Corona Cohort’s Year 12 adventures

[FoolsAssassin]

We’ve made it into year 12 and rapidly approaching the end of the first half term .

Lots of challenges we could never imagined as we started the year but we’re all keeping on keeping on and this thread is for anyone who would like to jump on board to share the rather unusual journey this is turning out to be.

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I've never heard of the maths challenge before. Just asked ds. He said only the top set do it. He got bronze in year 7 then after that he's been in second from top set. So never did it again. He's never told me as he doesn't tell me much! Ds1 was never top set maths. Ds3 is year 7 and currently top set so maybe he will do it, he will tell me as he's more the telling type.

FoolsAssasin DS is currently studying A level maths and if stays on track will sit the exam at the end of yr12 (school tell them up front many won't be put in for the exam if not going to get a great grade). Further maths taught next year along with two other subjects so still three in one sitting.

Interesting how different places do it. I have heard of some doing the A level at end of year 12 and then FM year 13 but assumed if you sit both in year 13 then the teaching might be split more in to Maths and FM - not according to DS!

I think the reason ours don't do the normal A level maths in Y12 is that it is unusual to do 4 A levels at that school, and some of the elite universities want you to sit at least 3 A levels in 1 year.

Just had an email from DS1 school. 2 positive cases in year 12 and because of the number of close contacts whole of year 12 to isolate till the 18 November. I’m amazed that it has taken so long for this to happen but still a little disappointed but they will be working online.

Oh that's a pain. Still, at least it's everyone. I think it is harder when it is a few individuals.

We were told if one child has to isolate so say ds2 in 6th form has to isolate because someone in his year tests positive, then ds3 in year 7 will have to stay home too. Is this the norm? If I get contacted by test and trace then only I have to isolate, not the whole house. So I wondered whether it's what all schools are doing, keeping siblings home too. I guess it helps with spread. But I can't see work being provided for the sibling if he's the only one off in that year.

No, that's not correct at all.

@Piggywaspushed ok thanks. When we had a call from ds3's form teacher (he's year 7 so a settling in type call) I asked what happens if one dc gets told to stay home due to a peer testing positive, she said both dc's would have to stay home. I'll have to wait to see if one or the other has to isolate then. Not so bad if the whole of year 12 get sent home as they will get work, if my year 7 stays off too it's not the end of world for him to miss school. But if it's year 7 sent home and my year 12 has to stay home, he will be one of the only year 12's home and may not get work. I'll hope it doesn't happen. But can't see us escaping this altogether.

I think it’s better that the whole year is in the same boat. Easier for teachers just to be teaching online. Less stressful for kids, who feel disadvantaged when the rest of their classes are in.

Obviously schools want to avoid too many missing school. At DD’s school they only asked 15 to isolate for the last case in her year. That included bus buddies, lunch mates and contacts from three subjects. Seemed low to me!

@crazycrofter yes I agree it's good if the whole year are off. But not sure that siblings in other year groups need to miss school too (unless, obviously a sibling has a positive test, I know that means the whole house to isolate)

As far as we are aware DS2 in year 10 doesn’t have to stay home. If it was the case that siblings had to stay home then I know other year 12’s have siblings in other years at the school. Wouldn’t that mean for example the whole of year 10 had to be at home if that was how it was.

I think it is if your child tests positive then the whole household has to isolate but not if they are a contact of someone who has tested positive.

That’s right, only your year 12 has to isolate, no one else in the household does, unless he starts with symptoms. Will ds be getting live lessons?

I was just saying that I have been told if either of my ds's year gets sent home (because someone else in their year tests positive) then so will the sibling need to stay home. Thankfully it's not happened yet. I just thought it was a bit odd. We've not had any cases that I know of yet. I think if we get a lot it would be daft to send the whole year home plus any siblings of that year. Never mind. I'll let you know if it happens.

ican , I find it amazing almost daily how many teachers have not a clue about covid rules. I would assume the form tutor was just wrong there tbh!

They usually get lessons on teams and work is put on satchel one. It will be a lot easier for the teachers and the students if it is the whole class rather than a couple of students.

@Piggywaspushed yes, thanks. I hope you are correct. Well...I hope we never find out. But can't see things staying so quiet here so no doubt we will find out sooner or later.

So DS off today as school had a positive test for a yr12 yesterday. Don't know yet whether the whole year will be off for isolation or only the child's classes. Of course Snapchat was a hotline last night for them all guessing who it was!

Sorry to hear about more isolations happening. We hate Microsoft Teams as a platform here as prefer Zoom. School keeps changing what they use. DD used to have a gmail school account and an Outlook home account but now school have changed to Outlook.

DD has just told me she is on an action plan as she got 67% in her last test and she needs 70% so has to stay after school tomorrow then retake it Thursday. She's not the only one but she's still annoyed she missed out by 3%. I told her to take it on the chin and get the required grade and draw a line under it rather than moan. It's her first test this term in this subject but she took it for GCSE so it was stuff she knew but was a bit complacent I reckon. I'll have to pick her up though as it's dark by 4.30pm and she has a 40min walk back through subways and wooded areas so thank goodness for WFH.

Zoom had so many hacking and security issues, plus Microsoft and Google offered discounted packages to schools.

We have Goggle Classroom which is far less fiddly than teams but annoyingly has no compatibility with Microsoft products for prepping resources. Not met anyone yet who prefers google slides to powerpoint!

70% seems a high benchmark!!

Yes last year and actually all through secondary it was Google Classroom but I guess the discount you mentioned was what swayed them - don't blame them. Didn't know that about Zoom being hacked though. Her dance school uses Zoom but no issues so far.

70% seems to be the magic number with all her subjects and I agree so near the start of A levels it does seem high. She was close to it so fingers crossed she finds those extra marks. A friend got 37% so feel for her.

Just had a good old go at Unifrog with DS. We got some courses flagged and one apprenticeship - I couldnt see any military careers on there - am I not looking in the right place?

We are looking directly at the Navy apprenticeships anyway but it would have been good to flag it in that easy way with school.

Is unifrog a school thing? I don't think ours has it. Can you sign up to it as an individual?