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Original poster

Daughter only going to get 5E"s at G.C.S.E what can my Daughter do next year?

57 replies

morry1000 · 04/07/2013 12:24

DD really struggled at school and was very disruptive within the classroom and school have said she is not allowed back next term they also let all the local colleges know and they are refusing to allow DD on to any courses, i know a 16 and a half yr old girl will not be employed and i only can get 15 hrs work a week on just over £6 per hour so i need tax credits to feed DD i know most people on here want there kids to go to univirsity i just want my DD away from the streets at a job or on a college course . Can i appeal to the school to give DD another chance and what courses could you do with those grades.

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Original poster
morry1000 · 23/08/2013 15:53

Thank you Cory. Although i am thrilled with DDs Results these are nothing like what DD is capable of. I did not mention that DD has an IQ of 138 because i did not want her IQ to cloud the problem about her potential results, DD has always had emotional problems and the biggest mistake i ever made was when DD was 10 she was accepted in to a Academic Girls Private School but the School said because of her emontional problems would have to start at yr5 instead of yr6 the School achieves great results with many girls going to Oxbridge and RG universities, DH did not allow this because he refused to send one DD and not the other DD private "OR YES THE ELDER DD" because she was flying at the Outstanding Comp being 4.5 years older or 5 academic years DD1 was getting 10A* 1A when DD2 was starting Yr 7 DD1 went on to get As at A level and is now in her 3rd year at a RG uni doing Ancient history. last year DH had a breakdown and decided he could not live with me anymore and left home DD1 decided it was all my fault and could not live with me or "HER CRACKPOT YOUNGER SISTER" i then lost my good job in a career i liked and was forced to take low paid part time work and my parents were forced to pay the "MORTGAGE ON THE HOUSE" and subsidize me and DD2. We are now back playing happy families with DD1 all over DD2, asking her to stay over with her at university, suddenly wanting to be with her quirky younger sister. DD1 who was predicted 5Es but reads the Times/Independent/Telegraph everyday from cover to cover and would discuss the Syrian/Arab Spring conflict in the middle of Maths when her teacher is trying to teach complex Alegraba and when the teacher tells DD to shut up swears at the teacher and walks out of the lesson . DD is also the best Hockey player in the School and excellent at all sports and the reason she only got a D in P.E because she refused to do any academic work for P.E despite scoring full marks on all the pratical elements, DD1 when repersenting the district at hockey scores a great goal and then for some stupid reason swears at the umpire and is sent off. I want to strangle DD1 i really do because as her English Teacher tells me in terms of IQ she is in the Brightest 5% in the country but struggles to use her potential in the right way. I have spoken to today for 30 minutes on the phone to the English Teacher and she wants me to agree to "IMMEDIATE DETENTION" Sanction on DD meaning they keep her back one Hr at the end of the day i said yes provided they text me to tell me, she also said to DD that she expects her to achieve 7As next year because of her academic potential. I did not want to say all this because i did not want to cloud the issue about the predicted grades and the potential future for DD.

OP posts:
cory · 23/08/2013 09:50

well done her- that's amazing!

glaurung · 23/08/2013 09:02

Wow! well done indeed to your dd. I hope next year goes really well for her.

applepieplease · 22/08/2013 22:15

There are lots of courses which would be suitable for your daughter. She sounds as though she may find a BTEC or more vocational course more 'up her street'. As another p

mumeeee · 22/08/2013 18:19

Well done to your DD and to you OP.

Original poster
morry1000 · 22/08/2013 18:11

I have posted on another thread that i am overjoyed, DD has achieved 2Cs in English/History and 3Ds in Maths/Science/Pe and i have also said that DDs English Teacher hugged DD and said to DD if you can achieve a C with just 6 weeks work, what could you achieve with a years hard work. The School have just said to me that because DD achieved these good grades and because DDs English Teacher had put pressure on them they would be prepared for DD to redo Yr11 again.I wonder having read another recent thread about statemented pupils they realised that legally they had to let DD continue her Education there, Anyway i am just thrilled with todays results and due to the fact that DD has no problem with repeating yr11 again, we will take up the offer from the School and i am very hopeful that this time next year with proper help from the new SENCO i will be discussing DDs AS level options. Thank you all for the kind and helpful advice from everybody.

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Original poster
morry1000 · 31/07/2013 23:19

THANK YOU. GOOD!

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Goooooooooooooooooooooood · 31/07/2013 23:10

That sounds a really promising update. I really hope it all goes well.

Original poster
morry1000 · 31/07/2013 23:03

UPdate .DD has been working part time at the Animal Shelter for 2 weeks now and is earning £40 pw for 8 hrs work she works 2 days a week and her confidence is growing by the day, i have also managed to find full time employment with a decent salary. The post i gave about DDs Grades are based on the worst case and what we can do should she get those Grades. Her English Teacher who is her favorite teacher proposed to DD that if she could get a D in English and History/Maths with all the extra hard work she put in in the last 6 weeks of lessons and can show some improvement, she would like to put forward that DD does yr11 again. She believes that if DD works hard and shows the maturity she as shown in the last 6 weeks she is capable of getting an A in English and her Maths/History Teachers think the same. They have always known that DD was bright. The problem has come from the outgoing SENCO/ Science Teacher who took a dislike for her. DDs English Teacher is taking over from the outgoing SENCO and as always stood in DDs corner with Discipline problems she thinks that DD should redo 6/7 GCSE next year and with the spare time on the timetable work in the library and learn all about Independent learning for AS Levels next year either at the School or an F.E College, Sorry for not being truly upfront but at the time i was very worried/still nervous but hopeful and delighted that her favorite Teacher is now the SENCO and has DDs best intrests at heart.

OP posts:
bigTillyMint · 10/07/2013 08:25

So glad to hear the update, OP - that is fantastic!

Well done to you for helping her get started on her new road to the futureSmile

springtide · 10/07/2013 07:22

Fantastic news - well done to you both!

TNETENNBA · 10/07/2013 01:15

Grin Slug. He is doing well.

OP
No advice but wanted to wish you and your DD good luck. It is great she has a caring Mum.

Saracen · 10/07/2013 00:55

Fantastic!! That is excellent news. Your daughter is starting an exciting new chapter in her life. Now she has the freedom to explore her role in society and make a meaningful contribution in a way she couldn't do before, when she was regarded as a child and was closely controlled. I hope she can put her past frustrations behind her now that she is out in a different world.

Original poster
morry1000 · 09/07/2013 22:36

Springtide and everyone. I am feeling so much better and hopeful for the future thanks to all the helpful and kind ideas the many posters have given me. DD is feeling more positive and will be doing 2 days voluntary work at the animal shelter next week so i feel 100 times better than last week.

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springtide · 09/07/2013 22:03

Returning after a few days and delighted to see much positive talk about the future. Voluntary work anywhere would be valuable but how about an animal related organisation such as a dog rescue centre. Hoping you and your daughter are feeling a little better - do keep us updated on your progress!

shineypeacock · 08/07/2013 11:24

Am surprised the school have said this, its soon to be an Ofsted requirement that all students have a destination post yr 11, think its from this year due to raised participation age.

Have a look at local foundation learing courses, young people with no or few qualifications should be able to access them, they tend to be smaller groups and have tutors who are trained to deal with SEN. Most tend to be work focussed and can lead on to work placements or apprenticeships, also Functional Skills ( maths and english) can be taken. Speak to local connexions/ careers adviser re this.

slug · 08/07/2013 11:11

I second the suggestion to look at FE colleges. When I taught in FE I specialised in teaching students who had gained Es at GCSE. As a rule of thumb my classes consisted of roughly one third students who were recent immigrants without the necessary language skills yet to progress, one third students with special needs that had either been undiagnosed during school or who were borderline enough for the LAs to ignore them and one third students who were simply not interested/gang members/too aggressive for conventional classrooms. In that context, the classes were structured to consist of many short activities rather than prolonged periods of work and a student with ADHD was not anything out of the ordinary.

You will probably find your FE college is well aware of the sorts of issues your child has as so many of them are, like your DD, refused entry to their local schools after they are 16 and end up at the college instead. I strongly suggest you go and look at what is available and, if your DD has a statement, make sure this is flagged up. If you can manage it, it's worthwhile having a conversation with her prospective tutors and teachers so they know what to expect.

I've taught many students with ADHD. My normal tactic is to have a private conversation with them at the beginning of the year. During that time we decide of a signal we can use to flag up when the frustration levels are building to dangerous levels and what measures we can put in place to deal with these. This can, depending on the students, range from a 5 minute discrete time out at the desk, to a series of tasks they can jump between instead on concentrating on one for a length of time, to the right to leave the classroom for a short time without sanction or comment to calm down. Combine this with a course the student actually wants to be on and in a class with others at the same level and the results are very gratifying.

And it's worth mentioning, academia isn't for everyone. I (very briefly) taught a student who seemed incapable of sitting still and drove all his teachers bananas. He's doing very well for himself now

ArbitraryUsername · 08/07/2013 09:51

OP: don't feel sad that your DD can't be a vet nurse (or anything else that she might want to be) at this point in her life. There is absolutely no reason to write her off just because her education so far has failed her. There are lots of different FE and other training options out there, and absolutely no reason why she couldn't go back to more formal education routes if she ever decides she wants to in the future. At a different point in her life and in a different educational environment, she could achieve anything she wants to. She's only 16 at the moment, who knows what she'll be doing when she's 46.

INeedThatForkOff · 08/07/2013 09:38

I second the animal care idea. Is there a college with an agricultural specialism near you? This could be an exciting time for your DD to prove herself.

Saracen · 08/07/2013 01:47

OP, you mentioned the possibility of work and voluntary work. These are both options worth exploring. Your daughter's age need not be a barrier. Am I right in thinking she has just finished Y11? There are few legal restrictions on the employment she can do. While she is under 18, the minimum wage is lower and while you might not think this is a good thing, it can influence prospective employers to take her on.

A young friend of mine recently started working part-time at a cafe and volunteering part-time at an animal sanctuary. She plans to work with animals, and is enjoying the feeling of being a productive member of society. She might or might not go to college to do a qualification later, but she doesn't want to just now.

I know that these days there is a lot of emphasis on training, and on avoiding "dead-end" jobs. However, at just 16 many of us had no idea what we were going to do with our lives. The main thing IMO is to get out there and try some different things, get some life experience, and improve her self-esteem. The rest can come later.

It's true that your dd is supposed to be in some form of education or training for another year. However, that doesn't have to be full-time. If she is working or volunteering at least 20 hours a week then the education can be part-time. If she can't find a suitable educational opportunity at this time, I think she'd be better off not bothering, rather than going onto some random crap course which isn't right for her and having her confidence knocked yet again. The government has said that for the time being at least, they won't criminalise young people who don't continue in education and training.

Happymum22 · 07/07/2013 23:18

www.connexionslive.com/Libraries/Downloads_Getting_Into/I-Choose-environmental-and-animals.sflb.ashx

She CAN get to where she wants to be, there are options. We have a fab college here in surrey based in the countryside which does courses related to animals/landscaping/equestrian. Have a search, there may be similar near you. Students travel quite far for it and it even has accommodation. Incase you are vaguely near, it is Merrist Wood.
Your daughter can still do well, I paste the link below about Merrist Wood. It could be if you are vaguely near, or find a similar place, that she can still have a 'uni' type experience or even just get to where she wants to be job-wise via a college like this.
www.merristwood.ac.uk/TheCollege/Accommodation/AccommodationOptions.aspx

Many of these colleges allow negotiation on their admissions criteria. If she is not meeting it, but can show real passion, experience and commitment, then she still has a chance.

ScariestFairyByFar · 07/07/2013 22:43

Colleges should have access courses specifically designed for yp leaving without enough qualifications for anything else they usually focus on life skills, tasters of courses and often a community project. Where in the country are you?

DameEdnasBridesmaid · 07/07/2013 22:40

morry please check your FE Colleges. We do an Animal Care Care course that starts at Entry level (that's no GCSE's at all). We have had students start at this level and progress all the way up to Level 3.

This is what FE Colleges do very well - give students a second chance.

Original poster
morry1000 · 07/07/2013 22:03

Springtide/ Happymum. Thanks for your concern and advice. DD has said she would like to do some voluntary work and help out at the local food bank and likes helping people in need . DD as always had a way with animals and When she was a young girl she dreamed of being a vet. I believe if i could let her do some voluntary work at the food bank it could make her believe in herself and give her some much needed confidence. I am just very sad that DD will not be able to become a vet or a veterinary nurse. But i am hopeful with some care and good advice i can find a way forward for DD.

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Happymum22 · 06/07/2013 21:56

As said by others, it is shameful how this school have treated your daughter, crushing her as a person, any ambition she had and her chances. I am really appalled and, as others have said, really hope you fight what has happened as it is so awful. (I work for Department of Education and am a teacher, and am really angry this has gone on- I know you would have a good case for a complaint to the LA, or even higher authorities)

Secondly, focusing on the situation and future for your DD. What is she into? Does she know what she wants to do? More and more emphasis is being put on apprenticeships and it is definitely a route to explore.
There are lots of Sixth Form college courses which are vocational and great building blocks to good careers. Can she get experience now to get her motivated?