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Secondary education

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

Original poster

GCSEs Summer 2020 (thread 4) -the final countdown

999 replies

PostNotInHaste · 28/02/2020 12:23

Thread 3
Thread 2
Thread 1(year 10)

Hope OrangeCinnamon doesn’t mind me starting another in her absence , feel twitchy without ! Apologies in advance if I have messed the links up.

The last thread ended with discussion of possible school closures, not really what we want to hear at this point - let’s hope things sound more positive as thread progresses.

OP posts:
Original poster
PostNotInHaste · 28/02/2020 12:25

I was wondering about school closure yesterday and have asked DS how much is unfinished (2 subjects). His tutor is self isolating and I know of at least one who has been tested. Hard to predict how things are going to go and can’t help feeling our Government will not be erring in side of caution . Am cross that Tutor was in Monday and Tuesday before going off for 2 weeks in Wednesday but I think the info was confusing at that point.

Meanwhile DD worried about her year abroad as schools shut there for a month, the university there has cancelled graduation ceremonies and really the idea of halfway round the world when things are like this is not appealing to her (or me). Sent her money to get bits and pieces in as can see isolation on the horizon potentially now there is a case in town where one of her course mates travels in from. University on strike at moment which helps.

OP posts:
Alsoplayspiccolo · 28/02/2020 12:25

Thanks for the new post, Post!

Alsoplayspiccolo · 28/02/2020 12:46

That sounds tough for both your DCs, Post. It does feel like a sense of panic is creeping in. DS was meant to have year 9 options and parents evening yesterday, but it was suddenly cancelled at very short notice, and the communication we received emphasised that it was not down to Coronavirus.
I was talking to someone who said they’d just been behind someone at the tills in Aldi who was stockpiling toilet rolls. Another friend’s daughter’s school has been shut this week for deep cleaning.

DH works in the performing arts and he’s wondering how soon it will be before they cancel performances; ditto lots of friends who are peripatetic teachers in schools.

mumoftwodc · 28/02/2020 13:15

Thank you for the new post. My DD has only finished 4 out of 11 subjects. She's not best motivated at home so it will be an uphill battle. We've not received anything from school on Coronavirus, not even with regard to hygiene. DD only received GCSE timetable this week although we had looked up the dates ourselves thanks to this thread. I hope that the lack of communication from the school on GCSEs as a whole doesn't pave the way forward.

mumoftwodc · 28/02/2020 13:17

Thank you for the new post. My DD has only finished 4 out of 11 subjects. She's not best motivated at home so it will be an uphill battle. We've not received anything from school on Coronavirus, not even with regard to hygiene. DD only received GCSE timetable this week although we had looked up the dates ourselves thanks to this thread. I hope that the lack of communication from the school on GCSEs as a whole doesn't pave the way forward.

namechangenumber2 · 28/02/2020 13:36

Thank you for the new post! I was getting twitchy too Grin

MirandaWest · 28/02/2020 13:40

I tried to post on the old thread and then realised why it wouldn’t post Grin

MirandaWest · 28/02/2020 13:40

I’ve been wondering about corona virus. DS suggested they could all do their exams in year 12 instead...

He is driving me mad - he has mocks this week (3 exams most days) and then announced last night his PE coursework that he’s been faffing about with for ages had to be in today. He ended up finishing it this morning.

No idea how he’ll have done in his Maths and Chemistry exams this morning. There’s geography this afternoon as well.

He has at least done his Music compositions - he loves composing but actually getting it down on paper is harder as he gets frustrated with the software they’ve been using.

He seems to be managing to do all right without doing enough work which frustrates me as he could do very well if he put in more consistent effort.

DD in year 9 will be simpler I think. She seems to have a better work ethic and doesn’t need to get prodded so much at all. Although in two years time they’ll be doing a levels and GCSEs at the same time....

MirandaWest · 28/02/2020 13:44

No uniform in year 12 and 13 here, or in any state school nearby. DCs school has a polo shirt and sweatshirt type uniform. New head who joined in September wants the shirt, tie and blazer type. There were hundreds of emails from parents in the one week “consultation” process - we haven’t been told what’s happening yet

Wheresthebeach · 28/02/2020 14:14

We've had an email saying they are monitoring the situation but other schools locally have sent kids home that were in Italy. I wish ours would do the same..and do a deep clean.

Hopefully it won't spread far and wide but right not I'm not sure and frankly as we're both asthmatic I'm a bit more scared than most people seem to be.

DD pretty self motivated so if she has to work from home then so be it. Not sure what they'll do if they can't sit GCSE's, sitting in November doesn't seem practical.

crazycrofter · 28/02/2020 14:22

Ugh... quite apart from how it would actually work practically, if next level courses can't be started till they have their GCSE results, the thought of the GCSE saga dragging on until November is very depressing!

I really really hope they can take their exams in May. I don't think dd has finished any of her subjects yet! But that doesn't worry me quite as much as I'm not sure how much attention she pays in half her lessons anyway! I'm fairly sure she'd make more efficient use of time being at home from now on...

voddiekeepsmesane · 28/02/2020 14:37

Just checking in on the new thread Grin I am starting to get a little jittery about the whole CV thing. Our school took about 90 odd pupils and staff on a ski trip to Northern Italy over half term. No one so far has come down with sickness at our school but there have been people in nearby schools that have also over the half term been on ski trips that are awaiting test results and are in self isolation!

Alsoplayspiccolo · 28/02/2020 14:40

I agree - the idea of exams not being over by the end of June is too awful to contemplate.
DD has finished everything except geography, history and some poetry, I think. I'm pretty sure we could sort that at home, if we had to.
We've had the first confirmed case here in Wales, so maybe prevention will be stepped up?

Original poster
PostNotInHaste · 28/02/2020 15:03

No GCSE timetable yet but they are updating on CV. 2 teachers in self isolation after holiday in restricted area, no symptoms. Another teacher has cold symptoms from non restricted Italy holiday, small number from Ski trip students who went to non restricted area in self isolation.

OP posts:
ProggyMat · 28/02/2020 15:22

DD has 3 subjects to finish: Geography, Chemistry and Greek which will be completed by Easter break- in 4 weeks time.
Praying for a May start and the end of June.
Regular updates from school about CV, generated by WHO updates.
One school in the region closed this week after a ski trip to Italy. It is being deep cleaned and will reopen on Monday.
If mass school closures were to threaten GCSE and A level examinations, surely they could be closed, deep cleaned and reopened to YR11 and Yr13 students only for the examination period?

Wheresthebeach · 28/02/2020 15:32

I can't think of anything worse then GCSE's dragging into July...

Devlesko · 28/02/2020 15:42

Mine has a timetable of exams starting with English speaking, in March sometime.
yet to hear about study leave, may have some Chinese kids to supervise if they want to come over, as they obviously can't go home.
Some as little as 8 years old, bless. but I digress.
Still hoping for a miracle on the results latest predictions (as they keep changing) are Maths 4, English 4+4, Comb Sci 4+5, Art 6,
Music 9.

As mine hasn't much choice for A level it will be Music (compulsory) and Art. I doubt she'd manage any more.

ExpletiveDelighted · 28/02/2020 16:03

Hello, I'd like to rejoin, I was on the threads a few months ago but dropped off. Very jittery about CV here too, DS doesn't work well at home and is planning to work at school right up to exam days plus go in over Easter if possible. The thought of him not being able to is extremely worrying, he has Asperger's and doesn't like unexpected changes of plan. When it first came on the news a few weeks ago the first thing he said was "will it disrupt my GCSEs" Sad

My DD is in y9 and about to choose her options, I saw some comments about the heavy workload for art which worries me a bit, we haven't had the option block info yet but she prefers it to music or drama if she needs to take an art based subject.

EwwSprouts · 28/02/2020 16:04

Sympathy to all those all ready seeing CV disruptions. I'm hoping we can limp along through March to Easter and that will be the effective closure. Our school sent email saying will follow public health advice but no known issues so far.

Devlesko · 28/02/2020 17:19

I'm hoping it doesn't interfere with GCSE's but surely allowances will be made if so.
But I agree the kids don't need the hassle. In perspective though, our kids can come home to us when international students last saw their parents at Christmas. Sad

Piggywaspushed · 28/02/2020 17:36

Absolutely no discussion on CV at our school, even though our kids just went skiing in Italy!

Oblomov20 · 28/02/2020 17:48

Well done OP, on new thread. Many thanks.

Alsoplayspiccolo · 28/02/2020 18:06

In an earlier post, I mentioned that DS had his year 9 options and parents evening cancelled at very short notice last night.
We were sent an email with a letter from the head today to inform us that a year 11 pupil had died yesterday. She had left the school at half term and took her own life yesterday.
I cried when I read the letter. The school is such a loving, supportive community, with fantastic pastoral care, but even that wasn't enough to save that poor girl.
So devastating.

Original poster
PostNotInHaste · 28/02/2020 18:23

Oh Piccolo , that is so very sad. It puts everything into perspective.

OP posts:
PaddingtonPaddington · 28/02/2020 19:42

Goodness that’s awful @Alsoplayspiccolo