Corona Cohort Y12 into Y13, braving the storm of the third wave

[Monkey2001]

Supportive thread for parents of Y12 students going into Y13.

Previous thread - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/4240252-Thread-16-Corona-Cohort-Year-12-2021-Zooming-through-Summer-Term

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn Thank you and good luck for today's History result.

Bristol just added test dates in November if anyone looking.

@crazycrofter

I also have a year 11 and 13 next year. A delay to the exams would definitely help ds, who's got behind during lockdown 3. But it's a shame for them to miss out on their long summer.

And a blimmin nightmare for teachers, she grumbles to herself.

@Zandathepanda

Apologies to change the subject to covid. When your schools have a positive and lots of isolations, do they let others know? We used to have an email stating ‘there’s been a case in …. ‘ but now nothing. It’s led to lots of rumours about how many are/ who is isolating in Year 12 at the moment. It would be handy to be kept informed or, if they aren't going to tell us anymore, tell us they aren’t going to tell us! Especially now there’s no social distancing nor masks nor bubbles.

DS's school always does, mine never does...

Schoolsweek on Twitter blogged what Gav said. It was all very vague. Any reporting from that is really a LOT of extrapolation.

I am assuming the subjects that had reductions (eg GCSE Lit) will get those again and you can bet most subjects will get no mitigations.

When they originally altered exam dates last year it meant more time for some subjects (the big hitters such as GCSE English)but exactly the same timeline for any traditionally at the end as they really concertinaed them, so be careful what you wish for!

@Piggywaspushed

Most schools do have actual predictions and separate ( tend to be more generous) UCAS predictions and then also internal exam results. English will have NEA, too, so be careful about over interpreting exam results there.

That's an interesting subject combo! What does she want to study?

She got her English result today and got a A

She originally wanted to do a computing degree but has since changed her mind and wants to go down the English route, possibly journalism though she’s also interested in politics. Basically she has no idea what she wants to do 🤣

School have told her that their predicted grades will go towards uni applications rather than these exam results, I’m not sure how true that is. She’s not pleased she got a C for maths but feels by the end of next year a B will be a realistic target so hopefully she will get AAB.

Dd has been sent home today to isolate for ten days 😭, this is the 2nd time. I feel for those that have had to isolate many times. If this continues it would be very unfair for exams to go ahead as normal?

Thanks for all the replies. Seems like a mixed bag then for telling parents.

Lovemusic33 this is what has happened to my Uni daughter. She came straight out of another isolation to home to avoid it again. The rate at her Uni area is 1000 per 100000, much higher amongst students.

It is very much feeling what it was like on here before Christmas at the moment with the isolations. I really don’t know what a fair, or as fair as possible solution is with exams but have no faith that it won’t be a huge screw up.

Finally got GCSE certificates today.

We have just heard from the school so they are (belatedly) informing parents again. I think they are right to inform as life seems to be a series of risk assessments, and it’s useful for decisions.

DS's school still notify us of each case as far as I know, they had a positive LFT / negative PCR case last week and the whole school was informed. DD's school are either not informing us or still haven't had any....

DS has just been put into quarantine. Guitar exam cancelled and no speech day which he was very much looking forward to as he won a prize. Basically, term is over for him. I'm just gutted for him, he tries so hard and something always spoils things.

Oh shimy that really sucks. What did he won? Well done him.

If it's any minor consolation to anyone DS's school hasn't had a case for about 4 weeks now after loads of issues about 6 weeks ago and my own school has calmed back down after a large outbreak. I guess it's done with us now.

He won runner up for social entrepreneur of the year. Just spoken to him and he just sounds flat.

Oh no @Shimy what a shame for him , it’s so awful for them to miss out on the good bits of school, especially when they e worked so hard.

DS got his History back as a percentage but hasn’t been told what grade. It’s 75% which I think will end up being a B. He will be gutted about that as History was the only one he felt confident about. Apparently 62% was the average. We shall wait and see though. He’s currently playing a cricket match for school - only the second one they’ve managed to play since Easter! - so I’ll try and get some info from him when he’s home.

I’m so sorry to hear Shimy. Well done to him on his prize win but the premature school end just sucks.

Aww, @Shimy: your poor ds, that is so rubbish, especially when he has done so well and was going to have his moment in the sun being Mr Sugar! Well done to your dd too @Lovemusic33: I did English at uni and had journalism dreams for a short while: then I went and did work experience in a paper and decided I would HATE it! I have a mate who is an sub-editor for a daily paper and she adores it and it always sounds incredibly glam and important.

I feel like we are all really ready for stuff to Stop Getting Cancelled now: I know hospitalisations and deaths are creeping up again, but not in line with cases (from what I can see). I'm been cautious and sensible throughout, but I am definitely losing patience...
Case wise, school is still informing us of every case I think, but we still seem to be at a manageable level and my two haven't been too impacted.

Another one with a Y13 and a Y11 hoping for an early holiday next year: I really hope that they can make decisions faster than they have for the last 18 months and get clear on how they are handling the exams and content well in advance. But I realise this is extraordinarily unlikely given previous performance!

Oh, and another result for ds today too: Psychology and another A*: he is absolutely beaming: he's not confident in his own abilities at all (dyslexia and autistic) and it's giving him such a boost: fingers crossed for maths now...

Well done to all the kids getting As and A* - that’s amazing!

Dd apparently cried for 40 minutes of her history exam today 😬 A combination of not being able to answer the questions, stress over a friendship issue and upset that her acne is coming back. I think she’s ready for the end of term now!

Thanks everyone. Sometimes these things happen, I've told him to chin up and be glad it didn't happen in the middle of his exams or leading up to them when they were all revising and having classes.

Sorry to CrazyCrof's DD about the exams. I'm sure there will resits in the autumn. Hopefully she now has more direction on how to tackle History from her teacher.

@AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore Well done to your DS, fabulous!

I get an email to inform me of any cases across all year groups which usually highlights that ‘close contacts’ are now SI.
Thankfully, no full year groups so far and surprisingly latest ‘outbreaks’ have been in lower year groups
@Zandathepanda DD is not wearing a mask but is still in her year group bubble and as Yr13 have left is now in U6th common room
For those that unfortunately- for want of a better word - have DC self isolating, are they still able to access ‘live stream’ lessons from home ?

Really sorry to hear that Shimy, poor lad.

Proggy at DS’s current college yes he would be able to access live stream lesson, at his old school they aren’t able to I don’t think and the work is set for them on Google Classroom to retrieve .

Aww, @crazycrofter: your poor dd :-( I do think arts exams are much harder emotionally (sorry science bods!): the level of control and self organisation to structure an essay calmly is huge, unless you luck out and get a theme you are really prepared for. Top off with a massive dose of stress and hormones and it's a recipe for disaster! I do also think some kids aren't built for exams: ds suits exams, he likes calm and quiet and that's where he'll do his best. Put him in an environment that is hectic and sensory with multiple demands popping in (like, well, most modern workplaces!) and he's going to struggle. My sis always really struggled with exams - but is a brilliant people person and manages interpersonal relationships brilliantly, and is calm under pressure - much more valuable than the ability to visit up knowledge onto paper in 2 hour stretches imo!

Your poor DD Crazycrofter, it has been a rollercoaster of a year.