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. 🙂

I thought online parents evening was quite good (though we also missed loads because of tech issues at the beginning - we were the very first ones). At our school appointments are supposed to be 5 mins anyway, but inevitably people take longer and overrun then you are just standing around in queues and being late for the next one etc. I sort of felt it was fairer this way as everyone got their time (tech notwithstanding). I do know what you mean though, it just cuts to the next appointment.

Yes I think the running to time aspect of online parents eve is much better than stressing in the corridors because the teacher is running late and 5 minutes is the usual time (apart from usually we are supposed to get 10 mins with the SENCO but we only got 5). I just ended up feeling frustrated mainly because of tech issues, they couldn't see us (our camera was working for us don't know what was going wrong there) so the first minute of the appointment was the teacher asking if DS was there and then waiting for him to respond (he was nodding - but they couldn't see him!) I guess I'm also just a bit frustrated with the school that they didn't seem to have noticed he wasn't handing in work before half term.

Sympathy for @HelloDulling and others in Wales, after Easter somehow seems forever away!

Better get them to brush their teeth before registration.

Yes, I was stressed with the tech but I heard from parents with later appointments that it was smooth. I also dislike them being there because I can’t always say the things I want to but I understand why they do it. Ours was year 9, we have DS y10 in March. We’ve basically never had a parents evening that didn’t say ‘he is great’. Which is lovely but he never gets any push or now you could do this. Since Reception. He is very studious and diligent but it does mean he won’t go over and beyond because he knows he can manage. My worry is that he maintains this and then doesn’t quite get the grades, though I think it would be A level rather than GCSE where it might impact.

We've just heard y10 back on 9th, y9 on 12th, probably for about 3 days before get isolations but still every little helps.

We’ve heard too. Back on the Wednesday with all year groups.

They are having all of the kids in bit by bit leading up to it to have the tests done.

My DS has to go into school on Thursday for a LFT and then will have two next week. I'm so happy about them going back as DS has become very disengaged.
We had online parents evening too. I was dreading it as hate FaceTime situations but actually it was fine and I was impressed with the efficiency of it. Can't see the old style parents evenings returning anytime soon.
Fingers crossed the disruption to education is over and that our year tens will be able to do their exams as planned next year.

@HelloDulling

I really feel for the welsh secondary school children. It's ridiculous that they can't go back in the next few weeks. I have a friend with a year ten in Denbighshire and they have missed so much school and now have an even longer than necessary delay.

I went for a walk with a friend today and she mentioned she had checked all the uniform still fits. DS then tried on his shoes when I panicked and his toes are right at the end. Pretty sure DS in year 8 is the same but I can’t bear to check right now.

DD will def need new shoes by Easter. These were new in Dec 2019! If the Welsh Gov make a quick change and send them back early, we will be caught out.

Hi, can I join you?
We’re in Wales too and have ds in years 10 and 8. Who knows when they’ll be back in! I’ve also seen that primaries here aren’t testing kids, which I don’t think is a great tactic.
We have parents evening via Teams next week for ds1. He’s a bright kid, top of the class in primary but has never pushed himself and this has been a perfect opportunity to coast I think. I’m a little worried about what we’re going to hear. We’ve done our best to support him but with both of us being out at work all day Monday to Friday we’re limited with what we can do.
I’ve not checked any uniform - they’ve only been in school for 13 weeks since September, I really hope it all fits!

Hadn’t thought about uniform. DS is back on Tuesday 9th and can’t wait to be back with his friends and especially his girlfriend.

They’ve got GCSE English spoken language part to do when they get back. I seem to remember from DD that this was pass/merit/distinction and it gets recorded on their certificate next to the grade.

So today’s update for Wales is as clear as mud for most year groups!

Thanks for that Kirsty!

@Muchtoomuchtodo

So today’s update for Wales is as clear as mud for most year groups!

Thanks for that Kirsty!

Yup. Year 7 and 10 here. Not a clue.

Sympathy to those of you in Wales.

Back on next Tues DD and next Friday DS though wouldn't be surprised with the mass testing three times if they are all out on the second test so about 3 days in before Easter. But still grateful for them going back.

DS is massively stressed about all the testing - school have let me opt him out and he's only been on his sofa whole of lockdown so don't think any chance he will have it. He's still being incredibly hard to get to do anything and I'm having to do all his lessons so I'll be so glad when he is back and hoping it doesn't close again though resigned to it and school have widened criteria for sending children home and now almost whole year home if 1 child tests positive. Though at least we are rural and rates are really low but not sure if they'll be basing it on lateral flow which has some false positives, around 0.3% which is 3 for our school of 5 years per test so 3/5 years could be out second test and all the years 3rd test.

I think uniform should still fit and their school now allows layers to be worn over uniform as so cold with all the windows open - DD does that but DS loves the uniform so freezes in it.

DD and DS both have their UKMT IMC results back and both got through to the Olympiad though think DS will struggle with Olympiad as he does everything in his head and never writes method just the answer and its marked largely on method. He'll probably get all the answers correct but be unable to communicate how he got them other than well its obvious. DD has the Harvard competiton for maths this weekend so its maths comp central here. I need to print out some Cayley papers for DS though not sure if he will do any practice. Will be a shame if they have to isolate as neither will be able to do Olympiad as its paper in school only though they could well have issues with that but so good of them to run these things. Had a full day of lessons plus school assembly today and did DH's tax returns and watched budget and telling DS about it, one of the few things he's interested in - got parents evening virtually for DS tomorrow.

Well done to your two Silkies - excellent results! We haven't heard DS result yet but he has been doing some past Hamilton papers as practice. Good luck to your DD in the Harvard competition!

I discovered that M&S school trousers have an extra inch at the bottom if you just unpick the hem so thank goodness for that! Not sure about the school shoes but think they will just have to last until April.

I have been monitoring DS much more closely since half term, basically checking on him in every lesson. Annoyingly the school seem to have stopped sending him checking in emails even though I flagged it as an issue. Thank goodness he is going back next Tues. Much sympathy for those in Wales. Hope those with parents evenings coming up find they run smoothly and are helpful.

Thanks Its If you DS logs on to the UKMT site where he did the competition the results are on there with username and password for IMC competition, school still haven't told us ours but if DD logged on UKMT has marked them and DD got 130/135 and DS 105/135 - I think Olympiad was 100, y9, 110 y10 and 118 y11. It's on UKMT website now. I think she will struggle with the Harvard one as its their higher round and only 1000 do it from around the world but its good experience, and probably the only chance she will get to do it as its online this year. Its a team thing and they just met up online so she doesn't know the others but think they are regulars in Olympiads here, maybe the Senior ones, think they are mainly year 12s doing Maths and Further Maths A levels. I stopped maths at GCSE - well had a short exam for first year of degree - so its all over my head now.

Thanks Silkie, just got him to log on and he only got one wrong so he is through to the Hamilton :)

Well done to all these Maths whizzes. It all sounds very cool.

Sympathies to Wales. I just don’t know what to say any or tbh.

Well done to your DS Its that's the same as DD got.

Hey to everyone! 👋

My sympathies to all of those in Wales that aren’t able to go back just yet. What a PITA!

And congrats to all those that have done well in the IMC. DD did it but she says school only contact them if they have done well. I told her what some of you guys have said on here, that she can log in to the website and get her score but she says she knows she did badly and so she doesn’t want to know. I can’t budge her on this so I guess we’ll never know unless her teacher tells her. 🤷‍♀️

Got new shoes for both DD and DS. They hadn’t had new since September 2019 so thought they could do with some. All other people uniform is fine.

DD is going in for her lft today and DS tomorrow. And then hopefully we’re all good to go for Monday. Think we will all struggle getting up earlier on Monday, that’s the only thing I’m not looking forward to! 🥴🥱😴

Hi everyone, my DS is going back also on Monday hopefully . Anyone knows if they will get a lot of small assessments so the schools understand the gaps they have ?

Its up to the school whether there are lots of assessment, ours asked parents and then decided no before Easter but would imagine there will be after Easter.

Thanks Silkies .

So, I think my 2 are both going back on the 15th (in Wales). But I’m not sure.

Hello all, fell off the thread for a while, will try to catch up!

DD is back on Wednesday 10th, first LFT the day before then two more the week after. I've volunteered to help in school with the testing so I have a pack of them to "do" on myself as well.

DD is in two minds about going back in - on the one hand she really wants lessons again and to catch up with her - admittedly very small - set of friends in person. But on the other she's not looking forward to the whole noisiness of everyone in, and has admitted to being anxious about answering questions in certain lessons as the so-called popular kids make her very uncomfortable. This is a girl who can quite happily walk into a room full of new adults at my volunteering group and chat comfortably, and also started training with a new football team last winter on her own with no qualms so not really sure how to try and help her. I've settled for encouraging murmurs for now, and will see how next week goes.