to think this is a great way of getting top A-Level success rates - I can't believe other schools haven't cottoned on

[orlantina]

Simply don't let the pupils in Y12 who aren't going to get As not do year 13.

Then you are looking good for a high success rate and can market yourself as a great school.

www.theguardian.com/education/2017/aug/29/grammar-school-unlawfully-threw-out-students-who-failed-to-get-top-grades

Unbelievable the school did this...

My grammar school (in Devon) did this when I was doing A levels in 2002. You could carry on with them elsewhere just not with them. I'm not sure why it's so shocking.

I'm not sure why it's so shocking

Because

Education lawyer Imogen Jolley, of Simpson Millar, said it was generally accepted that withdrawing a school place at the end of year 12 amounted to an exclusion, which, in the case of a local authority maintained school – as St Olave’s is – would be governed by Department for Education exclusion guidance.

Under the guidance, it is only lawful to exclude a pupil on disciplinary matters. It states clearly that it is “unlawful” to exclude for “a reason such as academic attainment/ability”

Schools have been doing stuff like this for years - it's just the first time it has been challenged.

I also know of a highly ranked school that enters "weaker" pupils as external candidates so they don't show up on the school's league tables. Some popular and oversubscribed schools seem to have "lost" a proportion of their pupils by GCSE - however OFSTED appear not to notice this.

My school gently nudged out anyone who didn't get good GCSEs before sixth form by setting high thresholds for entry to AS/A Level courses. Example: I was not allowed to do History in y12 because I'd got a B at GCSE.

If we're being charitable we could say it helps to motivate Y12 into putting lots of effort in from day one ...

I think in most schools students that are struggling at AS level will only be allowed to do A2 if there is a commitment to work harder. Otherwise they resit AS and if there's no improvement they can't go on to A2. What would be the point, after all?

I think this is exactly how some of the top independent schools in my area manage to sell themselves to new parents. If your child isn't on target for an A they are invited to find a school that 'better meets their needs' - well, or that better meets the school's needs to make new parents feel that they are buying straight As by sending their DC to that school.

I think in most schools students that are struggling at AS level will only be allowed to do A2 if there is a commitment to work harder

How would you define struggling?

Mind you, that probably explains the very high numbers of high grades.

Yep, another one saying it's nothing new. More recently, ny friend's DD eas at a non-selective state school and it was suggested she might not be able to continue after disappointing AS level results. Her mother made it perfectly clear that the school had no right to effectively expel her because of this but the school, although it immediately backrd down, had obviously tried it successfully with other students.

Interesting how families who are happy with selection when their children are among the chosen ones suddenly change their tune when their children are selected out.......

But that said, selection at this stage is clearly wrong and in the case of a state school unlawful.

This has been happening for years.

A highly successful independent school local to me regularly 'encouraged' students to leave after GCSE mocks, resulting in a sudden influx of students to other schools 1 term before GCSEs. The highly successful school kept its very high average scores at GCSE. Other local schools - state and independent - did the best for the students who were effectively kicked out (told they couldn't sit any GCSEs in which they wouldn't get A* - B grades) but there were all sorts of problems and of course it was the other schools' statistics that suffered. The highly successful school even refused to pass coursework on in some cases.

I did my gcses and a levels at a grammar school in the early 90s even then they wouldn't enter you for the exam unless they thought you would pass with a good grade. It's not a new thing, grammar schools are really poor at supporting struggling students.

My old school was accused of this: however, as the head of sixth form used to say, you don't do anyone any favours by allowing them to follow another year of a course they are going to do badly in. That's not exclusion, it's sensible advice.

you don't do anyone any favours by allowing them to follow another year of a course they are going to do badly in

How is badly defined? Is a B bad? A C Bad?

I did my gcses in 1998.

Kids who werent going to pass were not entered.

Whilst going my a-levels (1998-2000) you had to be on track to pass to do year 13. You failed.

Wether you agree with it or not. Its not a new thing.

St Olave’s is one of the highest achieving schools in the country. On its website it boasts that this year’s A-level students achieved 96% A/B grades; 75% of all grades were at A/A, three percentage points up on last year, and 32 students gained straight A* grades in at least 3 subjects.

• Looks like they think a C is bad then.

If you read the Secondary board you will see quite a lot of school 6th forms have high entry requirements to y12, (much higher than my local, well respected, A level 6th form college). I absolutely think it is a way of making A level results look good. Parents looking to choose a school in y7 will look at the A level results and not realise the selection that goes on age 16.
That said, letting pupils do A levels when they have e.g. 6Cs and 2Bs may not be in their best interest either ...

I work for an fe college (only offer btecs not a levels) we have high rates of students transferring to us for local 6 forms after year 12

I wouldn't say that a Grade C or even a Grade D at A level is struggling.

I got BCDD at A level & wentvin to get a 2:1 degree.

Dh got CD & now teaches at degree level.

Lunde I went to a school that in last couple of weeks before GCSEs would expel it's less desirable pupils for the most minor of things, they still got to sit their GCSEs but they were not part of the school's results.

Most sixth forms have a grade threshold for continuing to Y13. At my sons' school, they can only continue to Y13 if they finish Y12 with EEE or above. I think that is reasonable so long as the rules are made clear before students start Y12.

My child's school did this trick at GCSE. It was kept very quiet... for some reason it didn't feature in their website.

It would make for interesting reading - how many people were accepted to do y12 on courses but then 'for some reason' didn't get to y13.

If they are good enough to get the grades to get into Y12 but there's a high 'attrition' rate at the end, then that raises interesting questions - about teaching quality at 6th form and the standard expected to get into Y13.

It's a great way to make your statistics look good.

It's certainly not new. QE Boys in Barnet was renowned for doing it.

I blithely accepted at the time that there were 120 in y12 and 80 in y13 There were a few one-year Germans but not forty!

Gerda QE Boys is rumoured to go a step further, by saying that not every pupil with a high grade at Maths GCSE can even start Maths A-level there. They apparently use their own internal tests to decide.