National 5/ Highers

[happyrage20]

In light of what John Swinney said today about it being unlikely schools return to normal in the next academic year, how worried are you about your teen in exam years?
My husband and I have worked full time through lockdown and we have left her to it mainly. Just realised last week when I got a chance to have a look that she has barely engaged. Marked stuff as handed in but nothing done. Teachers have dished out the work then few days later put up the answers.
Only had 2 things marked the whole of lockdown.
So I've sat on her all week (she's a procrastinator and now overwhelmed)
What will happen? I'm scared she will be marked down now and this will go against her.
No idea how they will cover the course for exams next spring?
Bound to be even worse for Highers students who didn't even get their nat5 exam experience!

What's your thoughts on what will happen? (I know no one knows )

Sorry, posted too soon.
If she asked for anything in class she was brushed off. Luckily she was determined & a friend who had done the class the previous year lent her notes & text books. She, along with a few others was told it wasn't worth them doing the exam. She said she wanted to do it, & we obviously backed her. My daughter earned a (very high) B (higher English). If it had been down to that one teacher assessing her she would have failed.

Sadly, That's exactly what I'm thinking too.
I wish for more but realistically don't think we're going to get it.
As I said my son has already accepted his plans for university next year won't happen

Same boat as some others - my child should have taken Nat 5s this year - 5 Highers next. Has done very little school work since March but worked really hard at Prelims so hoping for good estimates (we’re thinking/hoping 8 As but might have 1 or 2 Bs?)

So how the hell to incentivise them? They saw the news and went ‘so they might not happen next year?!’ (with a look of incredulity and a bit of a smile?) I said hopefully they’ll just be delayed. Either way the level and amount of in-school teaching is going to be reduced - quite considerably. And the level of online ‘teaching’ is probably, based on the work set so far, going to be basic. No online interactive teaching at all.

English teacher has already informed them that they are not going to have time to do the novel they were told they’d study for Highers so they’ll be revisiting the same short stories from Nat 5 and adding in some new poetry.

Advanced Highers are going to be SUCH a shock to the system at this rate. And the intake for University 2021/22 are in danger of being forever viewed as the cohorts who have ‘missed out’ on an education.

We can’t really afford tutors but I bet they’re going to be in very high demand.

Everyone is becoming a tutor these days though - the tutoring companies are full to bursting.
Not having exams next year is so insane.

So how the hell to incentivise them? They saw the news and went ‘so they might not happen next year?!’ (with a look of incredulity and a bit of a smile?) I said hopefully they’ll just be delayed

We've used that to motivate ds, he needs to assume exams will take place, but until it is clear he needs to make sure every piece of work he submits is his best as it might be used as evidence for his grades next year if exams dont go ahead.

I've written to all of my local councillors about it... it won't help.but you know!
it's madness..
9 pupils in a advanced higher class but it wills till be part time

Wings at our Weekly Google Meets we have been discussing exactly what you said about to your DS abut making everything he submits count. Of course, balancing this with not stressing the pupils out. Our robust body of evidence for candidates will need to be cast iron. I would argue that the incentive is higher than ever before to put in an effort but my own DD's engagement would suggest that's all very well for me to say...

I have a child in S5 sitting five highers and it is a really shit time. He starts at about 9.30 and is finished by 3.30 each day. He tells me he is completing all the work provided to him. I don't see how he can get through all the higher courses doing this amount of work and am very concerned about him.

Are you concerned he's getting too much or not enough Apples? If he is following a Standard S5 timetable then that's more or less the hours applicable . Are you thinking that in ordinary times he'd be doing that plus work in the evening? I don't really see that level of workload kicking in this early in the course. And without all the normal distractions he might be powering through a ton of work.
Personally, I am feeding back and returning work to pupils if not the day they submit then the following day. Because I love hearing from them and I feel like I doing something worthwhile. In ordinary time that would never happen , some pupils are absolutely embracing the tasks I have set during remote learning .

I don't think he's getting enough work as he doesn't do any homework in the evenings or weekends and seemed to have more work this time last year. Mind you, I'm trusting him to do everything that he is being given and there is a chance that he is doing only the bare minimum. I keep on trying to tell him that this is the year that counts, that he needs to ensure all work handed in is to a high standard etc etc but I'm not sure how much of that is sinking in. He could be racing through everything so he can get onto the PS4 with his mates at 4pm. I'd like to see the amount of work being ramped up after the holidays.

@applesandpears33

I have a child in S5 sitting five highers and it is a really shit time. He starts at about 9.30 and is finished by 3.30 each day. He tells me he is completing all the work provided to him. I don't see how he can get through all the higher courses doing this amount of work and am very concerned about him.

I’d be over the moon if my S5 sitting 5 higher child was doing anything like this much work.

Sounds like loads of work to me. My kids are barely up before lunchtime!

I’m feeling very overwhelmed by the enormity of this.
How do you motivate someone when they watch the news and find out they will be at school one day a week for a whole year and your exams may well be cancelled.
Feels like a kick in the teeth. Children don’t seem to matter.

People who are worried about affording tutors to help DC, have you seen this? coronavirustutoring.co.uk/
It was set up by university students to help DC affected by school closures whose parents can't afford private tuition.

@applesandpears33

I don't think he's getting enough work as he doesn't do any homework in the evenings or weekends and seemed to have more work this time last year. Mind you, I'm trusting him to do everything that he is being given and there is a chance that he is doing only the bare minimum. I keep on trying to tell him that this is the year that counts, that he needs to ensure all work handed in is to a high standard etc etc but I'm not sure how much of that is sinking in. He could be racing through everything so he can get onto the PS4 with his mates at 4pm. I'd like to see the amount of work being ramped up after the holidays.

Ds finished his physics and chemistry higher work for the week well within 4hrs yesterday. That included writing out his own notes for revision later which they are not asked to do. I would love him to have a fuller timetable.

I'm hoping there will be more work in August. To be honest, I'm assuming he is working until 3.30ish because he is in his room but he could be playing games on his phone or lap top. I'm trying to wfh while refereeing arguments between his siblings so not as on top of his work as I might be otherwise. I just feel so sorry for the kids doing SQA exams this year. These are the years that count and they are not going to receive much face to face teaching. We are in Edinburgh so he'll be lucky if he gets 1.5 days a week. I worry for him and his friends.

Do you not get summaries of what was set and what he turned in Apples? I get a weekly summary for my DD from Google Classroom. Is he getting feedback on what he is submitting? that would be a good indication of whether he is faffing about it working productively.

Though an aside as a teacher, I noticed that when these summaries were implemented the pupils (couldn't help but admire their ingenuity) very quickly realised that they could hand an empty submission and it shows as a met deadline.

No, I'm afraid I don't get any summaries from the school other than a brief overview of what my two kids are to cover in the whole year. I have not been told what sets either kid is in. All work is submitted through Teams and my older child doesn't even know who else is in his classes.

Almost all the communication is between teachers and the children directly. The only communication I have had from the school has been about school uniform and possible return in August. I really feel parents are being kept in the dark although this could be because nothing is yet set in stone. Where we live children would only be going back to school one day a week at present and there are calls for this to increase to two.

My kids submit work through teams and any feedback is given there. My older child tells me he is getting good, constructive feedback from his teachers. My younger child isn't getting much feedback but he is not in an exam year and I'm not so concerned about him at present. It is my older child I'm worried about. I've heard our Council will not let teachers do live teaching online. It must be very frustrating for the teachers who are teaching higher classes as I'm sure they want the children to do as well in their exams as they can.

get a weekly summary for my DD from Google Classroom. Is he getting feedback on what he is submitting?

We get nothing like that either. For my youngest in P7, I get a notification from class dojo with a pdf of his work for the week. No consequences if he doesn't do it. I don't get any feedback on what he has done (or not done).

Nothing at all for the other two who have just moved up to S4 and S6. I know that my S4 is conscientious and will just crack on but I have no idea what she's been set, when it's due and how she's doing. That's not new - it's been this way since March.

The differing levels of feedback and engagement across Scotland is appalling. I was reading on a thread earlier that some people have been getting phone calls from school to check in! We've had nothing beyond a generic newsletter or announcement email.

My council (parental and professional) is one that has not allowed live teaching or recording of lessons but is securing the platforms over the summer to allow this to take place. But at present there is no or very limited IT that could support it so I don't know whether for consistency (as parents will want that) it still might not be allowed .

Personally my use of Google Classroom has improved enormously. I had a 1 hour session 2 years ago and used it to share revision resources or tasks with absentees prior to lockdown. The pupil experience across the school was broadly similar- subjects like Computing they did more as there were computers in the classroom. So for teachers and pupils it has been an incredibly steep learning curve. I am proud of what I and they have achieved. Lots of online tutorials for me and my sourcing pupil friendly how to resources for them. Still this week have pupils who haven't engaged since March beginning to join in.

I have been giving feedback on every task on the day submitted or the day following as firstly I enjoy the contact albeit stilted with them. Secondly,I know it's worthwhile even if the recipient ignores it they know that I am taking an interest .

Feedback is for the learner but the summary is important for parents. It certainly allowed me to have a conversation with DD. Ultimately I know she is not in a place to do much at present but I know it's not because she hasn't been offered it.

My seniors, worryingly, are engaging less than I would like but I don't know their circumstances so can only hope they are a better place after the summer . The parents will know that they have submitted nothing the whole time.

Just as there is a huge variety in what is being provided there is an equally wide range in what parents want .

I don't think our councils uses google classroom either. It's MS Teams, accessed through Glow. Although they also use Show My Homework, Class Dojo and other ways of communication - it's really messy.

That is great that your council is going to provide live teaching or recording of lessons. We have had no information about that from our council. It is the lack of communication other than to tell us our kids will only be at school one day a week that is so concerning. The council could have handled it much better by being more upfront with parents. We do not even know why our kids are only being offered one day a week where other councils can provide more. At present, our kids are only offered one day a week with no live or recorded lessons. I can't see how my DS that is sitting highers can be expected to do as well as children from other council areas that are getting more direct teaching. As a parent, it is a pretty shit situation.

I use MS Teams to interact with other professionals, I don't really like it but then maybe if I had to delve deep the way I have with GC I might think differently. My experience of SMH was parental and fairly neutral though I did worry how it impacted on lower ability pupils.

But you're right. There are so many platforms in use even by one school that it is very messy.

We had no idea the platforms would become the mode of delivery rather than part of a toolkit.

Where I am we seem to have sold our soul to Google with the mass buy into Chromebooks. It's not always user friendly for less tech savvy pupils and teachers (me included) especially removed from all our supports.

I am equally concerned about DS. He is doing very little, I eventually emailed the school to express my concern with regards to the lack of contact. Not a single teacher has contacted DS since this whole thing started. Worksheets are left in Teams for them to complete, that has been it! No support at all. I think it is shocking. DS has just gone in to S5 and started Highers. He is a naturally bright lad but extremely lazy, as PP have said, he does not have the maturity or self-discipline to study unsupervised with no support in this way. I am doing my best but have only recently realised he is so behind at handing in assignments, yet still into a single teacher emailed him to ask where the assignments were. The HOY actually told me not to be hard on him, he's a good kid and will catch up! Whilst this was reassuring I dont think its particularly helpful for a kid like DS to get the impression he doesn't need to bother, he can catch up! I have now confiscated his xbox until his assignments are all up to date but tbh even that isn't really motivating him. He says I'm not being realistic to expect him to get caught up in 1 week!! I am trying to be supportive and encouraging but the lack of support from the school really makes it difficult