GCSE and A Levels cancelled

[Stressed?Moi?]

Still in shock as DS is in year 11 and obviously affected. I think announcing the cancellation but not also what is going to happen instead is not good. The uncertainty is massively negative. Also he’s been in self-isolation all week so has unknowingly now left school for the last time. Heartbreaking.

I know in the grand scheme it’s a small fry matter but to him it’s everything. I don’t think it’s sunk in yet that they won’t be able to do the last day Pranks that they’ve waited years for. He’s now got no interest in doing any of the revision I had planned for him either - the response is “what’s the point?”.

Going forward these two years will also be known as the Corona Kid year; the one where they “got away” with doing exams, so their results will be inferior.

This with a cancelled holiday and trips (plus trying to keep my feisty 83 year old mum in) is turning into a horror year). When will this madness end?

Vent over!!!

[kenyancowgirl]

I understand that it is stressful but, if it's any consolation, as i collected DS1 from uni today - his first year has damp squibbed out - no idea what is going on with his medical exams either, and we were talking about various things - I asked about his group of friends and what A level results they had got - he genuinely didn't know and his commnet was, to be honest, they are totally irrelevant now. And they are - once you move on to the next step, whatever that is, they matter not a jot. It is upsetting for now but once it is sorted and they have moved on, it really will not matter.

[Daogroupie]

I hope his school did manage to sort something else out for today or tomorrow.

DAO sent out a letter at 2047 last night announcing the Y11 assembly and last day for Y11 today so they did get a chance to be together and say goodbye for the last time.

I have been encouraging the Y11's I know to start getting excited and focused on their A levels and move on from their GCSE's.

Same for the Y13s. It will be helpful to be focused on whatever exciting thing they have planned for September.

It is really sad but they have their future to get involved in. DG

[kenyancowgirl]

In all honesty, it is probably best to sit and relax today now, (as he can't go into school tomorrow) and wait for the announcements that will be coming tomorrow. They may clarify the situation more for everyone....we hope!

[loobylou]

Super impressed by school managing to pull together an assembly/video/last morning for years 11 and 13 at the last minute. My children said everyone was so sad; lots of teachers who were planning to leave in July had to tell them today...

[Surferfish]

I understand that it is stressful but, if it's any consolation, as i collected DS1 from uni today - his first year has damp squibbed out - no idea what is going on with his medical exams either, and we were talking about various things - I asked about his group of friends and what A level results they had got - he genuinely didn't know and his commnet was, to be honest, they are totally irrelevant now. And they are - once you move on to the next step, whatever that is, they matter not a jot. It is upsetting for now but once it is sorted and they have moved on, it really will not matter.

I hope his school did manage to sort something else out for today or tomorrow.

DAO sent out a letter at 2047 last night announcing the Y11 assembly and last day for Y11 today so they did get a chance to be together and say goodbye for the last time.

I have been encouraging the Y11's I know to start getting excited and focused on their A levels and move on from their GCSE's.

Same for the Y13s. It will be helpful to be focused on whatever exciting thing they have planned for September.

It is really sad but they have their future to get involved in. DG

I know you both mean well and are trying to be optimistic but you seem to be completely missing the point.

KCG, now that he's started his medical degree, your DS's A level grades may well seem irrelevant and 'not worth a jot'. But I bet he didn't feel that way about them 12 months ago! His whole future would have depended on them! If he hadn't got the required grades he wouldn't have been able to go to medical school in the first place would he?!

Similarly DAOG, its all very well asking Y11's to get excited and focus on their A levels, but to do A levels in the first place generally requires certain grades at GCSE! If you're the kind of Y11 pupil who consistently does well at school, performs well in mocks and has high predicted grades then you should be fine. But what if you're the other kind who doesn't do so well in mocks and course work and was aiming to peek for the real thing? How can they prove to the school or 6th form college that they're capable of doing A levels in the first place when their mocks and predicted grades were 4's and 5's rather than the 6's and 7's required and which they may well have got once they'd finally pulled their finger out?

Our DS is currently in Y12 so fortunately is not due to take any major public exams this summer. He is one of those types who doesn't always do so well in mocks and was predicted poor GCSE results last year. Thankfully he worked hard at the end and got decent grades. If he hadn't been able to take his final GCSE exams though he probably wouldn't be in 6th form now doing the academic A levels that he is.

Even as a Y12 he is a little concerned. He was planning to apply to university in the autumn even though his current predicted grades and Xmas mock results are not good, with the hope that his summer mock results would have been better. But without these what universities would be prepared to give him an offer? How can you plan and focus on a future when we have a system in which your future is entirely dependent on grades from exams which are no longer going to take place?

[BucksBornNBred]

+1 Surferfish. I am fairly confident (however they choose to judge grades) that my DS will be allowed to move up to sixth form. But I have seen constantly on here that GCSEs are important to universities so that is a bit worrying for us.

[kenyancowgirl]

I understand that it is stressful but, if it's any consolation, as i collected DS1 from uni today - his first year has damp squibbed out - no idea what is going on with his medical exams either, and we were talking about various things - I asked about his group of friends and what A level results they had got - he genuinely didn't know and his commnet was, to be honest, they are totally irrelevant now. And they are - once you move on to the next step, whatever that is, they matter not a jot. It is upsetting for now but once it is sorted and they have moved on, it really will not matter.

I know you both mean well and are trying to be optimistic but you seem to be completely missing the point.

No - I haven't missed the point. This is an extraordinary year, in extraordinary times, but ALL the universities (and employers actually across the world) are affected. So in that respect, being a Covid 19 year will be in their favour. Possibly more so than those poor Y10s and Y12s that are going through all the trauma and upheaval but will not get any leeway (and will be affected by the knock on of deferred offers etc).

I am not saying it is easy - it isn't - and yes the exams are of paramount importance when they are going through them, but once it is sorted and moved on, it really will not matter. However, I get that this is not what you want to hear right now so I will respectfully move on myself!

[BucksBornNBred]

I agree, KCG... but so much now depends on exams and testing that it is a worry. At least my DS is y11 not y13, or even final year of uni. On your point of other years being affected; well yes, but I thought school was continuing albeit via computer (heaven knows if that will work in the boonies if everyone is trying to access the internet at the same time!). I guess we just have to hope we all get through this with our health and wealth and stop sweating the small stuff.

[stroudydad]

Daughter is(was) doing A-levels this year, and is currently now very worried. Literally all oh her wanted options require grade a at A-level. And she was predicted A/A*. However, her due to the post-18 options she’s choosing all requiring significant submissions/prepping/interviews and the coincident timings of the school mock exams, added to the coursework project meant that she ended up having to sacrifice revision time in order to complete, the other stuff. This was, at the time, good management. And knew that mock grades would suffer a bit but was confident of the fact that it wouldn’t matter. A calculated decision knowing that by now, all her coursework would be complete, ad she could literally revise until the exams. We’ve calculated her Dt coursework has about 1500 hours worth of work in it, and now she doesn’t even know if it will be looked at. And indeed if they start going back to things like mocks, she is likely to miss all her offers, based upon the result of a non-important exam that was supposed to just be a stepping stone..
she’s gutted