of the key stage 3 student councillors and is more than happy to private message you her interhigh email if he wants a chat or support

[socksonradiator]

Sorry BattyPatty, my daughter left Interhigh after her IGCSE's so I can't help.
I'm looking forward to hearing other peoples experiences on it though. I have a feeling one of my others might like to do it.

[Schroedingerscatagain]

Batty patty

I can't answer about A levels, but regarding anxiety and isolation it seems to have the opposite effect!

With the pressure off and their own calm environment they seem to have more resilience for online socialising

DD spends many hours skyping with classmates socialising and doing homework, whereas prior to interhigh she just couldn't cope with socialising after a day in bricks and mortar school

We also take her to a teen youth group for similar youngsters and facilitate meet ups with her inter friends

[BattyPatty]

Hi Schroedingerscatagain

Thanks that is reassuring re the socialising. My DD does socialise on her phone quite a lot, so the challenge is how to get her out of the house meeting friends etc. But maybe if the anxiety about school, and the worry about having to answer questions about not being in school, is lifted then it might get easier to see people in real life. That would be my hope anyway!

[Verbena37]

Thanks Schroedingerscatagain.....
The email would be great, just in case.
So do you mean your dd who is a student there....the older students are ks3 counsellors?

[Schroedingerscatagain]

Hi Batty

DD is about as anxious as you can get, if she feels confident she answers and if she's having a bad day she just types, no pressure

[BattyPatty]

Thanks, that's good!
I don't know that much about how the lessons are done at IH. Do the students normally participate by speaking into their laptops etc?
How many students are likely to be in a lesson? I guess it will be different depending on which year group it is.
Batty

[Verbena37]

There are on average 18 a class in yr 7 but it does vary I believe.
Some classes might a lot less.
Lessons are live through software called Blackboard Collaborate. Lessons are saved for the year so the kids can go back into the library and find resources and actual lessons/power points etc.

[socksonradiator]

Verbena37 is right, classes shouldn't be larger than 18 but I would imagine that A level classes would be a lot smaller.

Blackboard is a conference style software. Lessons are live and the teacher uses their mic to talk to the whole class and an interactive screen, over a PowerPoint slide where they can highlight/type/draw to emphasise and explain things.

The teacher can give pupils permission to use their microphone to talk to the whole class (pupils usually use a skype type headset) or pen tools to also draw/write on the interactive screen which everyone else in the class can see too.
Sometimes the whole class is given permission to use the screen to answer questions, brainstorm etc. Sometimes the teacher will split them off into separate virtual 'rooms' where they can work together in small groups for a mini task before being bought back into the main classroom.

Most of the time, in the main classroom the pupils are encouraged to interact with the lesson in the class chat text box which everyone can see. They can also use various symbols next to their names to show things like their presence (eg away) or to put their hand up to volunteer to read etc.

Each pupil has access to private chat with the teacher which is a private text chat box. They use this to message the teacher about something they don't want the rest of the class to see and to answer questions set in the main classroom that the teacher wants them to answer individually. The teacher will then send back a score and feedback to them privately too.

There are no webcams allowed.

Hope this helps