Corona Cohort - Year 12 - 2021 - NO 'Self isolating' please.

[Oblomov20]

We just want our kids in school. Please. If at all possible.

And driving lessons. And good Mental Health. And happiness.

In-and-amongst all this Covid nightmare and lockdown debacle.

Old thread:

previous

mobile.twitter.com/Smyth_Chris/status/1344328822007750657

Apparently, may not be accurate

My school is literally 3 miles away form one of those areas… hum

Head just said they ahve had 25 cases this holiday. Oh dear.

Waited with bated breath to see if I need to start preparing online stuff for my Year 6s on Monday...

I THINK this list (which I nicked off another MN thread!) has the areas where schools are going to open later (the list of areas which work to different guidance for opening in Jan is on the last page) assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/948580/Contingency_framework_implementation_guidance.pdf

We’ve just gone into T4 as from tomorrow and it looks like DD will go back W/c 18th- as far as I’ve understood?
Gotta love JVT on tonight’s briefing.
@Monkey2001 hoping all is well with your DH

I feel for our year group of course, and the learning they will be loosing, but I really think they need to confirm asap that the current exam years won't be expected to take exams this year: it's really not viable or fair.

DH has just submitted a question to the BBC asking why a definite decision hasn't been taken to cancel exams for this year. I will let you know if he gets picked!!!

Wow piggy: that must feel incredibly difficult for you and your collegues. If you don't mind me asking, what sort of response has your school had for volunteers/helpers for testing at secondary? I've contemplated volunteering, but tbh I actually think this shouldn't be a volunteer job, so I've held back so far...

DS is Y13 in a special school. He’s had COVID (and was generous enough to share it with us) so I am not sure at the moment if it will be the 18th Jan for him as I am hearing special schools are exempt.

I’ll wait to hear from them but DS has missed out so much on education over the years that I am sad for him....Y12 was a disaster until he went to the special school sixth form . He had about 8 weeks and then we had lockdown, he went back in June and had a dreadful time as he doesn’t cope with change.

I just want Y13 to be better,

[quote AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore]I THINK this list (which I nicked off another MN thread!) has the areas where schools are going to open later (the list of areas which work to different guidance for opening in Jan is on the last page) assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/948580/Contingency_framework_implementation_guidance.pdf[/quote]
Thanks, also just found that. That looks worryingly close to us so I expect we won’t be back by the 18th.

That document also says special schools attend as normal (my DS is at a special school).

Yup - bbc has list of primaries off until 18th.

Gah we are London and on the list of where primaries are staying closed. Looks like we will be closed for a while.
What a bloody nightmare

I was bit confusing there. The 25 cases were in DS's school who say they have had 20 volunteers.

I have no info whatsoever from my own school!

Am very stressed and making little sense even to myself

I hope all those with unwell families are seeing an improvement.

The big question here is will the AS go ahead in two weeks time? Not been cancelled so far. Surely must be? DS wants it to go ahead as made some silly errors in the last test they had (GCSE deja vu anybody?).

We've received a letter from our head tonight saying Juniors back 5th Jan, Yr11 & Yr13 back 11th Jan and rest of seniors back on 18th Jan - with online learning as timetabled from 5th Jan.

She will write again in the first week of January with details regarding our Covid-19 testing regime for the Senior School. Hasn't asked for volunteers.

DD had made plans to go to friends garden on NYE as she has a fit pit - was going to be 6 of them. We've just gone into Tier 3 but apparently DDs friends Mum doesn't mind them still coming round. Looks like I've got to be the mean parent again and say no, although I find it hard to justify saying no when they can meet up outside in a park.

I had assumed her driving lessons would stop but seems ok in Tier 3 so that's something. Only had 2 and loving it.

Hope you and your loved ones continue to get well, stay well etc.

Nothing from our school yet. Rumours are return 11th for years 11 and 13. The rest the following week.

Ds2 doesn't have much work to do now. So I suggested we get one of the apps for the theory test downloaded. Not sure which one yet. Test booked feb half term. Seems unlikely it'll go ahead...but he should start looking incase it does go ahead.

I hope everyone poorly/with poorly relatives etc. is feeling better now.

Apart from walking the dogs twice a day I've not been anywhere else for 10 days. The dc's haven't left the house since the last day of school. DH met his dd and gs for a walk Boxing Day. So the days are very much the same at the moment. But at least we are safe I guess.

@Heifer ds managed 3 lessons then we went into tier 4. I can see us staying in tier 4 until March ☹️

I’ve been on the earlier threads and had to come back and find you all with the most recent news. DD’s head has just confirmed the yr12 not to be treated as an exam year and therefore online learning until 18th and in the same breath (text) stated ‘external exams for BTEC students due to take place the week of the 25th to still go ahead’.

I’ve emailed the head as to me one can not equal that other. Either they aren’t an exam year in which case no exams. Or they are, in which case they should be in school. I know the schools have it hard, I’m really not blaming them but I just can’t stand the thought of this year group being adversely affected even more than they already have been.

Dd college had already made plans for online learning first two weeks back for year 12 , with year 13 coming back after 1st week. Testing then to begin. So actually nothing has changed and we were prepped for this.

@Directionerforever they are stating that courses with exams or assessments are to come back earlier too for face to face. Perhaps same in other colleges/sixth forms and you could quote some examples to Headteacher?

To clarify year 12s with exams or assessments.

I await his response but I’ll be pushing hard on this one. And as a governor I’ll be ensuring it’s coming from the governing body perspective also.

We’ve had an email from the school today saying years 11, 12 BTEC and 13 back on the 11th with online learning from the 5th. Non BTEC year 12 (DD) back f2f on 18th and online learning from 11th (not the 5th as apparently this is not required for exam year students). I think the school are doing their best with ambiguous last minute communication from the government.

Thanks for your good wishes. DH had his operation yesterday, all good and home today. NHS is very good at hearts. Hope your DH gets a diagnosis soon Orange.

Re AS levels, most universities have not been that interested since linear A levels came in. For medicine it helps at QUB (they want 3 A levels + an AS) and Bart's use points. Cambridge have liked AS levels as they make predictions more credible, and that might be particularly relevant for this cohort as they have not done any "real" external exams. In 2017 63% was an A at AS and 55% was an A at A level, which is a lot lower than most subjects. Moderation of AS level has become difficult since the cohort size went down. I would buy the AS revision workbook and say that if DC gets more than 60% in the exercises they should feel confident about a good grade. Much under 50% it looks like a challenge to get a good grade. In between they need to look at whether the weak areas can be sorted.

Meant to say that I asked both DSs how they felt about 2020 and both said they had a great year. I had not anticipated that!