GCSEs Summer 2020 (thread 4) -the final countdown

[PostNotInHaste]

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.

Yes, I should say most of ds's mocks were pre-Christmas, so a while ago, although he's got a second set (Science/MFL) coming up in a couple of weeks, then a final Eng and Maths mock straight after Easter...

DD does 2 hours of study a night - homework if set and then the rest of the time revision. 3 hours on a Saturday (same thing with homework done first, then extra) and Friday off due to sport.

Email from Academy trust highlighting precautionary measures. In even of closures year 11 will be using online learning platforms for lessons/tutoring/revision/mentoring.

Just getting mock results this week.

Ds1 has done some revision, but Nowhere near the amount other posters are saying i.e. 2 hours a night in 3-4 at weekends DS1is not doing that!

But Oblomov, DD has been set 2 hrs homework a day all the way through Yrs 10 and 11 (1.5hrs a day in Yr9) so it feels like normality to her.

She normally does sport after school, then works 5.30-7.30, then dinner and a couple of hours relaxing before bed.

When’s everyone’s DC finishing up for Easter?

My DD breaks up on Friday 20th March so I’m hoping the schools manage to stay open until the vast majority are off for Easter.

3rd April DS finishes.

For state schools in our county, term finishes on 3 April.

3rd April here as well.

3 April here. DS revising a lot but given approx 6 hours work just for English this week. And despite doing minimum one Eng Lit essay a week for homework since Xmas he has had none of them marked or looked at so frankly he could be writing any old rubbish... not inspiring for him bearing in mind it is an A level choice! And now the subjects who didn’t have second set of mocks end of Feb seem to be setting their own mocks for next week. He’s not having a good week really...

April 3. Dd just home with copies of revision papers for maths to keep at home in case they are off school. Expect other teachers will follow suit. Mind you they are still going ahead with school play.

DS breaks up 3rd April. Or possibly 2nd.

XH works in the local university and they are ramping up plans to have people working from home. He suspects if they do then quite likely schools here may shut. I think maintaining DSs (basically non existent) revision levels may be challenging...

Did get a nice email today from his physics teacher saying he’s working hard etc though

@Miranda its so lovely when that happens. It gives you hope.

DS finishes 27/3

Joining thread....
DS last day b4 break is 1 April I think. He's not a self-starter so I sure hope for minimal lesson disruption.

DH got very sniffy at me for deciding that I can't work from home. I find it extremely difficult to work with any efficency in a house full of distractions. I won't have proper access to files I need. I'm lucky to have any kind of work laptop and it's not a high spec one so it will be slow. Assuming that people who maintain our broadband aren't declared non-essential workers, too. Grrrrr. DS won't work at all if he's not in lessons, irk. What a pahlava.

DD finishes on 27/3
@MirandaWest I’ve been monitoring regional Universities, given many will have an end of term well in advance of ‘secondary schools’ no matter which sector.
Has your XH mentioned what guidance/ restrictions have been put in place for students whom intend to disperse from the university for the break and the guidance/ restrictions for their return at the start of the new term?

Am interested to know the answer to that Miranda. DD’s friendship circle is a hefty proportion of international students and she is delighted as they are staying for there for Easter now she’s unlikely to be in a hurry to come back if they are there. But wondering what general situation likely to be,

French oral topics have pushed me to the edge tonight and had ds prostrate with frustration. He just hates it. He hates talking in English let along French.

I’ll ask him when I next speak to him - we moved on to talking about school but will see what he knows. May not talk to him for a few days though

Thank you Miranda 🙂

Thank you from me too, Miranda!

Christopher tell me about it. DD has her French oral mock today and she was going through it with DH last night and it's painful to hear. We're just hoping for a pass.

DD's school does indeed have hand wash now it seems and students have been asked to wash hands before and after eating and when they first come into school. DD doesn't know how that will work out as it's a big school with minimal working loos so queues will be loooong. I've reiterated that it is sensible and to do so as much as she is able (and not touch face). I've done the bread test to show her how bacteria stays on our hands so we're watching how that develops.

Someone I know who works in an independent school says their head has said they expect to be closed by the end of next week, possibly for up to 2 months. I'm not sure whether he's had some sort of communication from above or what!?

Dd's Spanish oral is 25th March - i hope this can be done. She needs to get it out of the way!

Also, I work in a university and they're talking about some exams being done online and others being cancelled. But I suppose universities are autonomous, so they can do what they like.

I was wondering if a compromise for GCSEs would be to only set one paper per subject, to condense the exam period and start it later?