GCSE’s summer 2020 thread 5 - And then there were none..

[FoolsAssassin]

Once upon a time there was a group of year 11 students who had spent the last few years preparing to sit their GCSE exams in the summer of 2020. Then one day they woke up and found themselves as characters in a real life disaster movie and as if by magic the exams disappeared.

What lies next for the Corona Cohort?!

Thread 4
Thread 3
Thread 2
Thread 1 (Year 10)

Anyone lurking please feel free to jump on in .

@Wheresthebeach - our school emailed last week to say that the fact students normally increase their grades between now and the exams would still be factored in. I'm not sure how though?! I'm guessing they'll just look at previous years and say the average child goes up a grade?

Just joining in late.

My ds is sure his school days and gcses are set now. I hope we find out for sure soon

@namechangenumber2 Thanks - nice that your school has said something reassuring about that. DD’s school has been very very quiet about grades so far, apart from saying that as soon as they know what the rules are they will be in touch. Its just such an odd stressful time.

DS is only doing maths and English homework that has been set now as his college course does not require any set grades. He is playing the Xbox for most of the time during the day and live video streaming his kickboxing classes 4 nights per week.

@Zandathepanda wow that’s a lot - is your DD at an independent or state? There does seem to be the most massive variation in what schools are setting.

@Wheresthebeach we’ve had a similar message from school here. No homework set - just encouragement to keep going with A level subjects, and school have committed to providing some guidance about A level prep after Easter.

DS’s math teacher is posting practice papers for dc to do to keep skills fresh, which DS is (to my amazement) working his way through, but there is no formal requirement to submit them. History teacher has also encouraged them to finish last couple of bits of syllabus that should have been completed before Easter, which he is also doing but only because he wants to do A level in that subject, he wouldn’t bother otherwise.

I am telling myself the school are confident enough in their grade predictions to not feel the need to push the DC to do any more work at this point. but that’s just my guess, I have no idea.

I have ordered DS a couple of A level prep books for his science subjects - there are some really helpful recommended book suggestions on the getting ready for A level thread - which again I’ll get him to work through (eventually!) but other than that he is sleeping late, doing lots of story writing and drawing (his hobby, which is at least vaguely productive) and gaming (a lot).

FlyingPandas state school. She’s been poorly for a while (and hasn’t got the energy to supply mountains of amounts of work at grade 9s (what she was predicted in most). We thought the GCSEs being called off was great for her until this. She has been poorly again in the last few days and I know the doctors will want to increase her meds again which will now be on the maximum dose and make her feel bad in themselves.
At least we don’t have the worry of her doing them. I just keep checking back to this thread to hope to hear the government says there’s a cut off date so she can put all her energy into getting better.

Fiddlersgreen

In regards to Art. My dd was told in her final art lesson before closing that they didn’t want the work book from this current year submitted.
She was so upset. She’s worked so hard on her yr 11 portfolio.
It’s here at home with her.

I’ve emailed the head of art at school for clarity and he said they have no idea yet.

Yesterday my dd was emailed by the art teacher to say next week they will be told what is happening in regards to art.

I hope to god they ask for the current portfolio.

Oh @ZandathePanda that sounds tough. Your poor DD. Let’s hope they will clarify what work can be used as actual proof towards grades and then hopefully the schools who have been pushing can calm down a bit!

@Zanda sorry to hear Dd is still struggling with her health. Will she gradually adjust to the new dose and the side effects settle down? I’ve had some experience of similar medications and it’s always nail biting waiting for the adjustment period to pass. Poor thing. You always sound so positive when actually you’re facing a very tough situation at home. We’re all thinking of you so pls keep up the spirit!

@ihatethecold

My DS was told the opposite and had to bring absolutely everything in on the last day.
He now working on bits at home that we hope to be able to drop into school one day or if not, we take photos of it and email to the teacher.
I can understand your DDs upset, that’s a lot of work to not include!!

@Fiddlergreen,

just shows how inconsistent this all is.

Am finding this thread useful and supportive thanks to the many contributors, both parents and teachers.

I hope that one consequence of this will be a de-emphasis on exams and results. I was talking to one friend whose son was devastated by the GSCE cancellations because 'they were all the pupils and school had talked about for three years'. This is a school that does a three-year KS4 (which I'm not in favour of) and does 9 subjects. Only 9 subjects for years 9, 10 and 11 seems to be so limited. It's a school with a mixed cohort that gets good (but not amazing) results and I do understand why it can't take the same approach as schools with a more academic cohort, but it drills mark schemes and exams continually.

A second thing she said also struck me. The boy was devastated as he'd just started to work hard and was desperate to get a full set of 9s. Aren't these incredibly rare? Aren't we supposed to treat 9s as bonus 8 rather than a minimum to be gained? I've no idea how academic this child is but he was never one of the stars at primary so it seems a lot of pressure to be putting on himself.

It's madness that children should be thinking about aiming for perfection and being devastated at 8s. I'm very grateful to ds's school that I've never even had a predicted GSCE grade. If he gets given mocks +1, we'd be pleased but I don't see how it can just be done on mocks since every school does them at different times and to different standards.

This graph shows the complete split in how different schools are treating Y11. Complete lack of guidance from the DfE means that a third of Y11s are getting no schoolwork at a point when they should be working the hardest.

Noble could you post that on the Year 13/A level thread too?

Well, tiny success here, I've got S reading The Great Gatsby now. e's still in bed but at least he's reading.

@justhere that’s great news.
Yesterday DS asked if he could have some fantasy novels. Any recommendations from anyone?

Shimy FlyingPandas thank you. Mumsnet keeps me distracted. I do my crying in the shower!

Yes Patience I am glad you reminded me that about the ‘9s’. Dd is so bright and she wanted them in her favourite subjects but at the end of the day, we would give anything just for her to be well again and off the meds.

Sorry about my keyboard, it keeps dropping letters out!

@Shimy Nothing dystopian!!

Popcorn has she tried Neil Gaiman? Good Omens or Neverwhere?

Sorry, that was for Shimy!

Shimy Dd read Sarah J Maas’ Throne of Glass series. Easy reading and there’s quite a few of them!

@PatienceVirtue yes, as far as I am aware a full set of 9s is rare - not unheard of but rare. Think the national statistic was just over 820 children in the country got 9s across the board, I read that on here somewhere but can’t remember where or when!

Our school (non selective comprehensive but in an affluent area) had, if I remember correctly, two students out of a year group of over 200 who got straight 9s last year. And about another 25 with grades in the 7-9 range. Obviously the super selective grammars and indies will get more although I suspect that even in the really academic schools the children’s results are more typically a mix of 8s and 9s, rather than 9s across the board. You are right about the accelerating pressure though. I understand the logic of splitting out the grades but feel sad that the simple pleasure our generation might have achieved in getting an A has gone forever.

@ihatethecold I really feel for your DD with her art, I hope it gets sorted.

@noblegiraffe that graph is an eye opener!

DD (having got up on the wrong side of the bed): 'Yeah, and if I get nines, people will just say "But those are Corona 9s and they don't count..."'

She's definitely missing the ridiculous amounts of exercise and training she normally does - not normally this grumpy!

@KingscoteStaff - DD is/was hoping for a fair few 9s and in her school last year there were a few who achieved it. I think she'll take Corona 9s if they're on offer. Ultimately they're a means to an end, in her case a realistic shot a medical school.

She is currently 'in' a German lesson whilst sat in bed...