Sixth form chaos, I am so stressed!

[EUmumforever]

My DD has just started y12 at the school she has attended since y7. She was encouraged to stay and submitted her ALevel choices in January: Music, Spanish, Film Studies. She achieved the necessary GCSE results and went to enrol, to discover that all her 3 subjects clashed. I was there and spoke to one of the deputy heads, who said it could be sorted out. DD completed application form. She started school a few weeks later and faced the same situation, clashes still there but nobody had called us or informed us. She dropped Film Studies in favour of English Lit. Next she found that Music and Spanish clashed. Again, all after school had started.

All through y11 she was actively encouraged to stay as long as she did well in her GCSEs, no word of any timetable issues. But now we have been trying to sort this out for weeks, I have offered to do Spanish privately so she can stay there as the Music dept is so good and she is in all the bands and ensembles, she would have to give that up - she was offered places in other schools with good music depts. and turned them down as she was encouraged to stay here. Last week the head of languages told me we could do Spanish privately and use schools scheme of work and resources as I teach Alevel Spanish with same exam board. Today my DD has been told by head of Sixth Form that she cannot do this as it's against school rules. It is now mid September. What I find outrageous is the lack of communication:

1. when putting timetables together, all students submitted their application to the school with their ALevel choices in December/January. No excuse not to tell us there were clashes.

1. since September, despite all this nobody has contacted me.

I am so frustrated and angry!

[lovelyupnorth]

Still, time to move schools .... i'd be getting my DD out of there like a shot.

[noblegiraffe]

It’s not too late to switch to another college, but it soon will be so you need to make a fast decision.

[Iwantedtrianglesnotsquares]

Have a look at doing a level music remotely (or not- depends where you are) through the junior department of TrinityLaban. It could be a solution. Good luck- it’s heartbreaking not being able to do what you want.

[malmontar]

I'd move whilst there is still time.

[Bustarold]

Thanks all, I'm phoning sixth forms!
I really want to write a letter of complaint though. I feel they encourage all to apply so they can then boast about how oversubscribed they are!

[malmontar]

It sounds like a massive upheaval trying to make that work- you'll practically be home schooling her and shes not getting 2/3 of the choices she wanted. That's crazy at A Level. I would write a letter and make sure she moves before half term. That's when the school census is due and determines how much funding the school gets- it's based on pupil numbers. Schools are often hesitant to admit sixth formers after that due to a) curriculum being started and b) they wont get funding for those late comers for ages.

It sounds like they are crap at any communication and will be a nightmare.

[Mrskeats]

I’m a teacher. I would be v wary of doing film studies. If your daughter wants to go to uni it’s not recognised by many.

[noblegiraffe]

Half term would be too late regardless of when the census is, she would have missed an awful lot of work.

[Milliefizz]

The school should have told her months ago if her subjects clashed and gone through other subject combinations. If there is another good school in the area offering music and Spanish I would move your daughter there immediately. I would be inclined to consider alternatives to film studies at the same time. If you want your daughter to stay in the current school I would ask her to choose between music and Spanish. If she chose Spanish she would presumably be able to carry on with music ensembles etc. But it would seem a pity for her to have to drop a subject she really enjoyed.