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

@Monkey2001

Army is great for apprenticeships, one of DH's godsons went off this weekend to start his apprenticeship to become a battlefield paramedic.

What an awesome career!

Haha, as a maths graduate, I loved the tidiness of maths and how it was all right or wrong.

That’s exactly what I hate about Maths. There’s no in between, there’s no clever argument you can give, no grey areas. Everything is just so and if you don’t know the answer, it’s too bad.

DS seems to be enjoying the sixth form which is good . Was even doing homework yesterday rather than over breakfast this morning which is a definite improvement

A few weeks ago I was somewhat dubious of his “friend who is a girl” and indeed she is a girlfriend

DD’s favourite subject at the moment seems to be BTEC business. Although apparently her first A-level maths test went OK today.

Ds2 is doing A level religious studies, philosophy and ethics (one subject, I'm sure you know that!) He came home today telling me we are all going to die as we are destroying the planet. He says we need a young woman running the country and we need a worldwide ban on having more than one child. I know these are very serious topics...but I also know we are all in for a few years of ear bashing.

@shimy DS2 is in Y13 doing politics, economics and history and watches lots of documentaries as well as reading, as he says they deliver a lot of knowledge and content in a quick and clear way. I'll ask him for recommendations once he's finished this week's exams.

I have been waiting for a call back about Spanish since Thursday . The poor receptionist is very nice but no one will ever speak to me when I call! The new head of MFL has passed it up, the head has passed it down to some person 'in the teaching and learning team'. I am to wait for her to call probably when I am teaching. In the meantime no sign of an actual teacher....

Shimy : 'None of the Above' by Rick Edwards is good and James O'Brien's 'How To Be Right'. Both very accessible.

Not smooth sailing here. The academic side going well but the boarding not. I have had huge amount of support from a couple of parents in the year above which is really helping. He was reluctant to involve the staff but realised I had to and lady I spoke to was reassuring.

Pastoral lady did say she has some concerns about this cohort as usually previous schools work them up and prepare them for sixth form and obviously didn’t happen this year.

@FoolsAssassin that sounds really hard for you and ds. It’s such a tricky time to start boarding. I hope things resolve themselves in time. Even without the boarding it can take a while to settle in. I remember my younger sister starting sixth form college and not speaking to anyone until after October half term! After that, things were fine. Much harder if you’re away from home though.

I'm sorry to hear your boy is struggling @FoolsAssassin, that must be difficult. It sounds like there is some good support though, and it is still very early days isn't it.

Thanks for the tips re. revision guides I expect you're right and that those would be more useful than a text book. We still need to confirm the exam board with the school, it doesn't seem to be mentioned on the website. Dd is going to try to remember to ask today!

@Monkey2001 dd also loves the tidiness of Maths, and also that she finds it easy. I'm interested that you are a Maths graduate as that is what dd thinks she wants to do. Where did you degree lead you?

I really feel like we could do with a better careers advice service. I did a vocational degree because I knew what I wanted to be, generally there is a good understanding of my role so I knew what my job was going to be (to an extent). It doesn't leave me in a very good position to advise dd though. I looked at the link above for the PwC flying start degree - it looks like a great programme, but I honestly don't even know what an accountant does or what a day in audit might look like. I'm hoping dd is going to get some good careers advice at Sixth Form, but based on my own experience and her school I'm not that optimistic. So at the minute the best route seems to be University to study a subject she is good at and that will likely be well regarded by employers, keeping her options open for as long as possible and then probably some sort of graduate scheme.

Maths test already @OublietteBravo! No mention of any tests from dd yet.

I'm loving the sound of the politics/ethics/philosophy type courses some of your children are doing and they questions they are raising. I would have loved something like that. It wasn't something dd really considered.

Thank you, it’s not been easy but onwards and upwards. He doesn’t want to go locally as feels the academic side will be nowhere near what he has at the moment so somehow we are going to have to get through.

A friend’s DD did the PWC thing but it wasn’t for her so went and did a degree instead. Having it on her CV though has been hugely helpful and she has landed a great job now graduated.

DS is considering Maths Greenele. One of the good things about College is they are very geared up for careers advice for STEM subjects . It has been interesting talking to the Year 13 parents about it. Hard to believe that this time next year some of ours will be a month away from having to get UCAS applications in for some courses.

We have had a maths test every week. So far so good, I think it is because they need to ask some students to drop down to 3 ALevels and they have a cohort where noone is really sure of their actual ability. DS seems to be doing ok though in the past his self reporting is sometimes less than truthful.

That is one of my bugbears with senior schools in general - you never know that they are struggling until it gets really bad. I think there should be moreof an early warning system for parents.

DS also still hasnt talked to anyone either but this does mean he is getting on with his work so swings and roundabouts. He is talking to people at his job though which is going well.

Really hope things start to settle soon for your son Fools.

Also sorry to hear things still up in the air on Spanish Piggy. Rather selfishly, was (and still am if it gets resolved); was looking forward to another one studying it for A level. Your input on the HE thread on languages has been really helpful; but I feel acutely aware how DD benefits hugely from a strong language dept in her school, compared to others.

All good here. She finished a busy week last with a 3 hour diagnostic SAT test on Sunday, in case she opts to study overseas later, subject to obviously lots of factors. Many colleges have waived 2021 entry requirements but 2022 are back in place, so we’ll get that test out the way this Dec. Definitely showed how 6 months off affected how rusty her maths was.

Miranda, awww!😍
Fools, that sounds stressful. Is he a weekly boarder? I'm sure he's boarders must find this term tough, even in normal times, but I can imagine it being extra anxiety-inducing ,given the current restrictions. I hope things look up soon.

DD is much better since starting the PPI tablets (so much so that she's gone to school without taking one today...
She's gone from 0-60 since going co-ed from girls only, socially, which is worrying me slightly - spends all the time before school doing her hair and makeup, spends all car journeys and 90% of her free time on Snapchat. Today, she's going out of school at lunchtime to meet friends from her old school ( just up the road), and then meeting another friend after school. She's also talking about going to a "party" in a park close to school (35 minutes away) next weekend, and says she needs to find a friend to stay over with, " because you won't want to pick me up at 1am. "

I know this is normal 16/17 year old behaviour, but DD has always been socially shy and so isn't very street-smart, plus her ADHD means she can easily lose a grip on school stuff if she doesn't stay on top of it.

Any words of wisdom?

Aw Piccolo, that all sounds really encouraging actually. Yes things are changing fast for her, but she’s learning to develop new ‘real life’ relationships, and is still under your roof and watchful eye. I think this period is so scary on the one hand for all of as they transition into young adults, but exciting times too.

2 cases at our school so far (1 Yr13 and 1 teacher)..
Have to admit to being very impressed with the communication from the school (I work in the School Nursery at lunch time so although I'mmember of staff I find out more from the parents letters than I ever do in work)...
The Principle has said she will inform us of every confirmed case, and they are constantly changing their ways of working which impressed me.

Masks have now become compulsory everywhere except in lessons (for staff and pupils).

From today there will be no morning registration time for Year 12 and Year 13 students. This is so that they avoid having up to 28 sixth formers in a room together. The girls should only come into school for their subject lessons if possible. If they live further away and need to work in school during their study periods, then they must sit at least 2 metres apart from other girls at all times and wear their masks.

Hopefully this will mean that the whole yr bubble doesn't have to go home each time there is a confirmed case.

DD seems to have settled in well. Says Biology is hard so is pre reading before the lesson to help her. PE is easy and is enjoying Core Maths.

Thank you all. Yes he is weekly so at least gets 3 nights a week at home. Was always going to be a big adjustment I guess. We nearly didn’t look at it because of boarding. I am hopeful he will settle and then when time comes for university he will be an old hand at it.

Piccolo I think Ealing:has good advice. It is a time that they often reinvent themselves.

Thanks, ealing and Fools, I know you’re right. I guess my concerns are mostly around DD’s ADHD and the fact that she can’t ever foresee consequences to things.
It doesn’t help that we live in a tiny rural village, and her school is close to the city, so quite a culture change.
I’m not going to stop her, but will keep reminding her that school is the priority; as long as she works hard, I’m happy for her to play hard too.

DS is doing Religious Studies - he has a list of ethical questions and was asking DD and me to think about them last night.

They ranged from whether or not to tell your mum that the hat she’s just bought is awful to whether you should eat a companion if it’s the only way to survive. He decided if it was them and me that I’d want them to eat me, if one of us had to be eaten, which is probably true, but I didn’t totally like hearing him say it

😂😂 Miranda. The many ways we show unconditional love...

i do love teens , the conversations you end up having 😂
Piccolo I think this stage is one of the trickiest bits of parenting to be honest - the transition from childhood to adulthood and they are doing so at a very tricky and weird time in the world which isn’t easy.

It’s a fine line to tread on the parenting front at this point. I coped with DD by biting my tongue a lot then as she left the room flicking her the Vs up silently telling her to F* O**. This worked well until the one day when she turned round unexpectedly and it nearly went very wrong. A survey amongst my friends showed this approach is not uncommon which made me feel less of a bad parent.

She is absolutely lovely now but it was a difficult transition at times.

I am an accountant who works for an accountancy training college as a support tutor, answering queries from students studying all accountancy qualifications. PwC is one of our clients so I have answered many PwC students!

The majority of them are on graduate schemes but an increasing number are doing apprentice programmes starting when they’re 18.

Wow @MirandaWest that's an ethical dilemma I hope none of us has to face! Dd is also doing RS, but to be honest I've heard barely anything about her subjects. Every day I get a run down of who she sat with on the train, who she walked to school with, who she was with at break and lunch and who she travelled home with! Which is all good and she's definitely settling in! @Alsoplayspiccolo dd is loving the co-ed environment, after being at a girls school too! She says the boys make the days more fun and relaxed.

@ShaunaTheSheep DS’s favourite documentary channel in the world is Nat Geo, infact for a few yrs we thought he was going to study Zoology. Apart from, that his favourite programme is ‘The Apprentice.’ What documentaries does your DS watch?

@Piggywaspushed Thanks for the recommendations. ‘None of the above’, sounds perfect. Just the sort of thing I was looking for. I haven’t looked at the second book yet but sounds promising.