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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Is there a Year 9 thread?

76 replies

Thiswillbeinteresting · 07/09/2020 10:59

Just wondering if there was a year 9 thread, for those thinking about GCSE options, the beginning of coursework and general school chat?

DD has gone back for her first day since March today, armed with the knowledge that she needs to pick her options over the next couple of month - could be tricky as she has no idea what she wants to do in the future Grin

OP posts:
Shannaratiger · 07/09/2020 11:02

My DS going into year 9. He chose his options last year so starting his GCSE's this year. I think it was too early but they said they can't fit all the work into just 2 years.

Original poster
Thiswillbeinteresting · 07/09/2020 11:09

I know a few local schools do the same @Shannaratiger, it does seem so early but then spreading them out a bit seems like a sensible plan as well.

DD has to do French, and is interested in Classics, but has no real idea re anything else!

OP posts:
MentalLockdown · 07/09/2020 16:55

DD is back tomorrow, last year group to return. Year 9 has understandably been low on priority, but shame it's my child caught up in that.

I think we might see a lot of social shake up this year. The end of primary school friendships, new friends not introduced by parents.
The last five months have been interesting who DD has been in touch with and who has fallen off the radar. I think a few were it turns out class mates rather than friends.

SnowfallSnowball · 07/09/2020 16:57

My daughter goes back properly tomorrow, she chose her options in Year 8 and were finalised sometime in April or May. Let’s hope she still has an interest once GCSE’s roll around!

spiderlight · 07/09/2020 17:02

My DS goes back on Wednesday and is not looking forward to it. He's 99% decided on his options already - he's absolutely dead set on being a pilot so he definitely wants to do triple science, geography and Spanish for definite. It's come around so fast though. Doesn't feel like five minutes since he was doing his settling-in days at nursery!

Original poster
Thiswillbeinteresting · 07/09/2020 18:52

Oh God, the friendship dramas 😩 DD has had a huge falling out with two girls who she has been close to since Y7 (she was new to this school) and had spent a huge majority of lockdown on the phone with them. So far she is coping ok with seeing them at school, but all these dramas are new to me!

DD did get to narrow down her subjects ready to go in to Y9, and has dropped Art and Music as even though she loves them, she knows she wants to do something more scientific. She then chose computer science as a good all rounder - but she has no idea whether to do that at GCSE.

Fun times ahead Grin

Oh, and welcome other Y9 parents, maybe we can keep each other company WineCake

OP posts:
Beamur · 07/09/2020 18:56

Hi. My DD was back in today. Surprised herself by having a really nice day and making new friends! Form has been re-jigged and she's much happier with her new form mates despite not knowing them all.
They've already taken their GCSE options too. She's very happy with the new timetable but slightly horrified by how much science there is!

bellinisurge · 07/09/2020 18:59

Checking in as a y9 parent.

ineedteanownotlater · 07/09/2020 19:09

Wow can't believe you have all had the chance to choose already! My son has to start a new school for year 10 as he is currently in a middle school and doesn't choose till march next year ISH! I don't even know how many then get so haven't even started talking about it yet!

BlueMarigold · 07/09/2020 21:15

I have a Year 9 DD. She hasn’t got a clue what options to take...

MentalLockdown · 07/09/2020 23:35

Dd gets to choose options, normally, in the spring term. They cover a bit of the gcse course history, geography, maybe a science topic or two in the year 9 summer term.

DD is very quick to say which ones she doesn't want to do and a few definites along with a couple of don't knows. One of Dd's friends parents has apparently already mapped out his kid's choices 🙄

june2007 · 07/09/2020 23:49

Options not mentioned yet. REally not worried at the moment I think just getting back into school is more important at mo then will worry when the school start discussing. I don,t know what options are available.

bellinisurge · 08/09/2020 08:33

Dd went to a separate school to her primary school cohort. They all did their options in year 8. Dd is mulling picking doing triple science but hates biology and wants to do PE GCSE as well. I have said it's entirely up to her. I doubt me clumsily nudging her in any direction would help.
Our Covid-19 infection rates locally are rocketting (Greater Manchester area) so I anticipate more disruption for her.

KoalasandRabbit · 09/09/2020 04:27

Year 9 DS here with suspected ASD, back today along with DD in year 10, first day back for both, last years to go in school. First day for both since mid March though DS got a school tour today with his maths teacher.

DS says he knows what options he wants - Triple Science, Maths / Add Maths / Stats / English x 2 / French / History / Geography though also loves computing. Though having an issue with triple science atm, they've put him in double as they've said its the only class TA can go in even though by ability he's at the top of top set. He's gutted and top set is same time as middle set so am trying to resolve with school.

He's anxious about going back - his year can't eat hot meals except pasta and no drinks are being sold. He's told me he's not eating, not drinking and not using toilets there Shock but hopefully will back down on at least the eating. At least we live 5 mins away. He's got a new tutor and a new senco. Hope all the first days go / went well. His bubble is 180 but teachers are going between years and no SDing so not sure how long will be open for.

KoalasandRabbit · 09/09/2020 04:31

Ours don't choose until New Year but DD chose hers this year and I asked DS and he reeled off a long list.

elkiedee · 09/09/2020 05:15

DS1 goes back tomorrow to start year 9, DS2 is starting year 7 and has been in for 2 days, as no transition opportunities last year and in the summer.

Helvmutter · 09/09/2020 08:21

Y9 DD onto day 3 now, so far so really good! Options not chosen until Feb here, so not really high on the radar at the moment, although obviously there are some 'absolutely nots' and 'absolutely yes's'.

Beamur · 09/09/2020 08:31

Triple science is mandatory choice at DD's school. (Grammar) so actual choices were limited, plus they offer the International Baccalaureate (which restricts the humanities choices to either History or Geography).
Day 1 back was good but it's going downhill fast. She's very upset by all the changes due to Covid and worrying about forgetting to wash her hands or bringing it back home on her clothes or books. Other kids are more relaxed about everything which is upsetting her too. She does have quite an acute germ phobia outside of the global pandemic so has always been very conscious of germs and cleanliness.

MentalLockdown · 09/09/2020 09:33

I think it's going to be a bumpy year here. I'm seeking reassurance from DD that it's all going to be alright but reliant on her feeding back information to me but I can't ask too many questions because I need to let her have her privacy whilst trying to reassure her it will be alright.

I need a distraction!

I think it's going to settle into a state of controlled boredom, some kids are timetabled to the same classroom every lesson. Its raining today quite heavily. As if secondary school life wasn't tough enough in normal times.

spiderlight · 09/09/2020 09:49

Mine's back in today. He was surprisingly OK about it this morning, after being a bit tearful and worried yesterday. No idea when he has to choose his options but I suspect schools will try to get it done fairly quickly in case they get closed down again.

BlueMarigold · 09/09/2020 09:52

@MentalLockdown what things are your needed reassurance about?

I am feeling a bit worried too. I have been so focused on my Year 11 DD (now Year 12) that I haven’t had time to even think about DD2.

She goes to school really early so I didn’t even see her this morning. She left without saying goodbye

MentalLockdown · 09/09/2020 11:12

blue marigold it feels like six months out of school has set the clock back several years. My other DD has gone into year 11 and is in a good place socially, with friends & hobbies and is happily nailing her GCSE content. She is in charge and ahead of her learning.
DD in year9 is just a bit lost. Socially her friends were quite distant during lockdown, little work or feedback from school for that year. She has been bored, grown up and got a bit cheeky.

So I have mentally regressed in my head, almost back to primary school.
Are you happy?
Who did you sit next too? Are they lovely/hardworking but fun?
Are you set for maths/english/science?
Is the work too hard/too easy/ do you put your hand up but not too much?
Had the troubled but lovely girl made it back to school?
Do you have the really rubbish maths teacher or just the second worst one?
And are you happy????

Obviously I can't ask most of this or undermine DDs confidence in her teachers and she's only been back one whole school day so far 😱😁 and she is 13 and needs to be in charge of her own life. I need to switch off the parenting part of my brain, it's been a long six months.

mrsriceball · 09/09/2020 14:21

DS is a weekly boarder so he went back yesterday for the new term starting today. Friendship-wise, it seem to have had a good start. Just received a brief message from him that he's taking up extra language this year. Not sure about GCSE yet. He didn't study at all this summer. I hope he isn't exception...

Witchend · 09/09/2020 14:26

Ds is year 9.They chose subjects just before options.
He came out so smug on the first day after getting his timetable because "he had no horrible subjects any more."

However he also has informed me that the school one way system is nothing to do with Covid, and entirely to do with the obesity crisis as he can guarantee he's in the next classroom along, but has to go all round the one way system to get there.

He also tells me Mrs H is his new favourite teacher because she let them out 5 minutes early.

On Sunday he asked if we could go back to lockdown.

So not much has changed.

Witchend · 09/09/2020 14:28

They chose subjects just before options.

Mangled sentence. I can't even blame autocorrect, so not sure where that came from!

They chose option subjects just before lockdown.