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. 🙂

[Alsoplayspiccolo]

As well as DS being musical, I also teach instrumental lessons.
His piano teacher is going back to live lessons, but his cello teacher is staying online until next year.
I’m a woodwind teacher, so I’m still waiting for the food ahead to teach in person again - very much hoping to start again at the beginning of term, as I’ve missed seeing my pupils in the flesh, and Zoom lessons are good but exhausting!

[stoneysongs]

Hello all, another one here with GCSE results tomorrow but also have DD starting year 10 in a couple of weeks.

She is doing compulsory English x 2, Maths, science x 3, RE and Welsh plus options history, drama, French and economics. She started the courses in Y9 and they would usually start taking exams in Y10 but not sure that will happen with all the teaching they've missed. Usually they would finish English lit and do half of history, RE and sciences in the summer of Y10 and then do maths in Nov of Y11. Who knows what will happen this year though 🤷‍♀️

She coped pretty well with lockdown apart from one almighty meltdown but she did recover from that. Her brother is reasonably bright and quite sure of himself academically. She is actually brighter than him but doubts her abilities so the main job for this year is to try and increase her confidence and resilience.

This is year 2 out of 6 consecutive years of exam results for us - exhausting!

[0DimSumMum0]

Thank you @Alsoplayspiccolo!! I am getting nervous here now although DS is so laid back he's positively horizontal! Not sure if he still will be tomorrow morning Feel quite sorry for my year 10 as having experienced the cancelled exams and then the fiasco of the grading I've been drilling into him how important any work he does from now on in is going to be,

[OublietteBravo]

I’m another one feeling nervous about GCSE “results” tomorrow. Although DD seems entirely unperturbed.

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Hi joining in (and thank you for setting up the thread, OP). DD doing the EBAC route (options are drama, PE and geography). She's quite bright but not motivated. She aknowledges that she does need to start studying hard this year but I've yet to be convinced.

It is going to be a rude awakening for them all. DD has had no active teaching since mid March - they were just given loads of homework to do with little input from the teachers.

She's looking forward to going back to school though. She tried on her school uniform again yesterday, just to check that it still fits (shoes too).

[TheOnlyMrsW]

Sending good thoughts and luck to those who have GCSE results tomorrow

[Rollergirl11]

Hi everybody! 👋 DD starting in Year 10 in September. She is taking the usual 2 English, Maths, Triple Science, RE (compulsory as faith school) then she’s chosen History, Geography and Spanish. So she’s gone for triple humanities and no creative subjects. But DD is bright, super organised and a good essay writer so her teachers think she’ll be fine with the heavy content.

School were good throughout home-schooling with full timetable and work set on SMHW, Mathswatch, Activelearn and live lessons done via Teams.

School are having year group bubbles with dedicated indoor and outside spaces for breaks and lunch per year. They are staggering the start day and also day start and end times based on year groups. DD is chuffed that she gets to start a little later at 9.10 and finishes at 3.30, whereas DS (going in to Year 8) will start at 8.50 and finish at 3.10.

Good luck and fingers crossed for all the GCSE results tomorrow!! 🤞👏🎉🍾

[Land0r]

Thank you for starting this thread. DD1 is going into yr10 (and DD2 starting yr7) at grammar school.

DD1 had only been back at school part-time for 3 weeks before lockdown after being out since October due to mental health issues presenting as school refusal. So she essentially missed the whole of yr9. She is bright but not very motivated. At this point I have no idea whether or not she will actually go back to school in 2 weeks, so that's my main focus rather than her GCSEs.

[Hello1290]

I would love to join. DD doing English x2, double science, Maths, RE, History, Food, Health and social care. She has ADHD\ASD and probable dyslexia. She finds it hard to retain information but has a fantastic work ethic. She was a total star during lockdown. Totally committed to doing the work set. It usually took her twice as long to complete but she did it without complaining. I will be over the moon if she gets grade 4's. Best of luck to all our DC's over the next couple of years.

[whirlwindwallaby]

DS is doing history, DT, triple science, computer science, maths, English x2 and one year RE (compulsory). They started GCSE content in term 6.

[HelloDulling]

Hello
DD going into Year 10, choices are: Product Design, Art, Geography, Welsh, plus ICT at the end of Year 10.

She’s my eldest, I also have a DS going into Year 7.

[Lightsabre]

Email from school today just reminding us of Teams assembly and tutorial on 3rd Sept. We'll be away so hoping the wi-fi works properly! It feels strange to think schools starting again soon.

[MrsAvocet]

Hi, thanks for starting the thread, I'd like to join please. I have a DS who is going into year 10 who I have to admit I have kind of ignored a bit because I am beside myself with worry about his big brother who is going into year 13. Younger DS is a very able all rounder and hard working yet laid back, so he has been off my radar a bit in recent times. I'm pretty confident he will bounce back from the Covid effects fairly well. One thing I am worried about is his PE GCSE. Neither of his main sports have restarted competitively as yet in our area, and there's no imminent signs of them doing so, so I am a bit concerned as to how that's going to impact on his portfolio. I haven't been in touch with school yet as they obviously have much bigger fish to fry at the moment but just wondered if anyone here had heard whether any kind of allowances are going to be made? Obviously I am hoping that things will be back to normal before the course is over, but there's no guarantee that there's going to be 2 full years of competition to record. Certainly this winter is not looking too hopeful.

[Canklesforankles]

👋
DS taking usual plus art, drama and DT.
Almost chose optional RE but has decided to go for masses of coursework.
No MFL due to dyslexia.

[HelloDulling]

@Canklesforankles

👋
DS taking usual plus art, drama and DT.
Almost chose optional RE but has decided to go for masses of coursework.
No MFL due to dyslexia.

I’m so glad there is another child doing Art and DT! We keep getting a concerned look when DD tells people her choices. It is going to be a lot of work, but fewer exams at the end, which I see as a good thing! And if art and design is their passion, it’s madness to do another humanity or language instead. She’d be doing drama too if it fitted in the timetable.

[Alsoplayspiccolo]

LandOr, that sounds really hard.
How is your DD doing at the moment? Is she feeling positive about a return to school?
Even without pre-existing MH issues, I think going back to school may be a struggle for many pupils, so I hope your DD has lots of support.
Is there any kind of phased return planned for her?

[Canklesforankles]

Hellodulling I’m showing my age calling product design DT. Glad your DD has gone for what she wants. If DS could have, he would have done music as well!

Landor I have 2 older DD that struggled with school refusal. One is now at uni and the other is working. Both much happier and so am I. It’s really hard

[TheOnlyMrsW]

@MrsAvocet DD was looking at PE before choosing her options, and we were concerned about evidencing her sports as two of the three are based outside of school (football and swimming). We were told that as well as the evidence we collected for her videos etc they would also evidence all of the disciplines in school, then at the end would work with her to submit the strongest portfolio. So it might be that one of her outside school sports wouldn't be submitted.
In the end she actually chose Food and Nutrition over PE but maybe your school have the same approach anyway? DD isn't a "natural" sportswoman, just happens to be a good swimmer and decent footballer, but if your DS is a natural at lots of disciplines he shouldn't be disadvantaged by disruption to his main sports?

[Land0r]

Alsoplayspiccolo Thank you. She has always loved school and had 100% attendance every single year since she was at nursery, so this came as a bolt out of the blue. We have never got to the bottom of it properly and school hasn't been particularly helpful.

We don't know what her mental health issues are and she is unable to articulate them. Lockdown began just as we were starting to get onto waiting lists for referrals.

She has been fine at home, and completely her old self on our recent UK holiday. She is messaging her friends again (she withdrew from them for a long time) and talking about going back to school. She's happy that DD2 is going to the same school and they will travel to and from school together.

But that's all now, when it comes to the crunch of actually having to go back, I don't know how things will look.

Canklesforankles Thank you for sharing that. I'm glad your DDs are doing well now.

[whirlwindwallaby]

I’m showing my age calling product design DT Our school calls it DT, then Design Engineering or Product Design. DS is doing Design Engineering.

[Rollergirl11]

I think it’s going to be very strange for them going back. DD is looking forward to getting back to proper lessons but I think she’s nervous to see all the people that she hasn’t seen for 5 months!

DS who will be going in to Year 8 is most definitely not looking forward to going back. He was diagnosed with ADHD in February and we didn’t get a chance to have our meeting with the school to discuss the plan for him going forward. With home-schooling it became evident just how much he struggles with his concentration. So he was living his best life doing all his school work at home with one on one attention from me. I think he’s really quite anxious to be back in the classroom with scary secondary school teachers!

@Land0r how did DD take to the 3 weeks she had back at school prior to lockdown? Perhaps having all this time at home is a good thing and now she feels positive and optimistic about going back? Also in some ways it might be less pressure for her now that everybody has been off school and so all in the same boat?

[Rollergirl11]

I’m also really pleased to see lots of people taking both Geography and History. DD was having lots of people telling her she was mad for doing both and that she should take an easier option. Thing is that DD is very academic and is good at writing essays so for her that IS the easier option.

[Land0r]

@Land0r how did DD take to the 3 weeks she had back at school prior to lockdown? Perhaps having all this time at home is a good thing and now she feels positive and optimistic about going back? Also in some ways it might be less pressure for her now that everybody has been off school and so all in the same boat?

Rollergirl11 I'm really hoping that will be the case. She struggled with the 3 weeks back and I don't think she managed more than one full day. But she did at least go in every single day for those 3 weeks.

[Nodancingshoes]

My ds is going in to Y10. He is taking Art, History and BTEC Engineering along with the English lit/lang, Maths and combined Science. He started these in Y9. Home learning was not good - 3 weeks with no English or Maths set for example...but he did well in his History and Engineering work. Very worried about the effect of him missing almost 5 months of school.

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

DD thinks they're doomed for missing six months of school. It's going to be interesting to see how they cope with subjects such as maths and MFL where a pause (which for most it effectively has been as they were not being actively taught) is going to markedly impact. How do you suppose the schools are going to address playing catch-up?