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Secondary education

School references- how important are they?

2 replies

newsixthform · 13/06/2016 11:13

We're starting to look at Sixth form options for DD. She's been state educated until now but we may well go for an academic independent sixth form.
She is academic, well-behaved, hard-working etc. and predicted top grades in all subjects at GCSE. Her attendance this year is 92% (but this includes absence for school sporting events, trips and illness). However 6 days of this were unauthorised absence. These were recent and though not for a holiday the school wouldn't authorise them.
A senior member of staff gave her a very hard time on her return, including threatening her with the law and saying she would get a bad school reference because of her attendance.
Apart from this she has an unblemished school record.

The schools we're looking at are pretty competitive academic schools. How much notice do they take of references? Will her attendance be specified? Could this jeopardise her chance of a good indie school accepting her?
What actually goes on a school reference?

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newsixthform · 13/06/2016 11:15

I should add that no one from her exdisting school has contacted me, written a letter, fined us etc. Only DD was affected, being taken out of class and given a dressing down by this member of staff.

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catslife · 13/06/2016 12:12

If by absence to attend sporting events, you mean that your daughter is entering competitions then I think that the independent sector would treat her far more favourably than this state school.
I suspect that the references they mean may be for jobs rather than sixth form though.
For sixth forms they are mostly interested in predicted grades and other qualities your dd has that would contribute to the sixth form. We have applied to sixth forms this year and there have been no A level courses that have specified any particular attendance level.

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