to STORM into school tomorrow and punch a teacher right in the fucking mouth?

[HeyMumma]

NOT REALLY, I am a lady and would never dream of doing such a thing! Just wanted more replies to this thread.

DD (Yr9) took her options earlier this year. We were told that if there were any concerns with the choices made we would be invited to discuss it by the end of May. We did not hear anything. Had a parents evening a few weeks ago where we met next year's tutor and again nothing was said. On this evening we were also given a letter confirming the options and DD had got what she wanted which included Triple Science.

Got a call tonight from the school (last day of term tomorrow), saying that they are concerned that DD may not be able to keep up with Triple science and they strongly advise she does not take it . She is on target for Science but is behind in Maths which we are aware is a problem and will be taking steps to deal with over the summer holidays (summer cancelled for DD, she will be STUDYING).

AIBU to be furious they have decided this with only one school day before she starts Yr10 when she will be start studying what she has chosen? DD is adamant she wants to do Triple Science and we are behind her, hence the summer home schooling. Can we insist she does it? When I asked if she has a choice, I did not get a straight answer.

To be honest, OP, I'd keep quiet about the perceived inadequacies of the school and wonder how come I wasn't aware of my daughter's problem with maths. The school is right to suggest that perhaps science isn't a good choice because that's quite maths-intense and it depends whether your daughter is capable and wililng to get up to speed in the holidays. She may not want to invest that much time in additional lessons in the holidays, but that is what it will take and she may well still be at a 'deficit', which can be extremely hard to deal with when her classmates are far ahead of her.

Parents that threaten to punch or shout at teachers, even as a 'vent', really annoy me. It always seems to be the quickest option to blame the school.

I would be furious if I was told so late in the school year that my DD couldn't do an option subject and especially after having options evenings/parents evening where it could be raised. At my DD's school they do a 3 year KS3 and Triple Science is offered to all bar the lowest two Science sets. From reading on hear and what I know from other schools who offer Triple as an option subject the main stipulation for taking triple Science appears to be a good level in Science in KS3. I would if it was me be ringing the school to arrange a meeting as soon as possible in the new school year. Does she want to take Science post GCSE?

As for cancelling summer YABU. give the girls a break. If she is reluctant to do Maths for two hours a day she really will not learn anything. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink springs to mind IYSWIM

YABU.
Can't get passed your vile thread title.
Seriously, you have probably missed out on helpful advice by putting people off with that title.

I know you didn't really mean it about punching the teacher so I'm not going to worry about that, it was just an attention grabber..

I think you have to let your daughter do triple science because she would be devestated otherwise and is obviously serious about it and hard working or she would refuse to do all the extra work throughout the Summer. Doing well is part brains and part determination/interest. I think she deserves a chance to achieve her goals and you must back her up and insist on it ....(just no punching remember, or she might lose any chance at all).

Don't cancel summer and spend it studying instead.

She needs a break.

I understand your frustration with the school but if the only way she can cope with triple science is to have extra maths tuition through the summer then perhaps she shouldn't be doing it. Although they should have told you this before.

But as someone else pointed out, they are only ADVISING her to drop the triple. If you and her think it's doable then surely that will be ok with the school. Speak to them this morning. What are her current grades in the sciences and maths?

Yabu if she is not up to it she isn,t. Harsh but true. Perhaps with less science to do she could give more to Mayotte and not have to give up her summer.that is the most unreasonably thing of all if she has to sacrifice her holidays at that age to maths then something is wrong. It is up tom the school and perhaps a bit of extra work herself to reach a good standard in maths but cancelling summer is something you have decided to do and I would be surprised if it was her idea. I think you need to chill out and accept her shortcomings and encourage her strengths. Too controlling

Mayotte? Maths bloody ipad

Reading the next posts thay all sound sensible too, but maybe it comes down to what SHE wants to do and whether it's your idea or hers. How keen is she herself. If she's keen and really wants to then do it, if it's you who just thinks she ought to then let it go ????

I feel sorry for your DD, basically her summer hols are going to consist of maths and jogging and generally feeling that she is not good enough in her parents eyes.

Perhaps she simply doesnt enjoy maths but prefers other subjects hence does better in those, encourage her in those instead as she doesnt have to excel in everything.

2h a day of extra maths isn't losing her summer holiday! There were 24h in a day last I checked - assuming she spends 10h asleep that's still 12h to play with.

I struggled with maths A level, but GCSE science really isn't that math oriented (or it wasn't when I did it).

I would go with encouraging her to study what she wants to - which sounds like the science option.

Oh, and I managed a degree in biomedical sciences and another in medicine without a great maths grade - it's possible to be crap at pure maths and cope with the applied stuff fine!

I didn't get the impression she'd feel "not good enough", think some people are reading masses more into this. Discuss it with her & go with what she wants.

OP

I haven't read the whole thread but you did say:

"...... Got a call tonight from the school (last day of term tomorrow), saying that they are concerned that DD may not be able to keep up with Triple science and they strongly advise she does not take it......."

And on the basis of this suggestion you ask AIBU to:

"........STORM into school tomorrow and punch a teacher right in the fucking mouth?"

OK so you claim you: "...are a lady..." so the whole thing is hypothetical but yes, YABVU.

I don't think that two hours a day is too much at this age tbh. There are children who are doing the 11+ who are doing two hours a day. If your dd wants to do the triple award she has to learn that she has to sacrifice something. Two hours a day is fine.

Probably going to sound all tiger mum-ish but since everyone in RL think I'm like the original tiger mum anyway, that's fine!

Ok all them years ago when people did o levels I sucked math big time. In those days I was doing physics, chemistry, double math. I was failing in additional math. When it was time to do the exams I aced my math exams. It was down to practice practice practice. The same thing happened at a level where I was flunking math again. I ended up getting an a.
Again practice.

Go for it. I'm not a sec school teacher and my kids aren't anywhere near secondary school (or primary for that matter!). But I'm an admissions tutor at a pretty good university and we would look at proper subjects over the 'softer' ones.

I studied separate sciences at GCSE and then went on to do all 3 at a-level. Unless things have changed markedly in the last decade or so, the maths involved in gcse physics is not actually that tough. It's mostly dealing with formulae (how's her algebra?) and plotting graphs, drawing charts etc to represent the results of her practicals. Also, I wouldn't say that the maths required for physics is any more demanding that that required for chemistry (although tbf there probably is more of it in the physics exams). I have to say that I'm surprised the school is saying she shouldn't do triple sci due to her maths ability - even if she takes dual award sci, she'll still need to be able to calculate stuff, draw graphs etc. She will be doing much, much more challenging maths work in her maths gcse than in science. If she's doing ok in science at the moment and maths is genuinely her only weak spot, I'd say go for it. Maybe it will even encourage her to pull her socks up re her maths work!

(Haven't read all replies so sorry if someone has already put this point forward) Could it be that they have reassessed her maths level since her options were set and now think that if she concentrates to much on the sciences she will not be able to give enough time to her maths. If she doesn't pass at level C or above in Maths and English she will not be able to go on to sixth form to do her A levels in any subject.

Is that true of all English schools that if you don't get C or above in English and Maths at GCSEyou can't do any A levels? What about dyslexics or the dyscalculic? Seems a very odd rule.
Here in Scotland you can retake standard grades or Int 2s in English and maths whilst doing other highers, mind you here you can still choose to do just any of the 3 science subjects you like ie just biology or just physics and chemistry. It's interesting how different the countries are, but I wonder if some of it is school specific rather than country specific.

To do A levels at the school my son school you need c's or above in science maths and English and c's or above in two other subjects as well

Maths and sciences actually help each other. There's a lot of overlap between maths, physics and chemistry, so a lot of the time it is actually the EASIER option. I hope the school isn't one of those schools that believes "girls can't be that good at maths, physics and chemistry, so we're going to discourage them from taking triple science". Beware!
Once they put their minds to it, provided they are not bored (or unmotivated), girls are generally no worse at these subjects than boys.

Oh do go away BeerTricks.

Well I finally got through to someone today. The person who rang me last night and, who assured me I could come in this morning to discuss this with her, was off sick on the last day of term which was only a half day and with doubtless other parents that she had contacted expecting to be able to speak to her!

I spoke to someone who totally had no clue what was going on (Asst Head) and he said he 'did not have an answer' as to why they were doing this so late in the day and also told me that my DD had not been registered for 1 other subject that she had put down as her options and it was now fully subscribed so she would have to decide on other subjects - Geography (which she wanted) versus History . The options forms were handed in February. They are saying that it is because her maths is not good enough to be able to keep up with the physics but I have said that she wants to do the Triple Science so should do it. Apparently we will have a meeting about the other subject in September. With her Maths, I have also found out that her tutor made a 'mistake' with her assessment and she is actually one level higher than previously stated but that has not filtered through to anyone else. I have fired off an email to the Head but have not had a reply.

I am fucking furious and make no apology for my thread title.

Oh get over it!

Op the school sounds pritty poor to me! Not nice for your dd to be left waiting like that

I most certainly would not BeerTricks. Would probably feel like doing so though if I knew you but I would keep that thought to myself and post about it on an anonymous website instead.