My child not allowed to stay for A Levels

There has to be a cut off.

My sons are at a state school but it has very strict requirements regarding eligibility for staying on for A levels.

My kids are at a state comp which has minimum requirements for Sixth Form. The selective nature of the Sixth Form is the reason why the Leavers end up at excellent universities.

My son's school makes it very clear up front and well in advance that a certain number of A and B grades are expected, with As in the subjects for which A level is being attempted. If you do not make the grade you do not get in to 6th form.

This is not a state-private division. Round here there are privates that are less selective than the comps, as well as some that are more so.

Betty? I meant very

I can understand why you are upset op - a dc Betty close to the cut off, has friends, all settled and then forced out when she would have liked to stay.

I'm hoping that she is now settled somewhere else and that you and she can let go of this upset

I did much better in my A levels than I did in my GCSEs so it seems a bit short-sighted for a school to do this.

Ds2's grammar has the same thing (as do other local 6th forms - but not as rigid as the grammar). It's why I take A level league tables with an even larger pinch of salt than GCSE ones.

The school my daughter goes to had something similar, she was 1 point away but they made an exception as she was so close, you said no discussion but have you tried contacting higher members of staff? Good luck!

Yes, plus academies have more freedom ?

I didn't think that sort of thing was allowed at state schools - interviews, different entry requirements?

Ds is at a selective state sixth form, they don't publish the entry grades for internal students as they select based on interview as well as grades. Some students are given unconditional places, others are given specified grades - some of which seem unattainable but it does encourage them to work harder.

Are the points for her mock GCSEs?

IME, the schools give unconditional 6th form places to students acheiving the school's set criteria and above in the mocks and conditional places to those who are near "misses" - so, conditional on acheiving certain grades in the actual GCSEs. Students who fall well below the entry criteria are told they are unlikely to be offered a place. This also applies to children who are close to the criteria, but who have been disruptive or difficult in any way.

As PPs have said, there are many excellent states schools and sometimes students benefit from a fresh start and/or a different style of teaching.

I suppose the OP feels disappointed. Honestly there is life outside the private system

Is it that there's an assumption that if you pay, you can call the shots?

That's not how it works, especially in private schools. They make the criteria, if you don't meet the criteria, that's it.

I agree it's mad to pay all that money on fees and still end up with a child who doesn't make the entry criteria! not really, it all boils down the the child's ability

I agree it's mad to pay all that money on fees and still end up with a child who doesn't make the entry criteria!

Fwiw my dd moved from private to state 6th form and has never been happier.

I do feel for you, especially as you have invested so much into her education at the school. However, as said all schools have criteria. One of our local grammars insists on at least five A grade GCSEs, another grammar has the 57 point system, my DD's state school wants mainly Bs but insists on As for a language or maths.

As regards what its teaching your DD, she has done really well in her GCSEs, but unfortunately competition is tough and she didn't get the points required by the school and that organisations which stick to their requirements.

argh need an edit button. it's not outrageous they selected her at 11. It's outrageous they selected her and then didn't let her into the 6th form despite working hard, beavhing etc.

It's not like she was lazy and difficult and didn't work hard.

I'm looking at independent secondaries at the moment for DD2
Many of the schools require a certain number of points / A/A* at GCSE for A levels.
It is something I'm taking into consideration.

FWIW i think it's outrageous that they selected your DD at 11. She has worked hard, behaved well, missed the criteria narrowly and yet they haven't allowed her to attend the 6th Form. I hope she is happy and settled elsewhere.

to put it into context, my son's high achieving state school would have been absolutely delighted to have your daughter in Sixth Form.

My son on the other hand only just scraped into the same Sixth Form with a handful of B's and mostly Cs. I would have been so happy if he had had your daughter's excellent results.

This school still sends lots of pupils to Russell Group Unis, including Oxbridge.

Let go of your anger, shake your head and think..it's their loss not mine or my daughter's. She will do well at her new school (which presumably she is in now, studying for A levels) and you have learnt a lesson about buying into the spiel that top performing schools give about A level results. Top performing schools SELECT ruthlessly that is why they keep their stats.

We have a school near us (state) that does similar, throws out anyone performing under a certain benchmark, although by all accounts they would still do well at A Level. And then people say..they (the school) get excellent results - it must be a better school.

A school is like a family, it is heartbreaking to lose that "family" on such a small margin, but if your "family" is dysfunctional, it might be better to cultivate distance, or accept that you are going your separate way. It is worse when you have paid in, and participated fully, but nevertheless, along the way there will be many of these "betrayals" at uni, at home, at work, best to dust oneself off and move on, and be confident in what has been achieved, not lost.

OP why are you writing about this now? What is she doing now?

GCSE results were out ages ago - why on earth are you getting worked up about this now?

The school were clear about their academic standard and your daughter has failed to reach it - it's unfortunate for you but not the school's fault. It is also in your DD's interests to not continue - if it's an academic school and she is below the required standard she would struggle to keep up with the rigours of A Level.

"Perhaps a note in the Yr 7 prospectus warning parents that if they do not educate your child to a certain pass level they will trade her in for a new model."

This. I totally understand your upset OP. They presumably selected your DD at year 7, she worked hard and didn't quite achieve what was required. If she's worked hard, there has either been a fault in their original selection procedure, or in the education provided. Or, they realised they can fill their places at sixth form with the most academic children to drive up results.

It's not the same as applying for a job or university. This is a school which you and your family committed to and paid for and she presumably had very established social groups. To push her out for the sake of two points without allowing her to do retakes is cruel in my view.

Most private schools always used to have a requirement for sixth form that was something like passing five GCSEs at C grade or above, but they would generally allow retakes in the Autumn term if that's what the family wanted.

Unfortunately all schools seem to be going this way.