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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be upset by this? (Or just really naive?)

86 replies

mollysmum82 · 14/12/2012 20:14

I attended a teacher training inset at my new school the other day. It was all about 'gcse results development' - basically how they could optimise their 5 a-c results at gcse for the league tables. The head teacher put a list of year 11 children's names on the projector, alongside the grades they were predicted for summer. He told us to 'ignore the e,f,g grade pupils' as they were a lost cause anyway, in terms of achieving the precious grade c for the league tables. He also said to ignore the a, a* and b grade candidates as it was unlikely they would slip under a c. Instead we were told to focus all out attentions on the c/d grade pupils to ensure they got their c (and thus the high place in the league tables for the school).

This attitude really shocked and upset me. It goes against every value I have for individual children mattering and helping everyone achieve their highest potential.

Am i naive? Does every school do this??

OP posts:

TheMonster · 14/12/2012 20:16

Yes they do. Ours certainly does.

SantaFlashesHisBoobsALot · 14/12/2012 20:17

Know the school I was at used to, as the teachers in some subjects told us exactly this.

Selim · 14/12/2012 20:17

Well I'm 39 and my school did it in maths without a doubt. Not sure about other subjects.

HollyBerryBush · 14/12/2012 20:19

Yes.

to the point we even do those peculiar mini BTEC things with the C/D borderline kids to make sure they leave with worthless bits of paper the minimum 5 C+ - BUT there isn't a lot you can do to fake up 5+E&M though.

financialwizard · 14/12/2012 20:19

As a parent I think it is appalling, although I am sad to say I am not surprised.

CajaDeLaMemoria · 14/12/2012 20:19

Yes.

The E/F/G candidates need to pull themselves up. You won't be able to do it. It's more than likely that they are just not applying themselves, or trying, and you can't force somebody to try.

If they do start concentrating and trying, they'll get closer to the C/D grades that you do aim to help. Those pupils already at C/D are trying, and deserve help to get a "successful" grade.

The A*/A/B pupils will be motivating themselves, so are unlikely to drop in grades, and will likely seek help themselves if they do.

This has been standard procedure since I was at school.

HollyBerryBush · 14/12/2012 20:25

Of course, grade boundaries can move - so you may think you have pulled someone up to a C grade, but a little tweeking by the exam boards and you find you haven't.

Some children will never be able to achieve a C grade, this is why some bacome highly disruptive during Y10/11 because they know they cannot achieve the holy grail of 5A*-C. This is why some pupils should be sent to trade colleges at 14

notnagging · 14/12/2012 20:27

You are being naive, sorry. It is about results and you do have to push the d's to convert. It makes a big difference. You will be judged on it for your performance management.

BarceyDussell · 14/12/2012 20:29

When I was in sixth form, so A level, the head of sixth form used to bring all the pupils who were predicted Es into her office and try to convince them to drop their subject.

Even though they were 18 months into it and an E still represented UCAS points for university.

That was in 1996 so I'm not remotely surprised a similar thing is happening now for your GCSE cohort.

MammaTJ · 14/12/2012 20:29

Oh dear, but my DC will be helped a lot by this!!!

HollyBerryBush · 14/12/2012 20:29

We dont apply to remark anything other than D grade boundary either - if a parent wants to try to convert a B to an A - they pay for it - why? because it doesnt affect our statistics.

You'll find a lot of school this year, after the debacle last summer are double entering in English with at least 2 exam boards.

elfbambinos · 14/12/2012 20:32

but just because that is his view does not mean you need to apply it to your own teaching

I think it's always been the case though ,I;m 43 and we were all put in 'sets' throughout primary and secondary (the clevers, the middles , and the might pass, and as it was called at the time .....the remedial class.

It's horrible now as an adult and a parent to think that there was such a thing called the remedial class .

I also know there was a bit of resentment amongst the teachers, as the ones who taught the top set 'clever ones' were viewed as the better/best teachers.

Created a entire proper fisticuffs fight one day and my local fair with the deputy headmaster, the and two english teachers

PimpMyHippo · 14/12/2012 20:36

At my secondary school's sixth form, when the AS results came in the headteacher would expel anyone who didn't get any C's or above. I don't know if that's actually allowed, but he was very open and clear about this policy so I assume it must have been. Unsurprisingly, the league tables showed it as the top sixth form in the area - because all the students who weren't going to get good grades had been kicked out. (I left the school before sixth form, no way I was staying there any longer than I had to!)

elfbambinos · 14/12/2012 20:40

I will say this about the English teachers fight because I always thought it was really funny

The teacher who taught the 'less clever' children squared up to the teacher who taught the 'clever' children and waved his fists and said ' you get all the best books you bastard , you're getting The Outsiders and Catcher in Rye and am getting The Great Gatsby, the shitest book in history'

It's probably not that funny to anyone else but when you were 16 is was

peaceandlovebunny · 14/12/2012 20:41

no! our school certainly does not do that! no-one is written off, no-one, no matter how unlikely it seems that they will achieve, no matter how much trouble they give us or how much we'd like to have them removed for the sake of our peace and sanity!
we are inner city, 69 languages spoken, in the 'ten most deprived areas' list. our children, on paper, might not look the most promising material. but we are as intent on facilitating attainment for the less academically able as for those who find study easy.
we must be naive, too...

HollyBerryBush · 14/12/2012 20:44

A Level results can be 'faked' - they aren't calculated on cohort like GCSEs, but on number of entriesw, Eg 20 candidates, 1 gets ungraded, reducing results to 90%, there is a 2 week window to withdraw the entry = - voila, back upto 100% pass rate. Do it all the time. 6th formers bring a bounty of nearly 6 grand, so we keep them, even when they can't cope because we want the money.

foxy6 · 14/12/2012 20:47

probably i never realised as ds 1 did well and was always expected to do well but ds2 is mostly in the expected c/d bracket and has been offered lost of extra support that i would have thought would be better offered to those expecting lower grades.

Alisvolatpropiis · 14/12/2012 20:48

Looking back to my own GCSE's (8 years ago),I would say they do. My year was a guinea pig year in which there were no sets except for maths and science. Mixed ability English classes were a disaster because the teacher did indeed focus more on the less able (they were disruptive and lazy not SEN). It was very very frustrating for the more hard working pupils.

DieDeutschLehrerin · 14/12/2012 20:50

This is why the measures by which schools are judged are so short sighted. It drives me insane. Ultimately, You apply your own strategies when teaching KS4. Yes, it's important to try and convert as many Ds to Cs as possible because those kids are so close to a "pass" but you do the job to ensure all your students achieve of their best and no speech from anyone in leadership is going to make you think any different. You can only ensure you are true to your own values.

foxy6 · 14/12/2012 20:50

noblegiraffe · 14/12/2012 20:51

Those Cs will open doors for the students who get them too, so it's for their benefit as well as the school's.

MisForMumNotMaid · 14/12/2012 20:51

It gets worse. You can overlay that table of names with cd border lines on free school meals and then throw money at a small select group.

As others have said, this is only part of the game. You need to feed the number crunchers by being aware of how these children are progressing but that doesn't mean you don't put effort into the others.

BrianButterfield · 14/12/2012 20:53

We don't do it. Nobody is written off. Every child is pushed to get the best grade they can. And we teach mixed ability in English all the way through school!

PrincessOfChina · 14/12/2012 20:54

This certainly happened in my school in 1996. I was in the group expected to do well and was ignored when "struggling" as I was pretty much dead set to get C+ in everything.

I fared much better at A Levels when this attitude was not taken (an FE college).

crazygracieuk · 14/12/2012 21:07

I'm not surprised. At primary schools, extra SATs help is given to children who are borderline so I'm definitely not surprised about the story you've told.

GCSE results affect eligibility for A-level and university entrance so I bet the parents of borderline children will be happy too.

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