General starting Y10 Sept 21, GCSE's 2023 thread

[Itsafouryearjourney]

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?

Ah dear ds has covid. Hope they sort lessons for him at home. Not that he looks capable of concentrating at the moment but I'm sure he will be able to by the end of his isolation.

Sorry to hear that Tiggles We have all got/had it recently except DS, DD was wiped out with it but did manage to keep up with school work. Hope your DS isn't too ill with it and the rest of you manage to escape it. DD knows more kids with it than without it atm though she does know the kids who socialise a lot. Their vaccines have been cancelled as well though DD became ineligible for cancelled date as a 4 week gap needed.

Getting DS a desk and swivel chair today, doubt he will use it to do any work on but at least we have tried. It'll probably become his rabbits seat. He does like to swivel though, doubt its enough to motivate him to work.

Sorry to hear that some kids aren't well and/or are having to isolate. Ours have been ok so far this term, touch wood, but I'm very aware that this may not last - they were back working from home before the end of the summer term last year.

DS1 went to his rescheduled Duke of Edinburgh award scheme expedition this week, and seems to have had a great time, came home yesterday tired but cheerful. He had 5 bowls of cereal for his late breakfast (usually only 4!). Very glad I pushed him a little into this - he wanted to drop out at one point but then when we went to an online Q&A session for parents on it, one of DS1's best friends was sitting with his mum and asked a question, so I was able to go back and tell him his mate was going. In the end, one of his friends has just moved to another country but literally everyone else he's ever mentioned seemed to have gone, so DS1 got to have a camping trip and spend most of 2 days with all his mates, with support and backup from school. Can't be bad, but I was really happy for him as I know that even with his strong social networks lockdown was a tough time for him and them all. I'm resisting the temptation to say "told you so" to him about persuading him not to drop out.

So many kids in ds year now have covid the whole Yr group are back to online learning. So hopefully he won't miss out too much, although not entirely sure he will be up to full school days.

Sorry to hear covid rife again in some schools and affecting your children. So far high schools here - semi-rural NW - are not having as many cases as we thought they would get when they went back. Primary schools are another matter so probably won't be long before it does get rife in high schools again sadly. On another matter I am pleased DD gets a school bus as I don't think I'll make it to the end of the week with the fuel I have left in my tank and all filling stations in the nearest town are now empty. Bus companies have their own fuel supply I am told, rightly or wrongly, so DD should carry on getting in to school.

How is everyone getting on now that term is well underway?

We had a bit of an ‘incident’ this weekend. DD went to a friend’s house yesterday afternoon to ‘hang out’. Turned out it was 6 of them from her year group, no parents at home. And they opened a bottle of vodka.

I could smell it on her when she got home. She gets up early for school anyway. But I have made her get up even earlier this morning to do piano practice.

Am at a bit of a loss as to know what else to do. I was also in Year 10 at school when I started doing things like this occasionally - unbeknown to my parents. I have given her a talk about safety (she came home on the bus on her own, no way would we have let her do that if we had known she had drank any alcohol). She seems quite sheepish about it all.

Hi can I join this thread? My DD2 is in Year 10. She had her covid jab the other day.

Wrinklyeyes that's a tough one, I have no advice sorry. Good luck and hopefully she's been put off for a while?!

Welcome along BlueMarigold.

DD has a note to say she didn't do a piece of music homework last week - she got caught out by the printer misbehaving when she was trying to print out art homework the night before it was due (obvs!) so ran out of time and forgot about it. Not the end of the world at this stage, but I don't know how to encourage her to keep on top of things - she won't listen to parents, naturally! I think it's going to be a long two years...

wrinklyeyes that’s a tough one to deal with especially getting the bus home whilst under the influence would be more of an issue with me than trying out the vodka. I think it’s something they all do at some point but a serious discussion about personal safety when maybe they have done something is critical. My DD went to a beach birthday in the summer and I preempted it by saying that if any one pulls out a bottle of vodka you have a choice about taking part or even ‘faking’ a swig but if she felt uncomfortable just text or call me and I’d get her no questions asked. All went ok and i don’t think anyone actually did but by pre-empting the situation we had a proper chat before she went. She barely socialises out anyway as she’s so driven by sports training but unfortunately I think it goes on far more in her wider social group than she’s party to.

Sorry I think i could be misconstrued there I didn’t condone under age drinking at all but realise at some point she is going to be out in the position where she’s tempted or peer pressured to take part but what to do in that situation.

@SkiRun0077 they are at such funny age. Depending on friendship groups they vary a lot in what they get up to. DD knows children her age that like to play with dolls (do their hair etc) and others that like to dress up older and go out in town in the evenings. Such a big difference!

Yes I agree @BlueMarigold I have a younger daughter too so my 14yr is really happy sitting watching peppa pig as much as Married at first sight . But she’d be horrified if her friends found out 🤣about peppa

There’s had been a big split in her friendship group in the last year as well. Those that are obsessed by image make up and boys / going out and those who aren’t. My daughter is very sporty so spends many hours training so that’s her focus at the moment but it does mean she’s quite comfortable sitting talking to teenage boys at her club in gym or swim kit which I think it’s quite nice as it’s great social skills to develop but without the dating pressure. I did catch her gently flirting with the 16yr lifeguard though made me take stock that she’s really starting to grow up.

@SkiRun0077 I think quite a few secretly watch Peppa Pig and they don’t have the excuse of a younger sibling to blame it on! Right now my DD is trying to sort out a costume for a Disney villain themed Halloween costume. They are going to watch Disney films and make cup cakes.

Well done to your DS for doing the DoE Elkiedee

Wrinklyeyes That's tricky with the vodka but I think you did the right thing talking to her and pointing out dangers. My y11 DD is very sociable and goes to parties and is starting to ask questions about drinking for first time so suspect its being offered or talked about at least. Just told her to be careful as you are quite vulnerable then and would prefer she didn't drink it. DS only socialises with his rabbit and his chickens so no vodka issues with him.

Not too much going on here. DS is going to 8 lessons, worth 9 GCSEs but still not in any science lessons and wants to take physics A level. But he is talking there again a lot and going in happily so some progress. Don't think he is doing any homework but no change there but they don't get much and that's largely repeating classwork which he learns fast. Don't think he writes anything either which could be a big issues for gcses but trying to focus on one issue at a time as he does.

Only just recovering from covid here and new boiler and electrics being done this and next week so will be a bit hectic and they will go in every room in house for radiators so have to clean / sort whole lot. DD is looking at 6th forms, all goes so fast.

Just found this thread and would love to join ! Been so focused on DD Yr13 getting her Uni application squared away but now it's done I remember I have to again with DS who is wonderful .. but so so forgetful .. just somewhere else .. and so it begins again .. one soon to be away and so need to get back behind the next !

DS is Year 10 so I think I'm in the right place.

Quite nice to hear about other 'youngish' year 10s. DD still plays with sylvanian families when stressed - I don't think she even cares that her friends know about it - they're very bonded at present
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Still, she made her way all across London this weekend for a sleepover and then back while I was away elsewhere with her sister so that felt much more grown up. They are a funny mix. The drinking is such a tricky one - the safety aspect is the really scary bit I guess.

Went to an actual Sixth Form open day this week with DD1 (a year early but good to think about things) which seems to have focused DD1's mind on the grades she needs to get for GCSE - no bad thing!

Ah, see, my vodka-drinking 14-year-old is a paradox as she also wouldn’t let me give away any of her cuddly toys to good homes in a recent clear-out.

We are also going to a couple of 6th-form open days. Partly because if she wants to do music A-level, she will have to move schools as her current school doesn’t offer it. And partly to keep her out of mischief.

I thought we would be in the minority but at the one we went to this weekend there were quite a few year 10s. No harm in looking early - bit of inspiration for encouragement.

DS still plays with Lego and transformers and I don't think he cares that people know. I was worried that maybe it would make him a target. It's funny tho I that respect he comes across as still young. But he comes across as really mature in other ways. He did his DofE practice expedition this weekend, which he thoroughly enjoyed, which surprised me as he's never camped before.

Glad I'm not alone with the Sixth Forms. DD goes to our local girls comprehensive and was horrified as the (local independent) Sixth Form we went to assumed she did not know what Classical Civ was as an A-Level but did not make the same assumption about the other girl there in an independent school uniform.

DD was there to ask about A-Level latin in fact (which her school doesn't offer but it does offer the GCSE), and I have a Classics degree. The assumption put her right off. Which was a shame for her I think as it would have suited her otherwise - but probably good for our bank balance.

DS has just been given minimum expected grades for gcses, after y11 mocks they get proper predicted grades but useful as a guide.

DD is in y11 and was going to a 6th form open day and she said DS do you want to come with me and he went, she banned parents so they just went alone. She said one teacher told DS off for pulling a face, DD said she then told the teacher off as DS looked really anxious and has only just stopped being mute at school and the teacher said sorry. She said he seemed most interested in economics which is what my degree is in and was reading all the posters there.

Very busy week here having new combi boiler fitted and old one and hot water tank taken out, all radiators done and dishwasher being put in kitchen, no heating tonight but its mild and also we have electric shower.

Hi all,

Just wandering how your dc is getting on in Year 10? My dd is struggling a bit from the jump from year 9 and it probably doesn't help since she quite disorganised ! Having a lot of unit tests and not quite on top of it!!

Getting slightly stressed...so am currently helping her plan and boost her confidence up....since this is going to be a long journey!

@Blubell46 my DD also has a load of end of unit tests. Most of them are this week and she’s been really stressed as there’s loads to learn all at the same time, especially for the sciences. I really hope she does ok as she could do with a confidence boost and she’s working really hard. I think home learning last year might be making it harder for her as not convinced she’s had the proper year 9 foundations for some topics.

Bluebell and Hetty,

We've just had weeks of assessments. DD1 found it hard work preparing - took it very badly that she was expected to revise in her half term.

We've been paying for Tassomai for her though, which has been a really good gap filler in science (moved from set 2 to top set triple during lockdown so there were some gaps) - and useful for maths, english and latin too. She says doing that every day has really helped but it costs a FORTUNE! But she's just getting her test results back now and it is really paying off. If nothing else it has helped her see the value in 'little but often'.

Hope yours cope OK...