Interhigh concerns - other parents around?

[SomewhereOutThere]

I'm very concerned about this meeting on a Thursday. There are rumours (via my friend in the Fb group, which I'm not on) that they want to switch to the first half of lessons in massive groups of 100 or more with one teacher. I have an anxious child with some educational gaps who often needs to flag early in a lesson that she doesn't understand. This seems impossible in a massive group. Also it's been really good watching her grow in confidence and start making comments in class chat, and even reading slides and contributing via microphone. This only happens because she trusts her teachers and feels supported by rest of small class.
Since I heard about IH on here I thought I'd let everyone know that this meeting on Thursday at 6.30 is really important. (The head emailed about pedagogy today and it sounded dull and unimportant, oh and it clashes with the football.) This might be our only chance to hear the changes before they affect our kids. While we can still do something to influence them, whether that's complaining or switching to a different online school.
Please make the online meeting if you can.

[SomewhereOutThere]

Bumpity bump

[Onceuponatimethen]

Try sn boards as there are quite a few interhigh people on there. Also some on the home Ed boards from memory

[SomewhereOutThere]

Thanks! Will do.

[Schroedingerscatagain]

Hi somewhere

I agree it’s bad timing but I think they had a parents evening already arranged on that date, dh is muttering hope it’s quick!

I’ve heard the rumours but at the moment that’s all they are and causing lots of unnecessary stress as it hit the kids message board too

They seem to be moving to a compartmentalised class room set up in order to get more teaching time in as we now have new curriculums which need more time

Dd is Interhigh but our ds is in a standard school and from what I’m hearing many schools are having to adjust teaching the GCSEs to over 3 years to fit it all in which is happening at ds school

They already run tutor group in this way and dd hasn’t been overwhelmed by that, exams are also being held that way at the moment in year 10

As I’ve said elsewhere, it’s a business that they want to be successful so we have to trust them to some extent

And if we aren’t happy as customers we can choose to leave

[SomewhereOutThere]

No the parents evening |(for prospective parents) is the evening before. The email is the first I've heard of the new one.

Interesting what you say about tutor group already running like that. Is it for all of them? DD says tutor group is scary and refuses to go but I'd never worked out why. She also suddenly started being freaked out by computer studies. I hear now that her group were guinea pigs being tested with this new system?? So I already know it doesn't work for her.

For some of us it's not as easy as being unhappy as customers and choosing to leave. DD has IH named on her EHWP. I fought long and hard for this, and will have to fight again if IH changes and can't meet her needs, and jump through lots of hoops with the council. I can't do that before September when she starts gcses!!

[TatterdemalionAspie]

And if we aren’t happy as customers we can choose to leave

What, apart from the financially punitive contracts we're tied into, the fact that our Y10 kids are in the middle of their GCSE course, and the fact that many students have anxiety, ASD or SEN, making the change extrememly difficult for both students and parents? Oh well that's ok then.

[TatterdemalionAspie]

Somewhere DD hates tutor group too, and won't attend common room for the same reason - too many people, too busy/noisy.

I think they're going to roll this out regardless of how opposed parents are. They knew that it would be unpopular with/damaging to many students, but they aren't willing to pay the teachers for the extra hours required for the EdExcel curricula, so this is a cheap solution.

I hoped that the strength of parental feeling when this leaked would make them realised what a terrible idea it is, and that they'd backpedal and deny it was ever on the cards. Clearly not, though.

[bellinisurge]

Following this with great interest. Considering home school and this was an option. Not sure now.

[TatterdemalionAspie]

My DD has been at Interhigh for all of her secondary education, bellini (Y10 now), and I have recommended the school to many, many people (even though I've had to add some caveats over the last couple of years, as things have started to really change.

The things that I have found out in the last week mean that I would not currently recommend that anyone start there. That makes me sad, because overall we have had a good standard of provision from Interhigh, and my DD was very happy there up until this year.

Honestly, I would steer well clear at the moment - certainly until the big changes have been rolled out in September and you can see what you're dealing with.

[bellinisurge]

Thanks @TatterdemalionAspie

[Branleuse]

Id be interested to hear how this turns out. My dd is at a different online school and really loving the format. Its making me glad i didnt pick interhigh right now

[SomewhereOutThere]

There's a lot of IH parents open for recommendations! Do you mind saying which one, Branleuse? By PM, if you prefer?

[Takethemdown]

Another one following out of interest.

[Branleuse]

@SomewhereOutThere

Shes doing myonlineschooling.co.uk/

It was actually recommended to me by someone on mumsnet. Its relatively new and a lot smaller than interhigh. My dd started off with only one other in her class, and now has 6. Im really pleased so far. Shes gone from being a school refuser, to being moved up a year and really enjoying her learning.
My eldest is also doing a GCSE with them. They were the only one I found that would let him do one GCSE at a time, rather than a block of 5. Ive found them very flexible

[Schroedingerscatagain]

Dd is year 10 and on an ehcp too so we are tied in and committed till the end of year 11

[Branleuse]

im really tempted to apply for an EHCP for her and see if theyll fund it, as at the moment im using all her DLA to pay for it

[SomewhereOutThere]

In my LEA it's almost impossible to get an EHCP for a kid who is already homeschooled. It's different everywhere it seems, though.

On the IH debacle... I recommended IH to a friend who is going to open evening tonight. she's excited about it for her children while they live abroad next year, and I felt so awkward telling her last ngiht about this issue. She's interested whether they still promise small class sizes and invidiual attention at te event tonight. (So am I!! I don't think they should mis-sell what they do, at the same time it's out of order for them to tell prospective parents before the rest of us.)

[Branleuse]

@somewhereoutthere Give them the heads up about the one i linked to too They will usually do a free trial if youre interested. My kids got a free trial of 3 lessons. I cant recommend them enough if small classes are a priority for you/her. Ive always found them really approachable and warm

Theres also Briteschool which is supposed to be good, and also cambridge homeschool online,

[Saveourkids]

Did any InterHigh parents manage to attend the meeting on Thur regarding the changes to teaching (lecture style classes)?
If so are you able to give an update on whether these changes are def coming in?

[TatterdemalionAspie]

Yes. The changes are being introduced as described for years 7-10 (from September). They have backtracked on changing things for the current Y10s (ie Y11s in Sept), which is a relief, but still leaves us with problem that they are not currently timetabling the number of teaching hours required to adequately teach the new 9-1 syllabi, and are not willing to pay the teachers for extra teaching time in the usual (max 18) classes.

They recorded the session, so hopefully that will be available to parents who missed it. You might want to join the Interhigh Parents and Friends Facebook group.

[SomewhereOutThere]

Yes it's very dissapointing. I've spent the morning on the phone trying to find out how to get the online school changed for DD. The woman at the LEA said I wasn't the only one who'd been in touch this week about IH concerns, and they're already in touch with a new provider. We're really pleased, it feel like it will be straigtforward for us to get the funding aproaved for a different OL school. (I said she should write to all the aprents they're funding IH for to alert them to the changes and see if it will still meet their DC's needs and she said that was a good idea.) I just want to make sure parents know about this before it starts happening.

[Saveourkids]

Thanks for this, I have decided to with my online schooling instead of interhigh. They are actually cheaper and don’t require the 500 pounds deposit. Also if you sign up before July you get the first month free. It’s disaapointing that they have changed things without consulting parents. I attended the open evening on the 27th and tried to ask about this but my question was ignored. That was a big red flag for me anyway and after speak with MOS today it appears they have signed up a number of interhigh parents who are now switching schools because of these changes. We have a free trial starting Monday so let parents know how that goes.

[SomewhereOutThere]

I'm glad you have found a solution for your child, @Saveourkids. Hope it goes well there and Od be really interested in staying updated with how it goes.

You're very wise to notice that unanswered questions are a red flag - I wish I had! There was something (minor) IH were very cagey about in our open evening and I should have listened to my gut.

[drawnmyjohn]

Hi! Just wanted to say that my DS is in Netschool, and I can really recommend it if anyone is looking for a different online school! The classes are max 9 (?) I think, but DS has never had more than 8, sometimes as little as 3. The teaching is great, he's been learning so much and is becoming so much more confident in himself and his learning :) complete 180 as he was a school refuser before.

[Wiifitmama]

I want to second Netschool as a provider. We have dipped in and out a little as part of home schooling. I know a number of others who use them too. They are really excellent, small classes, great teachers. And you can do just one subject too if you want.