Y12 return to school from June 15th

[BreconBeBuggered]

How many days has your Y12 child been offered? Our school has emailed to say students will be offered 2 days of contact. That's 2 days in total. I haven't misread it; I know the dates. One day in June, the other in the second week of July. My DC's initial response was not favourable.
Don't get me wrong, I wasn't expecting full time hours or anything like it, but 2 days doesn't seem all that beneficial to me.

My Son has 5 mornings of 4 hours (every Tuesday morning).
My school operating differently - each student will get 4 hours for each subject split over different days.
My Y12s were very, very, very flat when I saw them. I went to the 6th form area afterwards for a chat with other staff and everyone was saying how down and quiet they were. I think they had a session with their tutors before the lessons began but it is going to take a lot more to boost these youngsters.

I have been thinking about it a lot since I saw my Y12s. I do on-line lessons with them, once a week. They know me well, they have been in constant contact with me and I am 'approachable'. They are pretty quiet then and our whole Y12 do have reputation for being passive and wanting to be told exactly what to do to do well. It is quite unusual for our school.
I think they thought this time in school is an opportunity for them to 'catch-up' with everything they haven't been able to do independently. I think the realisation that it wouldn't (4 hours? no chance) has shell shocked them and the are now concerned about where they will be in September (2 of them have emailed me in this vein).

No school time here and online provision started properly last week with about 1 hour on online lessons per a level. They've been told they won't be in in September either. Ds is massively stressed about his a levels. School have also said they won't be teaching any missed work from the last 3 months and will move forward with new content, and year 12 will have to teach themselves the missed modules. Ds was really looking to going back, even just for a morning but that's not happening.

Mine is only having 2 days in school as well (10.30am-3pm).

They are getting them in by tutor groups, and are using the day for RSE and UCAS/university discussions and the like. Can't teach any subjects, because they are too split to have a class (eg not everybody in on a given day for his chemistry class). He had one day on Thursday, and another one coming up.

Reasonable online teaching though, so we are reasonably happy. I think the day was/is functioning only as a bit as a motivator, ie to break up the online schooling. Also in a way to make them feel a bit special and important (as none of the other years, except maybe Year 10) are going in, and to motivate them to keep on plodding on with the online stuff, which can feel a bit soul destroying. Not sure it is accomplishing anything in terms of real learning, and I think the school knows that, but figured a rahrah session might be better than nothing.

My DS1 has his first session tomorrow. DS2 was gloating tonight saying "Ha ha, are you looking forward to going to school tomorrow?" to which DS1 replied "Yes, actually I am." DS2 later said that in fact he was envious and wished he could go too. That's something I never thought I'd hear, but they really are desperate for some kind of normality now. I hope tomorrow isn't a let down.

My son has one full day for each subject, so he has 4 days in school before the summer holidays. We have already been told they are not opening over summer holidays.

Well the verdict from my DS was "better than spending all day on my own with my books but not really proper school". I think it did him good to interact with other people though, he was almost chirpy when he got home. Hope other year 12s are finding their school's offerings helpful. I do think they are the worst affected year, and I have other children so not just saying that because am only seeing yr 12 perspective.

DD2 is having 3 half days a week, one for each subject. Online provision has been good - the only issue is lab work for biology, they have definitely fallen behind there. DD has worked hard to keep up and is up to date with her other two subjects.

DS3 in for his second of 6 days today - first one comprised 4 "lessons". Each day is subject specific. He is definitely more engaged with 2 of his 3 choices, bizarrely the one that he needs pushing on was his first choice A level subject; but also has been the weakest in terms of online provision.

I see young Gavin, no doubt excited about moving up to secondary school in September - he is tall for his age :) - , referenced possibility of exams starting later next year. Whether the knock on consequences have been fully thought through I'm not sure.

My DC's cohort are hearing about Y13s wanting to defer university entrance to avoid too much remote teaching and other restrictions in the autumn. They're getting a bit stressed about there not being enough places for them in 2021 now, on top of everything else.

That worries me too Brecon
My DS is one of the youngest in the year group and not absolutely certain what he wants to do next anyway, so we had been talking about the idea of a gap year before any of this ever happened. But now I am concerned that there's going to be a big demand for deferred places from this year's Year 13 which may impact negatively. I think a few things could happen. Universities may refuse to allow this as obviously they need the income, and if they refuse it to this cohort might they then start to make it difficult for subsequent year groups too? Or alternatively, if lots of year 13s defer to 2021, as you say, that creates a bulge which may result in a lot of the current year 12s wanting to defer to 2022, pushing the pressure to that year, when they will be competing with a cohort which will hopefully have had a more normal 6th form experience.
My DS is quite bright, but not exceptional. He isn't going to be getting straight A*s at A level, and he is very, very shy so unlikely to shine at any kind of competitive interview. If the demand for courses shoots up I suspect he won't stand out. He is now talking about not applying for University and looking for an apprenticeship or something. If that is what he genuinely wants, then I don't have a problem with that, but I don't think it is. I think the whole thing just seems too uncertain and uncomfortable for him, which is a shame. It is no-one's fault really and I don't think there is any easy solution, but it makes me very sad.

@MrsAvocet I was wondering about the deferral situation, but according to UCAS release www.ucas.com/corporate/news-and-key-documents/news/rise-number-students-planning-start-university-autumn fewer deferrals than last year.

X2 3-hour sessions in total (teacher). I normally see them for 9 hours a fortnight😫

Well, we had updates and reviews this week - DD's group has started Yr13 work in biology and history and will complete the Yr12 curriculum by the end of the term. I really can't complain, and this is in an ordinary state 6th form.

No days back for my DS college and no news yet on September. The college have been good setting on line work and deadlines which he has kept to. They have also just extended the term 2 weeks to provide extra revison time. I just really worry about next year and what he will do. Online open days are difficult and hes v v confused

Wondering how very one got on with this for year 12
For our year 12 we've had a couple of live lessons and teacher catch ups but mostly just weeks of presentations, they've dropped to 4 days a week, no end of year reports or assessment, going into school involved inviting 8 pupils for a day who were behind, other pupils only get 2 hours in school in the final week of term not for lessons but for UCAS and epq catch up. We are not in an area which would struggle demographically and it's not financially related. Other local schools have all provided various lesson types and pupils have gone in regularly, even some that aren't in year 10 /12

Ditto sleepwouldbenice. All quite dreadful for my son yr 12. No end of year exams and ucas predicted grades published just from teachers opinions. Very subjective and far from satisfactory for something so vital for uni applications. Very dissatisfied and disappointed considering school is a top grammar. No pastoral care whatsoever for this year group.