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 @expletivedelighted we are the H of the HSD bit. She is so pleased not to have 6.30 am starts and train journeys anymore , currently at TPS along with about 70 others from the town - crazy how schooling works in this country, we are lucky enough to live in a place where school catchments quite broad so just chose best place for her needs at time.

I heard someone at one of the schools towards Winch was self isolating?

@Oakmaiden welcome ..sounds like anxious times. Do you mean the drama teacher was to examine /mark them but now can't ? Sorry Dd doesnt do it so not sure how it works. With her.music they have to record everything anyway incase needed for double marking
Sounds tough for your Dd hope she ok.

I went to the SD bit and have a lot of friends with DCs at A. Yes, I've heard about the Winch person, that's not DS's school. Upon quizzing DS a bit more he says the one at his school went home as one of his parents is self isolating but he doesn't have symptoms himself.

@Oakmaiden DD has Drama (OCR) component 3 performance (presenting and performing texts) examination booked for 1April with outside examiner coming to the school so not sure what will happen for her. Component 1/2 (Devising drama) was recorded and teacher marked.

Yeah, she has done her Devising component, and there was supposed to be an external examiner coming in nest week to watch and mark the Performance component. Her teacher is now in isolation and the external examiner has been cancelled. Now it could be that these two things are unconnected. Maybe the examiner is ill and can't make it - or maybe the exam board felt that having no drama teacher in the week before the performance was unfair - I have no idea. All I know is it has been cancelled and they are not sure when it will actually take place, although she has been told they might end up having to record it rather than having it marked by an external examiner as they do it.

Music I know she has recorded her performance component, but don't think she has either written or performed her main composition piece. (Although I think it is on its way, and hopefully the teacher can see the writing on the wall and will be pushing them to get it completed in the next week or so.)

So yeah. Also she is on the Autistic spectrum, so finding the uncertainty VERY unsettling.

Welcome Oakmaiden. Sorry to hear about your DD’s exam, can imagine it is unsettling. I guess there will be a fair few self isolating who will be missing practical exams over the coming weeks.

I guess a lot of DC will be worried at the moment and there’s no answers as yet to give them. We’re just focusing on keeping calm, keeping working and see how things pan out with a background assumption that unprecedented circumstances can lead to unprecedented actions , keeping an open mind and being prepared to adapt as necessary.

Oakmaiden, DD is also doing drama, and her examines performance is scheduled for a fortnight’s time.
No idea what might happen - the schools seem to be working on the basis of dealing with issues only when they are confirmed, ie school is currently open, so working in the basis that the exam will take place as planned.

I think trying to second guess what might happen is what is causing the most amount of anxiety; certainly, my my brain hurts from thinking about all the what ifs.
We can take comfort from the fact that this isn’t a problem that will only affect our children - it’s nationwide, so whatever the solution, everyone will be dealt with in the same way.

After a sleepless night worrying about school getting closed and our ancient laptop not fitting the bill with online lessons etc ... a new updated laptop has been purchased! Phew!

Yes. I am sure some solution will be found. Even if it is late exams for those not going on in their education and colleges accepting children without GCSE results.

Welcome OakMaiden.

As per usual, my 2 ds's show no anxiety about schooling / exams being cancelled etc. They are more hacked off that school isn't closing!

Oh, don't get me wrong. I think if they were cancelled /postponed my daughter would be delighted. Well, the GCSEs anyway.

She would be less delighted at having to postpone her dance exams.

It is just the uncertainty she is struggling with...

Totally get that Oakmaiden. The uncertainty hard for everyone but must be harder for those on the Austin spectrum,. It occurred to me earlier that the only GCSE certificates that you get asked for once you have higher qualifications is Maths and English really.

DS has gone off on a DoE practice trip - I haven't got the heart to say that the real trip scheduled for the end of June post GCSE's is extremely unlikely to happen.

School trip to the theatre this week is still happening - I'm definitely starting to be on edge.

Y11 haven't finished their subject syllabi for quite a number of their subjects especially English Lit!

It's starting to feel like the calm before the storm....

DD has been revising all weekend as several subject teachers have set mock papers- to be sat next week- as homework.
I’m trying to keep to a ‘one week at a time’ approach as things develop.
The worry I have is that when the schools do close there will be a mass movement around the UK to holiday destinations unless a lockdown is put in place to stop this from happening,

Dd hates the idea of them being cancelled - says that it would mean she’d be beyond stressed when it comes to A levels as she’d have had no exam experience.

I on the other hand....

Big article in tomorrow’s Guardian with the suggestion that all children should repeat the year!

No! The government are axing the course my DS is taking in 6th form after the next academic year, this is his only chance to do it

@KingscoteStaff my y11 child would be devastated. They've worked so hard. How could the schools make this work as they'd have the current year 10s and the current year 11s all due to take exams next year? There wouldn't be enough room in the hall to sit them on the same day.

The Guardian article is by the head of an Academy group - I think he’s saying that if all children miss 16 weeks of teaching, then they all need to repeat a year. He doesn’t seem to have spotted that for primary schools, that would be slightly tricky to magic up an extra set of classrooms and teachers! But hey, blitz spirit, I’m sure we’d cope...

I think the "repeat the year" plan is possibly the worst one I've heard.

I've been struggling to keep DS motivated all year; if he's told he has to do another year of these subjects, he'll just switch off frankly. And I doubt he is the only one who is only keeping going because he sees the end in sight. He would actually do better just to be given his predicted grades (and quite a few of those are fails and will massively cut down his post 16 options, so I don't say that lightly). If this had happened in October last year, maybe that would make sense, but they have basically been taught (or very nearly taught) the whole syllabus already!

The only plan I can see for this Year 11/13 cohort is to take the exams as soon as practical with an aim of them starting Post 16/higher education courses as soon as possible afterwards with some tweaking of syllabuses to allow for them to complete the course in less time than usually allowed. We might need that (syllabus tweaking) for current Year 10/12 as well. Surely other year groups can just catch up? There isn't any subject other than maths which genuinely builds across the whole of a child's school life?

Repeating the year would be a total disaster for us, not least because DD is at an indie, and as both DH and I are self employed in the performing arts, so currently facing financial ruin, so there’s no way we could find an extra year of fees. 😞

Ffs. How would that work for both state and private boarding schools??? Where would they sleep? That’s beyond ridiculous!!!!

I have some questions about the "everyone repeat the year" idea:

1. In September 2020, all universites would have a tiny number of first years (mature students, those who did a gap year or deferred). How would they afford to keep running and pay their staff?

1. It's all very well saying that every year group down to reception should repeat a year, but what about the rising 5s waiting to start school in September 2020? Do you:

A) Make one "double size" year group of 2020 starters? What happens when they sit their GCSEs and A-levels? Will universites be expected to double their intake in 2034? B) Delay school start by a year forever, and from now on everyone will take GCSEs aged 17 and A-levels aged 18?

I don't think they've thought through the long-term impact.

• ..sit A-levels aged 19

The idea is so outlandish that I couldn't even finish typing the outcome correctly.