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.

@Alsoplayspiccolo you have to keep positive about DDs maths grade.
She’s attaining a high end of the grade she needs at the moment and there’s a lot more revision and support to come before the exams proper!
I’m checking out regional Universities to see what their current updates are given they are approaching end of term and many students will be leaving for the vacation period.
As yet, no sense of ‘lock downs’.
No formal instructions from DDs school.
@Lovemusic33, given the amount of cases in Italy- 2.5k? It would make sense to close schools to contain a spread of the outbreak.
I’ve read the closures are until mid March.

Thanks, Proggy, I know you’re right. I just seem to have gone into panic mode since the start of half term, and can’t seem to shake the feeling of the clock counting down. 😞 I think part of my anxiety is the fact that DD can be really inconsistent, because of her ADHD - on a good day, she great...on a bad day, it can be a disaster.
To this end, I’m trying to help her learn strategies that she uses every single time, eg think about what you do know, not what you don’t, and work from there.

Piccolo it’s not surprising you’re feeling twitchy. GCSES are pretty stressful at the best of times and we’re trying to navigate our way through against a backdrop of discussion about death rates, quarantine and exams being cancelled and it’s quite hard not to have a wobble.

DS still not great, definitely off today and possibly tomorrow, as is the boy we liftshare with. First time DS off this year, shame it’s during mocks but they are on next week too and it’s the second lot.

Feeling a bit happy/sad today. DS has got back the first 2 results for his "second mocks" and he's got high 5s on the foundation papers in 2 sciences. Happy because this is, of course, as well as he can do on these papers, but sad because he's ruled out the option of taking the higher paper and getting a higher grade (teachers think he is capable of getting a 6 or even 7, but there is an equal chance that he will panic and struggle with the longer questions, and get no grade at all, hence the decision to sit foundation). I know in my head it's probably the right decision (and gives him more time to focus on other subjects which badly need it), just feel bad for him that his learning issues weren't picked up earlier when we might have been able to work on a different strategy. I need to take my own advice that a 5 is a perfectly respectable grade!

@redskyatnight I can understand how you feel! But a 5 is a good grade and if he isn't taking Science any further it makes sense to bank a good pass, rather than risk a lower grade.

Mid mocks here.
Ds1 has interviews for school sixth form and nearest college, in the next couple of weeks.

Actually scared that they might end up using November mocks results in lieu of GCSE exams. DS has, for him, worked really hard after they shocked him a bit out of his complacency.

Surely they can't use mock results for actual results??!!
DD didn't do full papers in all subjects and a couple of her teachers refused to use the grade boundaries that went with the papers, so how would anyone know how accurate those grades are?

I honestly can't see how something as important as GCSE grades can be awarded based on mock results - it would be disastrous for lots of students, who treated mocks as a learning curve.

I refuse to boil my brain, thinking about the what ifs. All we can do is keep going as normal, keep encouraging our kids to study and revise, keep positive. As Post said further up, it's already a hugely stressful time for them, without the additional worry of wondering what might happen. I'd hate DD to take her eye of the end goal at this point.

Redsky, I can understand your disappointment, given you know he has the potential to do better, but 5s in subjects that aren't going to be taken further is fine; in fact, I'm trying to impress on DD that 7/8/9 in sciences is going to be a bit of a hollow victory, if she doesn't get those sort of grades in her A level choices.

There's a thread over in Talk / Coronavirus about what might happen with exams.

There's no way they will take mock results.

Can you post a link, Piggy? I can’t seem to find it ( not sure where I should be looking).

Don't know how to do that, but if you go to topics and talk , then health ,coronavirus is a new topic in there!

There was this one earlier in the week.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/3838006-To-wonder-what-will-happen-if-exams-are-impacted-by-Corona?pg=1&order=

Yes, that's the one.

Not that any teacher knows anything !

I’ve just looked at that thread @ExpletiveDelighted
I’ve paid particular attention to two posts by OhYouBadBadKitten
Apologises in advance to that particular poster for highlighting her username on this thread but I consider her to be one of the ‘wise ones’ on this forum.

Totally agree @ProggyMat.

I love her too but she isn't in education. The two things she posts are generic advice which cover isolated one off incidents ( such as Grenfell). The government really will need to come up with something very bespoke for corona virus if things get worse.

I’d like to think there are lots of behind the scene talks about exams going on.

DS has an offer finally from preferred option for next year.

DC's school has sent out their contingency plan for if the school is forced to shut.

Basically it involves everyone working at home using the VLE and online resources with the ability to email teachers. They will make alternative arrangements (not clear what they are) for students who don't have internet access.
The plan for exams is still that there is no plan though. The current expectation is still that they take place as normal.

YAY! Well done to your DS Post
That’s another one through the Sixth Form application ‘tunnel of hell’ and out the other side with an offer!

Thank you Proggy 🙂

That’s reassuring they have sent you a contingency plan Redsky, quite fancy one of those but not holding my breath.

Last two paper written mocks today and DD is done - just French oral to do next week sometime. She's had a headache nearly every day which is most unlike her. Could these be tension headaches due to mock stress? Been giving her paracetamol in her bag for when she needs but went to buy more today and none left on shelves. Also no hand wash either, completely empty shelves. DD also said her school loos have no hand wash which is worrying to say the least. On the plus side there was plenty of wine

I find mine drink very little during exams, partly because of lack of time, and partly because they don't want to have to go to the loo during an exam. Dehydration causes headaches.

seeline YES that makes sense. She has a bottle of still flavoured water (a treat just when doing exams otherwise just tap water in a bottle ) and a carton of juice for lunch and she does drink all that - would you think that is enough?

Her bag is so full and therefore hideously heavy that we have changed her chilly type bottle (much heavier than a plastic one) to a refillable plastic one so she is drinking less but then the chilly bottle wouldn't be empty when I refilled it.

Ofqual has released a statement which says...basically nothing!