GCSE Summer 2020 Thread 10: Carry on Corona Cohort ‘The Next Step''

[OrangeCinnamon1]

Welcome all to the 10th Thread for this year's GCSE cohort - the Corona Cohort!

This is a thread for supporting all young people ( and their parents) who were examined for GCSEs 2020 regardless of the institute they attended or the grades they needed. It is respectfully requested that we are all supportive and helpful to each other.
If you want to start a debate e.g state vs private - please do not within this thread.
Similarly it should be recognised that the grades our children needed/deserved/wanted will vary across the board- we wish to celebrate and comiserate with all. One same grade outcome can simultaneously cause joy and despair for different posters and their families. Please be sensitive when responding to threads about grade outcomes.

Some of us have been here since I started first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. It is hoped this will continue. Going forward we intend to stay on the Secondary Education Board (at least until Mumsnet HQ chuck us out grin ) as from now on our DS/DD may go down various paths such employment, apprenticeships, higher ed etc so we decided not to be exclusionary.

Any new threads should have 'GCSE Summer 2020 Thread # : Carry on Corona Cohort' in title just to make it easier to find. There is no preciousness about who starts new threads!

At this precise moment in time it us 'results day ' most have GCSE results and some awaiting BTEC results .

We are all ALWAYS trying to protect our young people's mental health, which the government claims is their priority...when they talk about wanting students back in schools/college in September popping this here.

previous thread

DS seems to be enrolled at 3 different establishments (this is not because of desirability or genius :all open access around here)

We may naughtily cling on to all three, in case Spanish goes tits up at his current school.

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/25/boris-johnson-drops-advice-against-face-mask-use-in-english-schools

DS enrolled at college today, seemed to all go well. They had a pretty good careers advisor on hand to answer DS's questions. Onwards to the 7th!

DS doesn’t go back until 9th September and as he’s staying at the same school there’s no enrolling. Still feels quite a long way away

No enrolling here either as DD staying on at same school. She goes back on Thursday 3rd then Yrs 10,11,12 & 13 are working from home on Friday 4th when Yrs 7, 8 & 9 start - then whole school back in together on Monday 7th.

Has anybody seen a timetable for Y12 yet? Over on the university 2020 thread people are saying there will only be 2 hours/subject/week teaching.

We have been told to expect an email from school today containing details of timetable, covid measures etc. Awaiting that with interest..
Have DS going into Y12 but also DD going into Y10, who would ordinarily start taking GCSEs this year at their school.

No enrolling here either, but have been doing some online clothes shopping, so thanks all for your recommendations! Gap & H&M all done, but ds felt sports stuff for school wasn't really correct procedure ;-)

It's nice to see everyone looking toward to their next courses after the turmoil of the last few weeks.

I'm taking my daughter clothes shopping at the weekend, she wants a whole new restyle for college. College have also asked that they all take a laptop. So between that, her bus pass, the textbooks and other items (calculator etc) we've been asked to buy and now the new wardrobe, the credit card is really being maxed out this month. Only consolation is that there are no expensive trips this year!

DD has her timetable. Looks to be as normal for IB. Slightly later starts than normal - 9am rather than 8.35am. Suits her much better as she is definitely not a morning person.

Ordered her some shirts from Hawes & Curtis last night. Just need to shorten her suit trousers and get a new laptop charger and we're done and ready for next Wednesday. She has to have her laptop with her whenever she's at school.

DS has got his timetable and instructions for the first day but we haven't had the full Covid procedures yet (he's off till the 8th). He already has a laptop but we need to sort out pens etc. I also have a DD going into y10 and supposed to be taking one GCSE next summer. She needs some new PE kit so that's on today's to do list.

Just threw all DS's old clothes out in preparation for clothes shopping and Wilko supplies today.

Luckily DS will wear any old thing so at least we won't spend ages trawling designer labels.

Well registration at college this morning was fun - not!

Ds originally wanted to do a T level. We didn't think he'd get the grade in English. He did.
Last week ds wouldn't engage with me about wanting to do it or not. Determined he was sticking to BTEC.

Now they wanted students to go in alone due to Covid. Fair enough.

Out he comes stating he's doing T level.

Now this wouldn't be an issue. Except ds bas an ehcp. He's autistic and has HSP (physical). A big part of the course is work placement. Ds won't and can't travel alone and refuses point blank to get on a bus.

So I have to go back in and ask if they can support him.

Can't knock college who have been brilliant and are willing to find a way for him and during his AR in November (placements won't start til Jan luckily) we can update ehcp which will include the support he needs to travel and access placements.

I was furious with ds though. Said if he'd at least been willing to discuss this I could have emailed senco last week and known all these things instead of him putting me in the position - again - of looking like the deranged over protective parent and having to get over involved.

I told him next time he refuses to at least try and engage in conversation and try and work out what he's agreed to (tbf to him this is his big difficulty) I may just say "crack on" and let him solve it himself.

Bloody kids 🤣

Oh and he'll need stationary and hard drive and eventually work experience clothes.

Need to sort college clothes here too, no fuss about labels here fortunately but will only wear grey or red!

DS won’t get timetable till next week when he has his y12 induction, but @Monkey2001as I understand it his sixth form are planning a normal timetable as much as possible. Staggering registration and lesson start times for y12 and y13 to minimise corridor congestion, and no queuing up outside classrooms for lessons, but they will still be providing cafe, social facilities etc. I’m relieved as I’ve read a few comments on threads about some students getting very limited face to face teaching time. Will wait and see how it pans out in practice though!

Is anyone else’s DC planning to do EPQ in addition to A levels / BTECs? DS interested, though apparently at his place they don’t sign up for that before November.

Thinking of you @User120673 and hoping you get some good news soon.

No timetable, no nothing here.
All I know is that both my ds's are starting on Thursday. I know nothing else.

I think Proggy’s DD is doing EPQ.
Have seen a draft timetable, it’s pretty full.

No timetable here and first day is Tuesday - not sure of where to go or what to do on first day either. Thankfully we have all of dds stuff for going back in year 8 though down to where she is having break and other micro details.

She is indeed, Fools !
No timetable for us, as yet, but I think DD will receive it on her induction day (7th September)
New school, at this moment, is very much ‘business as usual’, full uniform and face coverings optional.
There will be a staggered start and end, though.
Current advice to date is that the school will operate on an ‘all in’, or in the event of another lockdown , an all out’ and online approach to lessons.

No timetable here yet either.

He has to be in 7th at 9am and has a list of stuff to take.

They will get timetable then.

Ds is also easy with clothes. Shorts and joggers and t shirts and hoody. No labels. Prefers next as he gets slim fit.

He has enough stuff but he's been told he can order what he wants or needs.

He will need some stuff for work placements. He'll wear black school trousers and shirts (won't tuck a shirt in or do up top button!)
So once we have official dress code we'll have a look nearer the time.

Will also have to source proper shoes for him but I expect he'll be happy for a new pair the same as the school shoes we wore!

We have a timetable now, EPQ not showing on it though even though its on his friends timetable.

No timetable here - I don't expect it until the day before tbh - as that's when it's always shown up on Firefly in the past.

DD now fully sorted with new 6th form clothes. The dress code at her 6th form has got more casual recently (although no blue or ripped jeans or trainers) but DD insists she will wear "work style clothes" although her skirts are far too short to wear in any office I've ever worked! She will wear tights though... We managed to get quite a lot of Miss Selfridge stuff in the Debenhams online sale as well as some great blazers from ebay (1 new & 1 almost new).

Shoes were the hardest part - she has worn kickers for years but felt they were too young now, but couldnt' find anything to replace them. Finally opted for some patent loafers which I'm sure she has gone for because the school doesn't allow patent shoes lower down so she has never had any :-)

Re EPQ - That won't be timetabled as it starts in June in Yr12, then they decide over the summer, with more 1 to 1s with a mentor start of Yr13 with final hand in at Christmas.

Bit worried re Core Maths as I was adamant she needed to do it - even said she needed to pick a different school if they didn't (she had got places at boys Grammar school too) but her school said they would be running it - except DD said none ofher friends are doing it, she doesn't know anyone that is , and I can't find it advertised anywhere. So how will parents even know it exists... I'm sure it's the kind of thing that the kids would keep quiet about :-)

DD s school has just sent loads of info re 6th form - in fact 4 massive documents including studying etc. They mentioned that actual lesson time will be approx 10 - 20 hours per week, with Independant study needing to be another 20-30 hours on top. There are a lot of free study periods (or they can go home).

They also mention a 6th Form Programme which seems to include Academic Enrichment, Leadership, Extra-curricular opportunities and work experience.

I have a feeling DD is going to be very busy as she also likes to socialise and play sports..

Hope all goes well for everyone else, and that you get places sorted for your DC. I'm aware that we have been incredibly lucky keeping DD at the same school since she was 3, although with hindsight should have moved her for Yr7. oh well she has opted to stay on so it can't be that bad :-)

Seen this?

schoolsweek.co.uk/boris-johnson-claims-exams-fiasco-has-been-sorted-out/

I'm sure those still waiting for sixth form or university places will be so delighted to hear that Piggy
What an absolute tool that man is.

I am so glad he isn't visiting my school. I wouldn't be able to control myself. Everything is a chuckle to him.