Current Year 10 2020/2021 support thread

[Alsoplayspiccolo]

I can’t see a thread for upcoming new year 10s, so I thought I’d start one, as the long-running GCSE one I’ve been part of for DD has been a life-saver.

DS has opted to take history, German, drama and music, plus double science, maths, English x2, and RE.
He’s pretty bright and does well without having to break a sweat (much to my frustration!), but doesn’t really know what he wants to do in the future. He’s a music scholar at his school, so does a lot of music (DH and I are both professional musicians...or were, before Covid hit...) but loves history and English.

His school provided excellent online schooling and he was lucky to be able to go in 2 days a week for the last 3 weeks of term.

His sister has just finished year 11, so we are biting our nails, waiting for results next week. She has quite a different academic profile, having ADHD and possibly dyspraxia, and has had to work hard throughout the last few years.

I hope us parents of DCs just starting the GCSE journey can help and support each other over the next couple of years. 🙂

DS1 has come home, sat down and very calmly expressed a wish to drop French and just focus on Spanish. I knew this was coming and it’s extra anyway and he was clear he really dislikes French so we’ve emailed to have that implemented. Might mean some timetabling changes. I know that he has thought this through and I think I probably put too much pressure on as I had done double languages and a community language and he is good at it, but he will struggle if he really dislikes it so much.

DS2 has just started Spanish alongside French in year 8 and is already saying he hates Spanish, I suspect that might be to do with his brother loving spanish.

Overall a good day back. DS1 was disappointed his new blazer hadn’t arrived as apparently almost all year 10s had them even though they are optional. I think prob because they are a different colour to KS3.

Glad to hear it all seems to have gone well, even if buses did break down.

Daughter back Monday timetable through however not right, her compulsory Spanish is down as RS, she would love that as it was her back up option, but it says RS with a Spanish teacher, so I expect it's an error in the system. History looks like is in the theatre so guessing teaching a number of classes at one time. Most others are in the same room other than PE

Welcome to recently-joined posters. It’s lovely to have you all on board, sharing your DC’s journey over the next 2 years.

It’s also good to read about people’s positive first days this week.
DS had his first day back today and was encouragingly upbeat and chatty in the car on the way home. He’s delighted to be in a class of 8 for history, all boys and all his friends, with the HoD - he said it feels like something out of The Dead Poets Society 🤣

DS1 starts back tomorrow - that 8am school bus is going to be hell for someone used to getting up after noon.

Dry run today with a day of lessons at home as they are doing a gradual return if all year groups - all in by next Tuesday.

He's chosen combined science, history, art, french and PE, and with the rules around having to wear PE kit to school any day they have PE it currently looks like he'll be in PE kit for 8 out of 10 days (two week timetable)

Blimey @Alsoplayspiccolo a class of 8! Thought history would be a popular choice in most schools.

My DS started back today and found it okay. He liked that all the year ten form rooms are next to each other and that they are mostly taught in those class rooms but didn't enjoy the lunch set up. It was quick and efficient but not very sociable and no choice as to who to sit next to. Said he was done and dusted in less than five minutes so that's probably the schools main aim.

His timetable looks alright, lots of double lessons and not many teachers he recognises, so will be interesting to see if they are any good or not. Also happy to be in set two out of ten for maths!

Good luck to your DS for getting up in the morning @didireallysaythat
It was a struggle with DS today to wake at 7am and yet 8.30 is a lie in for him

Glad to hear that the DC are excited about going back to school. DD not back until Monday and currently working out with friends the best way to get there (they think an hour's walk is too much). I feel sure that the debate will be ranging on even once they've set off on Monday morning.

No timetable issued yet for DD but to be fair school only started back today and think the teachers and support staff will have been busy with the newbie Year 7s and 12s.

We are not back until Wednesday - timetable appeared today but for DD maths is blank. DS appeared to have been put in the wrong set for maths and the wrong set for science so messaged school and DS maths is just incorrect on timetable and rest they are trying to sort by Wednesday. They then sent out a whole school e-mail asking people to e-mail in errors. Think its quite chaotic this year with all the extra covid rules plus lots of staff changes. Senco is new and no SN info at all at the moment. The timetable starts from today though no work sent through today but DD seems to think its 2 days online next week

DD not back until Tuesday, but she got her timetable yesterday. Delighted with her form teacher, and pleased with most subject teachers. Top set for maths. She’s with her best friend for about half the timetable, which they were both pleased about.

Year 7 DS went back today, I walked him to within eyeline of the gate, in he went, and I have two senior school children now. Feels like a big shift.

DD goes in tomorrow. I have no idea how she’s going to get up for 7am as she’s been getting up gone 11.00 for the last 7 weeks and at 8.30 during lockdown. She’s in for a rude awakening!

Their timetables haven’t been released as there was a glitch with the school app apparently. And with tutor being moved to the end of the day for Years 10 and 11 (to reduce the number of students circulating at one time) the school are going to have to direct every individual student to their first class in the morning. What a pain!

@Alsoplayspiccolo wow just 8 in the class? Is that because not many people have taken History? History is really popular in our school as @zighead said, DD thinks there are about 5 different classes.

Nice to hear that everyone’s DC’s have gas good first days!

DS back today. He had a good day but said it was really odd with year 10 being pretty much confined to the maths block for every lesson and not moving round the school between lessons. He took packed lunch as didn’t fancy the 10 minute slot in the new style ‘grab and go’ canteen (which was chaos). All eating outside on the school field unless it’s raining and only then can go to form room. I’m sure they’ll soon get used to the new normal.

Great to hear about good first days, we're back tomorrow, I'm wfh so can do drop offs but it's still going to be a huge shock getting up and out in the morning!
Currently watching Reading & Leeds footage with DD, she has informed me it's a thing after GCSE 's but she only wants to go if there are decent bands on 😊.

Seems to have been a good day for both of them - a few issues with school bus but not a major problem!
They seem fairly happy with their teachers and are only together for music which is a relief.
They have a 4 week timetable - they have 3 lessons a day 2 x 2 hours and 1 x hour - I think they have designed it so they can revert back to their normal 5 x 1 hour timetable if Covid permits. They seem to get it - I just can't believe that a 2 hour lesson will be as productive as 2 x 1 hours - we will just have to keep an eye on it,

Glad people had good first days. Ds1 is going back on Tuesday next week. We were meant to have a phone call from head of pastoral care on tuesday (which didn't happen) and then yesterday (which didn't happen again) to talk about ds's autism support so we are both a bit on edge and worried at the moment.

First day went ok I think - ds is never very enthusiastic about school! Not much change really by way of covid rules except they can't play football on the astroturf, which is a shame. His school have an absolutely tiny site, with very little outdoor space, so I guess their options are fairly restricted.

All his lessons are doubles this year - maybe to avoid so much movement. That means 100 minutes! What a nightmare, especially as ds has ADHD, so concentration is difficult at the best of times.

I am assuming that his history class is an overflow one, or has something to do with timetabling, zighead and rollergirl - DD took history last year and there were 2 full size classes in a year group of 70 ( girls school), so I'd expect similar this year.

Apparently, his teacher said something about being as sexist as they liked, as there's no girls in the class

crazy, that sounds tough. Can he have movement breaks? DD can't focus or sit still for more than about 20 minutes.

I’m a bit giddy as I am actually in my house on my own for the first time in aaages! DD off to school, DS at a sleepover and DH has gone in to the office. Happy days!!! Time for naked cleaning!

Jus’ kidding....🤭😂

Piccolohmmmn that’s rather a risqué joke. 😬🥴

DD has gone in for her induction day today. She is a mixture of excited, concerned and apprehensive I think! Though feeling happier that her timetable has been updated and she is now with the art teacher she was expecting to be with (they were allocated art teachers by specialisms; she'd been previously timetabled with the "wrong" teacher).

My big concern is that she has an ankle injury so has dispensation to leave lessons early and use the lift, but I think she won't push for it and teachers will forget/not realise, and there is a high probability that she will go flying in a mass of students as she can't walk properly. Hopefully today at least won't be too busy with only 2 year groups in.

piccolo sounds like rather an unsuitable joke ...

@TheOnlyMrsW yes I believe that Reading & Leeds has become a bit of a rite of passage for after your GCSE’s. DD will deffo want to go as she’s really in to her music but not sure how I’ll feel about her going and camping. At least it’s another 2 years away!

@Rollergirl11 yep not sure about going & camping.........plenty of time I suppose . DD's "filler" is Food - it was a toss-up between that and PE - but I'm not convinced that it will be as easy as she thinks!!!

Mine went back yesterday. Everything sounds to have gone reasonably well. The biggest complaints were around the one way system not being clearly signed and the Year 10 toilets being a long way from most of his classes. So if that's the worst of it I am happy! My Year 13 son is less inclined to sweat the small stuff and declared that everything was "fine". Both my sons said that staggered breaks/lunch and finishes worked well, and that whilst lunch was slightly shorter they didn't mind as there was so little time spent waiting to be served. Likewise, they were actually home a few minutes earlier than normal as they commented that the buses were all loaded and ready to leave quicker in the staggered system. That's still my biggest worry though. It seems a bit daft that school is going to such a lot of trouble to keep year groups segregated and then they are all mixed on the buses. Though I can't see a way round that really as we are in a rural area with children from a very large geographical area travelling to school together. They do have to sit in designated seats on the bus arranged in year groups though so I suppose that helps a bit.
Today is the first PE lesson so it will be interesting to see what happens there. I'm glad I invested in a second PE kit as looking at DS's timetable he will need it most days. I had thought I might get away with one as some of his GCSE PE lessons are theory classes, but sod's law is such that he has his normal class PE/games lessons on the same days as his GCSE theory lessons, and the GCSE practical classes are on intervening days so I would be trying to wash and dry kit overnight on most days. And you can't tumble dry it.....
Getting back into the routine is going to be a bit tricky and I am really glad that we've got a short week to start with but overall, though they are reluctant to admit it, my boys seem really pleased to be back.

That's annoying about the PE kit @MrsAvocet, is it at least quick drying material, ours are similar to football strips.

I missed the uniform delivery today and can redeliver on Monday but I know DS1 is desperate for the new Year 10 blazer so it looks like a walk to the delivery office tomorrow, plus DS2's PE top is in there so I suppose I had better anyway.

DC's school are still changing for PE, but making the point that PE is now always outdoors so students will get wet if it rains.

I'm wondering how many wet mouldy PE kits there will be languishing in lockers before the week is out ...?