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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be cross about this Good School guide review?

18 replies

Dresdenally · 05/09/2017 09:18

I know I should just let this go but it's really annoyed me.

Dd was at a private school which had a falling role. The head left and they promoted a teacher to head. We took dd out and sent her to state 6th form as her year group was so tiny she would have been the only student in two of her a level subjects in year 12! There was also a bullying problem that the school failed to sort (girl pouring water in dds food if she dared to sit at the 'popular' table and more). We also took Dd2 out and sent her to another private school nearby, much busier and happier. Both girls are happy and thriving.

The original school has just published its good school guide where it says "a third of girls leave after year 11, most for financial reasons"

This has really, really annoyed me. When we took dd1 out the head didn't even bother to ask why or have a meeting to ask us why. AIBU to be pissed off with this. Obviously some may have left for financial reasons but I doubt it as most went to other, more expensive private schools!

OP posts:

Bluntness100 · 05/09/2017 09:22

Well they are hardly going to write it's because they are shite, are they? Not unreasonable to be annoyed, but unreasonable to expect them to spin it.

Bluntness100 · 05/09/2017 09:22

Not to spin it I mean..,

Pengggwn · 05/09/2017 09:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

hibertMcSchlibert · 05/09/2017 09:31

Are you sure as to the reason that most went to more expensive schools? Survey? Exit poll?

Does this also count as financial reasons ie. parents have more cash so sent their children to a better school or parents decided they placed an even higher value on education that previously so changed schools.

Original poster

Dresdenally · 05/09/2017 09:37

I know 8 girls that left. My dd and one other went to state. All the others went to more expensive schools. Yes I suppose financial reasons could work both ways

I thought the GSG was supposed to be an unspun review. Obviously not!!

OP posts:

dollydaydream114 · 05/09/2017 09:40

They said 'mostly'. Just because you happened to take your child out for other reasons, that doesn't mean it isn't true that finances are the reason in most cases. I'm sure plenty of parents do give the school a reason for their child leaving, even if you didn't.

Original poster

Dresdenally · 05/09/2017 09:42

Erm - we did give them a reason - that it was too small and we didn't want dd to do history and RS a levels by herself! Reason was sent in an email. No follow up from school.

OP posts:

hibertMcSchlibert · 05/09/2017 09:49

As a slight aside.

RS - why?

History with a 1-2-1 teacher. I'm not a history teacher but do work at a school. I believe that any child could get an A with reduced lessons by having a private teacher. Why did you see this as a bad thing?

Original poster

Dresdenally · 05/09/2017 09:50

RS because she enjoyed it and was good at it.

Sitting in a history lesson on your own without anyone to bounce ideas off sounds hellish.

OP posts:

SomewhatIdiosyncratic · 05/09/2017 09:56

Teaching a tiny A-level group that's too small for group/ collaborative work can be very hard going. Being able to bounce of other people's ideas is very useful for learning. I wouldn't be enthused at my own children being part of a class of less than 4. It's a fair reason to seek an alternative provider.

hibertMcSchlibert · 05/09/2017 09:56

Your idea of A Level History is a little romantic. Perhaps A Levels in general.

A Levels are a careful balance of fun / hellish / grades.

Original poster

Dresdenally · 05/09/2017 09:58

Your idea of A Level History is a little romantic. Perhaps A Levels in general.

She's just done AS levels and got ABB (a in history!!) - she left a year ago.

OP posts:

hibertMcSchlibert · 05/09/2017 10:05

Good for her (definitely not supposed to sound sarcastic).

My comment was about "bouncing ideas" whereas A Levels tend to be taught to exams with certain set essays taught to be regurgitated.

Original poster

Dresdenally · 05/09/2017 10:07

Yes and I think small groups are good, but being one girl in the class in a 6th form of 21 girls overall is not healthy.

OP posts:

Allthebestnamesareused · 05/09/2017 11:18

I think the Good School Guide does do surveys with parents/past parents. I think I was sent one when my son left his prep school (which had an Upper School that he could have gone into).

Dahlietta · 05/09/2017 11:28

RS - why?

Anyway, the GSG is supposed to be unspun, but there are certain instances where it's difficult to avoid it if the school is spinning information. Parents whose children have left wouldn't have received a survey and so the school is free to tell the GSG inspectors (I can't think of a better word!) that the pupils left for financial reasons and they wouldn't have much reason to believe otherwise.
YANBU to be annoyed about it though!

Original poster

Dresdenally · 05/09/2017 12:03

But why would the GSG even mention it? Surely a more balanced piece would say a third (generous!! More like two thirds) leave after year 11 and leave it at that?

I am going to write to the GSG, much good will it do me.

OP posts:

ButterkistBetty · 05/09/2017 15:54

The GSG can be very biased. The school mine are at had a head change. The article writer hated the out going head, loved the new. (He told me this himself) Despite parents disliking the new head and a few years on still really hating them to the point where the governors have had to shove them out of the job as it's got really bad with complaints the GSG writer makes our school sound like nivarna! It is so glowing it's sickly and digs at old head and praises the new.

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