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.

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This video is good. He says students generally go up a grade from mocks, bit of course will depend on school.

DD's school is really hard with mocks - but they say that quite clearly. Their view is to assume grade boundaries will be higher than the previous year. I suspect it ensures kids continue to work hard, and don't get over confident. Also its best to assume the worst, rather than the best IYKWIM.

New video from Mr Salles about "that" 33% downgrade scaremongering petition.

Results of OFQUAL consultation out

www.gov.uk/government/news/ofqual-publishes-more-details-on-appeals-and-confirms-autumn-exam-arrangements

Fell off! Climbing back on!

DD applied for her DBS for tennis coaching today. She sat down and did an enormous sum of all the money that she could make if she is asked to work every available slot. She'll be subbing me at this rate!

Everyone ok? DS’s college are consulting about altering school day from Sept to try and avoid peak rush hour on public transport.
Think DS’s feelings are yes please as more of a lie in !

Sounds like a good plan re avoiding rush hour!

Most of the students at DC's school live within a 2-3 mile radius (big town) so virtually no one travels on public transport so bizarrely (as I used to get a bus to school myself!) I always forget that that's not the same everywhere.

DC got confirmation that he is able to do his A Level choices that he applied for (he's staying at his current school sixth form). In another positive step, he has been through various options and now is confident that the subjects he applied for are actually the ones he wants to do (he's been dithering for months).

I did wonder ... normally this letter would just be confirmation that the school could timetable his choices and they have sufficient numbers to run the classes, but on the basis that this year the school pretty much know what the results will be for their own students, presumably they would have had "quiet words" with anyone that was likely to not meet entry criteria? Feeling positive anyway!

They've also said that enrollment for sixth form courses (normally at the same time as picking up GCSE results) will still be on results day, but by appointment only. Still no word on how we get results!

How can they know about the entry criteria when you are allowed to resit though?
On our side we had a positive virtual induction at the alternative school with an actual in person chat lined up for next week. DS found the work there a lot easier and more interesting so he may be mellowing towards it.

No word from his Saturday job though.

We've just had confirmation that dd's school are having them in for a fairly normalish 'results day' experience, although parents can't go in with them and they're split into two groups by alphabet, on from 9-10 and the other 10-11. Fortunately all dd's friends are in the second half of the alphabet with her! I guess there will be some social distancing but the letter talks about getting to celebrate with the school community, which is nice, especially as she's leaving.

As for public transport, in our big city there are loads of school kids on the buses and trains in the morning. Both my children will have to travel by public transport come September. I would absolutely love it if both schools decided to stagger start times. I worked out if they did it at 15 minute staggers starting with year 7 at 8.30, ds would be starting at 9.15 and dd at 9.45. That would make mornings a little easier!

@RedskyAtnight glad your ds has finally made a decision on subjects, that must be a relief! Dd is very sure about hers now after starting the transition work, so that's good.

The reference to staggering the school day is based on the bubble idea! I'm not sure whether it's going to be mandatory for schools to do that to keep bubbles away from each other?

45 days till results day. Still no news on how DD is getting them yet but the last communication from the school was that information will be shared in due course and if they are permitted face to face collection protective measures will be put in place. So I think that sounds hopeful.
I don’t think DDs school/Sixth form could stagger start times as lots travel by bus, some public and some dedicated school bus.

@RedskyAtnight Glad all sorted with subject choice. DD decided early on what she wanted to do but then has been dithering about whether to change a choice so reviewed all the info and syllabuses and decided she’s going to stick with original choices (results permitting).

I think it's great that some schools are letting the Yr11s collect results if they can do it safely. Sadly DDs school isn't one of them - they will receive an email at 8.00am, then a personal phone call from 8.30 - 11.30 to discuss their results and next step.
DD doesn't seem that interested in results day at the moment and said she doesn't care they can't go it as she feels there isn't anything to celebrate as she hasn't earnt the results :-( I've tried explaining that she will have, as based on her hard work over the years, but no getting through to her at the moment.
She is meeting up with her friends weekly now, 1 for small group hockey training together, 1 for cycling and school friends for general catch up. She is still doing some biology work.
She says she has made the decision to stay at her 6th form (also has a place at local boys grammar school) but we will leave it until results day to confirm so she can change her mind if she wants to. Staying will be a lot easier re transport as she can walk to school. Moving schools means a lift from friend, then bus or train and bus.

Also forgot to add - DD has definitely chosen her subjects of Biology, Psychology and PE with Core Maths. She was worried that they weren't academic enough but I've shown they fine for reading Biology at Uni - in fact just to make sure I emailed 3 unis, (Durham, Lancaster and York). I was worried that although they met the entrance criteria (assuming she got high enough grades) but if they had lots of applicants who were doing say Biology, Chemistry and Maths, that she would be way down the pecking order.
So far York has come back to say that they do not judge applications in terms of 3 science A Levels against 2. Each application is considered equally which puts my mine at rest as I would be mortified that I convinced her choices were fine and turns out they aren't!

DDs school are hoping to have Yr11 in to collect results, subject to current guidelines- so that’s me camped out in car in car park whilst she collects them.
Should we be in a ‘local lockdown’, they will be emailed.
Her online A level prep lessons from new school- which have been fabulous and bode well for the first term of Yr12 should no face to face teaching be possible- have ended and DD now feels like the ‘summer holidays’ have officially commenced

Bit jealous of the DCs who have already had A level prep lessons. Is it happening in normal schools or just private? DS has been given some websites with resources he can use. That's it.

No A Level prep lessons for dd - just work to complete. But it's given her a taster of the subjects and got her back into the swing of studying.

Dunno about ‘normal’ schools but wasn’t it established either on this thread or the previous one that there seemed to be a disparity of A level prep provision within sectors let alone across?

Yes - we have now had A-Level bridging work from two different schools and they were broadly aligned though of different difficulty and one favoured mixing up the media more than the other. We have also been offered a lot of stretch resources should we need -which DS has ignored-

Mahoosive reading list has arrived - DD has ordered 2 from each of her subjects to be going on with and I’ve ordered 2 off the History list because they sounded interesting!

I’ve got my eye on a Mary Beard book DD ordered and has been reading 😂

Bit of a thing on current school’s FB page about lack of bridging work compared to other local schools. It forced the Head to come up with more.

How are everyone's DC feeling about the future? Do they have plans for post gcse / a levels / apprenticeships etc?
DS wants to go to university but isn't 100% sure yet what he wants to do. I'm just thinking that university open days must take place in Y12 so all that will soon be upon us..

DS state school has confirmed his A-level choices based on his performance / attitude in last 2 years, his new A-Level teachers have sent reading lists for his subjects & a ‘workbook’ every 2 weeks that he has to confirm completion by email & they send answers to self mark.
The school also hope to have a semi normal results day too.
Think we’ve been quite lucky!

DS still wants to go to Uni, to row (and study!)

DD wants to go to Uni to party 😂