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

I think the fact that sansou’s ds is doing four subjects might have something to do with it too? Dd is only doing 3 and is working hard, but working in free periods helps ( and they have to study in them due to covid apparently?). She spent maybe 3 hours yesterday on history. I’m not sure if she’s working today. She’s still applying for jobs!

DS isnt doing anything like that amount but realistically he is a high C, low B attainment so if you are expecting 4 A stars then clearly you are going to be doing hours a day. The CS apparently is easy as they are still getting the non-GCSE people up to speed so he does a lot of extension work in class. Maths is ok at the moment plus I have a tutor in place for that. Physics is the tricky one.

Days much shorter than before - leaves at 8.15, home at 3.30 if its a full day but twice a week home at lunch.

DD's days are longer!

Classes scheduled outside of normal school day. I'm very unimpressed.

Pleased to say things much improved here which is a massive relief. Seems to be coping with his workload which is 4 A levels and a group project. CS going ok which was the one I was worried about.

Exams in a couple of weeks which will give an idea how he is actually doing. He definitely doesn’t seem to mind being academically challenged and I think enjoys it. Not heard from driving instructor still and think may be too much at moment so not chasing and am sure he will get to DS at some point.

Great news @FoolsAssassin, glad the boarding has worked out after the wobble. Has he done his cooking yet? What did he make?

I think working styles also play a big part; the numbers of hours needed is also such a crude stick which doesn’t always correlate by subject, let alone type of task.

This is such a transitional period of how they move from rote, hands on learning to independent and gauging what is actually enough for themselves. I do understand some DC may need parents’ guidance on to start though.

Monkey your DS1 clearly worked smart even if a little close to the wind for your liking at times? When I see a number of my friends’ DC, especially the girls working themselves to the bone at the detriment of balancing other teenage stuff I know which way I would prefer things...

Agree about working styles, DD struggled with this for ages but has now finally worked out what works for her.

Monkey I suspect he is seeing the boarding as a necessary evil to get the bit he likes at this point, I don’t actually want to ask bad as that may be. Having talked to some who have boarded I get the impression it can be a gradual adjustment and then one day get to stage where they realise they actually like it .

Cooking this week, he’s cooking ‘dunno’ 😀 Accomdation guy said ‘ do this, it’s pretty easy’ so the receipts I found are defunct for now. He Is busy at the moment, will hopefully reappear this afternoon.

At this rate be half term before we know it!

Ds is doing 4 though they drop a subject after AS. Ds1 dropped geography even though he got the best AS grade in it. He just didn't enjoy it. He intended to drop film studies as that was the extra. Ds2 is also doing film studies...same reason as ds1 it was the only subject in column 4 they could do (other choices were maths, Art, photography, music and computing) none of which they wanted or had the grades to study. Ds2 intends to drop film after AS too. But going by ds1 he may not.

Fools So pleased things are moving in the right direction.

@FoolsAssassin really glad to hear things are improving. If the academics are good, hopefully that will get him through until he actually starts to enjoy living there!

Dd is a very slow worker. Ds is the opposite. Also I think dd is a perfectionist. I’m trying to help her to judge where she can cut corners, which things are essential and which aren’t.

Expectations from sixth form - don't think everyone is ACTUALLY doing those hours at the moment apart for the ultra conscientious which DS definitely isn't. He certainly isn't getting/doing 5hrs' HW for DT but maybe, that's the reason he is enjoying that. I think 2/3 hrs per day during the week sounds about right since they can be done during some of their free study periods.

Ds seems to be doing hardly anything! Bare minimum. Why I'm surprised I just don't know, 5 hours? I appreciate Sansou Ds is doing 4 hardcore subjects. But my Ds1 should be putting in hard graft.

He's got his second week of assessments this week. He can drop 1 A'level after October 1/2 Term.

DD school recommends 1.5 hr of extra study for every 1 hour lesson. She has lots of frees but even so there is no way she is doing that much.

She is now home full time until after half term (2 Nov) and is doing online lessons.

She is so stressed about these online lessons though. Literally had 1 day of them on Friday and she hated them. She has no idea how she will cope with another 2 weeks. She wants to move out from her bedroom as it was her relaxed space, but DH and I are already in the office which leaves her the kitchen table. I really don't fancy having her down there as it means I feel trapped in the office and not be able to move around my own home (can't move around much anyway though as have viral labyrinthitis at the moment). Plus we have 2 dogs (1 who is 1yr old and has started barking at squiral, leaves and people walking past).

I would happily swap places and work in the kitchen so DD can go into the office, but DH is often on team meetings so that wouldn't work for DD anyway. I do understand why DD doesn't want them in her room but not sure what the answer is.

DD seems to have been distracting herself by online window shopping. Has found a coat she LOVES for £250!! of course darling - which colours would you like?! as if. It could be for Christmas apparently, possible with birthday and easter thrown in too.
I've never spend £250 on a coat! on the plus side she has always looked after her things so unlikely to lose or ruin it.

She and her friends are really cross with the girl that tested positive. as she was spotted (on phone app) out and about at least 1 day earlier than she should have been - whilst DD and her 7 friends still have to Self Isolate until Thursday...

DD says she needs something short time to look forward to - any suggestions?

Can you get put @heifer where you are or is it a local lockdown area ?

@OrangeCinnamon1

Can you get put *@heifer* where you are or is it a local lockdown area ?

not sure what that mean @OrangeCinnamon1:-) we are in on the Wirral, so yes in a lockdown. Plus, DD is isolating until Thursday and all of 6th form sent home as numbers were increasing.

Ah did you mean can you get out?

Yes sorry typo @heifer. I would say a soa day, favourite meal or a weekend away but it may be too far away (timewise) to do those things to have any positive effect right now.

Movie night , with fave sweets/takeaway ordered in.

Start a fund for a grown up weekend away just the two of you she plans ...cheap travelodge citybreak?

spa

I suspect the school is trying to deliver as much material in as possible before the inevitable move to online lessons or even shutdown. YR9 DD seems to have started the GCSE syllabus for the sciences which they don’t normally do until the summer term.

thanks @OrangeCinnamon1 - Spa day is my idea of hell and I'm sure DD would rather go with a friend, but love the idea of saving for a break with her, I know she would like that.

I asked her to stay in the room for the 1st lesson 8.50-9.50 so we could at least have breakfast, but she decided to stay in her room after wall. She is just about to finish for the day. She said during a break that it isn't stressful today so perhaps she is getting used to it.

She will need an office chair as she has borrowed mine :-)

@Heifer could you get her some noise cancelling headphones so she can work in the study? They are supposed to be very effective. Maybe get them on DH expenses as it is because of his meetings that she needs them!

If planning trips, you could start to think about places she might like to go to university and get a feel for some cities.

Spa day, you say? I'm in. Phew. My menopause is bad right now. I'm not sure a single day, a single massage would be enough for me right now.

Room for another on Spa day ?! I do feel the universe is over playing its hand a touch delivering menopause , teenagers and a pandemic. I chuck every herbal supplement known to man down my neck and still wake up at a silly hour.

Hehe, another one here joining the jeezit’ssohotevenwithwindowopenand2fans club. My poor husband has just ordered thermals on Amazon. He has NO CLUE how it feels, three years on feeling like this.

There’s a good reason I don’t moan about DD being a swimmer when you don’t need an alarm to wake at 04.30 most mornings...

Has slept with windows open and curtains for more time than I care to remember
Thankfully without anyone to argue about it
Spa day- I’d give a bum serve to.
Now then, a sound Bath I’d be in !