Who else is worried about those in Exam years?

[Orlando 2004]

So with only 6 months till the exams should be over who else is becoming more worried?

My 15 year old daughter currently has no workbooks at home for remote learning or revision as they still have to be kept at school. This doesn't help with work this week and revision for her next set of mocks in February. School did let them bring them home for a couple of weeks when they had their last mocks but this isn't enough. Are others allowed to take their workbooks home with them?

My daughter should probably have had her mock papers back this week as they received their results just before Xmas. She did well in some and ok in others but needs help with science (as do a lot of the year from what I've heard ). We don't know which things she's got wrong and what she needs to focus on to improve and now these won't be given back this week.

She has been receiving help in maths as they think she can get a higher grade than predicted. She is also now due to have intervention in science to try and improve before the next mocks. Obviously with school now closed this week that will be delayed as well as all the after school revision classes she would normally attend.

On top of all this is the worry that she might be revising for topics which then turn out not to be needed in the final exams with the government not announcing what topics will be dropped/included till the end of January.

I don't know the answer but I feel so sorry for our teens at the moment.

[babbymint]

I feel your pain - my boys are year 10 and 11, so both affected,

Year 11 have now missed one whole term for the first lockdown and now more time, next week. My son's school has managed to stay open for his year, but I know of many that have had whole bubbles isolating, so it really isn't a level playing field for them. As a teacher doing everything remotely from March-July, I know that these lessons simply just don't cut it, and it's been really obvious those kids who have support at home and those that are just left to it (probably because parents also working I might add, no offence meant here).

I think the only fair thing to do is same as last June, cancel exams and give children teacher assessed grades. Only England is still insisting that exams are going ahead, so again no level playing field. It was so poorly handled last year, I just hope that they say something soon. The rate is going up so fast here in the south that I can see remote learning being extended again...

[nadya]

Very concerned, my older boys are year 11 and 12,however my year 11 son has autism and is already struggling massively,so much so I doubt he will sit an exam

[Rac20]

Yes- very concerned. DS is in year 11 and does not work well at home. He’s always got good reports so know this is not the case at school. He’s missed so much school time.😢

[smithlane]

Yep me too. My DD year 13 and DS year 11 so double whammy for me! I really can't see the exams going ahead and it being yet another U-turn being announced. It's the not knowing that's so hard for them as they don't know whether they're coming or going!

[windsor_hills]

Yes, I’m worried and concerned, and angry. I think the government will continue to do everything they can to not cancel exams though regardless of whether it’s fair or not.

My DDs are in year 13 and 10.

Eldest DD did have some online lessons during the first lockdown but for several topics / modules she basically taught herself based on workbooks sent home. She has a real assessment on 2 days next week which accounts for 50% of her final grade for her diploma subject. Even though schools / colleges are closed, she still has to go in next week to sit this assessment. I guess the one positive is that at least it will be one out of the way. She sits her 2 other a levels in the summer and has mocks at the end of January. She’s trying to stay positive and put in the work to get the grades she needs for university, but you can tell she is anxious and stressed and constantly looks shattered. Her exam content has not be reduced for her subjects, and only one of her exams looks like it has been pushed back by about a week from the original timetable. I’ve said this before on here, but I will say it again, this will not help her one bit make up for all the face to face teaching she lost in the initial lockdown or any further disruption still to come. Is this fair? No, it’s not! Am I angry about this? You bet I am!

Youngest DD, whilst not in an exam year, is already worrying about her GCSEs next year. In the initial lockdown she had NO online lessons whatsoever. Just some work set online. Since October she’s also missed 6 weeks at school by having to self isolate on 3 separate occasions due to cases within the school. The school is also worried and have said they are extending the school day for year 11s since they went back in September and year 10s from later this year to offer an extra class each day, and on top of this there will be intervention sessions after school in an evening and in school holidays and attendance to a proportion of these will be compulsory. DD has gone from a confident, happy, bright child, to an anxious, stressed, tearful child, who I am really concerned about. So whilst my main concern is exams happening this year and the impact on eldest DD, I’m also worried about those with exams next year too who have missed so much content and teaching time too, especially with the uncertainty about what else is still to come.

There will always be different views on this, and there isn’t a silver bullet or quick fix, but it’s certainly a right old mess.

[Smilesonfaces]

[QUOTE=babbymint;14774846]
As a teacher doing everything remotely from March-July, I know that these lessons simply just don't cut it, and it's been really obvious those kids who have support at home and those that are just left to it (probably because parents also working I might add, no offence meant here).

I am not really sure as a parent what I should be doing ! I can provide support and check my daughter has completed all work set but I will be honest I am degree educated (a lifetime ago) but I am not capable of teaching my daughter GCSE’s ! My daughter had no lessons between March and July except for a half day in school on the last day before the summer holidays to tick the box as having been back in the classroom before the end of term. She received work to be completed, I would say no more than regular homework. No actual lessons were given and nothing was marked. She did her mocks in November but we don’t have any idea of what grades she achieved. The school don’t want to give them out because of the possibility they will be used as part of teacher assessments later.

To answer the OP yes I am incredibly concerned !

I think it is obvious the 2021 exams will not happen. The least the government could do is be honest and give schools time to prepare.

[wdw-wanderer]

I have absolutely no confidence in the former log-burner salesman who has become the Dunce of the Cabinet to organise educational arrangements during the pandemic. It was obvious last year than it would be the exam cohort of 2021 who would suffer and yet it seems no contingency plans were established.

[babbymint]

[QUOTE=Smilesonfaces;14774900]

Originally Posted by babbymint

As a teacher doing everything remotely from March-July, I know that these lessons simply just don't cut it, and it's been really obvious those kids who have support at home and those that are just left to it (probably because parents also working I might add, no offence meant here).

I am not really sure as a parent what I should be doing ! I can provide support and check my daughter has completed all work set but I will be honest I am degree educated (a lifetime ago) but I am not capable of teaching my daughter GCSE’s ! My daughter had no lessons between March and July except for a half day in school on the last day before the summer holidays to tick the box as having been back in the classroom before the end of term. She received work to be completed, I would say no more than regular homework. No actual lessons were given and nothing was marked. She did her mocks in November but we don’t have any idea of what grades she achieved. The school don’t want to give them out because of the possibility they will be used as part of teacher assessments later.

To answer the OP yes I am incredibly concerned !

I think it is obvious the 2021 exams will not happen. The least the government could do is be honest and give schools time to prepare.

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Yes I meant no offence. I’m primary, with some children that struggle to read, so when left to it, they simply didn’t have the wherewithal to complete work. Even when we did live lessons, they forget to get online or struggled with the IT. It’s not theirs, parents or teachers fault, just a horrible situation. While I was teaching online, I struggled to get my boys doing much, so left it till later in the day.

[Snowball24]

I feel for you, my dd was the GCSE year last summer when all exams cancelled, prom too. It's a tough time I hope you get some clarity on the situation as seems v unfair