Current Year 10 2020/2021 support thread

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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. 🙂

Thanks. I'm on standby as both of the schools are inner city and the primaries nearby also have cases.

@middleager I'm on standby too, the positive case last week was in year 7 who are bubbled in forms so they are all at home for two weeks, along with a few from other years who the child was close to on the bus. DD told me over the weekend that a boy in her form was sent home on Friday with symptoms and told to get a test - he'd been sent in anyway [shocked]. A positive test will send the whole year home so I don't think it will be long........

[quote TheOnlyMrsW]@middleager I'm on standby too, the positive case last week was in year 7 who are bubbled in forms so they are all at home for two weeks, along with a few from other years who the child was close to on the bus. DD told me over the weekend that a boy in her form was sent home on Friday with symptoms and told to get a test - he'd been sent in anyway [shocked]. A positive test will send the whole year home so I don't think it will be long........[/quote]
It feels like a waiting game.
If that student even get a test!

My two are at home. Dd (year 7) started with a temp on Saturday so we’ve sent away for a test (no walk in or drive ins available). Typically she’s now come out in a full snotty cold so I’m expecting the test to be negative despite her cough 🤞🏻

Online learning seems to have worked ok for ds today - they just streamed the lessons on teams for him.

This is my worst nightmare but more from my y5 pov. He has just started to become positive about school, it would be awful for him to be off again. But, I’ve accepted I have no control over this stuff and am lucky that I have flexibility to accommodate it.

Here’s hoping we all get through this year.

That's DD's year been sent home this afternoon, and yr9 at lunchtime.......waiting to hear from school to see what happens next

Just heard someone in Year 9 hasn’t tested positive so they all have to stay home tomorrow.

A rather prominent person is now isolating and their child is in DS2’s Year so I am anticipating him being at home at some point.

DD complaining of headaches every day, have booked eye test on Weds, so she’ll miss maths. She’s not pleased, but there’s not much else I can do. The wait for a weekend or evening was weeks, and then we’ll have to wait for the new specs.

@HelloDulling DD has her eyes tested recently and needs glasses - we are waiting on the prescription to come through now (taps foot impatiently). It can make a world of difference, although I'm not sure that DD's shortsightedness (mild) hasn't been brought on by too much time staring at a computer screen!

DS's school has a child who has tested positive in another year group so that year is now off for 2 weeks. However, given that 2 of DS's friends have siblings in that year I assume it's only a matter of time before someone in Y10 gets it too.

It all feels so precarious...

@Gumbo I hear what you're saying. One of DD's best friends has a sister in a different year group bubble (and she won't be the only one - some may have more than one sibling at the school), so effectively the b/f is in two bubbles (and possibly by default so is everyone in their year group who she has lessons with/fraternises with).

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 Exactly - I can see what the schools are trying to do - and I can't see how else they can do things - but I suspect the kids will be in for a bit, then out for a couple of weeks, then back in again etc for months to come
It's so disruptive...

My one year 10 is off now due to a case and my other is in school (different one).

The one who is having to SI is perfectly happy. It was an options class so others in his year 10 are learning. He's been set some homework but hasn't been set other work yet. Meanwhile his classmates are in school learning. This leaves those at home disadvantaged.

That should read perectly healthy

There's a case in DD's school but presumably not in her year group as there have been no instructions to keep her off.

We have cases in yrs 11 and 13. Interestingly the whole of yr 13 were sent home but in yr 11 it’s only a “contact group”. Interesting. School are also talking about decreasing bubbles down from a whole year group. Don’t envy them that logistical nightmare!

@QueenMabby in a way it sounds sensible to decrease bubble sizes within any given year group but just makes life more complicated, I would have thought? However, DD is not in the same form or sets as her best friend so if they did introduce something similar at her school, I think she'd be in two bubbles (which defeats the point surely?).

Ours sent one year group home for one day whilst they investigated who the person might reasonably have come into contact with then asked those people to stay home for the requisite amount of time. It’s not perfect but I think preferable- sort of.

Year 10 overall seem to be coming along nicely though, all things considered here.

School are also talking about decreasing bubbles down from a whole year group. Don’t envy them that logistical nightmare!

That's what DD's school have done. She does maths, English and science with her tutor group (they have rejigged tutor groups to allow for those taking combined vs triple science and also for maths ability). Then when she has options she sits nearest to those in her tutor group doing the same option. For one subject, no one in DD's tutor group is taking that option, so she has to sit on her own as far away from possible from anyone else. The idea is very much that if they get a case they will look at close contacts (which I would expect to be tutor group + a few others) rather than whole year.
Bit of a timetabling nightmare for someone though!

As an aside (because I'm a data geek) I found it very interesting that in previous maths sets 1-3 (of 9 sets; 30 children in each set) there were only 20 children taking combined science. I mean, I expected a high correlation between "good at maths" and triple science, but not as high as this. And 10 of those 20 children are also taking drama (only 24 in the year group in total), so it seems that "good at maths but not liking science" also correlates highly with drama!

We have had a letter today saying that they have electronic seating plans for all lessons and they will only be sending children home who have sat within 2 metres of a positive case - sounds like a logistical nightmare trying to work that out who,has been in contact. No idea what they do about contact at lunchtimes because I know they spend time with their friends that they don't have that many classes with. No positive cases that we know about yet.

I'm hoping they do something similar at ds school rather than send them all home, although I know it must be a massive headache to do

This is no longer appearing on the 'I'm on' bit weirdly

DS spent a few hours last night working on a maths problem that he doesn’t understand. This morning he is ready early and is back at it. Turns out he has a test today and I think he is a bit worried about moving down a set. He is quite able but is the bottom end of the top set who work at speed and humanities are his strength.

He hasn’t asked for any help and seems quite intent on working this out.

@RedskyAtnight I love your data geekery there.

All seems relatively calm at school at the moment. DD is settling in to her timetable. The only thing is she says that a lot of the boys are being total dickheads, getting handfuls of hand sanitizer and flinging it at people. DD has come home with it in her hair a few times!

I paid the final instalment today for the Year 10 skiing trip held in the Feb half term. I have no idea if that will be going ahead or not!