Page 2 | Head of NLCS left suddenly?

Xenia · 15/05/2022 16:04

Yes, my daughter was there from 7 - 18 with a very good head and very good exam results - sometimes within the top 3 in the whole country for A levels with Eton so top of the very top and very very hard to get in and very selective. Even then I think the most was about 33% with highest grades and into Oxbridge.

36% A star at A level in 2019 was not surprising and about right. I cannot understand why anyone would think it right in 2020 to submit teacher assessed grades which were so out of kilter - it was not as if the school has anything to prove - it is one of the best for girls in London. Very sad.

pkim123 · 15/05/2022 12:18

dreadingthetime · 30/04/2022 22:09

Can current parents shed light on this please?

When you look at the school's history, it's clear that something went wrong with Sarah Clark. Her tenure was so short relative to others before her.

atotalshambles · 09/05/2022 14:38

wow - it will be interesting to see the results this year when pupils will be sitting actual exams and feel so sorry for kids who were given 'teach'er assessed grades' for the last 2 years.

WayDownInTheHole · 05/05/2022 22:07

pkim123 · 04/05/2022 20:12

I really wish I could tell you, but my source reads MN and I will not betray their trust. Sorry.

Show quote history

Fair!

Talbot53 · 04/05/2022 22:38

I baffled as to how they managed to get those results published.

I would have expected their proposed number to simply be rejected. All schools should have been required to make sure their covid affected predictions were no more than 3-4% above the previous, examined year.

It's silly.

pkim123 · 04/05/2022 20:12

WayDownInTheHole · 04/05/2022 19:24

Can you share these reasons?

Show quote history

I really wish I could tell you, but my source reads MN and I will not betray their trust. Sorry.

WayDownInTheHole · 04/05/2022 19:24

pkim123 · 04/05/2022 07:31

Completely agree. Difficult to compare A-levels across schools. The mix of subjects and number of tests taken make the comparisons murky. That said, the person posting that NLCS should certainly get 60-70% "A*" grades is completely inaccurate. The very best schools do not achieve anything like that, and NLCS is "#16" on the list, so let's just do a reality check.

More to the point of this thread, the Head has left for what I'm hearing are variety of reasons, not just over-inflated A-level results.

Show quote history

Can you share these reasons?

pkim123 · 04/05/2022 09:48

JulieBeds · 04/05/2022 09:08

Ah, Mumsnet doesn't allow an asterisk. Rewritten to take account of that:

90% at A star???

That's handing out A stars like they're confetti.

Sort of takes the piss and is a disservice to others who have tried equally hard but not been able to take advantage of the confetti parade.

Yup, that's right. King's Math's gets less than 60% "A*", on what planet would NLCS get 90%?!

JulieBeds · 04/05/2022 09:08

Ah, Mumsnet doesn't allow an asterisk. Rewritten to take account of that:

90% at A star???

That's handing out A stars like they're confetti.

Sort of takes the piss and is a disservice to others who have tried equally hard but not been able to take advantage of the confetti parade.

JulieBeds · 04/05/2022 09:07

90% at A*???

That's handing out A*s like they're confetti.

Sort of takes the piss and is a disservice to others who have tried equally hard but not been able to take advantage of the confetti parade.

pkim123 · 04/05/2022 07:31

DorotheaDiamond · 03/05/2022 21:52

As an ONL I’m dying to know what’s going on!

for those hung up on % A+ do remember it does depend on how many a levels are taken. Is a school where all pupils take 3 and get 3a+ (100%) better than one where they all do 4 and get 3a+ and an A (75%)?

(sorry using + to avoid formatting issues)

Completely agree. Difficult to compare A-levels across schools. The mix of subjects and number of tests taken make the comparisons murky. That said, the person posting that NLCS should certainly get 60-70% "A*" grades is completely inaccurate. The very best schools do not achieve anything like that, and NLCS is "#16" on the list, so let's just do a reality check.

More to the point of this thread, the Head has left for what I'm hearing are variety of reasons, not just over-inflated A-level results.

DorotheaDiamond · 03/05/2022 21:52

As an ONL I’m dying to know what’s going on!

for those hung up on % A+ do remember it does depend on how many a levels are taken. Is a school where all pupils take 3 and get 3a+ (100%) better than one where they all do 4 and get 3a+ and an A (75%)?

(sorry using + to avoid formatting issues)

pkim123 · 03/05/2022 21:43

Anyway, getting back to the original post, I'm hearing that the head's departure had to do with more than simply the ridiculously inflated A-level results.

pkim123 · 03/05/2022 21:24

bendmeoverbackwards · 03/05/2022 21:05

At Henrietta Barnett (similar to NLCS in terms of the girls) 73% got A or A at A level in 2019. No data for the split between As and As though.

And in case anyone doesn't want to click on the link here's the page, just the "A*" grades.

pkim123 · 03/05/2022 21:12

bendmeoverbackwards · 03/05/2022 21:05

At Henrietta Barnett (similar to NLCS in terms of the girls) 73% got A or A at A level in 2019. No data for the split between As and As though.

Please click on this link, it will give you the "A*" and "A" split. NLCS is #16 in London
www.londonpreprep.com/2019/08/a-level-results-2019/

bendmeoverbackwards · 03/05/2022 21:05

At Henrietta Barnett (similar to NLCS in terms of the girls) 73% got A or A at A level in 2019. No data for the split between As and As though.

pkim123 · 03/05/2022 20:53

bendmeoverbackwards · 03/05/2022 20:48

At NLCS I would expect that percentage to be very high, maybe around 60-70%. I am not talking about schools in general.

Show quote history

In 2019, the highest percentage of any school in London was less than 59%. But you think the NLCS students can get 60-70% A grades? Have you looked at the actual data? No school in London is getting 60-70% A. None. Zero.

bendmeoverbackwards · 03/05/2022 20:48

pkim123 · 03/05/2022 19:30

Okay, you disagree. What percentage of grades should be A* in a normal year where students take tests?

Show quote history

At NLCS I would expect that percentage to be very high, maybe around 60-70%. I am not talking about schools in general.

Cumbercat · 03/05/2022 19:43

ChiswickFlo · 01/05/2022 21:39

Lots of private/independent schools will be in this position this year

Don’t make the mistake of believing the narrative that this is a private school only issue. You might want to look at the statement of the HMC General Secretary given in response to the Sunday Times article. He sets out that the increase in A/A* at A level in 2021 was 16.9% in the independent sector but 21.4% in the state sector.

pkim123 · 03/05/2022 19:43

bendmeoverbackwards · 03/05/2022 19:23

I disagree. This is one of the top schools in the country full of super clever girls who should all be capable of top grades.

Show quote history

Here's the data for A* grades at all top schools, just the facts:

www.londonpreprep.com/2019/08/a-level-results-2019/

pkim123 · 03/05/2022 19:30

bendmeoverbackwards · 03/05/2022 19:23

I disagree. This is one of the top schools in the country full of super clever girls who should all be capable of top grades.

Show quote history

Okay, you disagree. What percentage of grades should be A* in a normal year where students take tests?

bendmeoverbackwards · 03/05/2022 19:23

pkim123 · 03/05/2022 19:03

33% for A*'s is very good if you compare it across schools in 2019.

Show quote history

I disagree. This is one of the top schools in the country full of super clever girls who should all be capable of top grades.

Quadrilingual · 03/05/2022 19:07

Wow I am shocked to read this. As a secondary teacher I find it unbelievable. Bumping to follow!

pkim123 · 03/05/2022 19:03

bendmeoverbackwards · 03/05/2022 17:33

33% A* grades seems quite low to me considering these are very clever girls.

33% for A*'s is very good if you compare it across schools in 2019.

bendmeoverbackwards · 03/05/2022 17:33

33% A* grades seems quite low to me considering these are very clever girls.