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

It is fairly clear that these are attainments grades so a snapshot. What is annoying ( and I know my school plans to do this too) is that they have predicted grades too but don't automatically share those.

Anyway, my hissy fit has waned a bit having got him to log on to his Unifrog where they have secreted UCAS grades which are much higher.

Still irrationally annoyed the the history dept have given him an attainment grade lower than he has ever got mind!

I'm dreading DS's predicted grades coming out next week - he's been really struggling to get decent results in his exams but really wants to go to Uni's that expect AAB . I think he's going to be really disappointed.

Due to having tonsillitis, Dd only managed one mock. Three teachers moderated her essays and she got a good mark especially considering she was ill. So many yr12 are off isolating though so it is going to be difficult to assess as they have been told to do the mocks under exams conditions but at home. That may create some interesting anomalies methinks. I think they’ll end up doing more exams in September before the 4th/5th wave strikes.

Thanks @Monkey2001
I guess we are expecting a lot more competition from students who would have gone this year but might decide to take a gap year in the hope that everything will be back to “normal” by then

All of year 12 now isolating, sigh..... DS pointed out that the wording of the e-mail was amusing -

"Because we have been careful to establish separate bubbles all the other students in other years (except Year 8, Year 9, Year 10 and a small group of close contacts in Year 7 who are currently self-isolating) can continue to attend school. "

As years 11 and 13 have finished and this e-mail was to all of Y12, all that is left after those exclusions is some of Y7! It will be very quiet for the next week and a bit.

Sorry to hear of those having to self isolate and miss even more teaching and activities.

@Piggywaspushed that’s so annoying about grades

DD finished exams today thankfully. 2 week wait till ‘results day’.
Actual recording for Drama and Theatre Studies next week which is worth 30% of A level.

On a good news note DD had a sixth form music concert playing in the orchestra and singing in the choir this week. Was lovely to watch and DD just said how much she missed performing. Also 2 of the year 13s were off to Chichester to do music so DD is now back to considering uni applications as well as conservatoires.

Still no driving licence.

I feel like we’re waiting for the Covid hammer to fall - the brother of one of DSs close friends has Covid. The brother is in DDs year and various people have had to isolate (not her).

If DSs friend gets it then DS will have to isolate and then he’ll potentially get it and we’ll be isolating. And DD will not be impressed as she has a music exam
on 12th July…

Let’s hope no one else does get it!

@MirandaWest sounds like the Harry Potter Foe Glass, shadowy enemies all around! Hope you manage to escape it, at least until 12th July. I have told DS1 I don't want him to do any socialising until after his driving test on 13th July now, a personal protective quarantine. Think I should tell him to uninstall the covid app too!

@Monkey2001 I think that all sounds wise!

@Piggywaspushed I feel your pain re grades given. DD was given working at grade C in Biology at Christmas and April but has never acheived a C in any test (usually Bs with a couple of As).

She has just had her end of year Mocks results back:
A Psycology (2 marks off A*
A* PE
B Biology (2 marks off A).

So we are happy, relieved really as hoping the school will predict her an A in Biology and not the B they mentioned previously as they said she was working at a C! They are well know for being extra cautious.

Even the PE teacher has told me that she doesn't think she will be able to predict an A* as she doesn't know anyone who has ever acheived it and it's risky. I'm not sure what is risky about it. I know that hockey is notoriously hard to score highly on but she is acing her theory.

Sorry to hear about the those ill or isolating, Numbers are going up up up here on the Wirral I believe, more and more off school at the moment. We break up next Friday and fingers and toes crossed we make it until the end without testing positive or having to isolate.

Very sad to hear that DD is now starting on next years work. They have finished their exams, had another whole day on UCAS info, EPQ day but now nothing but normal lessons. I'm not sure what I expected them to be doing as I know it's hard due to covid but I did think they would have some fun.

Commiserations to everyone being forced to self isolate - what a drag, so close to the end of term.
We have been incredibly lucky, with no cases in either DC’s year groups at all this term.

Not surprised you’re tamping, Piggy - that history grade makes no sense! You may remember DD had a similar teacher for GCSE history; his last working at grade for her, post mocks, was a 5…when she got well into an 8 in the mock, and he actually ended up giving her an 8 for her CAG.
We’re having a similar but different issue with her geography exam results. The teacher has pulled out a grade boundary that suggests they virtually all got Ds (DD has been graded B, with excellent attitude to learning all year) but the published grade boundaries for at least 2918 and 2019 would suggest they would get Bs.
We won’t be any the wiser until reports arrive, which will be after term finishes next week. 😩

DD got A B in her other subjects, which she’s happy with.

@Heifer @Piggywaspushed: so frustrating to be in a situation where schools won’t predict with a little bit of generosity - especially this year when they’ve managed their studies in the most difficult of situations: I’m amazed there isn’t a bit of leniency in this context…

Hoping this is ok to say whilst so many are having a frustrating time, Ds got his report today with his exam grades and predictions and has been predicted straight A for UCAS. We’re all a bit in shock tbh: whilst we’ve known he’s been doing well I don’t think we’d really seen that coming. He hit A in all the exams except maths which was a high A, so I guess our school is maybe being a bit kinder than others… He’s certainly not had an easy school journey (dyslexia, ASD) it feels like he’s really come into his own this year.

Whilst it’s great he’s suddenly been hit with a wave of enthusiasm for ‘giving oxbridge a punt’: knowing how many kids and parents have been on project oxbridge for years I’m not sure he’s going to pull that out of the bag in a couple of months!! Im FAR too scared to even go on the MN oxbridge chat but I know there are a few other hopefuls on here: any suggestions for where on earth to start ?!?

Oh that 's great news!

What does he want to study?

Cambridge virtual Open Days coming up soon. (I assume Oxford too).

DS1 (20) has been track and traced today so has come home to isolate. He was at work when he got the text so grabbed some stuff and came over (he lives on his own so it would be harsh to make him stay on his own without food). According to the later track and trace phone call he only has to isolate until Sunday so his contact must have been a while ago. Thankfully we have space so he can stay pretty separate to us.

DS2’s report with predicted grades will be issued tomorrow. He got one mark off an A, then A and A in the exams so hoping for As and As in the prédictions as his school does them ‘on a good day’. We will soon find out!

Fantastic results Andwhen, good for bim.

Honestly, there may be some that have been Team Oxbridge for years, and good for them. My advice is to treat it like one of his 5 options (or 4 if medicine!) and go from there. Yes it they have a collegiate system, as do some other unis. Look at the course content first before institutions (Kingscote’s trick of anonymising is brilliant) and go from there, plus geography/size/city or campus if those are a major consideration too...distance isn’t so high on DD’s pecking order, so long as it’s not London!

@Piggywaspushed if it’s any consolation, my DDs department at her school, do not give A star ‘attainment’ grades in Yr12 let alone an A star UCAS predictions for performance at the end of Yr12 exams- even if they have ‘blasted the A grade percentage grade out of the water’
And this is for a subject that is often described as being ‘less competitive’ for Oxbridge as it attracts fewer applicants
@AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore Well done to your DS!
The Oxbridge Aspirants 2022 has settled into a really friendly place.
I’m on there as are others on this thread.
If I wasn’t so shite at copying links on my phone I’d post the link.
Do join us !

And my bubble has burst…. Bizarrely it is our PPA teacher who has tested positive, so 3 classes are now out but not their normal class teachers!

Now busy setting up a day of learning on Google Classroom for tomorrow.

@KingscoteStaff so sorry to hear that.
It’s really everywhere right now isn’t it

I'm so glad I'm not a close contact or poor DH would have to pick up DS from uni on Saturday all on his own - and it's a long drive!

Oh poo @KingscoteStaff . DS1 is back home but is SI after one of his housemates got a positive PCR. He's on day 5 and still getting negative LFTs, sent his PCR off today..,

Gah! @KingscoteStaff, here have a drink of choice !

I notice that some on here who are self-isolating are having PCR tests. Is that because if symptoms?

DS1 is isolating after being track and traced but the guidance says to test only if you have symptoms. (Or obviously if you have a positive LFT).

DDs school is asking everyone sent home to SI to do a PCR test including the whole of Yr 10. No symptons needed.

If it is via a school it is often requested. It's a recent change in guidance as they are trying to stop/spot asymptomatic transmission. Certainly one more boy in DS's economics class has tested positive.

Last day of term here for DS. Exam results and UCAS predictions in. He did really well in Further Maths, much better than a couple of the Maths papers weirdly. Physics has nosedived by around 10%.

Predictions are fine. I feel he could do with dropping an A level personally but don’t want to push him if he doesn’t want to. Tutor asked if he wanted to have a shot at Oxbridge as if so they could do with seeing if they can revise up one prediction so could maybe get him to sit an extra paper, He doesn’t know and looked really apathetic about it so hopefully he won’t try as loads of extra work on entrance exams. He agreed she could put him on the list as a possible but I think that was to keep her quiet!

Bit of a shame that his extra time wasn’t sorted before the last exams, be interesting to see if makes a difference in next set of exams. He also needs to decide if he wants to use a laptop.