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Original poster

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

993 replies

FoolsAssassin · 26/03/2020 15:07

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 .

OP posts:
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5
crazycrofter · 11/04/2020 11:42

Yes, I’m also wondering how sixth form enrolment will work. Dd is still isolating between two options. Induction days would be helpful in making a decision but we’d kind of assumed they wouldn’t happen.

I don’t think sixth forms could cope if there wasn’t a national results day. Her third choice have said that they need to sign up on results day and it’s first come first served, which wouldn’t be fair if results didn’t come out on the same day for everyone?

crazycrofter · 11/04/2020 11:43

*Oscillating not isolating! I’ve obviously been using that word too much!

ProggyMat · 11/04/2020 12:05

@crazycrofter - it’s another layer of stress for those in a similar position!
We’re fortunate as DD is moving for sixth form and has received reassuring emails from her new school and will be receiving ‘prep work’ for her chosen A levels next term
Could your DD make her mind up without doing the induction days?

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 11/04/2020 12:19

So not having had any DCs go through a results day / 6th form enrolment, how does that work if your child is already at the school?

I just assumed that DS would rock up on the first day of term and find out his timetable. Are they meant to do something else? He has had his A level subjects accepted (obvs based on passing his exams at appropriate grades) so if the school have this info already is it a given?

crazycrofter · 11/04/2020 13:50

@ProggyMat I think she knows she’ll have to decide without an induction day unfortunately. She can’t even trial run the buses at the moment as that’s a factor - hopefully that will be possible before August.

The problem is they’re such different settings - grammar vs sixth form college - and she can see pros and cons with each.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn I think he would still need to officially enrol, but maybe that’s done in Sept? I’m sure they’ll let you know at some point?

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 11/04/2020 16:19

@crazycrofter I living on the hope that by August we’ll have some semblance of normality so hopefully your DD will be able to do her practice journey before making any decisions, maybe an open day might also happen if the schools go back at some point in the summer term. 🤞🏻

I think I’ll check on the school website to see if they’ve put an info up about enrolment, if not then hopefully they will email at some point.

snoopy123456 · 12/04/2020 19:13

My school hasn’t either and I’m worried that the children in these schools are going to be at a disadvantage later on

KingscoteStaff · 12/04/2020 21:34

DD is staying at the same school, so is starting her A level subjects from next Monday. So much for study leave, frantic exams and then total sloth from June 15th...

Oblomov20 · 13/04/2020 08:54

Just checking in with you guys again. Marking my place. Then I'll go back and read thread.

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 13/04/2020 08:59

@KingscoteStaff our school has said two weeks post Easter of continuing Y11 work (Whatever that means as they’ve done next to nothing since shut down) then starting preparations for A level.

Wheresthebeach · 13/04/2020 09:56

For some reason our school is doing four weeks GCSE work, then A levels. Really odd they are dragging GCSE work out for a month. I guess it takes them right up to the May deadline.

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 13/04/2020 10:04

Ours have suggested that the addition gcse weeks are in case they need to do any final assessment. Hmm

ZandathePanda · 13/04/2020 10:10

Are these private schools still doing GCSE work?

sandybayley · 13/04/2020 10:22

DD's independent school is switching to
A Level prep after Easter. Seminars and an EPQ like project. She's actually doing IB at another Sixth Form but will follow A Level courses in some of her IB subjects (Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Economics).

It's worked out quite well as she can have a taster of Economics before she commits to it as her IB humanities SL course.

ProggyMat · 13/04/2020 10:45

No more GCSE work from DDs current school (Independent) -although she is ticking stuff over on her own accord-and new school (Independent) is providing A level prep work after Easter holidays.

mrscampbellblackagain · 13/04/2020 11:06

DS (private school) is doing GCSE revision and then some open book assessments at home until mid may. Will then be switching to pre a level work.

crazycrofter · 13/04/2020 11:11

Current school (independent) is doing A Level prep after Easter, but dd feels she doesn’t need to do it as she’s not staying! I’m trying to convince her it would be a good idea anyway!

We haven’t heard from any of her potential sixth form places. History is a tricky one as each course is different (and also different to her current school’s course, so no point following that work) but I’m assuming RS and Psychology are similar whatever board is chosen, therefore she might as well do the work her current school sets for that?

Dd is very independent at the best of times, likes to work to her own agenda and has already made her own lockdown plans, mainly involving music! Convincing her to do anything else will be difficult!

AnneOfCleavage · 13/04/2020 11:32

We haven't heard from her current school or another school who provisionally have accepted her about A levels or whether she is actually accepted or not.

Like what crazycroft says DD wants to study History and Eng Lit plus Dance and each of those have their own syllabus depending on the school so we can't really start studying and so we feel in limbo. She is still doing GCSE work in those subjects just to keep her mind active on them but has dropped most of the others as doesn't need them for A level. We've recommended doing some maths every week as that is really easy to fall back in if no practice and a bit of science but French has been totally dropped.

FlyingPandas · 13/04/2020 12:41

DS has sixth form places offered at both his current school and another sixth form college. School are offering prep for A level courses post Easter - no more GCSE work - and he has grudgingly accepted that it would make sense to sign up for each of his three A level subjects, even though at the moment he doesn’t plan to stay at the school sixth form. But like your DD @crazycrofter he has his own ideas! He’s really into the idea of being a comic book creator, is doing a lot of script writing and illustration work and has said he’d far prefer to spend the summer term focusing on that Hmm.

But - I have pointed out that had he been doing the GCSE exams proper he would not have been able to do any writing etc until mid/end June anyway - and these courses finish at the end of June so he’ll be no worse off than he would have been. And that regardless of the writing ambition he will need to stay in education till 18, has opted for A levels and therefore surely it makes sense to properly engage with the prep courses that will help him with those A levels....

Hopefully I’ve persuaded him! The sixth form that is his preference hasn’t confirmed anything formally in terms of prep work for the moment though.

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 13/04/2020 12:43

No, not a private school Zanda.

KingscoteStaff · 13/04/2020 13:20

My (September birthday) DD is also starting to study for her driving theory test! It feels like yesterday that we took the stabilisers off her bike!

crazycrofter · 13/04/2020 14:01

Wow, driving is just round the corner!!! Dd is a June birthday so haven’t started thinking about it yet, but that’s great use of time!

sandybayley · 13/04/2020 14:33

@KingscoteStaff - driving theory is a good idea. DD is a September birthday as well. We were hoping DS1 would take his test this summer before heading to University but who knows if that will happen now. Feels wrong for him to be out on the roads at the moment..,

namechangenumber2 · 13/04/2020 14:47

Driving theory revising is a good idea! DS's birthday is November but probably could start looking into it now

PaddingtonPaddington · 13/04/2020 20:45

Great idea on the driving theory for those DC with autumn birthdays. DD is still 15 as August birthday so a little on the early side for her. Hoping a birthday get together will be able by then but who knows.
DD has decided unprompted to get the grade 6 music theory books back out that she started last summer and abandoned when GCSE work ramped up. She doesn’t want to do the exam but wants to use the relevant bits to help with composition/prep for A level. She must be bored!