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. 🙂

Looking at the website from last year it looks like we aren't expecting any communication re: grades etc until mid/end of November.

We get grades added to GoForSchools as they come out though they wiped all hsitorical ones off. DD has 4 in so far and all predicted 9s. Nothing entered yet for other 7 subjects.

Got told today DD keeps turning up late for registration - she's so dippy in the mornings - she's in a world of her own - goes running for an hour then showers then talks to cat / tries to talk to me whilst seeming to forget she has to get to school. I always say to go to school but cat prefers to be cuddled.

We are still Tier 1 and only one official case so far so suspect the real number is higher and people aren't getting tested. DD said half the school are coughing.

@KoalaRabbit hats off to your DD for going running in the mornings! DD is very much not a morning person. She can have full blown debates with you about why she needs to stay in bed longer and not actually remember the conversation when she has fully woken up. She is a definite night owl that’s for sure and I have to tell her to go to bed!

I also suspect that there are more cases at school but just nothing confirmed. Glad we’ve managed to make it to half term none the less.

Thanks Rollergirl DD was very sloth like for the first few months of lockdown then suddenly starting running for an hour each morning / every other morning and seems to have got into it. She used to go super early in lockdown and come across deer and squirrels but later now as it's not as light.

I suspect some people aren't getting checked for covid as they don't want school to close again. I'm very glad its open though hoping to avoid covid as well.

School have just said they are doing Duke of Edinburgh and DD wants to do it, not sure how they'll do some of it with covid but she said her running will count as part of it. One day to half term.

Gosh,no tests here and very little work marked at all that I can see. As for A levels I’m not sure ds really knows what GCSEs he’s doing! They only started this term though. H

Aaaaaand.....DD has to isolate. Someone in her year has had a positive test.

Oh no Hello that's not good. We've escaped so far though think there's lots of test avoidance here.

Half term now here - only got pumpkin field planned (though also just got sale agreed on house so busy with that) and only DS will go. DD meeting up with friends twice.

Just wanted to come onto here to say if you think there is a possibility that your child may go to university and your year 10 is your eldest, have a look at the finances involved.

The tuition fees are automatically paid to the university by Student Loans Company. However then they have to pay to live whilst at uni, so rent, food, books, socialising, travel etc.

This is funded through a means tested loan meaning that parents are expected to fund the difference. They cannot be forced though. There is a maximum loan students can take depending on the household income which can leave parents expected to pay the thousands more that the student needs.

To give a rough idea if you earn, as a household, less than £25k the maintenance loan your child can apply for is £8,944. This figure will now be made up of loan and parental contribution. So if your household income is £45k, the loan is £6,377 and parental contribution is £2,567. For anything above £62,212+ the loan is £4,168 and the parental contribution is £4,776. Per year. This is for unis outside London.

The cost of Warwick uni accommodation is anything from £3080 to £7920 and anything in between. No food, just rent. Most first years live on campus. Cheaper housing can be found off campus. The cost varies hugely by university but this was just making anyone aware who may not know the costs involved. It might give you time to save up.

MoneySavingExpert has all the details www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/student-loan-parental-contribution-tool/guide/

Back tomorrow here though for how long?

A week of online learning for DD here in Wales, then 5 weeks until Christmas which I dearly hope will all be in school. I have to WFH too, might drag her out for a walk at lunchtime.

DS, Year 7, back in today.

Both mine back today. DD did her morning run again and went to school late again, argh but good she's keeping so fit. Had another result through as a current 8 so doing very well on ones sat so far, 5 x9 with 6 to go. She's doing Senior Maths Challenge on Thursday but that seems a bit chaotic this year - some can do at home online and about half the postal ones are lost in post. I have 2 parcels lost in post for 2 weeks too, one contains Flopsy Bunny, poor Flopsy, hope she's OK Hoping school carries on as long as possible though not overly hopeful.

My ASD y9 also back in today but he apparently stood for an hour in rain no coat to avoid PE , he does that every year but normally shifts inside next time.

@ButterMeALemon thanks for that info. I have been looking into this and am slightly panicked about our contribution as we are likely going to have to contribute a fair bit but even though on the surface it looks like we earn decently (we do, not breadline or anything) it will be hard for us as we are just at the threshold and if DS2 wants to go to uni we may have two DC away at the same time.

Back to school yesterday and nothing to report according to dS. Expecting some sort of report/comms in late November.

DD got her interim report (graded on behaviour, homework and effort) and also her FFT predictions. As she had very high SATs results, her FFTs are predictably high too...

What does FFT mean?

I was just about to ask what FFT is too...

DD gets her Grade Collection report following her assessments in the next 2 weeks. It will also include target and predicted grades. Is the target grade what is calculated from the SAT’s scores? DD also had very high SAT scores so I expect this to be ridiculously high! Pressure much??!

No real change at school now we are in lockdown other than the fact that they now have to wear masks everywhere other than the classroom. A few extra positive cases which puts the count to 9. Still not that much really.

DD looking forward to getting back to school next week (Welsh lockdown).

No predicted grades yet; I can’t remember whether there is a report at the end of term. She seems to be doing well though, or at least is enjoying it. Good marks in assessments; or at least in the ones she reports back on.

No SATS here, so will all be a bit SURPRISE! when we do get them.

N/c'd. We got sent an e-mail to say how amazing DD is at computing from the new teacher and said she came top, she got an 8 now so predicted 9. All results so far are predicted 9s but we have 6 in, 5 to go. School never entered her SATS on the system but they were very high but they don't seem to go by those. I'm just glad they are testing and getting evidence especially for computing as highest grade they got last year was a 6 but new teacher now. She's just signed up for Duke of Edinburgh though bit tricky with lockdown. Still running each morning and still being late for registration a lot, argh but overall going very well. Just hoping it stays open.

Dd has been sent home for 14days school work slowly being sent through in dribs and drabs.
She's been getting on ok with year 10 but doesn't appear to be really pushing herself with the attitude of 70% is a pass so why would I try and do more 🙄 - driving me mad because she is more than capable, any tips?

@nightshade1 what about saying something like with COVID probably still very much around for the foreseeable that it’s best to work as hard as you can now in case there is more teacher assessment involved in your GCSE grade?

DD is quite confused because her best friend had a call from school last night saying that she has to self isolate for 14 days. They didn’t give the name of the teacher or the class. But DD has every class, including tutor group, with her friend and we haven’t had a call. And the only class where her friend is sat in the front row (so closer to the teacher) DD is sat next to her. So we’re not sure how they are reaching a decision on how students have to self isolate. 🤷‍♀️

@nightshade1 really just offering solidarity. It doesn’t help that DS’s teachers sing his praises as he is a proper rule follower and does work hard, but he keeps saying ‘a 6 in maths will be fine’ - which it will, IF that was your best but he is top set and is apparently working at 7 so he should be aiming higher but he doesn’t like maths. I just keep reminding him that HE said he wants to work in corporate law and I just keep reiterating that he will be competing against the best for university and training contracts so he shouldn’t be complacent as all things equal it could come down to that 6 in maths when the next candidate has an 8/9.

@Rollergirl11 DSs target grades throughout secondary have been from his yr 6 SATs results which is really solid destroying for him

Our school is doing isolation based on who is 2 metres away from the person with it for first case so could be something like that.

I persuaded DD to work with higher grades = more money and she said she loved money.