Dd entered externally for gcse by own school

This must be Nlcs I'd assume.

Talkin
There's one secondary in the north who run 2 separate schools for GCSE and A level!
2 schools. 1 site.

One school has only the very top acadejic students. They are always very high in the league tables.

They sell it as being a more personalised and tailored pathway for the students, but actually it's them finding a way to pretend their school is better than it ism

Have you SEEN what 1% does to their league table standing? This is not new in the independent sector. My DS's former prep school divides children up into those who will and won't be permitted to sit commom entrance. They are very proud if theiir 100% pass rate. I'm so glad my DSs are in the state sector now.

An’t offer any advice, but my own state school did exactly this to me nearly 20 years ago. They were concerned my results may affect their position in the league table. Tell your daughter not to worry, and that this says more about the school than her. I went on to get all A/A*s despite six months in a psychiatric unit during year 11.

Good luck to your daughter, and I hope she is fully recovered soon.

I don't think it matters but isn't the school named on the certificate?
It is on my GCSE certificates I think.

Well done to your Dd for her catching up, and I hope she gets the success she deserves.

Is it at all possible that the school entered her after they had done the main list of entrants , because they weren’t sure when she was returning?

It is shocking that Schools pull these stunts in the name of a position on a power list, but then they wouldn’t do it if parents didn’t pore over these lists picking apart a one place drop or a % increase. If the position of the school wasn’t bound up with status and kudos. You see it on MN all the time. But the pressure on the kids!

Whatever grades she gets, and however many exams she takes and passes, the school should be proud of your Dd for the way she is re-entering the year and approaching the exams. Good for her, and good luck to her.

One student out of 90 is over 1%. There will be other students who don't get straight 9s. 95% is higher up the league table than 94% & 93%.

If you feel that this is wrong, would you consider waiting until after she's got her results, and then going to the media? The more we expose how false and open to manipulation the league tables are, the more chance we have of have a genuinely egalitarian educational system IMO.

There was a recent media furore about a supposedly high-performing school which was kicking out students who didn't get high grades half way through their A level courses. After the negative publicity, the school backed down. Parents do have some power if they can get some media interest. However, I don't think it would be helpful for your daughter to expose this issue until after she has left this school.

I have certainly heard this about THE top girls' school, if anything other than an A is predicted for GCSE. Your DD will bump into her class mates at the town hall.

I don't think it matters but isn't the school named on the certificate?

Definitely have the discussion with the school. It depends how much your DD/you want to stay in the school but I would make it clear that this action and the manner it was done was highly insensitive given the fact she is recovering from mental health issues and has been a pupil since Y7.

This was an opportunity for the school to take the higher ground and ignore the pressure of league table ego. IF your daughter's results are a dip, they are aware the data impact will be Negligible and totally explainable should anyone question it. Explained in a way that highlights they made a decision driven by doing the the right thing for a child.

It feels wrong because they have not put your DD at the heart of this. They've known her since Y7 and have chosen to prioritise anonymous, external stakeholders who are obsessed about A* and forget that each % represents a young person.

Let DD take the exams, do well, and then take her and your money elsewhere. Find a sixth form where they are interested in the welfare of their students.

I don't give a shot if this is allowed practise and legal. It's wrong.
Highlights everything that's wrong with our education accountability system.

What would I do? Sit the exams as an external candidate and not let the school claim them if she gets high grades. Her uni application form won't specify.

What does your DD want to do though? Is she ready to sit the exams?

They will be worried about their 100% pass rate. Not quite the same, but 20y ago I missed all of year 11 due to glandular fever/ME and my ‘top’ independent girls school pushed very very heavily for me to repeat the year and not take GCSEs. Fortunately my mum fought for me and I took 5 GCSEs (had tutor at home) and aced them, as I only needed 5 to progress to A Levels (which I chose to move to a state school for despite having 100% scholarship at the indie) have never forgotten their attitude though and now your post makes me wonder if I was an external candidate?! I took the exams at home with external invigilator.
Back to your question though - although it’s shitty of them, it doesn’t really affect your daughter does it? Eg no one knows whether you were external or internal candidate.
And I hope your daughter gets well soon.

She’s at a top london girls school

Does not sound like a 'top' school to me. It sounds like a shite school.

Yes, it's allowed. The state school I went to (years ago!) would do this.

State schools still can, and independents can do too.

You can't do anything about it. Because they could refuse to enter her at all, and then you'd have the extra stresses - for you in finding a different centre where she could sit the same exams, and for her in doing the exams in unfamiliar circumstances.

A local state school does/did this with kids they were concerned might not pass so they could fiddle figures. They used to make the parents pay as well but if the kid passed they’d refund the money. I believe someone challenged this and they stopped.....but might be harder with a private school to do anything?