Starting Year 11-GCSE2021 (title edited by MNHQ)

[indy69]

Good morning Mums,

My DD will start her GCSE journey this September. MN always has such good advice that I thought we could have a new thread to support each other. My DD has 4 options apart from English, Science AQA and Maths Edexcel. She has Art and History - Edexcel, and Psychology and Economics - AQA. It wpuld be lovely to know what your DC are doing and we could share resources here. I look forward to meeting you all on this thread. We have 4 weeks to go to start of term and a ton of homework to finish. My DD is feeling too lazy to do anything at the moment, but I guess they have earned the break. I will start reminding her next week about the work. Thanks

My son is starting his in September also. He is doing triple science, geography, computer science, art and design.

Not much homework going on at the moment. I'm going to let him enjoy the school holidays before all the school work kicks back in

Thanks hellohah I am just worried over the lack of exam practice and preparedness that this year group will face and then have to take exams as usual. Don’t know what can be done given the lack of exam practice papers from AQA at least.

@indy69... This worries me also!
I have read on here that some schools are dropping triple science and doing the double because of the time lost. This isn't an option for DS as he is only doing 8 GCSE's (including the separate sciences).

He's quite a smart cookie BUT in previous parents evenings I've been told he knows the answers but doesn't necessarily use the right vocab when answering exam style questions. It's not that he hasn't learnt stuff, it's that he doesn't know how to format in the way the examiners want.

However, I think that's why they're doing the longer lessons... Not only can they teach something in depth but also in a way of how to answer the questions.

I guess I'm putting a lot of faith in the school, probably misplaced as last year the school had a pass rate of 40% in English and Maths 🤦‍♀️

How's everyone doing?

Just checked my work emails and an email from AQA has a link to today's update on the exams....

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/exams-and-assessments-in-2021?cldee=ZmluYW5jZUB0aGVjYW1waW9uc2Nob29sLm9yZw%3d%3d&recipientid=contact-d037c72e1f42e8118137e0071b6e3551-3dd8788f2cc040eeb115a1d066a0f20f&utmmsource=ClickDimensions&utmmedium=email&utmmcampaign=Support2020&esid=4bd5627e-96d5-ea11-a813-000d3a385a1c

Reading that not much has changed. I really hope they delay the exams until the last half term.

Not much at all

I saw our schools provisional calendar today and the exams are in from 7/6-3/7?

Thanks for sharing @UncomfortableSilence

Looking at the document they haven’t made a decision about delay, they need more info to do that so that decision will come later. Considering they (AQA etc) published the draft exam timetable for 2021 back in Feb you get an idea of how far in advance they try and plan things.

Cancelling exams will always be an option too but of course they can’t announce that now as what will all the students and teachers do between now and then, there’d be no motivation, at least with the last cohort they had learnt most of the curriculum by the time the cancellation was sprung on them.

Reading that 3 out of the 4 texts for English Literature only need to be studied and 3 out of the 4 History periods need to be studied will be a huge help for my DD. She had Poetry and Shakespeare remaining to study for English so hopefully they'll miss out the Poetry. Reduced content in these two subjects alone will reduce the workload come next year I think.

While we're here chatting, how would you all feel about a (very) close relative booking a wedding for a school day early May and expecting your y11 to miss school to attend?
Though whether my DD will be in a fit state to even sit the exams is somewhat unclear right now.

The English Lit change will help a lot I think. I don't quite get how they can do it without changing the length of exams though...?

DD has been set a lot on the poetry to do over summer, she spent a good 3 hours today up there.

Teen difficult one, I personally wouldn't be happy missing any days that close to exams. Tough call. How is your DD doing?

@TeenPlusTwenties I know your DD has been struggling, would a wedding be something she would ordinarily look forward to? Could it be used as a distraction for her or would it add so much extra stress?

It will be stress to go, and stress to not go. It is causing stress already.
I think the least worst is to get there with 30mins to spare by missing the last lesson of the day only. It also means I'll be there only just in time too and need to leave early/promptly. I am furious annoyed to have been put in this position.

Bumping the thread up. We are back to school in 19 days. What about your DC? We are still not clear whether we are going back full time or online or blended. Have you had any news?

We have heard nothing, plus we're in Manchester so God knows!

On a side note, have your DC been making any decisions on colleges or A Levels?

@Hellohah

We have heard nothing, plus we're in Manchester so God knows!

On a side note, have your DC been making any decisions on colleges or A Levels?

DD does like her current school but we attended the open evening for her back up school choice last year which turns out to have been a stroke of genius as it is videos only this year. She has attended one online open day for another sixth form which had breakout rooms for the different subjects and was well run, and we have one booked for early November for another and at the current point in time it is going ahead but who knows!

Likelihood is that she will stay where she is unless the exams don't go to plan as her school have a high threshold for staying on. This probably would have been the case regardless of Covid.

I don't see the point in schools announcing anything until September, too much can change.

DD wants to do Animal care at college. She was on track for the Level 3 entry criteria, but we were thinking Level 2 anyway, and if it all goes wrong she can go in at level 1.

DD goes back 7/9 but not sure of times etc yet, we should find out end of the month.

DD is not sure if she wants to stay at her sixth form or come to the school I work in, she's wants to do Psychology, Physics and English or Business A Level at the moment.

She's been working hard on her set work for summer but going out lots too but she is very ready to go back.

Hi everyone,
Sorry i have missed the whole year’s worth of conversation on here!
I have a dyslexic dd who will be going into yr 11 in September. She has taken RE (compulsory) Music French History and Triple Science. (As well as English &Maths)
She works very hard and has done very well. She is a social learner and engaged very well in all her classes, and has found following a routine of study really challenging without any input form her teachers (I know it has been variable, but our school weren’t facilitating any submission of work until June, and even after that there was no feedback or response. The ‘face to face’ were a joke.... Think all the English teachers in front of a sports hall full of yr 10’s in exam conditions)

She is very anxious about the return to school, like many others I’m sure.

Teen plus twenties; with the wedding situation, I would accept the invitation, mention that the timing is difficult, and then reassure dd that the actual decision about whether to attend will be made 4 weeks prior to the date. I would hope this would alleviate the anxiety for your dd, give the bride/groom the heads up that it’s possible it might not happen, and realistically who knows what will be happening by then; anyone making plans that far in advance has to be aware that the circumstances are beyond individuals’ control.

Looking forward to getting to know you all!

ISBN Agree, we have told DD that it can be a late decision re wedding.

Anyway, I have decided to close my eyes to the next few months, and have fast forwarded to June/July next year and … ordered a prom dress!

DD hates shopping, we saw one online she liked, it was a good price. If it looks rubbish we can send it back, and otherwise we can sell it on if she likes it now but changes her mind.

Whi teen, that sounds great! It’s so important to have things to look forward to.

We need to start looking at theoptions for 6th form. DD might do well enough to stay on at her school. Or she might not.
I had a bit of a search on national careers service, but it seems to only include a couple of the schools in the borough. Has anyone got any tips of a search facility which is a bit better? Or is it a case of looking at the map so we don’t overlook possibilities?

ISBN Can you look at the Dept of Education website where Ofsted reports are, and search 16-18 provision? That should get you everything I'd have thought?

Teen what a lovely idea about the prom dress. I shall look out for one too.

Thanks for the suggestion Teen, it has loads more details. She has also been finding out about T Levels, and is interested to see what happens with them this year.

I’m feeling for the A level result young people today.