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. 🙂

Well done to your DD @TheOnlyMrsW those are excellent results, hope your parents evening goes really well. We have been told that they are "aiming to release results around the 16th July" which sounds irritatingly vague and noncommittal to me!

Congrats to @Silkiecats DD as well - brilliant grades, hope you're not waiting too long and all goes well with the school move.

Private schools are finishing at the end of this week which seems crazy early, we still have about 3 weeks to go, feels a bit like a slog but I guess we will keep plodding onward. Has anybody got anything nice planned for the summer? We have a break in Wales booked in mid August, it will probably rain but it will be nice to have a change of scene anyway!

Well done Silkie with putting your foot down with the council. I hope they pull their finger out now and get cracking for your dd.
Well done MrsW’s dd - great results!
DS still waiting for ICT grade but he has his score - 83%. Otherwise he was:
9 - Geography
8 - biology, chemistry and physics
7 - maths and history (in both he was only 1% below the grade boundary for an 8)
6 - Eng Lang and Spanish (1% below a 7 for Spanish
5 - Eng Lit. He was disappointed here but it was only an unseen poetry analysis and for his GCSE unseen poetry is only 20% of the whole thing so it’s not really representative. I’ve a friend who is an English teacher who is going to tutor him casually - just to give him some pointers on how to answer the questions to best effect.
This was the first year that he applied himself to some actual revision and in the main it has really resulted in better exam grades so I am hopeful for the next 12 months.
We break up at the end of next week - despite everything this academic year has gone so quickly. Who knows what next year will bring!

Those are fab results anyway, plus they still have a year to go. I’ve no idea when we expect results. Given he finishes exams on Monday I’m doubtful before the end of term tbh.

We got a place at new school today and DD and DH are meeting them tomorrow.

I'm not actually sure our results are in as they keep changing, its hard to tell on our system, results go on then off then on again but then they settle. DD is getting them through in class though and also in the GoForSchools some subjects are now putting y10 exams which makes it clearer. Ours just seem to go up to a 8 plus possible but they estimate 1 grade rise a year. I would imagine all these will get lost in transfer between schools, they are all between 7 and 8 plus so so, 2 7s and rest are 8s or 8 plus. Think we have Eng x2 and biology to go and she got far less than normal time in quite a few.

That's great news @Silkiecats Hope the meeting goes well.

My DS has been getting his exam results back today and has got mostly 7 but 8 in maths, physics and Latin which he's pleased with. Unfortunately he got a disastrous 5 in Computer Science, which he's not so happy with but hopefully he'll see where he went wrong.

Thank you to the posters who commented on Seneca Premium. I can't work out how to view the thread and reply at the same time so can't tag sorry. We did a trial with Tassomai and found it fairly basic so will think about subscribing to Seneca from September onwards. Probably just use the free version before then.

Excellent news @Silkiecats.

DS slightly peeved today that the science exam had a whole subject for physics that wasn’t on the very extensive revise list.

Well done to everybody with all the brilliant results @zighead and @QueenMabby and anybody else I have missed - what an amazing bunch of children we have! DS has his last exam tomorrow afternoon but really not sure how much preparation he has done - oh well, we shall see.

Hope all has gone well today @Silkiecats and the EHCP for your DS gets sorted quickly.

Went very well at new school though have all the admin to sort. DD only met two of the staff but they were really nice. They said they can do all her subjects though DD wasn't quite sure what that meant as DD does 11 and school only offer 9 of them and do 10. She should start early next week. They said going in top sets would be fine.

Glad things are going smoothly for DD Silkie - what a relief she can do (mostly?) what she’s been doing so far too. 🤞🏻 for next week!

We have to find out exactly what subjects they are offering but at least 9 of her current ones, 8 of which have been taught in very similar way. The other 2 they don't do but DD is already at a 9 in one and self taught in other, I presume they wouldn't offer those but DD said they said she could do all her options and they asked her if she wanted to do languages ones as well and she maybe doing economics as well. She said no to languages but she wants economics. So it maybe 9 or 10 there but at least 9 anyway which is fine. DD keeps wanting to add ones but not sure that is sensible. She really liked the year 11 head of year, DH said he was very good looking and she said he complimented her. We are awaiting final details but thats fine, results still coming in from old school. I am supposed to be having second vaccine today so I may be dead for 24 hours tomorrow. Hope everyone has a good weekend. And DS didn't get close contact. Dd is in old school today and we have lots of orders from her, new phone, new bag, new shoes, new uniform, travel pass.

Change of plan, needed dh to drive me to vaccine as its an hour away but he's overwhelmed by work, probably best to push back to school holidays anyway due to high rate of problems with my 2 monkeys atm.

Forget to answer summer plans - atm 2 weeks holiday in Devon / Isles of Scilly but if by some miracle you can also get to France without 200 tests and spending a long time in quarantine we may go to see DH's Mum, doubtful atm. DD has UKMT summer camp and catching up history gcse 1st year and economics 1st year and seeing friends in London. May hire a boat for day in Norfolk broads, other than that need to sort the house a bit more.

Just had confirmed 10 subjects for her lessons which is what she wanted, there's 2 subjects she takes now as well she could take privately but think would be too much. Starts Mon.

Well done to all those that have received results back! 👍

@TheOnlyMrsW oooh hope your DD enjoys herself on her DofE and expedition. Hope she has good weather for it. DD didn’t continue with hers with all things considered but the expedition was a few weekends ago and it rained the entire time. I think she was relieved she wasn’t on it!

Silkie wow props to you for getting new school sorted for your DD in such a short space of time. And one that has almost identical subjects to boot. Good luck for DD starting on Monday!

DD did all her exams last week. It was pretty stressful for her and she had loads of panic attacks at lunch in the car sat with me. She says she’s fucked them all up. But I’m so proud of her for actually sitting them. And in the hall alongside everyone else when they offered for her to take them in the learning centre. I’m not sure when we will get the results but I don’t care what they are. Although she will be really down on herself no doubt if they aren’t up to her usual standard.

She has also received an Academic achievement award which she will be presented with at an awards ceremony taking place one evening in the last week of term.

Can’t believe there’s only 3 weeks left till end of term. What a funny old year it’s been.

I’m looking forward to the holidays. We have zero planned right now, but my plan is to insist on one family day per week and let them take turns choosing what we do. Other than that I’ll probably study and take them to the football pitch. It’s also going to be the end of a ridiculous contract job that I shouldn’t have agreed to so looking forward to being back to 100% research along with the kids.

DS1 doesn’t finish exams until Monday. He said Spanish reading was tricky today but was happy with listening and said eng lit was good. Only business, pretty straightforward, and maths paper 2 on Monday.

Happy Saturday!

We finish school on Thurs and I cannot wait. DD okay, results all back and good, though her friendship groups seems to be a bit weird at the moment.

Year 7 DS has had some good and some terrible exam results back, came last in everything on sports day, and then yesterday was expected to do a 10k hike. He has hyper mobile joints so too much exercise is exhausting for him, and it was boiling here yesterday. He ended up being driven back to school by a teacher, which he was very embarrassed about. He just needs a break, poor lad.

@HelloDulling poor thing. Roll on the holidays.

We’ve received a letter to say that we will receive reports towards the end of term plus a 15 min appointment with their firm tutor. They used to do those appointments at the beginning of term but I’m glad we are going to get this time. dS1’s form tutor is brilliant and DS loves him. I assume we will get results then.

DS still doing exams, 10 done last week and 4 more over Monday and Tuesday. He seems to be getting on with it ok and can see the end is in sight. Results not till the end of term. Can’t believe year 11 is looming already.

Wow, that's a lot of exams @PaddingtonPaddington!

Ds exams all over now thank goodness. Two results in - Chemistry 9 and English Lang - 7. He did absolutely no revision for English which I was p'd off with him for but he left it too late. 'You can't revise creative writing and analysis mum'. I said he needed to practice 'show, not tell' writing and that is exactly what the feedback said! Grrr. It's a good result but I know he could have done better. He's not hopeful for German as the acoustics were terrible in the hall and therefore he couldn't hear the phrases/conversation. They all did complain and the teacher has said the results are 'disastrous' . We don't know how disastrous yet!

I wouldn't be so bothered at this stage if it wasn't for the possibility of teacher assessed grades next year. I'm worried they'll use Yr 10 grades.

We had rebooked our holiday to France for mid August but it's looking likely we'll have to cancel. Leaving it until the beginning of August to see how things go.

Good luck to your dd @Silkiecats. She's done so well considering the circumstances.

First day today, still seems very happy though said should I keep my old school's PE top just in case.

We didn't get biology result back but of her others she had 8x 8 or 8+ which is highest they give, and 2 x 7 (normally gets 8s in those but English was up so balanced out, one the teachers had designed test and mark scheme and whole class was down a lot) and one result missing. So really good.

Just been filling forms, getting uniform, back, new mobile and bus pass and new shoes, apparently everything needs to be new when you change schools though will save getting it in the summer.

Hoping the journey won't be too bad, she'll be happy and her grades won't be too affected. Everything I have read says they are normally badly affected but I looked and 8 of her subjects look taught identically pretty much and so there's 2 to catch up but one of those she has done all of the second year and one she has studied for fun and is my degree so she has been taken round places related to it from a young age. Think she will lose the stats and level 3 add maths unless we can do those privately but that's fine and they will be useful anyway as she wants to do Maths and FM at A level.

Thanks for the good wishes Lightsabre I am also concerned y10 results will be needed as DD's will be at old school, in theory that's possible though from what I've seen it looks very heavily y11 biased but I am no expert. Congrats on your DS's results. Hope you can get to France.

Hope rest of tests go well Paddington and StColumbo

Well done on your DD's results HelloDulling Hope your DS is OK now.

Rollergirl Your DD has done so well to get through all her exams, so sorry to hear about the panic attacks and you are being amazing in supporting her so much. Hope you can all get a good rest over the summer.

DS apparently didn't write a word in either of his y9 English exams argh and is supposed to be doing a speech. Really hoping he is not just going to refuse that as its needed for English GCSE. Not hopeful. Still awaiting news of EHCP. Though at least he is in school everyday and learning fine.

Gosh @PaddingtonPaddington what a lot of exams they are making yours do! Hope his last few go ok. Our school seemed to only make them do one per subject except for Maths and French so not quite such a heavy load.

Thinking of your DD today @Silkiecats hope everything goes really smoothly. Well done to her on her brilliant results. Well done to your DS as well @Lightsabre - hope you get to go to France.

The covid has hit school, more than a quarter of yr8 home and some in yr7 and yr10 (not mine thankfully.) If we can get to the end of term without having to isolate I think we will be doing well, numbers seem to be really climbing everywhere.

I nearly booked Kids Week tickets for us this week (half price in August for some west end shows) usually I would but in the end I didn't. We have quite limited dates we could do and I didn't really fancy going into London and the tube, crowds etc. I am trying to hold any plans I make quite lightly but I do have two theatre trips in August (to our local theatre) booked so looking forward to those :)

Dd is back and seems to have had a good day, said teachers were nice though 3 were annoyingly bubbly. I said maybe they should have been primary teachers and she said yes.

She said she found out they do stats and further maths as after school gcses so she said she got herself added to those, stats is a gcse and FM we aren't sure what that is, she was doing stats gcse and level 3 add maths at old school but fm maybe gcse or level 2 or level 3. So puts her up to 12. Said they only get 20 mins for lunch so she says she won't eat there as can't eat that fast but has gone off to get food now.

That all sounds positive @Silkiecats. And what great results from others. Ds just getting his in - one good one and two awful so far. 20 something percent in maths and science! They haven't given us grades, but he ought to be getting 6-7s. Did loads of revision too, tho he has years of doing the minimum to catch up on. I must say I'm feeling pretty bleak about next year, and sad for him too.

Sorry your DS found exams hard Aramox I think a lot of schools have had issues in the sciences due to lockdown and are switching to double. DDs old school had a lot of staff absence in science and couldn't get cover so they got behind. Though different subjects seem to have way different grade boundaries. It was quite low percentages in science for the grades at DDs old school so hopefully it won't be too bad though sometimes its worth considering switching to double rather than triple science.

I am worried for my DS - so far all I know of his year 9 exams is one he ripped up and threw the pieces around and 2 he wrote nothing in. Argh. He seems about 10 years younger than DD but is only 1 year younger.

Oh your poor ds @Silkiecats. Ds matured so much in y10 though - bad experiences in y9 helped get him there - I hope that's the case for yours too.

Sorry to hear that @aramox. There is still time and perhaps it’s about revising differently for him. We all take info in in different ways and it’s an uphill struggle if you haven’t kept up with it. I know we will have this issue with DS2 as well.

Last exam for DS1 was maths today and he seemed quite nervous. His school have sort of two top sets but one works at super fast pace and he worked hard to get into that set as he was number 6 in his form when they took top 5 but consequently he has to work super hard to keep up. He was already up revising when I got up this morning.