GCSE Summer 2020 - Thread 11 Carry on Corona Cohort - Starting New Terms and Settings

[OrangeCinnamon1]

Welcome all to the 11th Thread for this year's GCSE cohort - The Corona Cohort!

This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs regardless of the institute they attend 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 don't within this thread.

Similarly it should be recognised that the grades our children need/deserve/want will vary across the board. One same grade outcome can simultaneously cause Joy and Despair for different posters. Please be sensitive when responding to threads about grades.

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 any new threads should have 'GCSE Summer 2020 Thread # : Carry on Corona Cohort' in title just to make it easier to find. Not fussy about who starts those !

From now on our DS/DD may go down various paths such as employment, apprenticeships, higher ed, so we decided not to be exclusionary and stay right here in Secondary - at least until Mumsnet HQ chuck us out .

At this precise moment in time we have had GCSE results . It has been decided that the higher of Centre Assesd Grades and Calculated Grades will be awarded - the algorithim seems to have been applied a schol level to the detriment of some students. Lots of our young people have already started on the next stage of their journey with some still to start.

We are all STILL trying to protect our young people's mental health, which the government claimed was their priority...when they talk about wanting students back in schools/college in September...now we have their physical health to consider too as the mingling at various settings starts up again. Hopefully a positive experience this term!

First Thread

previous thread

DS impressing me so far and actually worked through all of his study periods. He's currently very grumpy because although his day doesn't officially start until 9.30 (staggered starts) he has 3 lessons a fortnight where his options couldn't be timetabled iso he has to go in at 8.30 - tomorrow being the first of these days. however on Friday he doesn't have to be until 11 (study period before then), so I guess it is swings and roundabouts!!

Checking in. Sorry to hear about your poor DD’s stresses with her courses @pasanda, let’s hope she is able to focus and enjoy them and prove she is able to cope.

@Alsoplayspiccolo sending get well vibes to DD. That is really rotten luck. Is there any medication that might help her or is it just a case of riding it out? Poor dd and poor you

Sounds like various DC are beginning to adapt to their new routines (until we’re all out back into lockdown that is ). Similar here. DS1 seems to be taking a fairly sensible approach and keeping on top of work so far. Likes all his teachers and I’m really pleased that he seems to be making an attempt to talk to people he doesn’t know (he’s on the autistic spectrum, so this very much does not come naturally). He is tired from all the walking to and from the station and just the exhaustion of managing starting somewhere new. But is helped massively by the fact that he doesn’t have to be in at the same time every day so only has a really early start twice a week. He too can sleep for England (despite a no devices in bedtimes rule) but has adapted to a rather les nocturnal routine fairly well so far.

Think he’ll be glad to get to the weekend though

I have nothing to report Dd had her induction on Mon with her Tutor group. All 6 A level music in same group with music teacher. She said they were all a bit shy inc her etc but she managed to initiate theor own whatsapp chat. Been told alternate teaching split by alphabet. Some of the cohorts are quite large e.g 90 plus for English compared to 6 for music that doesnt make sense to me , but needs must I suppose. She was a bit down when she came back as she was upset with herself for feeling overwhelmed with all the people and not knowing where to go. No more for this week and starts properly week after next so bit of damp squib. Glad all the musos together though.

Starts properly as in actual attendance...not just online.

Dd has been sleeping until 2-3pm during lockdown too. Her diet and sleep patterns are all over the place!

Sorry to hear of the 2 week isolation. That's just miserable but I expect she won't be the last of our dc to have to do this. I really don't think dd will cope with online learning. Her other subjects are sociology and media studies, both subjects she's never done before. She really needs a teacher!

Thanks for the support for her. Things are much calmer here tonight and tmrw she's planning to get the train to the city and time how long the walk to college is and whether she'll have time to get a Starbucks en route

I'd been making ds get up between 10-11am. I think it helped that his dad and his sister were teaching/learning music and dance classes via zoom so I wouldn't allow wandering round in dressing gowns etc due to the cameras.

My two are late risers naturally, in particular year 10 ds, so we always have this issue after the summer holidays! In fact, ds was home educated for years 5 and 6 and was a late riser even back then. In term time we were a bit stricter and he had to be up at 9.30ish to do his work but I do remember really worrying that he'd never cope with getting out at 7 for the bus in year 7 - but he did! Having said that he hates it! Especially in winter..

Dd made a breakthrough yesterday and talked to the boy who gets on the train at the same stop as her! This had been making her anxious because several friends from her old school know him and she was feeling very awkward sitting in the same carriage and not talking! She's also had all her teachers now and likes them all so that's good news.

I can’t believe it’s only 3 weeks today since results! So much changed since then and DS coming to end of his second week. He’s joined a club and I get the sense he is settling - hard to tell from his short utterances but DD is my secret weapon!

Wouldn’t want to go through that again. The pressure of taking things for accommodation the day after results then starting 12 days later has been huge.

Really sorry to hear about the isolation, agree she won’t be the last.
Great news about DD Pasanda and I do hope she can fit her Starbucks in 😄

That’s great news, pasanda, and the most common-sense course of action. None of us want our children to struggle with A levels, but they should be allowed time to make the transition and see if it’s for them, especially after the last 6 months.

Thanks for all the kind wishes for DD.
She got herself up and into the shower this morning, where I could hear her retching and heaving constantly. 😞 However, she’s gone in of her own accord, and taken breakfast to eat when she gets there.
I’m going to phone the GP again today and ask about prescription meds - we can’t carry on like this, as she’s barely eating.
She managed to do some work at home yesterday - watching A Street Car Named Desire, as she has to give a presentation with another student tomorrow, but hasn’t actually been in the class this week so far.

Good first day for DS, he managed to talk to some people. Classes were variable sizes - 24 for further maths, but I think there is usually a high drop out rate in FM, 14 for PE, not had Physics yet.

He went to meet a friend from his old school during a "study" period. The old school expects people to stay on site from 9 to 12:30, but it has expanded numbers so much that they can barely fit in the common room. Definitely no space for social distancing. I heard that the school was concerned they were so squashed and sent some of Y13 out, which is OK whilst the weather is good, but will get tricky as winter sets in. He is glad he changed schools.

Ds said history was very popular and a very full class. But his other 3 subjects have about 15 people. The history teacher is a shielder and has a full height screen he sits behind, it sounds like he's fairly sealed in. Ds3 also has him plus a maths teacher who also sits behind a full screen. They are also not going to touch any work the students have done. That's fine for ds2 in 6th form as he's used to doing stuff online. But ds3 in year 7 is quite worried about having to photo or scan his work and send it in. I do feel for shielding teachers (I know shielding has officially ended but it must be a worry)

Can I just ask if anyone has experience via their kids of GCSE PE? Ds (year 10) is saying he wishes he’d taken it but I thought you needed to be competing in three sports?

So interesting to read all the various experiences of the new sixth formers. Ds has had a positive experience so far. He stayed put for sixth form but says he is enjoying it so much more than 'school', particularly relishing the freedom of movement they have within their sixth form building and making good use of the free periods with a bit of work and a lot of catch up with his friends. His class sizes are good, 24 for psychology, 20 for geography, 6 for film studies and 3 for music.

In common with so many others though, he is exhausted, has blisters from his new smart brogues and is adjusting to the routine. He is also due to start working at Waitrose on Saturday so has gone from zero activity to a packed timetable in a flash. It will do him good, I'm sure. Keeping everything crossed that covid will stay at bay for his school and interruptions will be avoided for as long as possible.

My neice took it for gcse & a Level. She is a competitive swimmer but just did her other sports at school.

Alsoplayspiccolo I hope you get some help from your GP. My very best wishes to you and your child.

@crazycrofter. DD did PE GCSE and got an 8 (she is doing A level). Yes you have to do 3 sports but - DD only actually "competes" in 1 of them. She plays hockey for club and district/county but did the other 2 at school. She did swimming and I think badmington. She didn't do any galas or have badmington matches at school though.

Re class sizes, she has stayed on at girls school and they seem to have 73 Yr12s.
Form = 28
Biology = 15
Psychology = 16
PE = 6
Core Maths = 9

So ideal class sizes. She is lucky.
Just found out that Core Maths is for 2 years which may make doing an EPQ difficult but she will see how she gets on work wise. She has 19 free periods over 2 weeks so she is planning on doing a lot of her work then. She is allowed to leave school whenever she doesn't have lessons etc. Her timetable couldn't be much better as she can come home just before lunch for 5 out of 10 days if she wants to. They have 4 lessons in the morning and 1 in the afternoon.
She seems to be really enjoying it. Is lucky in that she has at least 1 of her friends in all classes (apart from Core Maths).

Yes Yes to blisters - on our 2nd pack of compeed!

Good luck to those still settling in. It most be very difficult if not in schoo/college full time especially if new.

@Heifer does it depend on the board? I went through the A level AQA spec and it looked to me like you only need to do one sport. If that is wrong, DS has a problem as his main physical interest is weights stuff, which is not on the AQA list, and the only sport he plays is rugby.

Any PE people here know how many sports their DC needed for A level?

@crazycrofter DS did not do PE GCSE, but a friend did and his mum said he enjoyed the course, but that it is hard to get good grades - they all had 100% (or close) for NAE, but still came out with 6s. I don't know whether you need 3 sports, but if you know the board, the specifications are all on line.

@crazycrofter ds did gcse PE He did wall climbing through the school. They took them several times during year 10. He also did table tennis and football but only through school. He didn't do out of school sport. He intended to do PE at A level but it was in the same column as History (they had to choose an A level in each of 4 columns) History was more important to him as he's considering it for university.

Oh and A level PE they do have to compete in one sport out of school. They don't seem to do any sport at the school though for A level.

..... and who knows what will happen with practical sports this year. For rugby they need video evidence of certain skills, many of which involve very close physical contact with shared sweat, spit and snot (eurghh!)

Thank you so much, makemyweek. 🙏

DS went back yesterday (and DD in year 10 today). Has felt a long time with no school.

Yesterday was induction including hula hooping where he says he "dominated". Which probably will have been true.

I feel like he has loads of free periods but that's probably because I did 4 A levels and hardly had any! Some are specifically study periods where they are in a set room and have a teacher there but any other ones they are free to come and go as they please and have been told to leave school if they can.

He did GCSE PE and got a 9, without being amazingly brilliant at practical sport. His sports were basketball, athletics and badminton and although he did basketball out of school, he wasn't on any teams.

He was very good at the theory part of it - he said it was like Biology but made more sense

@crazycrofter - my DS did gcse PE and got 9. Competitive swimmer but merely enthusiastic at rugby and athletics. He very much enjoyed it and it overlaps with biology.

Thanks for all the info about PE. My ds sounds like monkey’s - really into weights and fitness, does ju jitsu (but that doesn’t count) and a bit of football outside school but nothing competitively.

The thing is he’s really interested in the fitness/nutrition aspects and also likes ‘real life’ subjects (so is enjoying business). But he’s not great at science. He would have to drop history for PE. I thought history might be a potential A Level (both his parents have history degrees, his sister is doing it and he’s good at it!). I think I might tell him PE is something he could pick up for A Level?