GCSE Support - nervously waiting

[Hellocatshome]

Hopefully everyone from GCSE Support The Final Frontier can find this new thread!

We’re very lucky that 16-18 year old in education get a free bus pass here in Manchester. Unfortunately the website keeps crashing and DD can’t submit her application for her pass at the moment 🙄

That was meant to say TFL Oyster passes offer free buses for 11-17 (and trams on the other side of London I think) - 11-15 gives discounts on child tube and train fares, 16-17 gives big discounts on adult tube and train fares - but my kids use buses far more than trains.

When I was at school I got half price bus fares (and think that I could have saved on trains too) but most people still left at 16 and the council kept changing their minds about pass entitlement over the summer holiday so one week people would be able to get one and and the next week not. I'm glad TFL passes run until September

It's shocking that in so many places sixth form students are having to pay so much even for discounted travel though!

@MoFoFlo Greater Manchesters travel policy is one of many reasons I wish they were joined with Lancashire, and we had Burnham too!

Also in Manchester, application for OurPass submitted. We have grudgingly agreed however that DC1 can go on the tram for the first term at least despite the cost. She's chosen a college a long way off, and the bus is so very much slower in rush hour traffic. Once she's settled in I might review things...

I don't think you all need to be waiting to do the CB letter. (Though having waited this long I guess a few more days won't hurt). You could have just named where you expected them to attend, if plans change, then they change.

OTOH DD (18) Child benefit is currently set to expire at the end of this month, but we need a bespoke thing organising via her EHCP and it isn't sorted (or even part sorted really.) I might have to let it expire and then get it reinstated.

DDs bus travel will be £48 a month (SW England). There are means-tested bursaries, so not everyone will have to pay that, but I think everyone pays at least £20 a month. It's a lot of money for people to just find!

I was under the impression that DCs in their sixth form cannot claim child benefits. Please correct me if I am wrong.

You are wrong. If they are in 6th form you can claim it for the 2 years.
And actually if they do a 3rd year for any reason you can continue to claim.

DS admitted to being more anxious now than during the exams. On the whole, he’s pretty confident - but you do wonder whether the predictions were right… Has to get some 7s and an 8 to do his chosen A-levels Mostly trying not to think about it till Thursday now.

After five years of paying £80/£90 a month for the school bus, he’ll be able to walk to sixth form.

On child benefit, you can check your status/fill in the form online if you have an gov.uk account for managing tax/benefits online.

Hi. I can’t see that we have been told what time the kids you should be at school on Thursday. Will try calling them tomorrow !!

Argh DH is away for work and was due back tomorrow night. He has just found out his flight is cancelled and it's likely he'll not be back till Thursday. It's not the end of the world but it would be good to have us both there if we have to make quick decisions if she misses her offer.

Morning ! Found this thread as another one to add to the group of stress dreamers ! Twins .. one with SEN .. I might need a herbal tea tonight !

We are off to 5he coast this morning, then to a reptile shop to look at snakes for DD. ( It is a good distraction for me, not totally sure DD realises it is results tomorrow.)

The grade boundaries thing makes me sad. DD couldn't have worked harder and being judged against 2019 standards when they've missed two of the five years at secondary school feels so harsh.

I think you are misunderstanding. The percentages being awarded each grade is aimed to be at 2019 levels, even if as is your claim they will be less well prepared. If anything they are Advantaged compared to 2019.

The grade boundaries will be set to make that happen. This is what they did for A levels and on the A level thread there are graphs to show it.

What is not happening is them being given inflated years 20 to 22 are the exception years, not the norm.

I might have misunderstood @NashvilleQueen but I didn't think it was that they were judged against 2019, but that the proportion of grades at each level should be the same as 2019? So they would still be judged against their own cohort. I agree it is worrying if this year is suddenly going to look significantly worse than those a year or two older. I just hope schools took this into account with predicted grades.

Oh sorry, cross posted with you @TeenDivided

Yes, people need to not judge/compare against older siblings who did gcses in the last 3 years.

Once kids have done their A levels or BTECs the fine details of GCSEs won't matter so much.

Booked today off to do stuff with Dd as a distraction.. glad I found this thread.

I am off today as well. dad has had a busy few days so the last week has flown by.

We are out all day today so that will keep her mind off it and before we know it it will be 8.30 tomorrow.

While we all appreciate that the grades will be worked out using the bell curve and will model 2019 results, I want to know how they have worked out its fair that some kids in areas with greater lock downs/ higher covid rates missed 2 years of education other than on line while others missed much less. That's before the inequity of online acess is considered. This was not the year to return to full normal. Scotland & Wales haven't only England.

Unfortunately they can't allow for some areas / students having more lock downs than others.

I see what you are saying, but at what point would you stop making allowances? For those that were in y8 &9, or y7 & Y8?

I was a bit out of the loop. How much were this year's cohort disrupted in y10? DD was at college then and had minimal disruption, but we weren't in one of the hardest hit areas.

I hadn't thought about child benefit, I wonder whether I can reapply for my DS now. He's being educated out of year so his got cancelled last year because I couldn't prove that he was in sixth form... because he was still in year 11. I sent the letter from the council stating he was being educated out of year and information showing he was still at school but they stopped the payments anyway. He's very nervous about getting his results tomorrow. I really want it to all be over as well!