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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Starting Year 11-GCSE2021 (title edited by MNHQ)

991 replies

indy69 · 01/08/2019 05:57

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

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Travelban · 14/09/2020 09:20

Yes really that's what I was hoping for. Ultimately dd works hard but she definitely tends to choose what she wants to do, so revises the areas she finds more interesting and leaves things that are boring or difficult in her view.

Would have been good to have an idea of things she is struggling with so we could have given her some support over the summer. But it didn't happen... So we have to look ahead...

NotDonna · 14/09/2020 11:03

Anyone else’s DC doing MFL? What’s happening at your schools re orals? There’s no longer an oral exam but teacher assessment of pass, credit, distinction. DD says school is struggling to fit in the necessary continuous assessment in the usual language lessons so they’re going to have them over lunch every other week (2 week timetable) for the foreseeable.

JellyBabiesSaveLives · 14/09/2020 14:17

Ds1 says they did mock oral tests last year before lockdown and the teacher is using those for everyone that passed. Those that didn’t are getting extra lessons and another go.

AsPerMyLastEmail · 14/09/2020 16:33

Apparently they don't at school either now. All DS's science lessons are in a regular classroom, no lab work at all.

That's terrible for your DS and others. DD still has science lessons in labs complete with lab work.

ISBN111 · 14/09/2020 18:53

Re MFL, my dd’s school have apparently not ‘got onto’ oral yet. Since yr 7, all oral assessments have been “write down what you would say for this question.”

Well played our school Hmm

WhatHaveIFound · 14/09/2020 19:12

That's terrible for your DS and others. DD still has science lessons in labs complete with lab work.

I know, it's a shame and stuff seems to be so different between schools.

Re MFL, my dd’s school have apparently not ‘got onto’ oral yet. Since yr 7, all oral assessments have been “write down what you would say for this question.”

Have the exams boards confirmed that the spoken exam will be dropped? I know this was originally suggested but it's a shame as that's the whole point of learning a language.

Another confirmed case at school today and in a different bubble to last week. So a total of 8 days back in school and 2 cases!

Toobuktim · 14/09/2020 21:22

My DS did his English oral exam today, just in front of a teacher and not the whole class like it previously has been done. He’s done well and got a distinction, so he’s pleased with himself tonight!

blametheparents · 15/09/2020 13:50

DD emailed her history teacher to ask about changes to Edexcel history and he replied to tell her that there were no changes! Hmm

Titsywoo · 15/09/2020 22:05

@AsPerMyLastEmail

Apparently they don't at school either now. All DS's science lessons are in a regular classroom, no lab work at all.

That's terrible for your DS and others. DD still has science lessons in labs complete with lab work.

Apart from art most of DDs lessons are in the same room.

Got an email from the school this evening saying year 7 are going into self isolation today as one of the students has two confirmed cases in their family (the student appears to be fine so far). 2 weeks off already for the poor buggers and they only started 2 weeks ago. What a nightmare the next few months are shaping up to be :( Some year 11s might end up remote learning loads and some not at all - more things to create a further disparity.

Titsywoo · 15/09/2020 22:10

@blametheparents

DD emailed her history teacher to ask about changes to Edexcel history and he replied to tell her that there were no changes! Hmm
Yeah we are finding the same - I think it's because nothing is confirmed yet. DD's history teacher has said they are definitely dropping a subject (Power and the people thankfully) and going over Nazi Germany again (that's what they were studying at home). This is AQA though. Her art teacher and french teacher are still telling them all exams are going ahead although I'm sure that's not the case.
WhatHaveIFound · 16/09/2020 17:43

My DS did his English oral exam today, just in front of a teacher and not the whole class like it previously has been done. He’s done well and got a distinction, so he’s pleased with himself tonight!

DS is doing his next week. Is it possible to fail? He's a non talker at school so it was always going to hard and his teacher had always planned on it being a one to one presentation.

Y9 has been shut down today after 3 confirmed cases in that year. I'm wondering if it's only a matter of time before it hits Y11 Sad

Toobuktim · 16/09/2020 18:15

WhathaveIfound my ds said someone would have to be mute to fail it, I don’t think anyone has ever failed it at his school.
Fingers crossed your y11 gets through this unscathed

NotDonna · 16/09/2020 18:25

@WhatHaveIFound good luck to your DS oral. I had no idea there was an oral for English Language. I’m wondering if mine are a different board.

NotDonna · 16/09/2020 18:27

Oh I came on to say we’ve now heard for English which texts are staying and what’s going but still no news re history.

TeenPlusTwenties · 16/09/2020 18:30

NotDonna The English 'oral' is more commonly called Speaking and Listening. It used to be 20% of the old GCSE before they made it just a separate grading alongside the GCSE in the last ~3 years before the 9-1 GCSEs came along. So now it is Pass, Merit Distinction alongside the grade (so you could get a 9+pass or a 2+Distinction for example.

TeenPlusTwenties · 16/09/2020 18:31

(DD did hers end y9 so that's one less thing I need to worry about at least.)

NotDonna · 16/09/2020 18:49

Thanks teen I’m going to have to ask DD as I have no clue. I thought I had my finger on the pulse but....

TeenPlusTwenties · 16/09/2020 18:57

When DD2 did hers it was incredibly low key. It was only because DD1 had done it 5 years previously that I was aware it was a vaguely important thing, (so we practiced as DD isn't good at speaking). I was only certain it had been the real thing when I asked at parents evening 9 months later.

NotDonna · 16/09/2020 19:36

Apparently she did it last year but had forgotten all about it.
I’m not convinced there’ll be exams anyway given so many schools are already having covid outbreaks after only 1-2 weeks of being back.

Toobuktim · 16/09/2020 22:00

We’ve just had our first confirmed case earlier this evening, but thankfully not in DS’s year group. They aren’t closing, as yet, to the full affected year group, just to those in close contact currently. It will be interesting to see how this all unfolds.

ISBN111 · 18/09/2020 11:31

We are now self isolating for 2 weeks. My younger son brought a cold and cough home from primary school, and we haven’t been able to get a conclusive swab off him.

I am considering home schooling him to avoid this scenario happening repeatedly. Performing the swab on a small child is challenging, and I don’t want to traumatise him by doing it repeatedly.

In the mean tome only revision materials are available for the kids online.

They are NOT happy.

NotDonna · 18/09/2020 13:19

@ISBN111 I’ve heard a few people say that they’re keeping younger children home so older ones can go in.

ISBN111 · 18/09/2020 13:27

@NotDonna really? I thought I might be overreacting a bit. I have definitely got a better chance of supporting home learning for my primary son than my yr 10&11.

I might discuss it with the school. It would be different if it was realistic to get a test.

NotDonna · 18/09/2020 13:31

Yes, there’s a lot of primary bubbles bursting and I think some families know that it’s going to be in & out and perhaps they can keep the older kids going in if the littlies are home. Not too sure about the fine situation though. That’s a tough decision!!

WhatHaveIFound · 18/09/2020 14:22

According to DS there's about 8-10 pupils off in his year though i'm assuming no one can get a tested to confirm Covid. One of DS's friends almost certainly has it (sibling tested positive) but he's not been in school for a few days.

Am desperately hoping we mange to avoid it for at least another week as i have too much work to do.