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. 🙂

Happy Birthday Rollergirl and congrats to your DD on those great predictions / grades.

Sorry to hear about the covid test and isolation Dulling Hope you are all OK.

The cat is a lot easier to teach than DS. You just say cat its time for your music lesson and she goes to you and sits on the stool perfectly still and upright and listens all lesson just blinking. Now if I could just train DS like that.

We've got current grades and minimum target grades though they keep updating them every time you look. History has now been revised up by the NQT to current grade of 8. Science for some reason has just added unadjusted y9 grades done at start of y9 as current grades, esp odd in chemistry which has already had a y10 exam result but maybe to smooth results. Think they are finalising all this weekend.

Day off here and first day of braces here.

@Rollergirl11 happiest of birthdays and those really fabulous grades for DD.

We are still waiting. It was inset day today here and it appears not much has happened.

Just received a wierd message from school - the latest covid case at school's test has been deemed invalid by the Office for National Statistics -no idea why the ONS would be dealing with anything medical and those isolating can return. At least its not my children's years and they've apparently had a negative test now though only 70% accurate.

I saw an article on the BBC which said some results were wrong because of an error in the testing so could be that?

Happy Birthday Rollergirl - well done to your DD - brilliant grades!

We have been relaxing at home today because they had a teacher training day so lots of computer games. Thought we would give them a day off completely and worry about homework tomorrow. Only three more weeks of term to go.

No symptoms for DD, she last saw her friend on Monday, so I think she’s has escaped it, which is amazing given how close they are. Such a relief that DS can still go to school, and I can go out and to work etc.

She’s struggling a bit with her friends at the moment, I think lockdown, plus two lots of isolation due to cases in her year, have really started to affect things. She’s used to having people stay over a lot, cinema/coffee shop trips etc. And now nothing. 8 days until she can go out again.

That's great she has no symptoms. I was really hoping when DS went on isolation noone got symptoms as that would be whole year out for 2 weeks on top of isolation and we also had orthodontist which had been waiting a few years for. One that tested positive only had mild loss of smell. I went through all the symptoms with DS he needed to tell me and he just declared he wasn't getting it as he'ld been deep breathing in his mask. So we had to play the guess if DS has symptoms game but he appeared OK. Also he never goes out here (ASD) so if he got it it would already be in the school.

15 days to go here and a bit frantic as we are selling our old house and everything there keeps being cancelled and rearranged and more things added plus supposed to do electrics and plumbing and putting up a new silkie chicken house and run as well here. So little daylight and times when no rain as well plus all the dental appointments. Hopefully will calm down soon though we keep saying that and more things emerge. Quite hard for DD to eat with the braces, she can't chew anything and supposed to be on 18 months to 2 years though maybe you learn techniques. I never had braces. DS just has an enhancer which seems fine for eating.

DS had his braces fitted last week and doesn’t look like he is enjoying eating anything at the moment. hoping it gets easier.

DD is really struggling to - I just asked her if she wanted hash browns and she said no there'll be too hard to eat.

Sympathy to those with braces............they are not fun at all .

DD is home until next week as a close contact, three positive cases in her year alone yesterday and 400 in total fromschool sent home yesterday!!! Really wouldn't be a teacher for anything at the moment

Also got sent her ATL's yesterday - all 1's apart from English and Chemistry which are 2's. They would normally also have target grades but as they've been so disrupted at the end of last year and this term we won't see them until Easter. Keeping everything crossed that as her ATL's are mostly 1's we don't have much to worry about in terms of ability..........

DS is home today as the school are short of staff so Year 10 and 11 home today and have DS2 home tomorrow as Years 7 and 8 are out. Online assembly going on right now and he’s about to start the uploaded work.

Still no sign of a report or progress or grades here.

400 sent home

Hopefully the 1s do correspond to high grades.

Sorry to hear there's a lack of staff - DD said lots of staff out yesterday but so far schools been open everyday to her and DS has just had 1 8 day isolation. DD is home today but just as she's a bit run down.

We are getting industrial quantities of data though happy to have it but leaves me watching it like a hawk. 10/11 subjects currently look like max grade is possible (she's got 10 gsces and 1 level 3), just had English language in as a current 5 but hopefully can get that up and amazing overall. At least a vaccine is on its way so hopefully will just be this year that's on and off and her grades went up in lockdown. DS was much more volatile - subjects he liked went up, subjects he didn't went down and it took 1 to 1 with me to keep him on track.

Still struggling with the braces and finding it harder to run now with the darkness though very impressed at her keeping it going this long, makes me feel very lazy!

We've just been told of a y9 covid case so hoping that's not DS out until the New Year though DS will be so happy if it is. Last time it was 7.30pm we were told and he has his annual haircut booked for 9.15am tomorrow. He normally hates haircuts but I found a posh ladies one about 30 mins drive away he's fine with but yesterday seemed to want to cancel but today he says it's OK he will go. Plumber and electrician are also booked here and electrician old house though seeing if can shift that to EA.

Hope home learning is going OK. Had lots of snow here today. DD was sad school not closed. She's got her minimum target grade in history moved to an 8 so all 8s and 9s now, 9 seems too high for a minimum.

Oh joy DS has just been told to isolate for 2 weeks until Thurs 17th which is great as we have a haircut booked for tomorrow at 9.15am, a museum booked, safari booked, electrician and plumber booked for here and electrician booked for old house plus I'll be try to teach him whilst he'll think Christmas holidays came early!

Oh Silkie! The home learning can wait a day or two, get things sorted at home and at the old house.

Does he normally have any day to day SENCO support in school?

Thanks. We're not allowed people in the house here next 2 weeks so had to cancel plumber and electrician here, quite annoying as we have 2 leaking taps and one light in bedroom not working and then its very close to Christmas. Had to cancel his orthodontist and hairdressers too.

Estate agent will hopefully be able to let electrician into old house so that should go ahead and DH is allowed to go down there if not. Just seen rumours old area is due to go to Tier 3 but think as its a house move we'll still be allowed.

DS has a lot of senco involved but only a 1 to 1 in science but he misses about 20% of lessons and currently just stands in a field in pouring rain refusing to wear a coat or come in. Other lessons he won't speak in or write in, usually one or the other. Thankfully the GCSE subjects he does do and does very well in though English he won't write anything. He won't use a computer for his learning or read anything or write anything at home so he needs me to do 1 to 1. I had to stop working for lockdown and not gone back as its too unstable so I have time its just we have a house sale and work on 2 houses at the moment and we had a lot planned. DD has just said 2 people in her year are awaiting results and she thinks she may be off soon as well. Though at least she is pretty self-sufficient other than she often feels the need to come and make snarky comments to me. But generally she's really good but harder to get things done if they are both here and we have 5 pets. At least he's just year 9 so its not the end of the world if he doesn't do much but he is painful with every change he refuses for 2 weeks so on-off is terrible, I have a battle and throw yourself on the floor everyday then. Last one was only 6 days and 1 was PHSE, he worked for first two and last 3 were terrible - I gave up in the end, lost the will to argue it all day.

Oh @silkiecat, I want to make you a cup of tea and sit down with you for a bit.

@silkiecat that sounds really tough for you and DS (would be but a bit early!
We had tears last night, DD is mostly an only - two older stepbrothers who she adores but aren't here a lot - and so hasn't seen anyone apart from in school for weeks. First match back due Sunday and our local FA have decided to go against the government guidelines and cancel all grassroots football until at least January. DD is devastated, it's the only thing that was keeping her going over lockdown. A bit outing but Lancs FA have had complaints coming in overnight and everyone is hoping it will be overturned.......
At least online learning has gone well this week!

Oh no @silkiecat that sounds really tough. I am so thankful that we haven't had to isolate and home school (so far), counting the days until the Christmas holidays!

Aww thanks HelloDulling I'm lucky DH is excellent and making tea / hot drinks and bringing it to me and I'm sure it will all be fine, just need to rearrange everything though I've cancelled everything at least.

Not convinced DS is going to learn much. I just said could he read more of mice and men or should I read it to him. I got no need to read it to me, I have a copy. Great I thought then he added but no-one is bothering to do that, argh.

Thanks MrsW Sorry your DD's clubs got cancelled as well but good you got online learning done. Both mine didn't meet up with anyone in lockdown (though were quite happy here, think as we have the 5 pets and us they were quite content in their own little worlds) but DD has just started to meet up with a friend and is off there now. None of DDs clubs are back and she misses air cadets especially though does mean she has gone more studying done.

Thanks Ithink We are lucky DD has had none yet. At least with a vaccine coming out it should settle down by Easter or so hopefully.

Have a lovely weekend everyone and to anyone going through home learning and alcohol / coffee / tea as needed. I don't normally drink but its beginning to look more attractive by the day Hopefully what doesn't kill us makes us stronger but never convinced by that phrase.

@silkiecat so tough. I hope you get a bit of down time in all of that.

We’ve had part time homelearning for DS1 and 2 this week because of isolating teachers etc.

Still not one word on progress, but the head of year is apparently the one with Covid. The online offer has been superb though and I have to say they both worked hard - first lockdown was a real struggle.

Had a call from DD’s school today. Struck terror in my heart of course, but it was her Chem teacher, who wanted me to know she got 96% in the assessment, as she knows DD is not v forthcoming.

Back to school for DD on Thursday, everything crossed she stays there until the end of term.

Congrats to your DD on her excellent test result HelloDulling I also get anxious when the school rings.

DD went to school today and said they had 2 assessments, seem to be doing so many of them. DS was home in isolation and was a bit of a challenge - in the morning he had severe hearing loss, attempt 2 I managed to read out all the tasks and he told me he had already done them all at school. I said well what's question 1 then. Oh I don't know, then he lies on the floor and wails / moans then slumps off downstairs. Attempt 3 I get geography and part of RE done. Then attempt 4 get maths done and at least discuss English. He has started coming to see me all the time and waving and saying hi its me. Plumber has been rearranged for 18th at least. In his RE lesson only 2 were out - only one on Teams so he's been unlucky. I think it maybe as he does drama and they send whole class home. He's fascinated by who has covid but thinks he and his friend are immune. It seems only girls can get it according to DS!

So DS is having to isolate until next Friday (last day of school) as another child has once again tested positive in his year group . It's the second time since starting school in September (last time he missed out on the October holiday due to having to isolate). In fairness to him he's in great spirits, and since he's missing out on the class Christmas party next week he's decided to do a Secret Santa with his (isolating) friends instead, which is nice.

Just so frustrating for them; school via Teams until next year now... roll on vaccines!

HelloDulling great news for your DD, also dread seeing any emails from school...........
DD back in Thursday this week, three tests and keeping everything crossed that she stays in until the end of term now

So many isolations at the moment. DD is lucky to have escaped them all. DS had second day of his - ours is almost all on showmyhomework though one Teams lesson on Wednesday. I got him to do 1.5 English with me reading it to him and discussing it and 2 business studies by not telling him it was business studies. Science he was saying he's already done and French didn't get to and its recording yourself, can't see that happening as he's asd.

DD asked for a python course online so got that, she's so much easier than him to get to study.