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Secondary education

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

Original poster

General starting Y10 Sept 21, GCSE's 2023 thread

143 replies

Itsafouryearjourney · 12/08/2021 14:24

Don't think there is already a thread??

I think our cohort have an 'interesting' time ahead and would definitely like to hear how others are finding it along the way. Will they get told they have had no disruption (!?) so everything can be normal come 2023 exams? But more importantly how will they adjust and and thrive whilst coping with being 14/15 and all that that entails AND studying?

OP posts:
Silkiescatz · 11/09/2021 12:49

Ds has had his first week in y10. He is asd and was mute for past 6 months or so but has spoken in some lessons at school which is great. But he is only attending 6 gcse subjects out of 10 or 11. In talks with school and other schools via his ehcp and hoping for a solution, ideally want him in sciences, he wants to do triple and is amazing at science but they have said as he is sn he has to go in middle set combined again despite getting projected 3x9s in results in y8. He is refusing all the science lessons now as they said before was just for a year. Trouble is the head of science is as awkward as ds. All good fun. One in y11 as well.

TracyBeakerSoYeah · 11/09/2021 16:39

@Silkiescatz that sounds awful not letting your son do triple sciences because he's SN regardless of the facts he predicted 9s for GCSE.
He has ASD not impaired intellect.
Surely the head of science is being discriminatory as on his reasoning he wouldn't have let Stephen Hawking do triple Science due to him having extra/sn.

RueDeWakening · 11/09/2021 18:26

DD has only been in for 3 days, but is delighted with her timetable so far - she has music or art on 8 of the 10 teaching days per fortnight, and PE on the other two. Though she was unhappy to find that PE was still compulsory even though she didn't pick it as an option :o

Homework has ramped up considerably, first French vocab test is on Monday, and homework to do for physics, chemistry and art for early next week too.

My middle one with ASD started year 7 on Monday (different school) and has had a great first week thank goodness, such a relief!

Hellocatshome · 11/09/2021 18:28

I wish DS's school would give them some bloomin homework. He has hardly ever had any all the time he has been there, I thought they might start year 10 and start to be expected to knuckle down and get some homework done but none set so far.

Silkiescatz · 11/09/2021 19:44

Thanks Tracy Yes they are being discriminatory and the LA has been in to tell them that several times but they have no power as its an academy. Been through the complaints route in y8 and it just went dead in school so went to Dept of Education who called in Ofsted and school got downgraded 2 grades and I thought that would be it solved but nope its happened again. So on the complaints route again and with Head atm. But if Head does nothing, there's not much you can do even though in theory its not legal. But I finally have an EHCP for him after 3 years of fighting for one but that slows down a school move as it now goes via LA. I think the Head wants him in triple but there is a shortage of science teachers. Will find out next week.

Mumsafan · 13/09/2021 13:39

DD started year 10 last week. Triple Science, 2 English 2 Maths French Drama and Music. There are only 2 of them doing Music and she is far more advanced than the other one, and already helping him out. I don't want her spending all her time doing that though.

MayBlossom · 14/09/2021 15:57

So far so good with DD's first week back. Seems happy with her (limited) option choice and the teachers she has this year. She is particularly happy with a different Geography teacher having spent three years with an "awful" one (her words not mine and awful as in lazy). Despite the school warning at option choice time there would be limited opportunity to change subjects in Year 10 it would appear that several students are actually doing this - one of DD's friends wants to change from German (too hard) to Latin and from RS (too boring) to Geography.

sproutsandparsnips · 14/09/2021 22:17

DS has today informed me that he can do another subject, by fast tracking triple science. He is keen to do this but worried it may be too much! He would do RS or geography.

spiderlight · 15/09/2021 16:39

Hi - can I join in please? Mine has been back just over a week, wants to change one of his options (finding out tomorrow whether he can) but it's all going OK apart from that. He also has had no homework yet (and very little ever) - I wish they'd set some, just to get him into the habit of working outside school hours, or revision will come as a horrible shock later on!

Biking0077 · 15/09/2021 21:23

My DD has just moved up into year 10, unfortunately it’s such a big school they have just reshuffled everyone and she literally has no friendly faces in any of her classes. She’s gone from a positive resilient child in the last 3yrs to crying after school every day since last week Sad I’ve now contacted the tutor to see if anything can be done. They have multiple set classes in the same stream where she had upto 10 other friendly faces she could have been grouped with but hasn’t been - we aren’t sure if it’s just very bad luck or her option combo. It does feel like they are literally just numbers in a system and expected to suck it up but I’m hoping they can find some movement in the classes or her confidence is going to be in tatters by Xmas.

Tiggles · 15/09/2021 22:43

@silkiescatz that is appalling. Your poor DS.

My DS is feeling proud of himself as he has gone up to set 1 in lots of subjects. This is his 3rd secondary school so I am never really sure anymore how academically able he is as it takes him a whole to settle and get going. now we just need to crack actually doing some homework when it isn't actually set.

Silkiescatz · 20/09/2021 00:47

Thanks Tiggles Well done to your DS in getting into set 1s. Head sided with me so now DS is in triple science top set and said any issues with them can go straight to her. So sticking with school for ehcp.

He is starting to speak in lessons and going in happily, he is top set everything now though not sure what grades he will get as he does not write at all. He is very clever. Now his y11 sister is covid positive, sure Dh and i have it to but ds is holding out atm. Hope everyone had a good weekend.

minisnowballs · 20/09/2021 09:25

Ouch Silkiescatz - hope you all recover fast.... and well done to Tiggles' son.

DD1 has gone into Year 10 with a spring in her step so far, though is finding the requirement to show lots of people round (in-person Open Days, and she's a prefect) takes her out of lessons a lot. Lack of a current head of music (issues with recruitment I think) is showing a bit so I'm grateful she does most of that after school, but everything else seems fine.

Silkiescatz · 21/09/2021 01:20

Thanks Mini and glad things are going well for your DD.

MayBlossom · 21/09/2021 15:10

Thankfully we got the notification from school yesterday that all parents' evenings at DD's school will continue to happen remotely. Several friends were told by their DCs' schools at the end of the summer term that this would be happening but we heard nothing until yesterday. DD also very happy as used to hate being talked about sitting in real life in front of her teacher(s) and would fidget like mad.

minisnowballs · 21/09/2021 15:51

Remote parents evenings are about the only good things I've found to have come out of the pandemic (that and the fact that my older daughter has learned to cook because she was so bored!) Hope our school continues them as well.

MrsChinamano · 21/09/2021 15:54

Hi all,

Id like to join if that's ok?
I see a lot of your teenagers are doing GCSE's for three years, wow! Do you think this helps reduce pressure of adds it to by starting earlier? x

elkiedee · 21/09/2021 19:35

@Silkiecatz great news on triple science and Head's support for this

DS1 has only just started most of GCSE options including Sociology which is a new subject rather than a continuation. But in spite of everything his cohort actually started on the GCSE Science curriculum in the middle of last year - I emailed about a scheduled test at a time when everything was up in the air and was told it was postponed until they were all back in school from lockdown, but that they'd really covered all the KS3 work so were beginning the GCSE syllabus anyway. As my sons' school is not really the choice of pushy parents (though I think that some kids can do just fine there) and the last two years have been very testing for everyone, this was great news.

MissPeregrine · 21/09/2021 21:28

Can I join.

DS seemed to enjoy his first week back, although this week he’s started with an attitude, hopefully it’s just the settling back in attitude as he’s hardly seen anyone during the summer holidays.

He quite likes most of his subjects and loves some of his teachers but one subject he’s not sure about still.

Will hopefully get to through to the end of October without any drama!

MissPeregrine · 21/09/2021 21:32

I think I just have one of those dc who won’t ever thoroughly enjoy the school experience tbh.

Since starting secondary it’s been hard.

I’m under no illusion that it’s suddenly all going to click in Y10.

Biking0077 · 22/09/2021 11:27

I’m been impressed the school have actually been working with my DD over the last week to move her timetabled groups for the key subjects. She had been moved away from all her friends when they mixed up the year group and had gone from positive engaged child to very unhappy disillusioned in a week of lessons with literally no one she knew. Hopefully the new timetable will kick in tomorrow.
I hope others are settling into year 10 ok and the homework doesn’t start to get overwhelming again…

Saisong · 22/09/2021 11:47

Oh good thread, will be following all your Y10 experiences alongside our own.

DD seems settled so far, she has an amazing group of friends which above all else has made her secondary years successful, at least mentally. On top of the compulsory 5 she has opted for History, Geography, German and Astronomy (mostly because of the star gazing field trips and midnight jaunts Grin). She could also be invited to take triple science in Y11, but it's unlikely.

Her biggest win so far is getting a much better maths teacher - Y9 was a bit of a disaster in that respect. She says she's learnt/understood more in the last 2 weeks than all Y9!
Biggest fail has been her damn school shoes still rubbing (school is a mile walk away). She has the oddest feet so this time I took her to an independent specialist shoe shop, but it is still a problem. Just hope they wear in soon Sad

minisnowballs · 22/09/2021 11:51

Welcome everyone - amazed by the astronomy option - that's SO cool... mine would definitely have wanted to pick that. Saisong we are with you on the rubbing shoes. Mine is still walking the mile to school in trainers and changing at the gate.

3 year GCSE? I think it works for some children - and certainly in a pandemic it was reassuring to know they'd started some things a bit earlier. Miss Peregrine (great user name!) I hope the attitude dies down a bit - but I can see that school is not for everyone - i certainly didn't enjoy it until sixth form!

MissPeregrine · 22/09/2021 19:37

@minisnowballs thank you! Think Eva Green was DS’s first crush!

I hope that DS will eventually find his way. He seems to have a good week and then it goes downhill. Always riding the wave!

Hope he finds his way eventually. Always good to know that there is hope, thanks for sharing your experience.

Silkiescatz · 24/09/2021 02:21

Thanks Elkiedee

Ours are officially 2 year GCSEs but in reality some subjects, mainly the core ones, start before, especially for children in the top sets. I think at the moment that is a good thing with all the disruption.

DS is still covid free. DD has now done her 10 day isolation for covid and back in school first day yesterday and also saw a friend (who had covid same time) after school and she is now looking OK. Not completely well but managing school work and a bit of socialising. I think she also did work whilst she was off sick.

DS is speaking in school which is great after being mute there for 6 months and apparently they are getting lots of his views. He is still not going to science lessons, we are not entirely sure why, but in his 8 other GCSEs. Not doing homework but there's a minimal amount of that and largely repeats the lessons and he tends to learn fast. Don't think he is writing which is a worry as there's a lot to remember for exams but he is making progress and going to school happily.

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