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Original poster

Not allowing Language if Poor Engl/maths grades

27 replies

Verbena37 · 20/07/2015 20:00

Hi,
Does anyone know if it's common practice for secondary (yr9) not to be allowed to take a language if their English and Maths grades are below where they should be?

Current HT saying new yr 9s (3 tier system) won't be allowed to learn one of two languages unless their maths and English grades are high enough.

Whilst in principle, I believe their maths and English GCSEs are important (obviously) but I feel that if they have a high altitude for languages, they should have the choice to take them as an option.

OP posts:
titchy · 20/07/2015 20:31

Our school does this if English is very poor - grade E or below. Their justification is that there's no point kids learning an MFL if they can't cope with their first language. (Native speakers of other languages do a GCSE in their own language though.) In reality only a dozen or so are barred from languages.

LIZS · 20/07/2015 20:04

No not common afaik. However schools are targeted on Maths and English first and foremost hence the priority. Language is not compulsory.