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.

@AnneOfCleavage had exactly this convo with Dd this morning. It apparently takes them 'months' to replace handwash. She has pink hand gel (strawberry laces?) to use too...stil effective I gather

Does everyone have their timetable from school? We don't and its driving DD bonkers.

Hello all, sharing vague concern that GSCEs get postponed until the Autumn.

Anyway assuming it doesn't, can I ask something of your collective wisdom? DS has fairly mild hay fever and usually takes pirotin as and when he needs it. I had been planning to go to the GP's in order to get some proper advice as to if there's anything preventative he can do and how to best avoid both symptoms and drowsiness.

Obviously I now won't be taking him to the GP's as I think they've enough on their plate. Any good over-the-counter suggestions?

Thanks so much.

Try cetririzine : it's much better and your DS is now easily old enough to take proper medicine. Piriton is basically like Calpol : does crap all but tastes nice!

Cetirizine is non drowsy and works really well.

No we don’t Wheresthebeach

Patiencevirtue I found Beconase (nose spray)very helpful but for over 18s. I know of 16 years olds who have had but with GP consent so that doesn’t really help. Other things that help some are local honey (start soon and Vaseline around bottom of nostril. Eye drops too for when eyes are sore- pharmacy will be able to give you one.

Actually yes to cetirizine but test as 3 of us fine DH has to take some something else as it knocks him out. Thought you said Piriteze and agree piriton is rubbish.

No time table here either.

Also when are pupils entered for the exams - we still haven't had forms to check names etc. It seems very late in the day.

In denial about CV disrupting DDs exams but secretly panicked about the thought of holiday booked and music tours for DD.

Exam timetable finally came home last week for us to check and sign (had already made one from all the exam boards websites anyway). Finally have the date for study leave (day 1 of exams) and prom (last day of exams).

Seeline; check that your DC has not already signed it off; DD's school do not include us parents in checking these things and DD has never mentioned it. I only know by some obscure mention in a HoY email early in the Autumn term with a students' action to check.

No official timetable here either other than what's on the portal with tbcs still in there, such as scheduling language orals.

We had exam entries home to check over half term and timetables a week or so before that. Quite impressed as DC's school is notoriously bad at communication! The date for entries has passed now I think so your school must have sent them in without asking for checking.

Re hayfever, I think it's worth trying both cetirizine and loratadine to see which suits you better. Should definitely be done in conjunction with other pollen minimising activiies - doors and windows shut at home until the pollen count has dropped in the evening, vaseline on nose (I also find sunglasses help) and minimise time out in high pollen areas. Shower and change clothes after being out. It's easier to ward off a bad attack than cope with one.

Re: Hayfever is the local honey thing still worth a go ?

I think it possibly helps some people OrangeCinnamon. Did sod all for me when young but I had it very badly and haven’t been inclined with my DC

Fenofexidine if it’s bad. Beconaise is the first noise spray - GP can give you something better and good eye drops. I’d go to GP - Coro patients are being asked not to visit GP so I wouldn’t hesitate to get kids best drugs possible for hay fever.

Got exam timetable and also an update for future plan if closures happen.
For the now:All Yr11 and Yr13 pupils should keep all files and books at home and not in lockers.
Future: Teaching staff have remote access to school’s server and will be able to communicate with pupils and parents.
Timetabled lessons via emails, school’s App etc would continue.
JCQ guidelines of ‘business as usual’ should be adhered to and therefore Yr11 and Yr13 students should continue with independent revision.

OrangeCinnamon it's shocking isn't it. They have separate cubicles with a loo and sink in each one so there's so many hand wash containers to replenish hence they don't it seems. She has a head girl meeting this week and she's going to be very vocal about this.

Post I had no idea Beconase nose spray was for over 18s. DD has had it since mid Primary school as has severe hayfever. She has suffered for years with redness around her nose openings and now I'm wondering if it has irreversibly caused this. Drs seem baffled as to how to heal it. It looks like perioral dermatitis but when I mention it they say oh just try this cream. Infuriating. She's very self conscious about it. She hasn't needed it since last Sept yet the soreness is still there. Steroids exacerbate it, sudocrem helps for a day or so then it comes back. We've tried fungal creams and drapolene too

When people say they have exam timetanles, do you mean an actual personalised timetable, week by week, or simply a list of papers with dates (not in chronological order)?

DD has 2 pieces of paper for the latter. School hasn't mentioned them to parents - we haven't been asked to check that they've been entered for the correct tier etc, or things like James (is it better to have middle names included on certificates?)

names!!!! DD's middle name is NOT James! 😂

There will be no work done here tonight as DD has just found herself and Best Friend on Google Street View and therefore must message this fact to everybody in the known universe whilst fielding congratulatory phone calls...

@AnneOfCleavage I’m sure beconaise is fine for kids - six plus I think

Looking now it looks as if it is use from 6 plus. Pharmacy told us 18:when I asked about DD years ago and I didn’t explore further. Sorry to have worried you Anne and to hear about your DD’s nose,

Thank you Proggy for posting that, really helpful to hear what the different schools are doing.

That’s made me smile about Google Earth Kingscote!

piccollo we just have a list of dates by subject, the subjects being in alphabetical order. I presume it has all the subjects that the school offers.

DC's school's personalised lists have their seat numbers on, so I don't think they will produce them until after the date for entry amendments has passed.

DS has received his exam timetable from school and it matches the information I had found on the exam board websites.

He has been working steadily; possibly a little less than I'd like, but his mock results were good and I don't want him to peak too early, so I'm letting him find his own balance.

Alsoplayspiccolo
It's a personalised list of every exam paper he is entered for, in chronological order, with his name and candidate number at the top.

Beclomethasone nasal spray is licensed in the UK from age 6+
Specific brands might say different ages if they are also marketed in other countries.

It might be that under a certain age it's recommended that beconase is prescription only rather than sold over the counter, but these days we are being encouraged to buy hayfever medication over the counter to reduce the pressure on NHS services.