What happened to the Brighton College thread?

People do that with universities on mumsnet too. Post as if they are experts on all universities, when they are clearly not as they are posting incorrect information about accomodation etc.

I can't quite figure out why a student might fall behind in their learning at BC if there are no extenuating circumstances, or how BC would allow this to happen in the first place? I'm speaking of the main college as we never went through the prep school. The learning pace is fast, but what we experience so far is that teachers and staff seem always available to help and clarify any questions. The quality of teachers’ feedback on schoolwork always seems clear and helpful. Students' progress is regularly reviewed (seems to me on a weekly basis), and the school does act on it very quickly if they have identified a concern. It works very well for us as all learning is done in school and we don’t have as much time and resources as we would like to help our DC with their schoolwork. It also gives our DC the chance (from day one) to be more organised, independent and responsible for their own learning and time management, as there’s always a variety of events happening in school and there’s a vast amount of emails from faculty and information on Teams/OneNote that they need to go through each day.

Out of all the independent secondary schools on our application list, BC's 11+ admissions process was definitely the most thorough. They use a standardised computer-based ISEB pre-test in verbal/non-verbal reasoning, English, and Maths - which is great because DCs only need to take the test once at the school with the earliest test date, and the results can then be shared with other schools that use the same system (the ones near Brighton are Lancing, Hurst, and Ardingly). On the day of the ISEB pre-test, DCs will also need to sit BC's own written papers in Maths and English (creative writing and comprehension), bringing the total number of tests to 6 in one day…There is also another action-packed day scheduled for group activities and interviews with senior staff.

While all of these can understandably be overwhelming for DCs - especially those from state schools where the only test they have ever taken is the KS1 SATS - it serves the purpose of giving the school a clearer idea of how candidates cope with a more demanding timetable and how they engage, learn, and interact with teachers and peers. Our DC's admissions experience has given us the impression that the college genuinely goes above and beyond to make candidates feel at ease during these assessments, and there will be opportunities for each of them to share their true selves and unique qualities. The school gave us feedback when they called to offer a place, including any particular strengths and weaknesses observed during the admissions process.

I would say it would be very helpful for DCs to attend one of the taster days if they are interested in applying. This way, they can familiarise themselves with the environment and get to know the teachers and other applicants a little bit before their assessments.

BC parent here 👋So yes, as others have said BC absolutely does manage our kids who aren’t keeping up. IMO they’re very transparent about this. To make it from the prep to the senior school is a lengthy process involving interviews, assessments and exams, all starting 2 years before entry at 13. Many kids don’t make it and move to other local private schools (Lancing, Hurts, Roedean etc.).

However what I’ve never heard of is kids being managed out once they get to the senior school. I have heard of kids being asked to leave for behaviour issues, but never because they aren’t going to get the grades (admittedly this may happen in other year groups & I just haven’t heard about it, but the parent gossip grapevine is strong…).

Not allowing kids to sit certain GCSEs because they aren’t going to get top marks goes on all over. This was even the case at the (inadequate, failing) state comp I went to over 25 years ago. If you weren’t predicted to get above a C, the school wouldn’t enter you for the exam. Period.

IMO if BC have accepted a child into the senior school, after endless rounds of rigorous assessments, and they couldn’t get that child to achieve their potential then that’s the schools fault & they should pull out all the stops to get them where they need to be. Reputation is everything for BC and I honestly think that if they were booting kids out mid-way through GCSEs, there would have been a huge backlash.

Stealth outmanagement is controversial, but so is discouraging children to take subjects where they are not projected an A, or even enrolling them with an outside exam agency to improve league tables as a certain school in Brighton has been known to do so in the past.

In my view, transparency will sort most of these issues. If there are clear markers and milestones known well in advance, then parents can make informed decisions and the consequences can be anticipated, and alternatives can be considered.

That way families will not feel like their kids are chips on a roulette table.

No idea about BC but all the South London independent schools manage ourt kids who aren't keeping up academically ....

I cannot comment on BC itself.

However, I have thoughts on the ISI guidelines https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/800615/Independent_School_Standards-_Guidance_070519.pdf

I think the ISI should be more proactive and make it a point that parents can actually appeal to them effectively and quickly in practice in situations when schools try to manage out children (and parents have already followed the complaints process). I think schools should absolutely not be able to do anything which conflicts with a child’s wellbeing, whether state or independent. If the child is a real danger to others and has had multiple warnings or taken drugs or dealt drugs or committed other criminal offences, then of course they should be suspended and expelled. If the child is happy and just not achieving according to some artificial benchmark or if the child is going through eg family or mental health issues, they should absolutely not be expelled or asked to leave. Especially if in the case of private schools they have already applied their stringent admissions process.

If a school manages out kids and then publishes stellar results it is misleading for consumers of private school education aka parents. So if this actually does happen, I am quite shocked.

If it happens across many competitive independent schools then it appears they are in some sort of artificial rat race with each other over results and competition for best pupils that can pay etc. I doubt the majority of the teachers at these schools would be on board with this kind of practice. So it must be coming from management.

That is not healthy and means the independent sector requires further regulation for the protection of children.

Personally, I also think schools terms and conditions and policies should never be allowed to conflict with guidelines either. Again, I think what would be better is if there were some standard terms and conditions every independent school has to have and apply which are regulated and only grade entry requirements for Sixth Form 11 plus 13 plus should differ. But maybe this is not what private school parents generally want? Maybe the schools/aka management feel their actual clients (aka the parents) want this kind of environment so they can say my kid went to that school etc and they are buying reputation and prestige? Perhaps management are incentivised in a certain way? ( I do not know how the pay structure of senior management at private schools works)

In reality, there have been instances of state school management pulling similar e.g Saint Olave’s. There was a thread on mumsnet at the time about it which I remember following. Eventually the head had to leave.
So freedom of speech is important.

Not a great look for BC either.

I think it's absolutely fine to have a prep school that doesn't automatically escalate the kids to the senior school, as long as BC makes it absolutely clear to parents that this is the case (which it appears they are). I have no issues with this.

But asking kids to leave at exit points that do not make a transfer easy for the students? Not cool. They absolutely should not be doing this. I think there tends to be pressure on state school places in Brighton? If that is the case, students who are asked or "pressured" into leaving at odd times risk being left high and dry with no school place other than somewhere that is poorly suited or miles away. If BC really is doing this, it's just not OK. They have a duty of care to students in such situations. BC need to engage with these concerns, not keep trying to shut threads down.

Hello,

I’m the OP on the original BC thread.

Firstly, I’d like to thank all of the people that took the time to share their experiences with BC - on the thread and via personal messages.

The comments reflect what I have heard about BC from other sources.

People that I know that have children or have had had children about the school generally rave about it. However, they also say that the school is suited for very academically able children with a love of learning.

As other posters on the thread wrote - it’s quite common for Brightonians to send their children to one of the local primary schools and then trying to get them into BC at 11+ or 13+.

The prep- school does not seem to offer good value for money and attending does not in any way guarantee a place at the senior school. BC make that very clear in their recruitment materials.

The only new information that surprised me was hearing that some children had been asked/encouraged to leave during their GCSEs and prior to the 13+ entry. if this is true - I find it truly outrageous.

Finally, I am deeply disappointed with Mumsnet for saying that the thread was pulled because I asked for it to be taken down. I’ve been on this site since 2007ish and this has been the first time I’ve seriously considered packing it in for good.

not your finest moment Mumsnet….

I was following the original BC thread and felt confused when it was taken down before I had a chance to respond. I’m quite new to MN so still trying to wrap my head around how things like privacy/copyright work around here. I presume MN has the ultimate authority to take down a post if certain sensitive words flagged up on their system and they think it could potentially harm the OP or individuals who are more vulnerable? And for everyday posts like sharing experiences or advice on schools to be removed, do one need to report a post first for an investigation to be launched?

I emphasise with the families in the original BC thread who were advised by their prep schools to consider a different senior school instead of their desired main college. It can be especially distressing if parents and their DC had their hearts set on a particular school. But it would be a cause of concern and outrage if a student was asked to leave half way through their GCSES or ALevels because they show signs of falling behind their work or target grades.

As I read through the original thread, I came across a post where a parent shared their positive experience of the college, only to be criticised and dismissed by quite a few posters for not using paragraphs in their comments. I also noticed one poster mentioned that their family member had received a funded place, which was met with some skeptical feedback. I presume this might involve sensitive information, particularly if the funding was awarded through the means of a bursary, which is then reviewed annually? I understand in such cases, parents would typically be required to sign a discretionary contract with the school on the amount offered, and sharing such information with others may result in the funds being withdrawn.

@FacebookFun - https://www.mumsnet.com/i/terms-of-use

Sorry the nuance is they have unfettered rights over your content.. pretty much. You have given them an unfettered right over your posts, subject to the above terms and conditions.
However, with GDPR I don’t know. You raise an interesting point - I am not sure if all posts are personal data. If someone insists on having all their posts deleted going back many years and multiple user names, I wonder if they are now obliged to make sure that happens (or if it only applies to the identifying personal data posts). No idea, but an interesting question nevertheless. I suspect if someone insists it might be easier to just delete all their posts rather than just identifying personal data posts (because it might take a long time and much discussion as to what that is). If you are worried about it, email Mumsnet Headquarters.

I have always regularly name changed. I still feel if I am going to share my thoughts and invest my time, then they shouldn’t delete my posts if they do not breach the guidelines. If they are not offensive, libellous etc. then I have a legitimate expectation that my posts remain.
Otherwise it becomes no better than the likes of certain builder review websites - we certainly don’t want that for schools, in particular. Freedom of speech is important.

I don’t think people warning that highly academic schools are not for every child is a bad thing. It makes people think twice about what is right for their child. There is a similar thread about The Perse School running. Point being that fast paced highly academic schools can be the totally wrong fit for some children, even some very academic children, if they don’t like pressure.

To put things in perspective, I feel that elaborating on our DC's circumstances may help balance things a little. Our DC attended a local state primary school. Not the typical academic type of child but rather a curious minded and laidback individual who would happily lounge back and only do things if they absolutely positively have to.

Throughout the primary school phase, our DC presented quite a challenge for both teachers and ourselves with regards to completing tasks in class and the very occasional homework due to their SEND needs. Our DC would often express their dissatisfaction with the learning experience at school, describing it as ‘boring’.

As the time approached to select a suitable secondary school, we explored almost every available options within sensible travelling distance, including state and independent schools, hoping to find the best fit for our DC.

Upon realising the requirements to secure a spot in an independent school, our DC understood the need to undergo a comprehensive assessment process that involved tests on verbal/non-verbal reasoning etc. We got hold of some Bond books for our DC to familiarise themselves with the contents. No extra tuition needed.

…

The rest of the story is now history but if the OP is still interested in finding out more about BC’s admissions/scholarships process, I’m happy to share our experience. Best of luck.

@doglover90 and here are the results for my original share of our experience of the school…

@Saltscooper saying positive things about the school is all well and good, but surely you can't deny that when you use AI to write it, it makes people question how genuine you are.

The thing is eventually people with a certain amount of knowledge and time stop posting on Mumsnet if their opinions, given in good faith and for free, are pulled.

We already don’t own the copyright to our posts given mainly in the interests of free speech. If Mumsnet continue to pander to legal threats posted by commercially driven outfits, posters leave for good.

Anything that is posted that is true and simply represents someone’s actual opinion should be fine! If nothing libellous is posted then it should stay.

Brighton College partners with international schools under a Brighton College brand name… perhaps, in my opinion, they are incentivised to defend their brand more than some other schools, with charitable status in the U.K.

@Saltscooper If you were writing up your own experiences of BC, then fine, but you’re not - you’re posting what ChatGPT thinks of the school. Why?

@NotARealCat That may well be one of the reasons why the OP's thread on BC was taken down. People like you accuse, name, and label others who share their positive experiences with the school and then report them.

@ttbn I completely agree with you that it is up to each of us to make our own decisions. There will never be a one-size-fits-all type of school and each family has varying needs and interests. I am very grateful that we have the privilege to choose a school that aligns best with our child's preferred learning style and interests.

But of course, choosing a school is only the first step in their education journey. Once enrolled, it's important to stay involved and engaged with their education, to make sure that they are continuing to thrive and grow. This may simply mean encouraging DC to talk about their day and offering support and encouragement.

Again, the decision of where to send your DC to school will depend on a variety of factors, including your family's values, financial situation, and the individual needs and interests of your DC. Whatever the OP decides, I wish them all the best as they navigate this exciting and challenging chapter in their lives.

@Saltscooper ’s posts are ChatGPT generated. It’s pretty transparent. I will report, but I’m not sure what the motivation is here.

@Saltscooper I have no intention of getting into the table tennis match on this thread but felt compelled to thank you for sharing your experience on here. We can all make our own choices at end of the day.

I am only sharing our family's personal experiences at the school, without intending to invalidate the experiences of other families or prove ourselves.

A parent who currently has a child attending the school and shared their positive experience previously on the OP’s BC threat also got deleted and their experience was too being dismissed by some people here due to lack of paragraphing in their comment.

Resorting to personal attacks or being dismissive when someone shares their (positive) experiences is not a constructive or appropriate way to respond. It appears that your arguments lack solid evidence and are instead grounded in assumptions and bias. What are you hoping to accomplish?

@WEEonline The only reason I'm suspecting it's not BC is because they're not stupid enough for this. Exactly, it's not how parents online talk to each other. It's reading like a patronising email. Or those fake reviews on Amazon. If I was a genuine BC parent and saw how they're deleting threads I'd be fuming. This would not be my response. You cannot function online as a business without having some aspects of your business criticised. Its extremely patronising to suggest that all negative reviews are fraudulent but happily keep up the ones that are positive. How do you prove the positive ones are genuine? No parent makes a decision on a school solely based on reviews on Mumsnet, esp if they're all glowing. That's not normal. People want to know the negatives because they exist everywhere and knowing what they are helps you make an informed choice.

I was also rubbed the wrong way by this
robotic PR piece. Timing is suspect, and it really doesn’t sound genuine. Parents don’t write to or talk to each other like that. Executives in a formal setting do, media, marketing and legal depts come to mind. Brighton, sea legs… maybe the pollution got to you?