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. 🙂

Totally fell off the thread. Placemarking whilst I catch up.

I was previously MercedesdeMonteChristo.

I have to say our schools online offering has improved hugely and DS is motivated and he has always struggled a bit with the social side so he is loving working from home. From a parent’s perspective it is a shame as he had just started to have a few ‘real’ friends rather than kids who he plays football with or whatever.

Hi all,

Thought people might want to sign this petition to get GCSE content amended for our children.
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/568162?fbclid=IwAR3rzOYHTQCyKSHwS0lQII3H6d9XZKY90fDv-zqOlJdUQS1z20lW97veQAE
Ideally they need to make this decision now so that schools can plan what they are teaching and focus on the correct areas.

Just had a chat with DS during "break" and he has admitted he finds concentrating in online lessons much harder than being in school even in subjects he enjoys like science, so even though being at home quite suits him it's just not as good as actual in person school. He has had assessments for most subjects last week and this, yesterday he spent most of the maths lesson trying to work out how to do the test in google docs even though all the maths was changed into unreadable symbols rather than following the instructions and doing it on paper! He had to finish it after his other lessons and I photographed it and uploaded it. They said they were not imposing a time limit as they had no way to enforce it, wonder what other subjects did. It will be interesting to see his results when they come as we have had no data on how he is doing since middle of year 9 and his target grades are all very high.

Hope everybody is coping, challenging times! Two more weeks until half term and then at least two weeks after, sigh.

We’re also had no data on how DC is doing. In fact school saying they can’t give target grades this year? Is this common? Seems strange.

Anyone else having difficulty getting a gauge on their child’s learning?

We have masses of grades though looks like under teacher assessments grades up until now would not be useable but at least gives a guide to how they are doing. DD has current grade and minimum expected grade for every subject though physics as teacher has been long-term sick is just a year 9 grade and they've missed quite a lot of lessons.

DD is getting down with lockdown and wants to be back in school. She misses seeing friends and cannot see anyone under current rules. She is studying OK and at least this time school are running a full curriculum for year 10. She is finding this lockdown harder than last years - so are we all there is no end in sight. The house sale has been hitting problems and really need that to go through, it looks now like its just a delay but who knows until exchange.

DS (ASD) has been really struggling - I have to do everything for him and he is screaming, stomping, refusing to learn, screamed until he fell asleep the other day. School did finally offer him a place one day a week but it would be teach yourself and night before it got cancelled by Deputy Head. They then gave a list of things he couldn't do and said he could go in on Fridays but it was clear he wasn't wanted and wouldn't cope and he refused anyway. Senco is trying to get them to give the place to DD 1 day a week but so far its a no. They are really strict and almost no-one is in, about 5% max. I hope this eases soon and they can go back.

I would love to book a summer holiday but that looks too risky and we need house sale money to pay for it. I think if there was something to look forward too it would help. I just booked 2 nights in May half term which I'm sure will get cancelled and after I booked I realised it wasn't May half term At least it wasn't too much money and if it gets cancelled we get refunded.

We also have the working at and some grades, presumably if they continue at current working level/ethic etc. Parents’ Evening is in March when I am hoping to gauge more detail.

DS prefers being at home, no disruption, can knuckle down. But as he’d only this year really found his people and they aren’t very sociable either I have no idea if they are even messaging each other so maintaining some contact. His younger brother games so speaks to people everyday but DS1 games long strategy games and he likes to do them by himself and he said no one plays them anyway.

Checking in to the thread. My dd will start year 10 in September. She'll be doing English x2, maths, triple science, Spanish, German, art and history. It's been a bit traumatic getting her to the point of making the decisions- she was very stressed about it, worrying that she'd choose the wrong ones! We're all relieved the form is in and hoping the she gets the choices she wants.

Hi all, how is everyone getting on? Very glad its half term soon - DD in year 10 is doing well, DS in y9 needs me to do everything for him / with him. House sale finally exchanged and completed today which is a huge relief but now looks like DH has skin cancer.

DD is doing lots of maths competitions and just done IMC with DS and also doing the Harvard MIT (HMMT) Feb comp as part of a UK team. She's really keen to be back at school and finding it hard at home when DS is screaming as he hates home learning.

Oh @Silkiechickscat I’m sorry to hear about DH. Hoping it’s caught early. So pleased about the house though, that has been hanging around.

Thanks Columbo I'm really hoping its early or doctor was wrong and its clear - if its early he's already had it and the skin around it cut out so may only be monitoring, if its stage 4 its pretty bleak and hard to know which as he's not been checked for years. They did have a check of lymph nodes and said appeared OK so hopefully its all clear to stage 2 though stage 2 is 80% survival rate over 5 years so not ideal but better than the 30% of stage 4. Have to wait 4 weeks to know which seems very long when they suspect cancer. I may get him to try and phone next week to see if its in as I've found when I've had checks they often have result but don't tell you if its clear for ages. Just so glad house sale is through as that sorts finances.

Hi Silkie,

So pleased to hear your house sale finally went through but hugs about the DH skin cancer. Hope he can be seen quickly, I think if they catch it early enough there is a really good survival rate. Well done to your DD for the HMMT thing, sounds like an amazing opportunity for her.

DS did the IMC yesterday but they made him do it after school time which I thought was a bit mean. He has had loads of assessments and has had some of his English results back which are quite concerning - we have a lot of work to do there. I am hoping that I can work through some study guides with him rather than trying to find a tutor he likes but it's a looooong time since I did GCSEs and they have changed a lot since then! Any suggestions for books/resources greatly appreciated!

We should get the rest of the results next week I think and then parents evening just after half term. We're certainly counting down to half term, feels like lesson by lesson some days! Feeling a bit stumped for ideas for nice things to do in half term but hopefully just not having to do school will be a good break.

It has been hard to keep going and the horrible weather doesn't help but surely Spring must be on its way even if it feels quite far off at the moment.

Thanks Its DS had to sit UKMT in his own time too but having said that he misses so many lessons its not unfair in his case. DD's was instead of a lesson.

Re English its DD's weakest and mine though I've tried to help and asked school to help and she's at a 7+ current now for both English so much better. Part of it seems exam technique at least for language. I looked on exam board website and if gives teachers marking schemes and example papers, the marking is a bit bizarre compared to factual subjects but its a case of trying to replicate what they want. Seemed to have lots of describing words in. So rather than Mike walked to the shop, its things like adding in long words describing noise of his footsteps or about him, its quite ott but gets the marks. Reading set texts may help. Or can you get access to online lessons. It's something like hurrying down the dark, desolate, dimly-lit street where the streetlights flickered Mike, ... Mr Bruff is often recommended but DD didn't take to.

Hey all, it’s been a while since I’ve checked in so thought was about time. We are just about coping. The kids are doing okay.
Actually DD is struggling more than DS at the moment which is unusual. She is finding it difficult to keep up her motivation for the subjects that she is less interested in. So that’s all the 3 Sciences. She finds that she ends up going on her phone or zoning out. That being said we had online Parents evening a few weeks ago and her teachers were all very happy with DD and she is on track to get 9’s in all her subjects which is absolutely amazing! She also did the IMC a few days ago in place of their usual Maths lesson.
DS is thriving with the home-schooling. It’s actually really helpful as we get to see how much better he is able to concentrate on his work when he’s on his ADHD medication.
They are both totally desperate to get back to school though. Fingers crossed it is 8th March and doesn’t end up being pushed back. I had mentally prepared for them not going back till after Easter so I wouldn’t be disappointed but now what with the vaccination roll-out going so well I’m daring to hope that it might actually be March!
Well done Silkie on your house going through! When will you be moving? Fingers crossed that you have better news ref DH’s skin cancer.

So one more week till half term. I am counting down the days. I just wish it was better weather. I feel like it’s been raining for weeks. I don’t even care if it it’s cold and not sunny, just wish it was dry. So depressed looking out the window at the rain ☔️ 😰

Thanks Rollergirl We already moved 2 years ago but was renovating old one before selling it, it all got held up in lockdown as well.

So pleased the sale finally went through, Silkie. I’m sorry to hear about your DH, fingered crossed for good news. My DH had a bowel biopsy just before Christmas (all clear), the wait is horrible.

We are plodding on her. Am a bit worried about DD’s focus, she staying up later and later, and is never off her screen (alas, not school work).

Year 7 DS is struggling too. I think three days ended in tears last week. Just need to get to half term now, for a week away from Teams.

Screens are the same issue here @HelloDulling. Gaming is all three of ours chosen leisure activity and it’s tricky to say no when it’s also the way they are keeping in touch with friends.

Yep same here with screens. DS is actually sat in front of the Xbox far far more than I am comfortable with but it’s how he wants to spend his downtime and as you say StColumbofNavron it’s how he communicates with his mates.

DD has always been a night owl but it’s getting later and later. On Saturday night/Sunday morning I got up to go to the toilet around 3am and DD was still up, brushing her teeth with the lights on in her room and just getting ready to go to bed. That is a ridiculous time to be going to bed!

Did anybody else spot this at the bottom of a BBC news article about Englands pupil catch-up, interview with Sir Kevan Collins the education catch-up tsar.

"It is likely for example that the content of GCSEs in 2022 will have to be slimmed down to match what teenagers have actually been able to learn, Sir Kevan says."

Is it likely to look a bit like the adaptations they were planning for this summer's GCSEs (before they were cancelled) do you think?

I just don’t see how they can. Schools will have taught different things thus far, some have prioritised theory, others have done their best with practical etc. They are almost half way through the course, they can’t change the syllabus now.

They were going to do it for the current year 11s though weren't they?

I’m glad they are given some thought to this cohort.

I think most of the changes they planned for this summer were things like doing 3 topics out of 4 (or 2 out of 3) so schools could choose which ones they had already covered but didn't have to try and race through the whole syllabus. It was mostly subjects like English and History, it would be very tricky to do it for something like Maths. I don't think it's too late to make changes, the adjustments for this summer were announced last term weren't they?

I think GCSE’s going ahead with no changes to the curriculum is just about achievable for our cohort if they don’t have any further time other than this term out of school. I think the summer term will hopefully have little to no disruption but what do people think about the Autumn and Spring terms of their Year 11? Do you think the winter months will bring further bouts of SI/lockdowns?

I think they are already talking about some restrictions next winter so surely things like Geography field trips would be very hard to guarantee?

Also marking my place as have twins going into year 10.