Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

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

Original poster

Starting Year 11 GCSE 2021 Thread 2

481 replies

indy69 · 04/01/2021 15:19

Just continuing on from thread one. Let's support each other through these difficult times. Here is the earlier thread. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3653238-Starting-Year-11-GCSE2021-title-edited-by-MNHQ

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
PettsWoodParadise · 04/01/2021 20:57

So what does 'End-of-year exams will not take place this summer as normal' mean? Some exams, no exams, remote exams, changed exams??? More uncertainty for our DCs. Motivation took a nose dive ages ago for DD and this really won't help.

ScrapThatThen · 04/01/2021 21:00

We had mocks part 1 in Nov but half the cohort took them while at home isolating, which made it obvious that exams can't go ahead and be fair (even though I wish they could). Dd1 was in last years gcse cohort and her A Level maths cohort are not finding it easy having had such a gap - so I am telling dd2 who wants to do further maths that she is going to need to buckle down still and then plan some serious A level bridging work (dd1 worked through bridging text books for all her subjects and has made a good start to the year).

finisterreforever · 04/01/2021 21:05

DS has just told me he feels like the last 5 years of his life has been wasted working towards something he now won't be doing and that he won't get the grades he deserves. He's very emotional and this is not like him at all. I am so scared for him tonight.

ineedaholidaynow · 04/01/2021 21:13

DS seems ok at the moment, but he was worried about going into school so is happy that he will be having remote lessons.

LynetteScavo · 04/01/2021 21:46

Has there been any mention about taking exams next Autumn. DD because overwhelmed in once of her mocks didn't write anything and just cried, which is really out of character for her. She really doesn't want her final grade to be based on that mock and is hoping she can take an actual exam at some point.

Stormer · 04/01/2021 22:26

DD also wanted to do exams. I wanted her to as well, if only for the exam practice before A Levels. She was so anxious in the lead up to her mocks and now they’re over, one of the positives was knowing at least they weren’t the end product and could be used as a platform to learn from and improve for the real thing. Now that has gone (probably). DD feels flat. Our poor kids.

Blubell46 · 04/01/2021 23:19

I agree with you all...my ds has gone to bed upset...he is worried . His school had exams in September to see what gaps there were and he was hoping to improve in his January mocks but since he won't be going back into school till feb. Am not sure what will happen.

I don't won't any online mocks since the results may not be the true reflection of all the kids.

He is worried that he only concentrated on the subjects he liked but now wants to do well in all his GCSEs and is now worried he can't do well and they will use the September results.

I am sure they won't but am keen to find out how they will be graded?

oxydrive73 · 04/01/2021 23:58

I just hope that is not school done for them, exams will be what they will be, they can be predicted or retaken. I'm more worried about my DS having nothing to do all year.

ineedaholidaynow · 05/01/2021 00:00

I assume children in Scotland haven’t given up as their exams were cancelled some time ago. I assume there will be some form of assessment so they need to keep going

NotDonna · 05/01/2021 00:09

Our (once only) mocks were due this week but were then pushed along to the following week so that testing could be done prior. Now these are cancelled. So like many of you, it’s tricky to see where the school will get their evidence from. We all know they have data and can give decent predictions but I’m guessing it’ll be ‘evidence’ that’s the issue. I’m not sure how this ‘evidence’ can work anyway given schools for different mocks, at different time, with different marking boundaries. Nothing is standardised.

PettsWoodParadise · 05/01/2021 00:11

Oh and the bits I am reading about being able to use what would have been study leave or finishing in early July to catch-up wasn’t well received in our household by DD. Will they make them go on until usual dates near end of July?

Still so many questions

NotDonna · 05/01/2021 00:15

Oh that’s a really good point pettswood I hadn’t thought of the 3 week extension.

TeenPlusTwenties · 05/01/2021 07:01

Oh hell.
DD not being in school or having been doing schoolwork at all, I was relying on getting her up to speed for June.

LynetteScavo · 05/01/2021 07:06

So many questions.

As an adult I don't mind what happens (well I do!) but I can happily cope as long as I know what will happen. I really feel for kids who have been left up in the air. I don't ever want to hear the government say they care about mental health ever again Angry

Blubell46 · 05/01/2021 07:26

This is a nightmare...my dh heard on the radio this morning that some of the exams will be cancelled....does that mean not of all of them? Which one?

This just creates more questions....

ineedaholidaynow · 05/01/2021 07:42

BTECs are still going ahead I think

Blubell46 · 05/01/2021 07:51

@ineedaholidaynow

Thank you.

Bacter · 05/01/2021 07:59

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Bacter · 05/01/2021 08:00

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

ComplexNeeds · 05/01/2021 09:25

I feel for you @teenplustwenties and your DD!!
DD1 is A level but she’s just not getting the grades at the moment due to similar issues as your DD. Sounds odd but June/july exams were keeping her going. I’m not sure how school can assess her. I don’t think she’ll get the grades needed for uni via teacher assessment. They ‘know’ she can get them if she was her usual self but they won’t have the evidence. She’s v upset.

Titsywoo · 05/01/2021 10:25

DD had a biology lesson on teams this morning - the teacher said the first they heard about exams being cancelled was when we did with Boris' announcement so I expect it will take them a while to get themselves sorted. DD has been told to carry on as if nothing has changed. All her friends have said they are not going to bother learning anymore - hopefully that is just teenage bullshit. There is a big risk of a lot of kids disengaging totally at this point..

ineedaholidaynow · 05/01/2021 10:28

Gavin is meant to be telling the Commons what the plan is tomorrow

finisterreforever · 05/01/2021 10:33

@ineedaholidaynow

Gavin is meant to be telling the Commons what the plan is tomorrow
I will wait with baited breath for their latest genius composition.
ineedaholidaynow · 05/01/2021 10:41

I'll probably just throw something at the tv!

finisterreforever · 05/01/2021 11:07

@ineedaholidaynow

I'll probably just throw something at the tv!
Me too. That or find another bit of sarcasm about their abilities.