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 .

DS should be doing Spanish speaking exam tomorrow...obvs he was distraught when I reminded him...NOT

His form teacher phoned last week on the landline. DS1 answered it, she thought he was DH and asked if DS2 was ok and could she talk to him? Turns out she had put a quiz on ShowMyHomework which he didn't bother doing as it wasn't GCSE related, so she called to make sure he's ok, which is a lovely thing to do. He's done literally nothing since March 20th, only left the house about five times but plays a lot of footie in the garden and FIFA indoors. Also he had a phone chat with his FE college tutor (vocational course), who are looking forward to having him in the autumn.

Dd woke up 4 hours today after her GCSE language speaking exam should have started.

Oops not getting my words in the right order...!! Cooking late lunch and typing at same time...

We got a code for some eton online courses today at least they are justifying their charitable status

@OrangeCinnamon Share the joy?

ProggyMat Have to apply as a school for your students www.etoncollege.com/Covid-19EmergencyFund.

Another thing that is really good, and you might be able to get a trial subscription to is Massolit : does Eng Lit, classics, philosophy, psychology, politics and history lectures.

Sorry Proggy Matt in my work email lol !

Ill have a look first thing

Thanks Orange !
EwwSprouts, cheers! From the link it looks like the courses are predominately ‘self development’ rather than subject specific?
Piggy I’ve had a look at the Massolit lectures. They look really good but again have to be accessed via school subscription
For any DCs taking Classical subjects for A level, or just for general interest, The Hellenic Society have a free pdf of their Argo magazine
www.hellenicsociety.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ARGO-Issue-11.pdf

They seem to be 'future skills' type courses e.g 'making and impact' but worth a go !

Also read in the depths of the email School still has access to Seneca Subs and there are eight 'Summer Accelerator' courses for A levels for those of you that have access to a sub;

Physics AQA, Geography AQA, Biology AQA, Chem OCR, Psychology AQA, English Language AQA, History AQA - Tudors, History Edexcel - Russia 1917 -1991.

I might just forward the email and not say anything/push DD. I'm quite enjoying DD taking responsibility for her own learning. She is on her third Open Learn course ( Human Rights, Child Psych now started Music) reading novels for pleasure again and still working on her gradings. She is in a relatively good place at present.

I am worried about her possibly missing out on the social aspect of starting college if it all goes online in Autumn. She didn't really make a secure friendship group in secondary which was disappointing - the local college is really a chance for her to develop those social skills a bit more - for once she will be the one who is not commuting in /knows the town/can easily meet up. I wouldn't change the school she went to for the world it was absolutely the best for her development for miles around but the social aspect never really kicked off for her

@OrangeCinnamon DS is doing the EtonX future skills course this week. It's not very taxing but may have some useful info in there.

orangecinnamon Hopefully they will be at school as normal in September. I think more likely that there will be a late winter/early Jan shut down if treatments/vaccines aren’t available. Fingers crossed.

...and right on cue the college sends summer/bridging work - for Sociology includes write a 1000 word essay on impact of coronavirus on education - maybe the EtonX skills course on writing will help here.

Lots of suggestions to watch/read /write all subject and board specific if anyone wants the link PM me as I will out myself a bit by linking not that I have not done so already
There are some Btec/Subsidiarys too

That would be preferable @wheresthebeach

Also chance of hibernating with all the Christmas food and fairy lights etc sounds preferable

I’m def ordering our Turkey early....

For those with Yr 11 gamers - do they ever reach peak-gaming and get bored of it? Now the bridging work has arrived Dd discovered gaming .

I fear you may have lost her to the other realm forever @zandapanda...

Only based on my nephews' behaviour

I'm actually starting to see that DS is getting bored of gaming.
Don't get me wrong, his average computer/gaming hours are still pretty high, but he's more likely to take breaks and be open to the idea of doing non-gaming things than previously. And he's definitely moved more to enjoying gaming as a social thing - he's playing very little one player these days, and has rediscovered games like Minecraft where he and his friends are currently building a disaster world amid much shouting.

Ds actually started reading a book yesterday. Outside in the garden. This is unheard of so he must be getting bored

We have nostalgic gaming too - minecraft and the old DS!

.....ok sounds like it might take a while . I like that she is also playing with other gamers. I think it’s probably a social thing too.

DS baked a cake last week.....

boredom has bred creativity!

I am concerned that the time he is going to sleep is getting later & later & he is sleeping well into mid morning (very unlike him)! We’ve had a chat about some structure / routine to his days.... but I’m not sure he paid any attention!

DS has started his A’level bridging classes. He’s really excited about them but at the same mourning the loss of his GCSE subjects. He is complaining about missing learning Biology, Chemistry and being wistful about Maths . I’ve got annoyed and told him he should’ve done the bloody IB but he hates languages. Anyway, today he’s been learning about ‘social progress index’ and feeling really important.

www.gov.uk/government/news/ofqual-publishes-initial-decisions-on-gcse-and-a-level-grading-proposals-for-2020

Info on year 10 & private candidates post the consultation