Thread 3: Continuing to GCSEs Summer 2020 - Happy New Exam Year!

[OrangeCinnamon]

Continuation of previous thread
Thread 2

Thread 1 Year 10

At the end of last thread there was a bit of talk on prom dresses ( recommend Fonthill Rd in London if you can get there) by @proggymat and @crazycrofter

@TigerMum had a query regarding moving to foundation level at this stage.

Sorry peeps thread progressed without me noticing so none can reply to your queries!

Piggy, JEC regs apparently say no tv or radio, in case the content of the exams is mentioned!

What would she prefer to do?

DD did 2 with a 20 min break and with hindsight would have preferred overnight as got panicky and left the first early.

She doesn’t know what would be best, although she did say she thought the sheer amount of writing needed for 3 exams - geography, Latin language and drama - would be a killer.

It’s on May 18th, so early on in the exams, and whilst I take the point about the bulk of revision having been done for those subjects, it’s a night of revision for any of the exams over the following weeks (so not last minute revision).
Of course, being without the internet is not the end of the world, it’s just an inconvenience. I’m perhaps stressing excessively because DD finds exams, revision, changes etc hard enough because of her SEN, and the exam clash feels like an unfortunate extra hurdle.

@Alsoplayspiccolo: how bloody annoying! FWIW, if it was ds (who also has extra time, and is a stress-bunny) I'd definitely go for spreading them out across two days - absolutely no way would he be giving up his extra time, and with the extra time three exams on one day would be totally exhausting (esp if lots of writing so potentially handstrain too)

As others have said, it's only one night without internet access for revision, and she/you can prepare in advance with written notes/resources; and personally I'd just take the phone away for that day/overnight so there's no risk of anything going wrong/inadvertedly checking something without thinking - maybe a super simple non internet enabled old phone reactivated in case she needs to make emergency contact?

A total pain, but sounds like the best option for a tough situation...

Also we too have a clash on May 18th: drama and sociology. Can I assume then that Geography is in the morning? Our school doesn't do Latin so I would have thought if the morning was available she would have had one of those clashes changed to morning - still same day and they could be monitored until the next exam started so as not to find ring a friend in another school to give pointers. Nothing has been said per se so I assume she'll do one after the other and so a very long afternoon - with supervised loo trips in between.

Anne, yes, geography is in the morning, and maths the following morning.
I guess I should just be grateful it's not a Friday.

also that isn't correct. There's an embargo on media coverage of content of exams.

The form I signed (an official form) just pledged to remove devices.

He sat and watched Impractical Jokers all night instead of revising

I can double check with my exams officer if you like?

DD did her Food and Nutrition practical today and it went really well. The requirement is so much higher than when eldest DD did it 3 years ago. She made 3 courses test involved filleting a fish, making bread, portioning a chicken, making 2 types of pastry and a custard. All in 3 hours. More like Masterchef- I’ve never portioned a chicken in my life!

@Alsoplayspiccolo oh what a pain. Hard on the hands I would have thought. That’s poor that they suggested not taking extra time. DVD’s for the night it is!

piggy, I’ve now looked at the JEC regulations and the bit about no tv or radio is highlighted in yellow, so it’s definite.

wheresthebeach, the suggestion of not taking extra time has really got my back up.

lilgreen As a matter of interest, what grade is she hoping to get for her food with that meal? (DD2 is doing WJEC Food but is in y10).

also who are JEC?

A highlight in yellow is odd : that suggests a changed regulation...

I don't know how to link a pdf but if you google jcq regulations overnight supervision the first match will be the declaration you sign and the regulations.

I meant JCQ (was thinking Joint Exams Council).
It's in the 201920 regulations, alongside all the supervision arrangements.

Has anyone started the next thread, paranoid about missing it!

I still find the same form in there also... in a document called ICE that you sign for overnight supervision.
www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/ice---instructions-for-conducting-examinations/timetable-variation-and-confidentiality-declaration-for-overnight-supervision

OK, have now found it very buried in a different document. That's barmy but not impossible to do ( interesting that they have forgotten to change the declaration form!). They can still watch Netflix / a DVD. But one night without TV won't harm anyone...

So apparently teachers have been reassuring students that they'll do lessons via Skype if the school closed due to CV.

Ummm...and there I was trying not to worry.

Hmm - I was beginning to be a bit concerned about the possible impact of CV. School so far haven't said anything beyond letting them know if you have been to an infected area. Breakfast TV were talking about worst case scenario of closing all schools for 2 months!! I can't see one contingency day helping much there!

If schools close, the children who will be worst hit are those that don't have access to internet and revision materials at home. Which I suspect, broadly speaking, is those from the most disadvantaged groups anyway.

From a selfish point of view, DS has finished the syllabus in all but 2 subjects, and with the internet available and involved parents he could teach himself the rest. Not ideal, but possible. But not an option available to everyone.
Schools could probably agree to focus only on Year 11 and Year 13 and email out materials/put things in the VLE/make teachers available for direct questions (though again, you'll need internet).

Coursework will be an issue but I guess coursework deadlines could be extended.

The chief medical officer has said they would close schools for AT LEAST 2 months. On that basis, exams surely wouldn’t happen?

I was talking to someone last night who said that one of the reasons they haven’t called it a pandemic yet is that organisations like travel companies will go bust; at the moment,it’s your choice to cancel your travel and your loss, but obviously that will change when you’re told you must not travel.

I’m guessing that they would open schools to sit exams? I can picture everyone sitting exams in face masks , I think unless you have a underlying condition it’s worth the risk? Well I’m hoping exams will still go ahead. They are looking into exams being sat at home (online) in the future but I’m unsure how this will work as it would be too easy to cheat?

Dd has 2 mock exams today, she’s exhausted and grumpy.