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 school have said they have to wear masks in communal areas - I thought that was only required in local lockdown areas?
I am really upset because he is starting a new sixth form and it will be horrible to only see a sea of eyes with masks and he won't have a chance to make any friends.
We live in an area with very low case numbers so it seems a bit unnecessary at this stage.

@Monkey2001 thank you, I didn’t consider a desktop to be honest.

We bought a laptop today, he’s just setting it up.
For those whose kids have their own laptops, do you still put restrictions on at this age? And if so, how do you do it when the account is in their email address?
I feel I want to put age related restrictions on but I don’t know if I’m being too protective?

@Jamdemic college has just said they can wear masks if they want but DS2 school emailed today and said they recommend wearing them in communal areas.

It is compulsory now at my DS school. Really wasn't expecting this as our area has the lowest infection rate in a region with an already low infection rate.
Wish they had communicated this a week ago, we would have chosen a different sixth form where starting without knowing anyone would not have been made so much harder and more stressful.

Mine has almost packed and is so excited.
She has been socialising with two new girls out of her household, who live in the same town as us.
Lot's of new rules, but she thinks it won't make much difference as they tended to hang around in small groups anyway.
The 6th formers are "Angels", whilst they used to accompany a younger one into the city, now they actually shop for the younger ones, as they can't go out so much now.
Just 2 A levels so she hopes to manage these ok.

shimy that is very confusing. The spoken English is a add on to the GCSE. In order to force schools to do it, Ofqual said a few years ago that they couldn't get the main GCSE without doing it. But it isn't a 'qualification' as such.

red perfectly 'normal' to get a god Spoken English when not that great at the writing bit (the opposite can also apply!).

@RedskyAtnight that discrepancy may indeed be an indicator of SpLDs. My y12 is dyspraxic and my y10 is dyslexic so they have these spikes of ability. What was his phonics like at primary school? How's spelling? Coordination and fine motor skills? Organisational skills?

That is a shame @Jamdemic
Our school is the same - it's at their discretion but they have decided masks are compulsory in communal areas. DS has been there since Y7 but I am going to remind him to look out for new people in your DS's situation. I guess it might take a bit longer but he will make friends and at least the masks might keep him in school for longer so that he can cement those new relationships.

I really hate these last minute changes in school policy. It is 2 days until the start of term and the head has suddenly done this. I really wish we had chosen a different sixth form. In the back of mind I suspect the school waited until it was too late to go somewhere else.
The daft thing is, at the Dundee school there were masses more teachers than pupils with positive tests - it is the staff spreading it not the pupils.

What is most upsetting is that the communication from the school makes not reassurances to the hundreds of new pupils joining that they will still be helped to settle in etc. Nothing at all. No thought to the new pupils at all.

DS’s college are saying masks in communal areas. They are all new as well but if it gives a fighting chance of less disruption then i’m Ok with it. I think they will adapt. Absolutely not what I would have wanted but we are where we are.

The change was after the Government guidance change yet again last week.

But the government guidance still says that these measures are for areas in local lockdown, which we are very far from being in my arse-end-of-nowhere.

I thought it was at Head’s discretion? I meant DS’s Head changed things after the latest guidance.

Contentious issue and I think one that quite a few of us will potentially have different views on.

My DD is one of about 40 girls joining about 120 boys who have been at the school for 5 years. Masks compulsory in communal areas, corridors, toilets etc. However, the whole L6 seems to be bubbling so won't be needed in class, form time, common room etc, so should be able to get to know others I hope. At the moment she knows 4 girls moving from her old school.

I just feel very despondent about the chances of school even staying open for more than a week or two.
All these preparations, buying expensive clothes, kitting the DC out, making them comply with new rules in a new environment, it is stress and expense that I worry will be for nothing. Is it us just not facing up to the fact that year groups will have to stay home a lot of the time, schools may close etc?
Sorry for being a downer, but I wish virus numbers were lower so our DC could have a chance at their sixth form education.

DS doesn’t know anyone at all. I am not very hopeful of them staying open without disruption but hoping they get a shot at it so can make friends before any disruption .
Last minute parcel arrivals just now, socks and table tennis balls!

We’ve had an email from the head about masks. Must be brought in a sealed plastic bag. Must not be “ostentatious” (whatever that means).

Our school has just moved to masks in communal areas policy too: it's late notice, but I can understand it. I hadn't thought about the challenges for those new to the school, but will flag that to ds and remind him to be friendly to anyone looking lost!

Masks in class, not just communal areas here. With hourly breaks. To be honest, whilst I think this is hard core, with policy set in advance and independent of Govt advice (school long dismissed Govt as experts on mask wearing), I am not entertaining DD’s initial moans and groans when announced, more a is what it is response. I respect the Head would have carried out his own risk assessment based on a number of factors, including his staff profile, done the research etc to reach this decision.

Tough times ahead, but they really need to get back into whatever the new norm is, and I hope integrating newcomers to all institutions has been thought through too for all your DC. A good reminder from Andwhen to look out for them.

Jamdemic, it's been announced masks in corridors, communal areas, for ages, in nearly every Surrey school I know.
And we are very low rate here. Don't be cross with your 6th form.

I never believed all the rumours of second spike. But now I really believe Many schools will close within weeks, and we'll be back to our dc being at home, and learning on their laptops, for months and months.

Zebra I totally get the lack of appreciation. I have that too. Jamdemic, Dh bought Ds1 the 4 x suits, second hand off eBay for £15 or so each, for originally very expensive suits, but only after having gone to a lot of trouble. Zero appreciation from Ds1.

@Jamdemic

We haven’t had any guidance from school as regards wearing masks but DD will be taking one as I assume from the DfE guidance that it will be needed. She would prefer to wear it in class as well as corridors etc as she is quite anxious about being unable to keep her distance from others in school.

I understand your worries about the social side but think that most DC will just cope and get on with it. They’re a resilient bunch, and I think most schools will be mindful of new starters and try to help them integrate.

@AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore - that is nice of you and your DS - I hope there are people like you at my DS's new school (unfortunately, it does have a bad reputation for not welcoming the new joiners in sixth form).
The letter was really crap - no mention of helping pupils with special needs or medical conditions. Just really poor communications.
And no mention of all the new pupils who will be trying to make friends in the common room/cafeteria while wearing a mask and seeing groups of existing friends sitting together also in masks.

By 'not welcoming' I mean the pupils. The teachers I have had contact with sound lovely and there are activities, but I suspect the activities are necessary simply because the existing pupils look down on the new joiners.
This letter about the masks was the first poor communications I have experienced from this new school and was a total shocker (bold caps about what is and isn't allowed etc - not very welcoming at all).

@Oblomov20 - yes, I could have bought suits cheaper, but Next is a compromise of sorts. DS would have liked something really swish like Hugo Boss, and would probably have been happy with eBay too, but I left it rather late due to waiting for exam results and needed to be able to return things that didn't fit and reorder with next day delivery as DS is a funny shape