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Secondary education

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

Original poster

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

999 replies

Oblomov20 · 07/12/2020 09:42

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.

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crazycrofter · 09/12/2020 13:19

@pasanda that’s great news about your Dd and it sounds like concentrating on two subjects is definitely the way to go! I hope she’s on an upward trajectory now.

I’m glad to hear it’s not just my ds (although worried to hear it continues into the uni years!). Every so often I get lulled into a false sense of security, thinking maybe he’s maturing, only to be brought up sharp by a ping on the behaviour points system or a call from the head of year!

Loads and loads of covid cases in schools here, years 9 and 10 are out at DD’s school. I feel we must be the luckiest family in our city to have avoided any self isolation so far. Some kids have had 2/3/4 lots or more..

FoolsAssassin · 09/12/2020 13:28

That’s really good news Pasanda. Think it’s sensible to concentrate on the 2 and she’s done really well to get an A.

TheySeeHerRowling I don’t want to answer your question, just in case! Just had an email about term dates and winced when I saw college in my email box.

Didn’t bother to write the end of summer term 2022 in as realised he wouldn’t be there by then so have now filled in all the term dates I ever will 😮

ealingwestmum · 09/12/2020 13:31

That’s a lovely update Pasanda, good for her for working it all out.

icanbewhatiwant · 09/12/2020 13:45

@TheySeeHerRowling as far as we know there's only been one case in our secondary (year 9) the other local secondary hasn't had any and neither has our village primary. I am sure it won't stay that way. 🤞 🤞

sandybayley · 09/12/2020 13:52

@pasanda - so pleased to hear your update. It sounds really positive that your DD is making choices that are good for her.

icanbewhatiwant · 09/12/2020 17:27

I have found a local driving instructor free. I think he's a new instructor. So I've booked ds some lessons until the original chap we booked can fit us in. I did tell this new instructor it was only for a month or so. So hopefully ds will get on ok. He's wanted to learn drive for so long. So I'm pleased.

pasanda · 09/12/2020 20:18

Good plan to get lessons booked. Dd is 17 in February and I booked her lessons at the end of October and I'm glad I did as he said he was so busy! Her first lesson is a few days after her birthday- she thinks she'll be hungover the day after! HmmGrin

Piggywaspushed · 09/12/2020 20:36

DS seems to have eventually decided to drop Spanish. This is after a conversation with his economics teacher who said how good he was (whilst doling out special extra work to his two favourites!) and a lovely email from his history teacher and a phone call home from his sociology teacher. I do think the world of sociology needs more economists, and vice versa, to be fair!

Looks like Spanish missed a trick there!

The history was his lowest result but the Spanish seems to worry him more in terms of the jump from GCSE.

icanbewhatiwant · 09/12/2020 20:47

@pasanda yes I booked ds's lessons back in July. But as we had a month of lockdown the instructor wiped his diary just before ds started. He's told me no spaces until next year. I know he's a bit behind but I was hoping he'd book ds in. Luckily I've found someone else on Facebook. But not sure if he's any good. But I guess something is better than nothing.

pasanda · 09/12/2020 21:13

Ican- sounds v annoying. But good you have found someone else.
I have a friend who's son was just randomly dropped by his instructor a month before his test Confused
So frustrating.

icanbewhatiwant · 09/12/2020 22:12

The instructor is obviously behind after 4 weeks off. But ds was booked with him for 2 of those weeks anyway. So you'd think he'd only miss 2 weeks. But apparently 6 weeks or so until he has space. Never mind.

crazycrofter · 09/12/2020 22:15

Glad a decision has been made @Piggywaspushed. History is also DD’s lowest mark at the moment, but I’m hoping she will get the hang of it soon.

FoolsAssassin · 09/12/2020 22:22

Good he’s reached a decision Piggy

Email today, DS now online from home for the 18th.

Heifer · 10/12/2020 07:46

@Piggywaspushed - I'm bet you're pleased he has finally chosen. Spanish seemed to have problems from the start!

DD is crawling along to next Wednesday when she break for Christmas. She has been working so hard, really doing well but I've noticed that now we are in Tier 2 and she can meet her friends that she is spending much more time making plans, planning meals out, outfits to wear, hairstyle, makeup, birthday, Christmas, so not as much school work is being done. I'm hoping it's a phase and she gets back onto the work soon. She is doing everything she needs, but has definitely cut done - although I can't blame her really.

She has booked a meal out in Liverpool on her birthday with friends. They have booked 2 tables of 5, although won't be together and they know they can't interact. It's a really grown up place, so it's her 1st proper out out in town! Has arranged to borrow her older friends ID for the evening. This is earlier than I had anticipated, but as no one can have parties her yr group have now started going out rather than to each others houses. We will pick her up after so at least she doesn't have to catch the train home at night.

Apparently we will get a report grid before she breaks up - not a full report, it will just show effort grade, and where she is. She is hoping for all A in Biology, A in PE and A in Pyscholoy (and will be bitterly disappointed if she doesn't get it) I think it will be a B in Biology as she has had a couple of Bs in tests whereas the others subjects have been A & As. It's been nice for DD to get these grades as at GCSE she did well with mostly 7s, couple of 6s,and a couple of 8s in her best subjects. Some of her friends got all 8 and 9s so she always felt she could have done better.

Fingers crossed for a SI free Christmas - and hopefully into the new year too..

Had to lol at those of you who said your DS didn't really have much of a Christmas list - that is NOT a problem we have here! not sure if a girl thing - but DD has been sending me pictures of stuff for ages!

It's great to see some new names on here, and some familiar names returning :-) Great news for those that have decided what subjects to drop and are feeling better for making the decison.

AnneOfCleavage · 10/12/2020 09:25

Yes what is it with History. DD got a 9 at GCSE and always got all her topics but at A level (and having two teachers each doing different topics) she is finding it so so hard. We are having to buy her text books and read up and [try to] explain at the weekends. She has two tests coming up as both teachers have decided to do one and this will be the first ones she's had for History so looking forward to a report soon but dreading her grade as she'll be so demoralised if it's low.

Hope your DD has a very happy birthday Heifer - we are in tier 2 too but don't have any restaurants with outdoor seating to do any meals out with friends so DD is gutted about that. Hope her older friend looks like her on the ID card Wink

Well done on your DS making a decision on his choices Piggy. Sociology, history and economics are great choices.

I'm now wondering if I should get in the queue with a driving instructor although DD is summer born so no immediate rush but worried she may get back logged. She's had some under 17 driving lessons so will use that same instructor if we can but was meant to have some this summer but didn't has instructor so busy catching up so it's been aaages since she's driven a car. Hopefully it's like riding a bike and will come flooding back.

FoolsAssassin · 10/12/2020 09:36

Anneofcleavage I would ring around. DH has been on list since about May or June 2019 and still not been able to start as instructor so busy and backlog from lockdown.

MirandaWest · 10/12/2020 09:51

@Heifer I also have 15 year old DD who is much better at presenting me with a list (to be fair to her the list has mostly small things on Smile)

frustrationcentral · 10/12/2020 09:57

Hi everyone, just checking in..
DS has been self isolating since last weekend as his dads family have all tested positive. Touch wood DS has been fine and is allowed out from tomorrow! College have been great, he's been joining lessons virtually. The college have chosen to do virtual lessons from tomorrow until the end of term so that means DS won't now be back in college until next month

Driving lessons haven't managed to start yet, 3 lessons cancelled so far and counting...

AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore · 10/12/2020 10:00

Yikes: thanks for the warnings re driving instructor and advance booking everyone: ds is resisting the idea of learning to drive at the moment, and in denial about next year's birthday, but maybe I need to force his hand ;-)

DS came home with his GSCE cert finally last night. No fanfare, no prize giving... : he wasn't bothered, just happy to see the grades all official ... but I'm a bit grumpy with school on his behalf!

AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore · 10/12/2020 10:01

@MirandaWest: my 14 yo dd is the same: she sends lists with links included ;-)

crazycrofter · 10/12/2020 11:05

We’ve had a report card with those ALIPS (?) grades, which not very helpfully for Dd are 3 x A star, plus ‘expected grade’ and latest graded assessment.

Her RS and Psych expected grades are A* and A which is great but she’s got a C for history! This was always her best subject and she didn’t think she was massively struggling. Anyway, parents evening is tonight so we can ask....

Seeline · 10/12/2020 12:10

General update before breaking up on Friday thank goodness

MAnaged to get through without any isolating for DD bar two separate days while we were waiting for test results - negative. Only two instances of cases in her year with a group of 10 and a group of 15 I think being sent home, so not too bad.

After her ALIS testing at the beginning of the year, DD was concerned about the slowness of her handwriting, and the fact that if she tries to write quicker her word order gets muddled. Something she had been worried about for a while - but never mentioned to us, or spotted by her previous school. She went and had a chat with the SEND team, who carried out various tests, and have now said that she needs to be using a laptop for classwork and exams!

We came to dead end with dropping the 4th A level, as she couldn't decide which one to get rid of! She has more formal exams in Feb, with the possibility to drop one after that, so hopefully things will be clearer for her then.

Hope everyone poorly is feeling better soon, and those self isolating escape catching anything. Here's to a virus free Christmas!

TheySeeHerRowling · 10/12/2020 13:23

Uh oh, dd2 (y11) is considering History for A-Level so this is all a wee bit concerning

Having said that, I did History A-Level and my marks in the first term were all C-ish - it was around Feb or March that I started getting As

Same for my friend

Perhaps some things truly never change

crazycrofter · 10/12/2020 13:46

@theyseeherrowling hopefully we'll all come back in May/June and tell you that our kids' history marks have shot up! Good to hear that happened to you anyway!

TheySeeHerRowling · 10/12/2020 13:48

My fingers are crossed for you, crazycrofter and all y12 History parents