Current Year 10 2020/2021 support thread

[Alsoplayspiccolo]

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. 🙂

Amazing! Great news.

Thanks both, DD thinks it may just be online this year which is a shame as she would have loved the week away part, but should still be good.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Hey all, this thread doesn’t stay in my ‘threads I’m on’.

Things okay here, DD has exams right after half term, had the timetable this week. She seems to be doing what she needs to, but the results will show us if there any gaps, I guess.

I’m so sorry to hear about your DD, @Rollergirl11. Several of the girls in DD’s year have been having struggles with anxiety/EDs and other MH issues. It’s very scary.

Well done Silkie’s Dd! I have a dd who is good at maths although she’s in year 7.
Ds has had his exam timetable for his exams - they start on 24th (maths first) and run for that week before half term. He’s been revising pretty well I think. About 1 - 1 1/2 hours a night and about 2 hours a day at the weekend. Does that sound about right? No clue what anyone else’s children are doing! He’s doing a mix of Seneca, Quizlet and then testing via practice questions.

Wow @QueenMabby that sounds like loads of revision, wish I could get DS to do a fraction of that amount! His exams don't start until mid June so I don't think they are even on his radar - especially as he's not in school at the moment. Doing the bare minimum is his usual choice, sigh. I looked at one of the pieces of work he had handed in after a home lesson this week and he had only written one short sentence for each question! I told him it wasn't good enough and he had to do it again and just 10 more minutes work made it so much better - it's very frustrating.

I hear you IthinkImadeitworse! My ds is still like this in some subjects (Geography for one!) although he’s improved loads in English over the last couple of years. His writing is so scrappy though - I’m more worried that no-one’s going to be able to read it! I’ve been massively encouraging him to do practice questions on paper as he’s great on the computer but obviously they have to write their exams and the difference in quality for him is really noticeable!
I’ve been impressed by his doggedness this time around though and am really hoping it pays off for him.

DD had exams straight after Easter - she has been working very hard but also productively and managed I think not to do too much. Has had some results back and has been doing very well.

She’s been considering A Level choices again - quite a contrast to year 12 DS who didn’t start thinking until some point in year 11. Her current thoughts are History, Politics and Spanish.

I think those are exactly what DS will end up picking.

Thanks QueenMabby, that's an impressive amount of revision there. Mine are both of the do nothing school of revision and generally leave them to it unless there's a drop in results. DDs aren't until after half term. That's great your DD is really good at maths.

Not sure what A levels will be here maybe Maths, FM, History and Politics. Dd has had a busy weekend, orthodontist, down to London and back to meet friends and now out with a friend here. She decided she is doing DoE again and booked into expedition with 6 boys. Its not a very exciting expedition just walking and cooking a meal. Went to safari park with DS, he enjoyed it but is such a mouse atm, he got almost mute with lockdown, got 3 words out of him whole trip though lots of signals and a wave to a man and his little girl neither of which he knew. They seem years apart in age but only a year. 2 weeks to half term. Booked a trip to canoe with otters then though hope its not torrential rain.

Hope your DD is improving and back home now Rollergirl11.

@Rollergirl11 hope you and your DD doing ok.

No exams till end of June for DS. Managed to discuss potential A levels whilst on a car journey (no escape!) and it’s looking like Computer Science definitely but then a muddle between Chemistry, physics, business studies, geography and Maths. In DS sixth form they all start with 4. Plenty of time to decide though as the sixth form application deadline is January.

DS2 has today announced that he would like to learn my second language to take an extra GCSE. This is slightly unexpected but as he is year 8 and has a while he has requested one day a week of ‘work’ and that I use the language to talk to him!

Well we've had a bit of an exciting stressful couple of weeks and DD has now started half-term a week early due to isolation, we were doing so well!!!
A&E with a sprained knuckle from football last week, again this week with a fractured ankle and sent home from school yesterday as a close contact of a positive case . There are 2 unrelated cases in DD's year which has taken out over 100 students as a close contact, and the school where a lot of her football friends go have an outbreak in years 8 & 9 as well.
We do have online lessons until next week but they're all revision for exams after half-term so it's going to be a bit of a long, boring few days for her. Selfishly I'm pleased that her last day of isolation is Friday next week so we can still go away and DD's half-term plans can go ahead but she would far rather be in school
More revisions to A Level choices here, eldest DSD and his girlfriend have been staying with us and they have inspired a switch to Maths from Geography!
@Rollergirl11 hope you and DD are ok and everyone has a good weekend in the wet!!!

Hey lovely ladies, thank you for all your well wishes! DD has been home for 2 weeks after a 5 day spell in hospital. I can hand on heart say that I have never experienced anything like this in my life before. I never realised quite how much of a mental illness Anorexia is before going through this with DD. She is utterly in its grip at the moment and we are all left wondering where our beautiful clever girl has gone.

It’s been 3 weeks now and she still hasn’t managed to gain any weight. I suppose at least she has not lost anymore. She cannot make a return to school until they can see an upwards trajectory of weight gain because she can ill afford the physical exertion that a normal day at school brings. DD is continuing her school work from home via Teams and she doesn’t feel like she is slipping too far behind but obviously it’s not a substitute for being in school with her peers.

We have another weigh-in on Monday so fingers crossed we will start to see an increase.

It’s DS’s 13th birthday today. We are going to a restaurant tonight to celebrate which is customary. DD is coming in order to celebrate with DS but she won’t be eating anything. She can’t bear the thought of eating with other people around her watching so she will eat her meal before.

Hoo everyone is doing well and has managed to get through another half term of undisrupted schooling! Fingers crossed we can get DD back to school soon! 🤞🙏

Much love, enjoy your half terms if I don’t make back to this thread for a bit. ❤️

Oh no @TheOnlyMrsW - hope your DD copes with the isolation ok and stays well, it's good you should still be able to do your half term plans. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I sent DS back to school this morning. He has had no symptoms and tested negative throughout. The school did pretty well with online lessons but it is much better for him to be back in person.

Good to hear from you @Rollergirl11 sounds like a really tough time. hugs to you all, hope things start to improve soon.

A level choices here are fairly clear, Maths, Further Maths, Physics and a fourth subject to be decided - Chemistry is the obvious choice but he may decide he wants to do something else. I think local sixth forms start open evenings in the summer, at least one has a date in early July. The system here seems very different to where I grew up when I just stayed at my school for A levels.

We have a meeting with the SENCO next week to discuss things so fingers crossed that will be helpful. Nothing much planned for half term week yet but really hoping the weather will improve! What has everybody else got planned?

Glad your DD is back home now Rollergirl and I'm sure your beautiful, clever girl is still very much there, she just needs support to get back on her feet again. Happy 13th to your DS and hope you all have a nice meal out.

It Hope senco meeting goes well. A week to half term here. Just got canoeing on river with otters booked.

TheOnlyMrsW Sorry to hear about isolation and hospital trips.

StColumbofNavron That's great your DS is doing another language.

Paddington That's good they can start with 4 and drop one.

Hope everyone has good half terms. DS is just off for another haircut, he has to go to the ladies hairdresser 25 mins away and he's very fussy but will be great to have it done as he still looks like a sheep.

Got DD's invite to the UKMT summer school, her maths teacher sounded so proud, he wrote another incredible achievement for DD but no-one outside the maths department notices any achievements in maths.

Saw they've announced considering changing school year to 5 terms and changing some practical GCSEs next year. DD isn't affected though the 5 terms with only a 4 week break could be a nightmare for holidays if it says UK only and close contact isolations. I just want to know dates as well. In theory we have some AirAsia credits to use on Borneo flights for 2022 but can't see that happening especially as AirAsia have frozen the credits.

@Rollergirl11 keep on rolling. Your DD has your support, it’s baby steps isn’t it. Good for her for coming along for her brother’s birthday - that demonstrates some strength right there that she will even consider it.

I had my vaccine yesterday and after football with DS3 this morning, dealing with some stuff for my parents all afternoon I now feel decidedly rubbish - runny/blocked nose, little cough and generally meh.

DS seems to be ploughing on as usual with no real drama. We haven’t heard anything about work experience or similar so just assuming it isn’t happening.

Rollergirl I’m glad your dd is home. It may be a long slog to get her “back” but remember that it’s not her that’s doing this it’s the ED. Your girl is still in there she’s just lost atm and taken over by this illness. It’s like a parasitic plant trying to take over a glorious tree - but it can be torn down. As others have said - baby steps.
Silkie - how exciting for your DD - sounds brilliant. My dd would love to do that when she’s older!

Exam week starts here for DS today. First exam is maths which is one of his stronger subjects so that’s good. He’s being investigated by school for slow processing though. His English teacher says his times written work just doesn’t seem to relate (in quality) to his class and oral work so I think they’ll assess him after half term. It does make sense. He finds writing hard and even though he’s really good at maths he tanked in the fast paced top set at school but does brilliantly from set 2. We’ll have to wait and see what they say. If it is anything it’s not severe - he’s managed fine until now!

@IThinkIMadeItWorse she's climbing the walls already and soooooo grumpy!!!!! School have asked all close contacts isolating to have a PCR test at Public Health Lancs' request but said that even if negative they won't be able to go back to school. By contrast another local school are letting their contacts in if they have a negative PCR, it's very confusing.
Silkiecats we are hoping that DSis and family are going to come for half-term, she hasn't seen our mum and dad since Christmas 2019 . We sneaked down to see them just before local restrictions kicked in last summer but nothing since then, she has a new baby to squeeze .
@QueenMabby good luck to DS this week, we have exams after half-term!!!!

I'd lost this thread but popping back to ask- how much revision did your year 10s do for their mocks?
DS isn't keen on revising, and school have done little more (it seems) than say 'you should revise'

Well done to everyone for making it to half term! Hope you all have a chance to enjoy the break from the usual routine and the nicer weather.

In terms of revision our Yr10 exams start on the 14th June and I am trying to get DS to do a little and often approach. I know school have suggested things like making a revision timetable but some subjects have been more helpful than others by giving lists of topics covered etc and from other subjects - almost no information! It is quite tricky to get DS motivated especially in his weaker subjects (and he can't just be left to get on with it as he is so easily distracted) but hopefully we will be able to muddle through together. I have bought him lots of study guides and science flash cards etc so now it's just getting him to actually use them.

He does have a mentor one to one session each week and she has been discussing revision with him and she sent an email with some useful links in but quite a few of them were for maths which is not a subject he has any difficulty with! Our chat with the SENCO was quite helpful I think, hopefully we will have a clearer picture of his future options when we have the assessment results and the school will finally see he is going to fail French and let him drop it (he has actually not done any work in French for a year so as far as we are concerned has already dropped it!)

Hope everyone has a good half term, at least it looks like good weather.

DDs exams are after half term for 2 weeks and then DS's y9 ones after that. Y11s have just left. DH and DD have been our for a long walk together and DD has done a run this morning and is now out with friends. Not sure how much revising is going on, if any, but she up to now has been getting excellent grades so leaving her to it. DS is more of a concern as he won't write anything in any subject, not heard more re EHCP but hopefully will get that before too long. He is starting to speak a bit more and done about three times leaving house as well as school in past month so that is improving.

Not that much planned for half term, just a boat trip and a canoeing trip. Think DD will go down to London again. She got in trouble for black nail varnish and being late still, argh.

Hope everyone is getting on ok with tired half-term teens. I am just looking at various lists of stuff ds needs to know for end of year exams (in three weeks) and there is so much! especially Sciences. Does Science (doing 3 separate ones) generally take up way more revision time than anything else? Ds is unlikely to do well in any of them despite working hard, seems he has to learn every topic all over again especially after lockdown, and I'd so much rather he polished up the few subjects he seems to be OK at. His school has high expectations which is great except when you can't meet them :(

Yes the science is the bit that is worrying me. There's so much to learn...

DS is doing three separate sciences. As they started the syllabus in yr9 there is a lot. However science is DS’s favourite so I think he did more revision of these subjects for that reason too!
I found www.physicsandmathstutor.com invaluable for science revision (no gcse maths oddly) with resources by exam board and topic and more importantly question papers and mark schemes by topic too.
Www.mathsmadeeasy.co.uk (or .com - can’t remember!) was good for maths revision by topic. Ds used both.

DS out with friends at the beach. No sign of revision starting yet but think he needs a bit of a break first and exams not starting till towards the end of June. DS also doing 3 sciences and have got him the CGP revision flashcards with questions one side and answers the other and also some workbooks with questions. He’s best at chemistry and physics so probably needs more effort on biology.