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

Interesting - we don't have any enrichment or PHSE type of stuff at all going on - I dont think they could fit it in tbh. 4 hours a week!

Thanks all for your comments - you are absolutely right of course, DS does feel better and have more confidence thinking he is at the other end of the class instead of languishing in set 5. I still dont think he is doing enough work though!

DD has an hour a week which is used to help with EPQ preparation/personal statement writing and uni applications as well as it being used for talks/workshops etc re drugs, on line safety etc. I think it means that the y can offer this sort of thing without anyone actually having to miss lessons. They also use it a various times of year for enrichment sessions and voluntary work.

Interesting to see how different schools approach the enrichment thing! It does seem that 4 hours a week is on the heavier side

I think dd would be fine in a small group (this is partly why she has taken so well to A-levels) but being back in a group of 30 with disruption and argy-bargy going on amongst the kids has upset her

DS has a 30 minute tutor session each day where they are meant to cover PSHE and general pastoral type stuff. It's the only thing that is compulsory (so there are several days when DS either goes in just before or leaves just after).

In normal times they encourage enrichment via volunteering, mentoring etc, but don't think they have any of that at the moment.

oh yes fair enough @RedskyAtnight there is half an hour of tutor time at registration that is compulsory. No afternoon reg though so they just go home before lunch if all study periods in the afternoon. DS got home 20 mins ago!

@ icanbewhatiwant just checked online application tracker for provisional licence. It now says licence has been issued so should receive it in the next few days. I phoned them yesterday don’t know if that made any difference.

Ok thanks @Nard75 I'll give it a couple of weeks then phone if we've not heard. We are a week behind you. We have 6 weeks until we need it. But I read that someone had been waiting 2 months, it worried me a bit.

ah Covid is very close to home now! We receive an email from the school every time someone has tested positive, I think at the moments it's about 5 (3 yr 13, 1 yr 8 and 1 yr9) but now someone in Yr 12 is positive. ALL of DDs friends group (7 of them) have been told to self isolate as they are in various classes with the girl that tested positive but DD isn't in any of her classes so we haven't received the call. DD is most miffed that she has to go to school when none of her friends will be there - she has been at the school since she was 3 - I am sure she can talk to someone else!
She is equally miffed that today is an inset day - and she only had 1 lesson :-)
DD

DS has 1 hour of "core" and 1 hour of "extended tutor" in his 2 week timetable. They have 25 mins/week registration - only register once a week.

Hi everyone, I’m more of a lurker. Hope everyone’s well. Need to vent and possibly get advice and perspective.

So we’re 3 weeks into a new 6th form. DD was new and didn’t know anyone. She has settled into classes well and has made friends. DD does not think she has a solid friendship group but instead mingles with lots of different groups. All very welcoming and friendly.
However.... all the children are told if they do not have lessons after lunch they can go home. So today (not the first time) she alone at lunch time... she doesn’t want to walk into the 6th form area alone. We’ve offered advice but DD looks sad 😔

I bloody hate covid situation!! If there was no restrictions there would have been lots of opportunities to meet ppl and events outside of school planned.

It’s horrible to see her like this. I’m sure she’ll be fine, just want her to be happy. Xx

@Yr11mummy can she not go home too? Or is it like our school where there isn't transport apart from school buses? DH picks ds up every other Tuesday as he finishes midday. But if he wasn't available to collect he'd have to wait for the bus. He finishes 1pm several days too, but is happy to stay as most year 12's are staying. Ds1 (now 19) was one of the youngest in his year, he didn't like it by the end of year 12 as most were driving and leaving early. He had to wait for the school bus.

Aw, it will get better as she gets to know more people. Maybe she could go to the library and get some work done if she does not want to sit alone in the common room. Teenagers are so self-absorbed that they just don't notice things. As she gets to know the people in her after lunch class it will get better.

I tried to apply for provisional licence but because it was more than 3 months, (he's feb, so should be only allowed to apply in November) it refused me.

Assessment week here as well.

I have no idea how his subjects are going. All I get is a grunt or a 'fine'. English Lang, Business, sociology, psychology.

Suspect like many of the others he's finding psychology dull.

Fools, so glad your son is settling in better.

@icanbewhatiwant on the days she has no lessons in the afternoon we pick her up at lunchtime. Yesterday most ppl left at lunchtime, she had to wait as she still had lessons in the afternoon.

@Monkey2001 exactly what we said to her.

Thanks for the advice xx I’m sure she’ll be fine.
Last night some of the girls were texting her arranging to hangout today at breaks and lunch.

Oblomov. I thought you could apply for a provisional at 15y9m old? For mopeds. Dd is February birthday and I've been nagging her to get on with it but she has to have a day when she 'looks right' for the photo . Maybe I'll stop nagging

Can I just ask if your dc teachers are saying things like 'if you don't do well in this, that and the other, I'll have to reconsider your place on the course'? Dd did not get fantastic gcse grades and is under continuous stress that they are going to 'chuck her off'. Sociology, they have far too many students apparently. She really wants to do well but she's so far had 4 hours of f2f teaching and is now expected to write essays/do assessments that may or may not allow her to stay on the course. She's never done sociology or media before so isn't 100% sure what they're looking for. I feel she needs more teaching than she's getting. Surely they need to help her achieve her potential not just leave her to sink or swim??
And of course I'm the one who she takes her stress out on ....

Can I just ask if your dc teachers are saying things like 'if you don't do well in this, that and the other, I'll have to reconsider your place on the course'?

Er - no - is it a very selective school? DS did extremely badly in his maths transition test (he's apparently forgotten even junior school maths) and other than pointing out that he will need to make sure he keeps up with the course and study thoroughly at home, not a word was said.

Can your DD talk to her tutor/whoever is responsible for pastoral issues? Or email the teachers directly?

@Oblomov20 - I thought the same thing re 3 months and provisional so stopped the application - but I've now realised we could have done it - as moped licence as they can use that to drive with apparently.

Pasanda Why so little f2f teaching? Even if school/6th form is doing one week in one week at home surely it should be more than that?

No teachers are not saying that. Tests so far seem to be checking for any gaps in GCSE knowledge to ensure solid going forward. Though it looms over further maths but they were told up front probably 50% will not be put in for it in the end, they'll just do A level maths.

I think the 3 months is easy to mis-interpret, Pasanda is right in that it’s not before 3 months of turning 16, not 17.

pasanda, no, nothing like that, and I don't think they ever would as they are just delighted to have 'bums on seats' at dd1's sixth form, which loses many of its kids to the much more successful one in the neighbouring town

Is your dd in a school that places massive stress on its league table position by any chance

DD hasn't said anything about threats from teachers!

THey are having their first lot of tests this week/next week to inform their grade reports that come out before half term.

She was expected to sit the 2 business ones despite only having swapped onto the course the previous week and being off sick for 2 days of that week! She thinks it went OK. Geog and biology next week. I think psychology have been doing mini tests throughout - I haven't heard of anything more formal for that yet. They all seem to be testing on everything done so far, rather than checking for gaps from GSCE though.

Yes we were told there would be baseline tests around half term to see who might not be able to continue with their 4th subject but not for those with 3 or other combinations of ALevels/Btecs.

No threats though. I am liking the new much more relaxed school after the super selective.

DS sits on his own in the common room and just gets his work done with headphones in. I dont like that he doesnt talk to anyone but he doesnt seem that fussed.

So I phoned the school to double check DD doesn't need to self isolate - and they have said actually they think she should after all. Thankfully she hasn't seen the girl that tested positive since last Thursday (when the girl went home ill) and both were wearing masks when she did last see her at study.

Neither DD or her friendship group have any symptoms. She only has to be off until 8th Oct as was already a week ago since last contact made.

DD is miffed that she has to miss school, hockey training, and hockey match on Saturday. (1st league match of the season).