Private school to ditch GCSEs, write own exams

They started at KA, decided it was not academic enough

God, GC is a xxxx of the highest order. I had no idea his DD was at CSG. The local comp my arse. I thought his kids went to King Alfred’s cos they weren’t close enough to EP. The only other acceptable state school.

A few things - Giles Coren has one child in one of the highest-achieving, most sought-after comps in the country - it is used very cynically by its middle-class clientele to game Oxbridge. . Before this they were at a private prep school. GC never misses an opportunity to boast his dc is at the "local comp" because to him it is such a wildly exotic move to have made.

His other child is at a private prep school and being tutored for the very best private secondary schools out there because there is no stellar boys' equivalent comp or grammar in his area

His article is completely disingenuous and designed to score cred points

As Dynasty says, this is not the idea of the new head, it was implemented by the previous head who really thinks very deeply about education for years. The parents in the prep whose children would be the first to go through this system were warned from the start, it wasn't suddenly foisted on year 6 but on the people whose children were applying to join year 3. Everyone has been warned before signing up that this is the deal.

But they're still going to be taught the subjects- they will still be taking A levels. Not much difference to moving to a school with different exam boards etc. it's so rare anyway- I can't think of any children leaving or joining my DCs school in y10 or y11.

“There are a LOT of international parents there from a huge variety of countries- I think they are less phased than some of us who may have grown up doing O levels, GCSEs etc.”

That is true but I think some of that lot can also be a little naive when it comes to London private schools. As in, they don’t realise being expelled, asked to leave etc happens more often than one would expect. And if you aren’t doing anything similar to most other schools curriculum wise, that could end up a complete nightmare for a child.

Last thing I promise! I suspect that the question will come up when people visit other schools. My other DC is at a vaguely similar school- I will ask the headteacher their thoughts when I see them. They are usually very honest!

It doesn't affect my child so I don't have to think about it to be honest but having gone through GCSES with another child I think it's a good idea.
I have also seen the information in a lot more detail which is available to prospective parents that answer a lot of questions.
I guess if admission numbers took a dive they will rethink it all! They would have to!
A friend was at the open day this weekend and said that pretty much all the prospective parents she spoke to weren't phased by it at all but who knows when it comes to actually accepting offers!
There are a LOT of international parents there from a huge variety of countries- I think they are less phased than some of us who may have grown up doing O levels, GCSEs etc.

I get it @DynastywasthebestTV - you love the school and are a supportive parent. But are you not just worried a little bit? I would be totally freaking out if I had spent 21k a year on prep fees and now this. It is just very out there. How is it going to affect external 11 plus applications this year especially now the journos have jumped on it. Especially now there is possible VAT coming in etc too.

As a state school parent who once upon a time did consider private for 11-16 as that appears to be the most valuable time to me, it really really would put me off. I wouldn’t apply to this school anymore.

And sorry if I got the wrong end of the stick but a new head and a new policy, that is how it looks. So all marketing needs to clarify that. What are the co-ed competitors in London doing? I haven’t heard that Eg Highgate is doing the same.

congrats. hire your talent based on a 7 in gcse chemistry.

Actually I just looked at the website and they've been researching the idea for 4 years. She's hardly just walked in last week and thought of a new idea to introduce.

You missed the point that parents in the Prep have known about it for a couple of years. The new head has been there for 2 weeks!

This lady https://www.latymer-upper.org/new-head-announced/#:~:text=Kieran%20Murphy%2C%20Chair%20of%20Governors,exceptional%20leadership%20of%20the%20School.

She is doing a Liz Truss, in my opinion.

“There is actually a new head this term but it's been discussed within the Prep school for a couple of years and the first year group it affects is current Y6s so it's a while away and doesn't affect anyone currently at the Senior School.”

Personally, if my DC were at this school in Year 6 I would be really stressed about these changes! I had picked what I thought was a co-ed solid academic school where my DC can go to the Senior bit without too much 11 plus stress and now I have to decide last minute whether to stay or go, knowing full well that the 11 plus in West London is an utter nightmare and that it is kind of very late to prepare. And the school will turn around and say, well you knew etc and you could have moved.

If the head is new, I rest my case. Newcomer that is attention seeking and trying to make their mark. I absolutely detest this kind of approach and if I were applying, I would think very careful about it now, because I do not like that style of leadership. Who else are they willing to annoy if they don’t care about the parents? A good leader comes in, observes for a few years, does not make huge changes in the first couple of years.
It is bad news for the professional parent just about paying school fees whose DC would stay in the UK because they cannot afford eg the US and whose aim is another professional London based career and a UK university.

Rubbish. They are doing it because they can't 'fiddle' GCSE results and now the teacher assessment has gone back to exam assessment are finding it hard to achieve the grades they were.

IGCSEs are known to be less rigorous which is why the government stopped them counting in league tables - so preventing state schools taking them (which is why the government stopped them counting in league tables).

There should be a level playing field. In education, health, taxation, there should be no place to gain advantage simply because you or your parents are wealthy. It simply disadvantages those who are not and advantages those who are.

Every state school would love to write its own programme at GCSE and assess it. Teachers could produce really interesting programmes and certificate them. They are not allowed to because the government thinks teacher written and assessed programmes are not rigorous and always advantage results. The same system should apply to all children. That is what is fair.

They're still doing Maths and English GCSEs anyway.

Well they won’t be on mine.

I doubt Goldman Sachs in New York cares two hoots about GCSEs and to be honest I have worked with stacks of people educated all over the world who don’t have GCSEs . The employment market place is global. My nephews and nieces attended international schools and have a smorgasbord of qualifications, and in two cases no GCSEs, it doesn’t seem to have stopped them getting onto graduate schemes in London.

There is actually a new head this term but it's been discussed within the Prep school for a couple of years and the first year group it affects is current Y6s so it's a while away and doesn't affect anyone currently at the Senior School.

Another motivation is surely that these schools are struggling to demonstrate superior GCSE results to private competitors and likely also state schools. It’s got bugger all to do with them supposedly being stuffed full of Young Sheldons who are far far too bright for that numpty GCSE stuff.

Because one thing I am interested in, for instance, is basic numeracy. If a candidate has then done all arts A levels and an arts degree, I have no way of knowing if they have this, even with a 1st in, say, classics from Oxbridge.

I would expect them to have a verifiable national qualification, yes.

This seems like a loyalty scam to me to keep parents sending their kids to a particular school.

There is an article in this week’s Sunday Times by Giles Coren dissing private schools and Latymer Upper’s choice. Giles Coren, another journalist, who himself went to a posh prep and the Westminster School followed by Oxford. He then refers to his own kids at the comp.
The end of the article is down right racist “Indeed, so heavily Saudi, Chinese and Russian are these schools now that I hear the Saudis, Chinese and Russians are beginning to lose interest because they sent their kids here to meet English nobs and all they’re getting is other Saudis, Chinese and Russians, which is a bit of a waste of time.” At the end it refers to the “little foreign buggers”. Seriously!

Most interestingly, this journalist also refers to the “establishment” - children of doctors and politicians AND JOURNALISTS and low-ranking toffs”.
It comes across as he is the establishment and his kids are at the comp and only bankers/lawyers and FOREENERS now go private,

Essentially, another journo spouting hate because he went to Westminster and his own kids are now at the local comp. How is this even acceptable? Why do they publish this utter nonsense?

My two pennies’ worth on Latymer Upper’s plan -is it a new CEO style head trying to make their “mark”? Anyone know?
Personally, I would be quite annoyed if there were such changes if my DCs were at this school. Because typically you sign up and then they change everything without asking you and tell you you can give a term’s notice or lump it.
Let’s hope we don’t get massive curriculum changes as soon as the Labour government come in. In a teacher staffing crisis that would be the worst. Our schools have got their heads around the current system and are effectively able to share lesson plans with temp staff. If they reinvent the wheel yet again it is going to be a nightmare.

@GodessOfThunder - if they have a degree and A levels why would lack of GCSEs matter? What about overseas applicants who don't have GCSEs? Do you automatically discard them as well?

Well, if I come any GCSE-less applicants when I’m recruiting for what is considered by many “a top career”, their CVs will be deleted. I don’t have time to start researching what secondary school they went to and whatever peculiar alternative it decided to create.

I think it's much more likely that they are finding that more and more of their sixth formers are applying to universities overseas and they need a broader curriculum. GCSEs are ridiculous, they neither stretch the brightest nor interest the non academic. Too many people come out with nothing at the lower end and too many of the brighter students are bored to tears by the endurance test which is the modern GCSE. People who pay high levels of fees are often less concerned with 9x9s and more concerned with educating their children to get into top careers, I am not sure that this is right or that LUs solution is the correct one but they are not the only school thinking of this .

@GodessOfThunder - it's no different to posters asking for info on state schools all over the country. If you have heard of the school you might reply.
I might know about state and private schools where I live. Wouldn't have a clue about others.