Exams cancelled 2

[Orangeblossom1977]

Started a new thread as last one is full.

It's so stressful for the pupils, teachers and parents, hope they come up with something reasonable which doesn't add further stress.

They have to announce it all on Monday surely. I'm guessing this year will one of the first to go back to school on 8th March if possible so the teachers need to know what's happening.

Honestly until there's a plan, I'd rather they stated at home. Coming in and mixing will only increase the chances of them bouncing out again - if they stay at home, they're still getting taught but we're not constantly fretting about the year group going.

I think something like they did last June (small groups in of 8) with the rest of it online would be better than them all in. I agree on the stress of 120 being sent home for a case...

I really can't see them going for rotas. I wish they would.

I totally agree MrsHamlet if they go back on the 8th there needs to be proper mitigations. The last thing anyone needs is the Hokey Cokey game. The in & out is more disruptive than being home. I’m very aware that is easy for me to say as my kids are good with online education and the school is great. I honestly think their learning has been pretty decent all things considered and not ‘that’ far from normality. What they do miss is sports and mates. Teachers and students need to know the plan on Monday regardless of when schools return.

There won't be mitigations, I'm sure of that. Schools are safe 🤦🏼‍♀️

I'd like us to be able to say mocks are this date. Stay at home til them so we know we can do them.

My 2 haven’t done mocks and I know that any will be like doing the real exams in their eyes. Like ever single test/quiz they’ve done since September has felt crucial. It all matters.
I’m not understanding the rush back to school. I don’t think exam years should be a special case either. Vulnerable kids are in and that’s what matters most surely. If anything the younger years being in makes more sense as online provision is trickiest for younger years and it would help parents work.
Roll on Monday so we know what’s happening.

Exam years need to be in, IMO, to get these assessments rolling.

If we wait till after Easter then that doesn't leave much time before the grades need to be sent off, and what then, if the exam groups end up needing to isolate?

Our Y11 mocks before Christmas were screwed because of a covid outbreak.

This drip feed of information is agonising isn’t it? So we hear on Monday about who might be going back to schools on the 8th then on Thursday next week the press are describing it as ‘plans for exams’ will be revealed. Teachers are campaigning against mini tests. Are exams off or on, am I reading too much into the press stories?

Next Thursday?! I was really hoping the announcement would be sometime this week - especially as the drip feed had ramped up and they clearly know what they're going to do. I think the drip feed is just to prepare people so they're not too reactionary when it's all announced. Read somewhere that they can't use the 2020 questions that weren't used so are asking teachers to use questions from 2017, 2018 and 2019. My DD has be doing past papers from these years for months now as part of her online lessons. Surely you'll have a whole group of kids that will already know they answers and be advantaged by that?

The summer 2020 papers were used in November. I assume the real November papers are in a warehouse somewhere.

My y10 and y11 did mocks in November and school have said they’ll do another set 2 weeks after schools reopen. I have said on a feedback form can they not just have a bit of time to settle back in and learn? It’s constant testing and we don’t even know exactly what for yet.
Homeschooling primary kids is torment I can imagine but by y10 and y11 they’re supposed to be doing it all independently which is a whole new skill set and requires discipline that students like my y11 ds don’t yet have and haven’t needed before as much at this stage.

My DD has been given a mock exam schedule starting on 9 March - the school are still having an inset day on the 8th! She had 1st set of mocks beginning of Dec but was isolating 2 weeks before due to contact with a positive case, the mock results were not all what we'd hoped. So now after weeks away from face to face teaching, they are throwing them straight into more mocks - can't see the point and think it's just adding to her anxiety and stress.

Never your poor dd. Do these kids not get a break? It’s punishing. At least y11 kids last year didn’t have to do anything else from when schools closed. This year it’s constant judgement in one form or another.

Where does it say about Thursday, @PettsWoodParadise? I haven't seen that? Was really hoping it would be Monday like everything else. I have a year 11 and it's getting ridiculous. No idea whether to revise, what to revise or when for!

I read this morning that they are planning on twice weekly lateral flow tests to enable them to go back. My DS (and me) have just had Covid so how on earth is that going to work as he will still show up positive on the Lateral Flow test? Is he not going to be able to go in until he shows negative.

And yes DS has been doing lots of past papers as well so it’s likely he would have done at least some of the questions if they are taking them off the past papers.

I’m sure they’d never use past papers!

They used past papers for DDs mocks - she found it funny she was doing the same exam DS took two years ago for his GCSEs- so would they use a different exam boards papers?

@ihearttc

I read this morning that they are planning on twice weekly lateral flow tests to enable them to go back. My DS (and me) have just had Covid so how on earth is that going to work as he will still show up positive on the Lateral Flow test? Is he not going to be able to go in until he shows negative.

DD wouldjave had lateral flow tests if she'd gone back in January (I thought it was a National thing) It wasn't compulsory, but if someone else on the year tested positive anyone who didn't test would be asked to self isolate. The families who had Covid over Christmas weren't too excited at the prospect of potentially having to self isolate again, but I guess that decision was made for them anyway.

@LynetteScavo

That’s ridiculous if he is going to have to do it and then isolate. I’ve been very pro lateral flow testing-I’m a TA and we do them in school but I’ve opted out when I go back after half term as I know it’s still going to show positive for up to 90 days. If he has to do it then isolate then he’ll be potentially isolating and testing for 3 months and not even make it into school at all.

@ihearttc they shouldn't do a lateral flow test on him for 90 days. Just inform the school. He won't be the only one.

www.bartshealth.nhs.uk/lateral-flow

Should I perform this test if I have had a positive COVID-19 PCR result in the last 3 months?
No. You should not do the LFD test if you have had a positive Covid-19 PCR in the last 90 days. The LFD may give a false positive result if you have recently had Covid-19.

@LynetteScavo

They used past papers for DDs mocks - she found it funny she was doing the same exam DS took two years ago for his GCSEs- so would they use a different exam boards papers?

No because different boards have totally different styles of paper.

@Cuddling57

Thank you! I have informed the school that he tested positive but unfortunately they have form for making daft decisions so hopefully they will be sensible and realise that he shouldn’t take it.