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

No current plans for a job here for DS...tbh he has only just turned 16 and with his various SEN I'm not even sure he's vaguely ready to cope with one. If he can get himself to and from sixth form, get his work done and not get into any scrapes, that'll be enough for now! Amongst his friendship group there are one or two who have paper rounds but that's about it. I'm sure this will change as they go through sixth form though.

I think we'll get DS to concentrate on A levels and EPQ for now plus hopefully grading to karate black belt which should have happened at Easter but obviously didn't.

@NotAKaren Dd doesn't have a job ...wants one but has decided not to for this term. She does spend a lot of time making and selling things on Depop like teacup earrings and gummy bear necklaces. She is very much an amateur but puts the effort in with little marketing vids and stuff, plus it keeps her hands busy and away from the phone for an hour or so a day. I'm not happy about the amount of plastic she is using/ and getting bits and bobs shipped from China...trying to encourage her to purchase vintage jewellery bundles. She prob makes about £20 a week so not much but very much enjoys it.

Mine has a Saturday paper round and works part time for the family business of one of his fellow students but he will have to cut the hours right back - he's been working Fri/Sat/Sun for the last few weekends. He also plays football and hockey and is an Explorer scout, no hockey matches yet but won't be long (football is training only, not a league team).

Ds keen to get a job. Would love him to get one in John Lewis or Waitrose for the discount! I regret discouraging DS1 from getting a job as it really helps develop maturity. Not easy to get jobs now though.

@Monkey2001

Ds keen to get a job. Would love him to get one in John Lewis or Waitrose for the discount! I regret discouraging DS1 from getting a job as it really helps develop maturity. Not easy to get jobs now though.

Ooh yes would be lovely !

My DD has two jobs.
One is with the company I work for which she has done for quite some time during school holidays and on a Saturday at peak times,
the other, is a new one recently acquired in a local village pub.
Given her ever increasing social life she is going to need both to fund it all

DD’s waitressing job went by the wayside with the ‘rona so she’s trying her level best to get something else now, it really isn’t easy for them but she knows she has to contribute to the car insurance when she eventually passes her test.

DS won't be working in term-time but he has managed to keep up a bit of mini tennis coaching through the summer and that should be an option most holidays except xmas.

Thanks for the new thread - need to have a bit of a catch up but hope everyone’s DC have had a good start to sixth form. DD1 seems to be settling in well. Classes are very small (5-6 per subject) which suits her down to the ground. DD2 is also back at school and happy to see friends again after so many months. Both seem to be coping well with the Brave New World of staggered starts and year group bubbles. I am also back at school (primary teacher) and finding it all much tougher than they are!

DS starts on Monday, got the timetable yesterday, he seems to have quite a few “study periods” too and doesn’t have to stay on site.
He is a football referee but obviously hasn’t worked since February, this should start up again next weekend. He gets around £25 a match and sometimes gets two matches in one weekend.
His original plan was to get a supermarket/McDonalds job after GCSEs but it didn’t happen and now nowhere seems to need any staff!

Dd was tired on Friday afternoon after the first three days. I suppose when you’ve pretty much been lying on your bed for 6 months any sort of activity is going to be tiring. She was still in very good spirits though. I really hope they’re able to keep this normality for a while yet. Covid numbers in our area have seen a bit of a spike over the last week (although interestingly no increase in hospital admissions).

I would like dd to get a job, I think it’s good to see more of the world, and also it’s good for future employment to have something on your CV. Not at the detriment of her a-levels (or mental health) though, so at the minute I’m keeping my eye out but haven’t mentioned to her since mid summer about looking. I’m hoping a nice little 8 hour job in a local supermarket might come up. She does have other commitments as well, she volunteers for a few hours a week and goes to a youth theatre group which can be full on at times, both of which are starting again next week. We’ll see.

DS's college has said they will struggle with jobs in term time so leaving that for now.

DD also tired on Friday from 3 days at school this week but is definitely glad to be back.

Parents evening next week to speak with DDs form tutor. I’m surprised it is on but glad it is.

DD has an occasional job babysitting but she doesn’t really have time for a regular one as she has 3 music commitments outside school so just juggling those is challenging enough.

Wow Janie! DS's economics class is 28!!

One of my classes is 24.

Hi all, DS went back to his Saturday job yesterday and unbeknownst to him or us was expected to do a 10 hour shift. Plus he didn't take any money for lunch and so didn't eat all day. Hopefully he will learn from this.
Btec business also the favourite here. I expect that will only last until the first essay is due.

DD wants to get a job but I've been clear it has to balance with study. A few hours a week at the weekend would be great but unsure of prospects in the current situation.

Following my previous post, I spoke too soon...DD has been unwell all weekend.

Really hoping it’s something and nothing (the stress of getting back to school, and a new school at that?) - she said she had no appetite on Friday, and spent all day yesterday feeling sick, pale, not eating, and the same again today. Hasn’t been sick, but feels very nauseous.

Not sure what to do, re school tomorrow. Any advice?
I can’t quite believe that, after 6 months off, she’s under the weather after 2.5 days back in school.

So good to see that everyone has settled well into their new sixth forms and colleges. The whole exams fiasco seems a lifetime ago now!

DD was the only one from her school friendship group going up to College. The rest of her friends stayed on for sixth form. However, DD has a lot of friends fro. Outside of school from her sports. Lots of them are going up to her college, and it seems that she is making friends with the school friends, of her sporty friends, if that makes sense. In any case, she is happy and had set up a WhatsApp group so all her friends can find each other in their free periods. It's a big college.

My DD does have a job. She coaches in the sport that she does. I'm keen for her to continue as I think it will give her valuable skills for her chosen career (physiotherapy), mostly responsibility and communication (with parents and children).

@Alsoplayspiccolo

Don't want to worry you, but do be on the look out for COVID 19.

Was listening to R4 the other day and the guys behind the Zoe App were saying that it affects children differently, coughs and temperatures (the main signs in adults) seem to be less prevalent in children, where they said to look out for going off their food, nausea and sometimes vommiting.

This isn't the article, but there's something about it here: www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/science/2020/sep/03/diarrhoea-and-vomiting-may-be-key-sign-of-covid-in-children-study

@Alsoplayspiccolo sorry to hear dd is ill. My nephew had to take a covid test yesterday as he’s come down with what is probably a cold, but also has a cough. My sister doesn’t think she could send him back to school without a negative test result.

So far I think it’s just the three main symptoms of cough, fever or loss of taste/smell which demand a test but in reality the possible symptoms are so varied aren’t they.

I would second getting a test ordered Piccolo, the school would also err on side of caution. DD’s C19 symptoms were 3 days of headaches and fatigue (April) vs her dad’s full spectrum of adult symptoms. Both had confirmed positive, I remained negative.

I hope she feels better soon.

@Alsoplayspiccolo I have Dd in bed with migraine. Hope little plays piccolo is ok ...worrying having to consider Covid aswell.

Little orange seems fine and crashing in kichen now .

@Alsoplayspiccolo sorry to hear DD is poorly. Isn’t it just typical! DS1 is fine but my youngest (always the one to crash with an illness) has been snotty all weekend🙄 Hope DD better soon.

Just been reading back over the thread to try and glean what is ‘typical’ in terms of teaching time for A levels...DS has 4.5 hours per subject per week, with 4 lessons for each subject per week. Plus a club. Appreciate it will vary across schools but does that sound about the norm?

What has confused me slightly is that he has just one hour’s tutor session per week in one slot. For some reason I was expecting daily morning registration/short tutor time followed by classes and free periods. But I guess different schools and colleges do it differently. DS is of course delighted because he only has to be in for the earliest slot 2 days a week and on a Wednesday he doesn’t start till 1.30! But 3 days a week he doesn’t finish till 4pm which isn’t quite so good.

@FlyingPandas mine has has morn reg. at 8.50am and 2pm reg. they are meant to attend both. they have always finished at 3.40pm. But my oldest used to leave after 2pm registration if he didn't have lessons once he could drive. Ds2 will do the same.