GCSE summer 2020 thread 6 - Carry on Corona Cohort, Further adventures aboard the Corona Charabanc.

[FoolsAssassin]

The summer of discovidtent for the Corona Cohort trudging on towards results day.
Ofqual have done them a little video to explain their results:

Please feel free to join us to see what twists the next bit has in store for us all.

Thread 5
Thread 4
Thread 3
Thread 1 year 10

8am results email here. Absolutely no suggestion that DD’s school were ever going to do an in-person results collection, sadly, even though the year group is about 70 so staggered pick ups a reasonable possibility.

DD hasn’t even bothered ordering a leavers’ hoody...it’s all a bit sad, really.

She tried to arrange a celebration glamping night for her friendship group, but a couple are hoping to be away on holiday with their families, so she’s got nothing planned so far.
I’m hoping to arrange a treat day for her.

Still no confirmation about whether Nando’s are doing Free Chicken With A Results Slip like they did last year - DD would appreciate that reward!

DDs school given the choice of going in at 8am or getting an email. DD chosen to go in. Letter from school to say social distancing, no parents allowed in the school, no subject teachers will be present and they must not contact teachers to discuss grades. If they want to discuss results they can make an appointment for the next day with a member of senior staff/head of year.

No cash rewards for grades here but some money for working hard for year 11 is going towards a new piano that DD has been saving for.

Thanks all for the thoughts re clothing. Next issue Is that all dds a level choices were in the same column, so we have really had to scramble. She is torn between psychology and sociology. She found psychology very dull at GCSE, and the syllabus for Sociology looks good. Which is looked on more favourably by universities? Her others are Computer Science and History

What does she want to study at university @Zebracat? I wouldn’t imagine it would make much difference what her third A Level is unless she wants to do a course that requires 2 Science A Levels - Psychology counts as a science.

It seems a shame not to do her first choice subjects though. Is there nowhere else she could go?

She’s not sure what she wants to do. She’s had some trauma. This college is attached to her current school and she needs that continuity, but it is small and so has less choice.Her first choice was Biology ,Computer Science and Media.
She wasn’t really at school before year 10 ( not our fault, we only got her then), so she looks like a very average student on paper, but actually she’s extremely bright, works really hard and is making ridiculous progress. The best local college rejected her as they didn’t think she would get the grades. Her predictions were 4-6, but all her teachers thought 6 - 8, and Her media Teacher was certain she would get a 9. I think these allocated grades won’t be kind to her.
I could probably make a fuss and get her in elsewhere, she is previously looked after, but she loves the local college as many of the teachers work across the sites.
She is determined to take 4 a-levels, wants to do distance learning Biology. I am really worried about the load on her, but she loves studying. Really don’t know what to do for the best.

Not all universities count Psychology as a science, there is a lot of written content. DS1 is starting medicine, so that is what I know about, and most would have no preference between Psychology and Sociology.

Sociology fits nicely with History but Psychology may go a bit better with comp sci. Nice diverse set of subjects!

That’s really tricky, it sounds like you’ve done a fab job since she’s been with you. Has she looked at the transition work (if they’ve been given any) for those two subjects? My dd found it quite helpful as working through the material confirmed her subject choices.

Also, she had a look at A Level papers for the relevant boards to see what they looked like. She sounds very motivated so self study for one subject may work. After all, if we have more lockdowns she might be self studying all four!

I’m sorry to hear about her troubled past. I can see why continuity is important.

She does seem inclined towards science, although her English is good. I think Maths would have been right for her, but she just had too much to catch up with there and would have been lucky to get 4-5.

She’s a great kid. She’s done lots of the transition work, she likes it. I’m worried that she will want to sit exams if she doesn’t like her grades, and then she’ll be trying to refresh on 9 CCSEs and take 4 a levels. I Feel that she is becoming more social, she was quite shut down when we got her, so there will be otHer demands on her time. Just don’t want it to all go tits up.. sorry for random capitals.

@zebracat does your school offer core maths or could she re-sit in Y 12 to get a better grade? It might be good to plan to repeat Y12 if she is still catching up from trauma in the past. It would be good if she could aim to have a great set of results at the end of Y13 as that would open up more options for her, and everybody is entitled to 3 years of sixth form if they want it.

If she wants to head in a computer science direction, maths would be very helpful.

Well we put her back a year already otherwise she would have been joining a new school in the summer term of year 10 with 9% attendance for the previous 2 terms. The school did support with1 to1 maths tuition, but she believes that she isn’t good at Maths in some mystical way, not because she missed the lessons, so she would probably turn us down if we suggested it. It’s very difficult to guide her as she has very little understanding of the world, she talked about marine biology although she hates boats and is scared of the sea. I’m hoping that she will get some targeted careers input . She is very precise and logical, very thorough so some type of science/ Computer Science role could work For her. for her.

Does the college also do BTECs? I’m guessing not as you said it’s small. I’ve heard that the extended diploma in Computing is very good and excellent preparation for university.

I think this year group all need to move on from GCSEs rather than retaking - I guess you need to persuade her that they don’t matter very much.

The further you go with Psychology the more interesting it gets especially with regard to experiments etc. There are, of course, lots of statistical packages involved.

My boss is a Psychologist specialising in neuroscience. Her career has been amazing ...she is amazing
... full of vitality and extremely analytical at the same time.
I think it may need more looking into possibly?

Cinnamon household has a three day weekend yay! Dd has white spots on tonsils, everyone else has achey limbs too. Why does it always happen so ?

I think to choose between psychology and sociology she needs to decide what interest her the most about those subjects and what she might aim to do in future. If she wanted to be, say, a social worker both are useful but sociology might win out . Psychology is scientific, although some unis award BA degrees it is still essentially a scientific look at the brain.

If she wanted to do speech therapy or something like that, then psychology would be a better choice. Helpful to be good with computers for psychology these days!

I lost track of why she ahs to choose between those two : they go well together.

FWIW ,the new media A Level spec is notoriously dull. Lots of media teachers hate it.

Psychology is the most dropped after half a term A Level in quite a lot of schools.

Apologies if you have already said zebra : is she a LAC?

@Piggywaspushed.she is a previously lac, so still gets pupil premium. The local authority have not been great though and we don’t have a worker. They do the Btec in computing, but she is adamant she wants to do the A level. She gets the GCSE teacher who she hated for a year because she’s so exacting, and then realised that high expectations are a compliment and lead to better outcomes.
You are all being so lovely. Thank you

If she is LAC, then their otcomes are appalling, as you will know. She should be bring offered extra career support and advice. I am a bit shocked that she isn't, but I guess it's the fact that her status has been altered due to your care. Pretty sure former LACs are tracked for outcomes as well.

And her PP funding : you could challenge what that was spent on if you are feeling feisty! Extra carers advice and advice in destinations is supposed to be provided.

That is useful to know. The school were wonderful, extra maths, counselling, mentoring hub, all the study guides for free, so I’m not inclined to get arsey with them. The funny thing is they turned her down initially, she wasn’t lac and the LA were trying to argue we had a private fostering arrangement even though they asked me to have her. School said her needs were too great without the extra funding, but gave in because I cried.
But extra careers guidance would be great. I know lac children outcomes are appalling, and her education had been so disrupted, maybe I will contact the virtual school in her LA and tell them how well she’s doing. They may be able to access some careers advice for her. I know she’s also entitled to help from the Adoption Support fund.

Virtual School is a good idea. She deserves all the support anyone can find, bless her.

Private fostering is complex : easy to fall through a few cracks funding and support wise.

@Zebracat sounds like she was very lucky to end up with you to fight her battles. I think we will all keep an extra finger crossed for her!

[quote Monkey2001]@Zebracat sounds like she was very lucky to end up with you to fight her battles. I think we will all keep an extra finger crossed for her![/quote]
Absolutely. And to have guidance from those with experience here which I am always in awe of - courses, navigating the system etc. She sounds lovely and so do you too!

@Zebracat let us know how she gets on on results day - I really hope she gets what she needs to keep plenty of doors open.