Dropping French

[homework]

My child has sen is in main stream school and classes with some support and extra intervention before school starts and during registration . A recent report has shown a poor reading age , know he has major difficulties with this and English as a whole . Recent meeting and emails with the senco is that she speaking to head about him dropping French three times a week to consentrate on his English . He will be the only child in his year group that is doing this . He already has some issues with low level bullying and has done since starting at secondary , do you thing this is a good idea, considering his French grade is going down a grade from last year , the work become harder and he just not enjoying the subject at all anyway. Helpful advice needed . Don't want to make wrong decision , know he not going to pass his gcse in this subject anyway , he's in year eight .

[cansu]

Personally I would let him drop it. If he is not enjoying it and struggles then I don't see what you have to lose. However I would make sure there is some provision in place for him to do something else in that time and also make it clear that this needs to continue in y9. You don't want him to be forced back into French next year because there isn't provision for him to do something else next year.

[homework]

No having to go back into French after missing nearly a year wouldn't be good . So your correct in that i will have to make sure that the additional support is going to continue into year nine . Do you think it give the kids something else to pick on him about or will they just not notice .

[EllenJaneisstillnotmyname]

Whether they notice or not, I still think his English is infinitely more important than a foreign language as it will help him with every other subject (and in life.) My DS2, 13, will drop French at GSCE. When I think he didn't start speaking at all until he was 4, learning a foreign language seems like a waste of time.

[homework]

Thank you for reply . School have been back in touch and dropping French from next week , going to do extra one to one time with learning mentor on English skills , and continue this next year in small class with another ten or so kids that they plan on talking with there parents in year nine about dropping subject to concentrate on English . They done this for year nine this year with a small group and its working well , according to senco .