June

Cider Refresher on pick up from school

So Tom returned to school on the Monday to two weeks of exams.  We knew they were happening, but even we couldn't be so mean to make him work when we were visiting the Branches.  So we had a manic week of revision in the evenings to try to cram it all in.  He wasn't as prepared as he could have been, but I think he was probably more prepared than most others and to be fair to him he did work hard those two weeks.  I bet you we never find out the results of these exams anyway!

QES is a strange beast.  You get effort grades every half term (when not homeschooling) and then attainment grades twice a year.  The attainment grades are impossible to work out as they are grades that Tom would get if he was to sit a GCSE exam now?!  What the point of that is is beyond me?  I can understand that they are useful for teachers, but they are unfathomable for parents.  I don't want to know what grade Tom might get in exams in 4 years time, I want to know how he is doing for a 12 year old. According to his grades he is already a grade C for history and science???!!!!  I can't believe that at all.  Everything else was a D, E or F grade (with one G grade for Music) which I figure might be about right but who knows?

We tend to pick Tom up from here, rather than from school - nicer!

They don't do school reports as in some text about your child, so we have no idea how he is doing really.  Apparently they don't publish exam results or position within form so we are left with no idea how he is doing at all?  We have his parent review at the beginning of July, all done virtually. You get 4 minutes per teacher - apparently the system just cuts you off after 4 mins, so you have to be prepared with questions and hope you get a chance to ask them and get answers.

Luckily his hay fever didn't properly kick in until after most of them were over, which was good.  The rest of the month was a whirlwind of cricket and hay fever.  Every year we forget how horrible hay fever is, I think we must block it out!  The farmers have been very busy this last week, cutting and spinning grass, ready to store before the weekend which is forecast rain.  Tom's system has now gone into overload, leaving him with a hacking cough, full of congestion, sore throat etc.  It is the same as 6 years ago when he ended up in hospital - luckily as he is older, we think he will be able to weather it a bit better now, but he is a sorry sight.  We had to take him for a PCR covid test on Friday as his symptoms match the unofficial 'children's reaction' to Covid, if your child is off for these reasons, you have to get them PCR tested for them to be allowed back to school.  Luckily there was a test centre open in Settle for that one day so we didn't have far to go.  We then had to isolate until we got the results.  Typical I had cakes due to be collected that day, so after calling Environmental Health for advice (they wouldn't give me any advice) I then called the clients to let them know what was happening - they both decided to come and pick them up - just as well because his test, as we thought, came back negative.  He has spent the weekend in hot baths and lying on the sofa coughing, we both hate to see him like this, just have to hope it doesn't get any worse, although we got a thunder storm last night which will have brought more pollen back down again.  

Fun things we have done in June:

Campervan sleep over!

Tom and Annabel had a sleep over in the camper van on the drive, was blissful for Matt and I - we had a very peaceful sleep.  We then had to play shop with them in the camper van all morning (still children really!).  Tom got invited to Isaac's house for a play to celebrate Isaac's birthday.  First time he's been invited anywhere new since he started at QES.  Isaac is the youngest child of Clare who is one half of Gingerbugs, and just happens to be in the same class as Tom.  I don't think they are great mates, but of course they live in the same village (Isaac went to a different Primary School as he moved a bit around the local area), was good for him to be with another friend anyway.

We had the Wilkinsons round for a BBQ one evening.  Tom wasn't feeling very well (hay fever) so he and Florrie disappeared into the camper van for the afternoon / evening, only appearing when the food was ready.  

Jude and Craig came up for a visit on their way up to Scotland, our first house guests since Jude stayed with us one night last summer.  True to form we made them a curry!  Once again it didn't feel weird them staying because it is something that happens infrequently.  It is when local friends come round and come in the house, that feels weird. Tom also managed to get a ticket to the swimming pool with Annabel on her birthday so enjoyed that.

Walk from Dent Head

Dent Head Viaduct

We took the camper to Dent Head viaduct for a Saturday night.  We did a lovely walk and then as we got ready to bed down, we realised that we had forgotten a duvet - durrrr! Of course, Tom got the duvet and Matt and I were left with a single blanket between the two of us - it wasn't a good night's sleep.

There has been plenty of cricket too for Matt and Tom, both winning and loosing.  Tom's batting has definitely improved - so far this season he has scored 57 runs and he hasn't been out (he only bats for 4 overs a game)

Oh and Covid is on the rise again, isolations at school are occurring again.  For once he hasn't been affected,  but his class was down to 12 at one point (which he really enjoyed, especially as all the trouble makers were off).  He's missed a day because of hay fever, and probably won't go back on Monday so at least we know he won't be isolated in the next couple of days!  Matt and I are now double vaccinated.

Oh, and even though he is ill, we allowed him to stay up to watch the football last night: England vs Ukraine - glad we did as we won 4-0.  It certainly cheered him up!

And that was June!