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

Day 2 today and DD had her first Drama lesson to find that she was the only student! I guess she will be doing a lot of monologues.

Had a call from the SENCO today and they are adding DD to the SEND register (was previously in the additional needs register for learning difficulties) so things heading in the right direction since her ADHD diagnosis. Medication trial going ok and think it is making a positive improvement to her focus but early days yet.

In terms of hours of teaching DD gets 5 x 50min lessons per subject per week plus 2 supervised study sessions then the others unsupervised study sessions. No scheduled PE sessions but no clubs on either at the moment.

4 x 1hour 10min sessions per subject, 2 with each teacher.

6th form study room open 7am to 7pm.

Sport all Wednesday pm - she's signed up for Badminton and Spin, with Zumba as a reserve.

Hockey trials next week - though why on earth they're bothering to have trials when there are no fixtures this term, I cannot imagine...

Both my boys went back yesterday. All was fine for both.

It's me that's hacked off about 4 or 5 petty things, that they seem totally unbothered about.

Ds1 rushed out to work, but not before popping to WHSmith to buy more stuff.

I can't get hold of any consortium A4 books. Either sold out on amazon, or if you go to consortium £40 for a box of 50!

It's what Ds1 used all the way through school and he wants to use the same.

I can't ring the school office and ask for some, can I?

@Oblomov20 Would the A4 Pukka Pads do? That’s what both mine use.

It sounds like everyone has got off to a reasonable start?

Dd is still enjoying it and is the most enthusiastic I've seen her about school in years. Maths is her favourite lesson so far, not a massive surprise as Maths is her favourite subject but she says the class is smaller and everyone seems nice and the teacher is laid back so it feels less like 'school'. She hasn't met all of her teachers yet though. The Psychology teacher is her least favourite so far for being too teacher like and very prescriptive about what stationery they use!

She has 5 hours teaching per week for each subject. There doesn't seem to be any rules regarding what she does in her 'free' periods, she can leave the school if she wants. Although two of her frees are first lesson and the school have asked if they can all come in for morning registration for now due to covid?

Not quite sure why, or if dd has just misinterpreted this information. No timetabled sports, although Wednesday afternoon is free so I expect this is when there will be extra-curricular stuff although dd doesn't seem to have had any information about this yet, or about DofE. She also hasn't got an email yet, or found out which calculator the school like them to have. I've sent her with a to-do list today!

Does it have to be that brand @Oblomov20? WHSmith sell exercise books. I prefer spiral bound myself so I can tear out any pages I don't like/need.

I'm impressed you can do the Maths @OublietteBravo I did well in Maths at school but I highly doubt I'd be able to pick it up again now without some teaching.

Today was the first day the whole school was in and oh my goodness the traffic! There are no school buses so there will inevitably be an increase but hopefully a lot of it was just parents like me who are giving lifts for the first few days and then the kids will walk from next week.

Can I just say how much I love this thread! I'm single with no close family and my friends have much younger children so I really don't have anyone to talk to about this sort of stuff.

Finally, DS in for induction today but only for a couple of hours. He was up and straight in to his suit before breakfast! I tried to get some nice photos but only seemed to get model poses and no smiles - that'll have to do I suppose.

He still has Games timetabled so I assume it is compulsory, He'll go anyway as he loves sport.

Greenele, I too like very much this thread, for being able to chat about stupid stuff/1st world problems.

Kingscote, I too use pukka, a reporter pad, for the last 8 years of my job. Bought some poncey fancy ones recently, and quickly thought stuff this, I'm going back to my Pukka. Creature of habit I am !

So I rang the school. Told her I had a silly question. She said hold fire, they could give out some consortium books. But they do try to wean them into folders with dividers.

I know Ds1 won't like that. I also find folders fine for in the office, not for carrying around every day. They are too hard and sturdy, not soft enough to throw in a bag. I think This caters more for the girls, fancy folders etc. Oh well, he'll have to get used to it.

@Oblomov20 I got DS1 a lever arch file and a 25mm thick plastic folder for each subject. He used something like these www.amazon.co.uk/Plastic-Wallets-Document-Premium-Envelope/dp/B07CZXNZJP/ref=mp_s_a_1_13?dchild=1&keywords=plastic+file+boxes+A4&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1599215242&sr=8-13 for day to day and filed the contents in his lever arch file at the end of each section within the course. I even colour coded them for him, which he acknowledged was useful, as he could pick up the blue pocket/folder for physics etc.

DS also in for induction today. Previously school started at 8.30 and he used to leave the house at 8.10 (15 minute walk). He now has a 9.30 start so I was hoping he might be able to get out of bed a bit earlier to avoid the rushing. Left at 9.10am. (so much for my "fresh start, chance to reinvent yourself" conversations)

Thank you Monkey. We have similar. I might ask him if he wants another set of those.

I am so impressed at the support behind the stationery, I am totally clueless as to what DD needs/uses other than an intermittent request for black bic pens. I think I remain aloof for fear her organisation is like her bedroom. I also pick my battles...

I think organisation is key for A levels - there is so much work! My DS has just finished his. I was astounded when it came to his first set of exams after Christmas L6 at how much there was, and how poorly it was organised. I spent ages with him just trying to get things into order.

The school has two teachers for each A level so the kids are working on two topics at a time, so need to keep those notes separate for each subject. I drummed into him the need for dating all the sheets of paper - notes, handouts etc, and marking with the relevant teacher's initials just to help with filing. Ideally, everything needs to be filed each evening, but certainly spend some time each weekend just making sure everything is where it should be!

Dd also has her induction day today. We found out yesterday she has a 9.10 start every day which put paid to her and ds getting the train together. So I’m resigned to another two years of dropping him at the bus stop, then coming back for her.. oh well, I’ve had a nice break!

Seeline, that’s great advice, thanks!
DD has executive function issues and the move to folders was traumatic in year 10.
She had 2 teachers in at least one subject, so I’ll stress to her the importance of dating and initialling sheets - I spent hours of my life I’ll never get back, trying to sort GCSE folders...

@Alsoplayspiccolo I know what you mean! My DS did A level maths - trying to sort out random pages of 'notes' which mainly involved untitled random scrawled algebra, numbers and letters was a nightmare.

We are going to need a new thread soon !Nothing to report here not even a timetable yet

Dd has downloaded the Scribzee app. It works with the Oxford paper you can get in Tescos. Basically take a pic of your notes. You can file to.a cloud and annotate etc.

DS had a letter from school today telling him his tutor group (only initials so no idea which teacher) and reminded that he goes back on Wednesday. And also reiterated that the dress code is smart casual .

Nothing about face masks. Year 12 and year 13 will have staggered lunchtimes.

Nothing about timetables or what happens with free periods or whether they can leave school at lunchtime etc. Am presuming they will find out more next week...

DD rang home at 2.15. I obviously panicked (he never rings). But he just wanted to let me know that he had a Physics study period but nothing to do in it as they've not had Physics yet ,so they'd been told they could just go home. So he'd left school and was ringing very excited at the novelty of getting out early.

He then rang back at 2.25 to say he couldn't think of anything to do (he's waiting for his friends still in lessons) so he'd gone back to school to sit in the study area :)

DS on train home, will be good to see him again as haven’t since Tuesday. An adjustment period for us all.

@FoolsAssassin

DS on train home, will be good to see him again as haven’t since Tuesday. An adjustment period for us all.

Aww Fools

Thanks Orange. Would have been fine I think were it not for all the Covid stuff. The school aspect fine I think but the accommodation aspect been harder. Teething problems no doubt and hopefully next week will be much easier.

@FoolsAssassin - I dropped DS off in his boarding house, and don’t get him back until tomorrow (they have Saturday school). It’s a bit strange. I know he’ll be fine. He’s been a day boy at the same school since Y4 (he’s just starting Y10).

DD (Y12) seems to be coping with getting the train to sixth form college. We’ve had some complaints about the early starts. But she chose to go to this particular sixth form college (there is one sixth form college, one FE college and four schools with sixth forms within walking distance).

New Thread Here

Sorry v boring Thread Title !

carry on with the convos and move over when ready :-D