What happens to years 7,8,9 secondary school

[Flinstones]

Not once have these children been mentioned? I'm assuming they at home until September but why? The lack of information about secondary schools isn't good at all.

Well my DD is in Year 9 and hasn't received any teaching from school since 23rd March. Lots of lessons (just more homework effectively). If they don't go back this side of the summer hols that basically half of a school year lost at a point in their education when they should be ramping up to start GCSEs - particularly an issue with subjects like maths.

No there's been absolutely no mention of them in any of the information given out in recent days - they are the overlooked. The Year 9s have already been subjected to the sudden leap in KS2 learning expectations imposed upon them so late in their primary school careers, so really unfair for them to miss out again.

I think it needs to be all children back to school or none.

And why so important to send the little ones back when most children elsewhere in the developed world don't start school until they're six or seven?

It's not a word I am often prompted to use. The discussion started between the siblings and escalated to include me.

Maybe I'll just drop the conversation at the moment and revisit it in a couple of years!

I totally agree it's an awful long time off school, my DD is in year 8, it worries me how much school time there missing. If they don't go back until September it's 5 months of school. I also have a DS In year 4 in primary. I think I just find it unbelievable that these secondary school children are just never mentioned.

My dd is year 9 and has already chosen her options as they teach the GCSE course over three years. She is getting work to do from school but apart from maths she says it's not new stuff. There's no requirement to send anything in and nothing, again except in maths, is being marked.
I feel like these year groups have been forgotten about - old enough to stay home alone and no exams. She would go back to school today if she could - her choice (as well as mine)

Exams missed so no proper consolidation via revision.

A disaster really and that's assuming they will be back at school properly in September. What happens if there has to be another lockdown because of a winter spike in cases?

Mine is the same @Takingabreakagain (although she hasn't yet started GCSE work). I guess the issue is that they're the ones more likely to hang around in their groups after school and start to congregate 'en masse' in shopping centres etc...

I've assumed the lack of mention means they definitely won't be back this term. Which is good for DD (Y9) as the uncertainty was not helping. (well good that she knows what is happening; not good she won't be back in school)

Her school is setting work according to the usual timetable (GCSE work as they follow a 3 year KS4). But she's basically having to teach herself following online videos/guidance rather than being taught so it's heavy going. The school has said that the good thing about having a 3 year KS4 is that it does allow for lots of time to recap!

I admit to letting her get on with it (because she's old enough that I can) but I've now realised that she needs more input if this is going to continue for another 9 weeks. (and she was frankly just finding it a bit lonely!) I've therefore started juggling wfh with small amounts of homeschooling. She's studying a bunch of stuff that I have never studied as well, so my ability to give specific help is somewhat limited depending on the subject. I did suggest to DS (Y11, now nothing to do) that he could help her in the subjects they have/had in common. So he's volunteered to do her physics test on Wednesday (not quite what I meant, and ironically the first time he's ever voluntarily done work!)

@RedskyAtnight my year 11 is the same. So bored she's now helping her sister. It's hard for them with nothing to do for such a long time. But she definitely remembers more than me about science and maths! I'm about as much use as a chocolate fireplace with those subjects

DD won't let me help her even though I'm willing to do so.... although I am nearing the point at which I can't help with maths.

Do your DC in those years get much live teaching via Zoom or Teams?

I'm finding DS is managing ok (just about) with doing work they are set on his own, but he's really missing social contact with teachers and classmates. The school seem unwilling though, so I'm wondering if that other state schools are the same.

@cooperage not at all - not a single proper lesson. Just a load of homework with a few supporting resources.

I think in the private school sector it's markedly different - but there again they need to demonstrate value for money given the fees they charge!

No live teaching here.

Fair number of DC don't even have regular access to a suitable device for online learning. They are reliant on printed workpacks. School is trying to get devices out to students but (rightly imo) prioritised Y10 and Y12.

DD initially had a video call running with friends while they were doing the work, but that seems to have petered out. I'm worried she is getting very isolated.

The available evidence is that the younger the child the less likely they are to catch covid-19 and pass it on. If you accept that, then there does seem some logic in primary school pupils going back first in the belief that in the intervening time the virus will burn itself out more in elder children. In the context of only dealing with the virus, not children's overall education and the ability for elder children to be taught to some extent virtually then it seems a logic plan. As long as you have faith in the belief that younger children are less likely to catch and spread the virus!!!!

Well we're in Scotland so the years are different but I have an almost 12 year old who is starting Secondary in august, a 17 year old who should be doing Highers right now, and one who will be doing Nat5s this time next year.

We've had no online classes at all. School have been issuing homework through sites like Show My Homework and "Glow" - which I think is a Scottish government portal. The homework is very minimal and mostly stuff which the teacher isn't involved in marking or looking at - sites like Sum Dog, StudyLadder, BugCLub, Bitesize where students take multiple choice quizzes to check understanding. They are missing out on a HUGE chunk of education - moreso the older ones. I have the skills to help the youngest with his P7 work and with some of the middle child's work. Advanced Higher Biology though and I'm lost.

Schools have handed this spectacularly badly, I know nobody had planned for this but everything has just ground to a halt. The lasting repercussions for children due to be sitting exams now, or next year are immense. I am not happy. But voicing any concerns abot how poor the provision is or how much children are missing out on socially and emotionally as well as educationally and you're shouted down as someone who wants to murder grannies by sending the kids back to school,

That's interesting and helpful to know.

DS has no siblings at home and I'm worried too that he's getting very isolated. I have mentioned to the school that only children might need more input, especially when parents aren't able to help with school work (we can't - we're working FT from home) but there hasn't been much of a response.

Also on the live teaching vie teams/zoom- the Scottish government has put a total ban on this due to "safeguarding" Not happening. They're not even happy about teachers pre-recording lessons for broadcast.

There is a chat function thing but it's like the 1990s ICQ or instant messenger when kids type a line and the teacher may or may not reply. It's shit. And we're a lucky family in that the kids all have free access to laptops and tech. A family with two parents working from home and three kids all fighting to get on the laptop at the same time is fucked.

Yes I saw that Zoom/Teams have been deemed to have safeguarding issues... this doesn't help.

Presumably private schools are willing to take the risk then?

Mine is Y8. She has a lesson plan from school and work set by the teachers but I have no clue what she's doing. If I take time out of the day to homeschool her then I will need to wfh into the evening. I'm already finding it hard to fit a full working day in.

She is supposed to do 5 hours a day but she's appearing downstairs far sooner.

Like a pp said she's an only and getting little contact with other kids. We can't do this for another 5 months.

Amazing how one week's term time holiday was thought to do lasting damage to their school career, yet 6 whole months with zero education is just fine.

For DS (Year 7) the quality of the remote learning has been mostly excellent. Good balance of live and not live lessons (which is good for us as his brother has to share the tech a bit), and lots of teacher and tutor contact and extra fun stuff which has been really beneneficial for his wellbeing. I think the provision between schools has been very variable though. DS is at an independent, but I know other parents in state schools who are also very happy - plus others in both independent and state who are not happy at all. Because of the provision we're getting, I'm not too worried if DS doesn't go back until Year 8, but obviously I'd be feeling very differently if I felt he wasn't getting good quality teaching at the moment.

In all fairness it is not completely clear what is happening with Y10s

My slight concern is some of the children are in years which aren't "key years" this year and won't be next year either so they potentially risk being at the bottom of the pile for quite a long time. So this year's Y10s will go back first (and rightly so) and next year I'm guessing that the current Y9s will also have lots of focus on them but mine is Y7 this year (and one in Y4) so they will potentially be overlooked 2 years running.

I have a year 9 DS and as of this week he has been doing his school work (that is set daily from school) whilst facetiming his best mate. It is actually working quite well. They are motivated to get it finished and help each other understand stuff, far better than I can!! I am listening in occasionally to check they are actually doing work and also know that when it is done the FIFA can start 😁.

I think in the private school sector it's markedly different - but there again they need to demonstrate value for money given the fees they charge!

It's not a private v state issue, some state schools are doing stuff akin to good private schools and some private schools are doing f all.

The problem as I see it is the unevenness of the provision. So some schools are offering full on structured day's learning and others very little.

So, on the one hand, we should be able to say that the cohort are all in the same boat, but we can't.

I have 4 kids in 3 different state schools and most of my children's specific teachers are all are doing a really excellent job but provision can even vary greatly between classes or departments/teachers in the same school.