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Secondary education

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

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

986 replies

Monkey2001 · 20/06/2021 11:24

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

OP posts:
20newnames · 02/07/2021 07:15

Thanks piggy and heffer, that’s interesting to know. I wasn’t being awkward but just didn’t understand as I thought PCR tests were just for symptoms. Clearly they are being more widely used.

DS1 (20) doesn’t actually know where he was track and traced from, just that he has been given the date he has to SI until. He is working and it may well be a pub he has signed into. He does not have the app but manually signs in to pubs etc so difficult to tell.

EverythingDelegated · 02/07/2021 07:19

The letter we had from school about DD SI says you can get a PCR test but doesn't instruct you to. I'm going to talk to DD about it when she wakes up. She says it has been weird doing online learning when most of the students are still in school, in some of her classes she's been the only one SI so she can hear all the rest of them talking but can't easily join in unless someone asks her something specifically. She's supposed to go back Monday. Probably should have booked her in yesterday to make sure she's done on time.

Having said there have been no walk-in jab clinics here, they have now been announced for all over 18s.

Orangecinnamon21 · 02/07/2021 07:28

Last day of term for Dd! I'm glad ...feel like we are living in two worlds at mo. The world where everything is fine covid wise and looking forward to 'freedom' on 19th July and the one where whole bubbles are sent home from school!

SandyBayley · 02/07/2021 08:28

Track and Trace told DS1 to take a PCR even though he has no symptoms. He got one delivered and we dropped it in a 'priority' postbox.

Fiddlersgreen · 02/07/2021 09:01

@20newnames when you go to book the PCR it does say that you can get it if you’ve been in contact with someone who’s tested positive.
You can select that you have none of the symptoms and then you select that you’re a close contact of a positive case.
Test & trace advised us to get tested after DS2 came back positive because if it turned out we were also positive then we could reset our 10 days isolation whereas if we waited for symptoms then we would reset later on meaning we were isolating for a lot longer.
We were all negative so, of course, that could still happen, we are on day 6 of isolation now

Seeline · 02/07/2021 09:17

Sorry for everyone having to isolate Sad

DD breaks up next Wednesday - she is really our main risk of infection as DH and I work from home, and don't go out much apart from the supermarket. We have a week in Norfolk booked at the end of the next week so hoping any isolation will be over by then and that no-one actually catches anything. I collected DS from uni yesterday so that is another possible source.....

20newnames · 02/07/2021 09:58

Interesting. Track and trace told DS1 to test if he had symptoms only. It would be helpful if the advice was consistent. He is currently phoning me from his bedroom for room service far too often Grin so I’m very glad it’s only until Sunday!

EverythingDelegated · 02/07/2021 10:38

We've decided not to PCR unless symptoms develop, it would be a colossal PITA if we all had to self isolate next week as we all work/school outside the home and got various other things on (have already had to cancel lots this week) and the stories of people testing positive weeks after they were actually infected have rattled us. She will keep doing LFTs though.

EverythingDelegated · 02/07/2021 10:39

Dd reckons her contact was minimal too, 10 mins within 2m but not facing, not talking and both wearing masks.

AnneOfCleavage · 02/07/2021 11:54

Wow Fools and Orange you've broken up early. 23rd for us which seems aaaaages away.

We've seemingly dodged a bullet as DD volunteers on a Monday at a school but this week she emailed to say she had to go into her school as she has mocks coming up and her teachers were setting practice questions and she didn't want to miss out. Well that school have now closed early for summer as there's been a COVID positive case and if DD had gone in she'd be isolating and missing visiting Winchester tomorrow as well as mocks all next week. Phew!!

crazycrofter · 02/07/2021 13:32

Phew @AnneOfCleavage that’s a relief!

@Zebracat did you submit the access to Southampton form? It’s due at 5 today and DD’s head of sixth form has only just sent her the reference so I’ve had to complete it for her! (She did the personal statement but with me yesterday)

Orangecinnamon21 · 02/07/2021 17:17

@AnneOfCleavage

Wow Fools and Orange you've broken up early. 23rd for us which seems aaaaages away.

We've seemingly dodged a bullet as DD volunteers on a Monday at a school but this week she emailed to say she had to go into her school as she has mocks coming up and her teachers were setting practice questions and she didn't want to miss out. Well that school have now closed early for summer as there's been a COVID positive case and if DD had gone in she'd be isolating and missing visiting Winchester tomorrow as well as mocks all next week. Phew!!

I know ! In normal times I'd be looking for a (slightly cheaper) holiday to take advantage. I'm looking for next year around 10 July. What's the betting prices will be really expensive?!
NCTDN · 02/07/2021 20:37

I think I'm going to take dd to a drop in clinic and see if they'll do the jab at 17 and a half.
She's finished now till September Shock

Zebracat · 02/07/2021 22:21

@crazycrofter, we did it yesterday in a mad hurry because we were going out to eat, thought of better stuff to say once she’d pressed send! She wants to do History, what about yours?

crazycrofter · 02/07/2021 23:05

@Zebracat well done! Dd wants to do occupational therapy.

icanbewhatiwant · 03/07/2021 08:24

Ds is pleased his exams are over. Apparently they can use either these results or the results from the previous lot of mocks on university applications. I think they have people coming into school next week to talk about universities. Lots of your dcs know what they want to do next. At the moment ds still adamant he wants to do a degree apprenticeship. As I've said before I think that might be easier said than done. I will be glad when I know what he's doing. But I can just see us getting to next summer and Ds having nothing to do next.

Ds can concentrate on driving now exams are over. He's had so many lessons, but still won't come out practicing with me. He will drive to school though. But he needs to be going other places. But he refuses, he says it's too boring. He's also had 3 lessons in Norwich with the more experienced instructor, they have really helped. He won't drive me to Norwich for the lesson though (40 mins drive) I have to drive. I would prefer to keep having his lessons in Norwich rather than paying the local instructor as by the time he's driven to Norwich, on a straight road, he only gets 40 mins lesson in the city, then they have to drive home. The joys of living in the countryside! But it takes 3 and half hours out of our day to have the lesson in Norwich. So i have booked a few more once he's broken up for the summer. Then he will continue once a week with the local chap.

Ds never thinks what he is doing. I can't imagine him in charge of a car. He drove home last week, parked outside the house (on our own drive) he got out the car, got his school bag out the back, walked to the front door, I called out had he forgotten anything. No was the reply. The car engine was running....keys still in ignition, he was going indoors 🙈

EverythingDelegated · 03/07/2021 08:29

Cross with myself this morning, the Winchester Uni Open Day got split into virtual subject talks yesterday and the visit today, we signed up for both but weren't at home when the virtual sessions took place as we assumed they'd be recorded and available to watch today, but they aren't. Annoyed with myself as we could have rejigged yesterday if I had realised. I am getting a bit overwhelmed with it all, plus DD's 6th form college choices too and busy at work.

Bovrilly · 03/07/2021 09:50

The car engine was running....keys still in ignition, he was going indoors

I did this at work once, had no idea until it was time to go home and I couldn't find my keys. The engine was running until lunchtime when someone noticed, switched it off and handed the keys in to security 🤦‍♀️

Heifer · 03/07/2021 09:52

I'm sorry @icanbewhatiwant but that last sentence made me smirk, I'm hoping your driveway isn't on a slope like ours :-)

Heads up - Loughborough have their virtual open day today for anyone interested. DD loves the idea of Loughborough but the Biological Science course isn't her favourite as only focuses on Human Biology.

DDs school has emailed to say due to the high numbers of covid cases they are resuming on site testing at school next week - which is a little odd as they break up on Friday so only for 5 days, I'm guessing things must be bad. Not sure how often they are going to test. DD has been really good at testing twice a week at home, but I'm guessing not everyone has.

Fingers crossed we all manage to get to the end of the term without having to isolate etc. Sorry to hear about those that already are, hoping that your children aren't missing to many fun events.

Monkey2001 · 03/07/2021 10:15

@icanbewhatiwant we need a reaction button on Mumsnet for stories like that - classic! I think you should tell him that you will only give him a lift to Norwich if he drives. I keep reminding my DSs that I am giving up time to help them and they should be grateful - teenagers can be very self-absorbed.

@Heifer DS had already missed singing in a concert, after missing singing at a cathedral service last time he isolated. However, the general approach by kids here is that self isolating just means no school. It is so frustrating as we can see both sides - it is rubbish that 300 kids are supposed to SI because 2 tested positive, but because very few of them are self isolating, it is not being contained. We are saying no socialising, but his GF is rowing in a competition this weekend (although she is also part of the year isolating) and her mum, who is a teacher, has invited him to go with them to watch the competition. It is just not realistic to expect people to miss out on things they care about when bubbles are so big. When DS1's close friend tested positive we all felt it was different and he and his GF isolated properly in his bedroom with full room service

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 03/07/2021 10:56

but his GF is rowing in a competition this weekend (although she is also part of the year isolating)

Wow, hoicking up my judgy pants at that one!!

I think you are right though that most people think SI just means 'no school'. DS is very conformist, if that's the right term, and hasn't even gone out for his runs.

Piggywaspushed · 03/07/2021 10:59

heifer we had to do that at my school. It's some PHE people trying to prevent year group or school closures. It's horrible for the school so I hope they are prepared as literally about 10 testers turn up and the school has to organise everything else, including inputting data. DS1 made £150 out of it because we needed to employ emergency helpers...

crazycrofter · 03/07/2021 11:39

I finally got round to chasing DD’s provisional licence yesterday- when I tracked it via the option on gov.U.K. It said they were still waiting for her documents - I sent them second week of May! I tried ringing and web chat numerous times but couldn’t get through at all. What do I do?!!

Monkey2001 · 03/07/2021 11:50

@crazycrofter that is normal. They have a massive pile of post to be opened and scanned. It goes straight from "waiting for documents" to "despatched"

OP posts:
crazycrofter · 03/07/2021 12:22

Oh that’s good @Monkey2001, thanks!