To have done a nutty over GCSE options

[chorltonwheelies]

This is going to sound terrible, but here goes. Probably outing and long so as not to drip feed.

DD at an independent school. One of the reasons we chose it & she liked it, above other schools was that it offered lots of language options. Her primary school had 4 languages on the curriculum (it got swallowed up by a big chain when she was in Reception who introduced them) and fortunately she had excelled in them all, despite my thinking it was too heavy. She's got a natural aptitude for language.

School said that it offered French and Latin in Year 7, then they could chose to pick up an additional language of Spanish or German in Year 8. Cool beans thinks DD, having already studied French, Latin & Spanish.

Midway through Year 7, school informs us that they are changing policy and for Year 8, they all have to keep on with the Latin, but choose between either keeping on French or dropping it for German or Spanish.

DD disappointed, but chose to keep on with French. School says that they will have the option to pick up Spanish or German in Year 9.

This time last year, school then informs us that they are effecting a change and that pupils will need to pick their options for Year 9, before then choosing their options for GCSE.

As part of this process they get taster lessons in Spanish and German. DD decides that she really wants to try German, much to my surprise, I thought she'd resume Spanish as she'd enjoyed it before, but hey ho, her choice.

She was a bit disappointed at having to drop some subjects she really enjoyed, (drama, ICT, art) but realised that you can't do everything. I let her make her own choices.

They've then had to choose their GCSE options and DD really wanted to do French, German and Latin, amongst other options. Spoke to all the teachers at Parent's Evening a few weeks back and they were all delighted she was plumping for their subjects, because she is so naturally good at languages and has really hit the ground running with her German. No indication that she couldn't do both. They don't have option blocks.

Anyway, she comes home today, angry and upset because deputy head has informed her and other pupils, that due to low pupil uptake, they can't do either French & German, or French and Spanish.

They can only do 1 core language. Reason given is that there will only be 4 people in her German class and that's not conducive to learning, however she can swap French for German which will put her in the core German class. Currently there's only 2 people in the core German. She doesn't want to swap, but also doesn't understand why they won't run it. I'm not sure I do either.

Apparently the German and Spanish teachers had no idea about this, and only found out from their students today, about not being able to do a 2nd language. They then went back to Head of Department who didn't know either.

It all sounds like a disorganised cock-up. I've written a sharp letter to the Head of Year and cced in the deputy, pointing out that we feel disappointed and misled and that actually the pages on their website are misleading because they state that students do 2 modern languages from early on, and it clearly lays out that students can choose 2 modern languages for GCSE.

I understand that it's sometimes not viable for schools to run small classes etc, but another part of me thinks feck it, why are we paying school fees? If it's a change of policy also think it's a bit shit to spring it on her without telling parents first. Apparently deputy tried to ring me a few times today, but she tried my landline instead of my mobile.

I'm not sure I understand it and I'm really peeved on behalf of my daughter who feels she has been lied to and wouldn't have dropped other subjects, to start German if she'd known that she wouldn't be able to continue it.

I know that it's not going to be career ending or anything for her, but she'd really set her heart on languages.

Written a pissy letter. I've probably been completely unreasonable haven't I?

I went to a private school. There were 3 of us in one subject. As you say - why are you paying the fees if they can't offer what they say they will offer?

4 in a class would be a great learning experience so that's a bullshit excuse. There is certainly some other reason. I would persist with pushing it and I think getting other parents on board as a pp suggested is a good idea.

If your child good at languages then they are an excellent choice for GCSE. They are genuinely easy (for those with natural aptitude) to get top marks in and, if your dc works consistently throughout the course & always learns their vocabulary for the frequent, little class tests, they will barely have to revise.
My dd finds languages easy and works consistently. She got 3 A*s in her foreign languages without revising which created so much more time which she could devote to maths and science, which she really struggled with. The subjects she would have taken if 3 languages had not been available were drama or food tech & these would genuinely have been much harder work. They’re not the soft options people seem to think.
This isn’t a way to stealth boast. It’s just that you’ve received lots of agreement that you’re not BU & suggestions for how you might tackle school. I just wanted to encourage you and that it’s worth it. It’s not just worth it because your dd is good at languages in their own right, it’s worth it for the amount of revision time they will free up for her to devote to something she finds harder. It’s so good for general exam confidence to have a number of GCSE subjects which dd knows she has ‘in the bag’. Good luck.

In my poor state school I remember only one of my year group picked A Level French, they still ran the class so she got 1 to 1 tuition for two years! I’d be annoyed to be paying for that service tbh. I’m sure she can still do other languages as she goes on in life but having 4 in a class is precisely the kind of thing I’d expect an Independant school to be able to do. Will she be there for A Level? What do they offer at A Level for languages?

"Boo hoo! My money isn't buying me the unfair privilege for my kids that I want!"

And you're paying for this? I thought the whole point of paying (if you can afford it) is smaller classes. I can't afford it btw.

My school tried to pull that nonsense with my Sixth Year Studies in music. Got told that after Higher I couldn't just do a module (even though I really wanted to just fanny around and learn the drums for fun) so I had to opt for the full-on 6th Year Studies option. Then get told that as I would be the only one taking it I would have to travel to the other school in town until my flute teacher told me that was bollocks and it was mostly self-study. So I spent classroom time quietly alongside the Higher Music class and came out with a B (and a large middle finger to the head of department and Head Teacher).

My rambling was mostly to say, push them if that's what your daughter really wants to do. Get the other parents on side if need be.

Set a response deadline and / or just take it to the governors. For a pupil who has a flare for languages and MIGHT want to consider a languages degree, the decision the school have taken is actually pivotal. Can't do A Level without GCSE, and also most language degree courses ideally like 2 modern language A Levels. One modern language A Level for a modern languages degree is very constraining these days.

You've a bit of time to play with. It's the school that are setting the option deadlines, but then also setting barriers. Once they start the GCSE's there's often a bit of chop and changing any in the first few weeks. Why don't they can the Greek class and squeeze in the German.....German far more handy than Ancient Greek for gods sake!

The reasons given for not running the course i.e. only four in a class is utter utter nonsense. Fact.

So they are lying to you and DD about why they won't run the class. This is not ok. Fact.

They should at least be honest enough to admit the real reason why they won't run the class.

What else do the glibly lie about? Can you trust them if they place no importance in being honest with their paying customers?

I'd be fuming about the misselling and the lying.

If they were honest about their reasons, (likely to be financial), it would be harder to argue about because they do have to make sound financial decisions.

I’m an MFL teacher; that deputy head is talking bollocks about the class numbers and interaction.

They are trying to fob you off so they don't have to pay another teacher. I was the only student who did A level German - I loved it and interacted just fine with my teachers and the German assistant and got an A (before the days of A*). There was never any question of the school (comp) not offering the course. I can understand your daughter's disappointment and your frustration. Languages were my "thing" at school and meant I could excel in something, whereas I was average/slightly below average in other subjects. My life would have been very different if I hadn't had the opportunity to study languages, as I did a degree in German, Spanish and Russian.

I know that it's not going to be career ending or anything for her, but she'd really set her heart on languages.

You say this, but I was in a similar situation years and years ago (60s-70s) and was told I would be able to pick up German in the sixth form or at lunch time lessons - but it clashed with A level Latin and I couldn't. It wouldn't have affected me if I hadn't wanted to teach languages - the key word is languageS.

It went against me all my professional life that I only had one language - didn't realise this until later in my career though when I already had children and didn't have the time or energy to study another as an adult. Also, the optimum time to learn a language is when you are young - I didn't want to have to teach a second language I wasn't confident in.

As for 4 pupils not being enough to learn properly - bollocks - and I say that as a language teacher of some 30+ years. As PP have said - this is a financial decision and they are trying to dress it up as a teaching and learning one. It is particularly telling that the languages staff didn't know this - obviously the SLT have taken the decision.

You chose that school because of the languages it offered - it has let/is letting your daughter down.

Bitter much, EastMids? What a nasty post.

@getoffthetableMabel - thanks. I hadn’t realised that about it being easier for GCSE. She gets 100% in tests & just really enjoys languages, is in top set, but isn’t top set for English & Maths which she finds harder, so yes she will need more time for those & the 3 sciences.

DD said she spoke to the others affected & they were all very keen to have a small interactive class.

I was wary of creative subjects because of the time consuming nature of the portfolios, but I am genuinely not a tiger mum & understand that it’s important to let them make their own decisions & mistakes. I know she can’t f up her GCSE choices too badly, she’s just very upset & disappointed.

My ds is at a private school much smaller than your dc OP. He is doing French in a class of 4- ideal learning circumstances I would say!

What exactly are you getting for your money here?

I did two languages at my very shitty comp 25 years ago.

They simply don't want to pay a teacher for the sake for four students, and given that this is a fee paying school, that's not on.

That's bollocks.

My daughter is the only student taking German A-level at her school and she's doing fine.

It's not that it wouldn't work, it's that the school don't want to pay the teachers.

And my daughter's school is independent too.

Could you pay for her to do it outside of school with a tutor?

I think she’s already got enough extra curricular TBH. She’d have to drop the Greek which is in-house & therefore a lot easier logistically.

She’s gone to school knowing that I have complained and is now really worried she is going to get into trouble. She was just meekly going to tell them & accept that she was going to do history instead!

I'm learning a language 1-1, conversation is with my teacher and is very intense, covering in depth subjects that I'd struggle to talk about in english let alone my second language. No way would I get such an intense learning experience if there were 3 other students sharing the lesson.

I think it's primarily to do with money - think of what it costs to pay a teacher for 4 in a class vs 10 or more. They just say it's not a suitable learning experience because they don't want to say they will lose money on it as you are paying fees and might well complain about that.

There are probably genuine issues with timetabling and staffing, as outlined by PPs, but fobbing you off with some guff about a class of 4 not working is not on. Independent schools don't magically have enough spare cash to lay on anything that the parents desire - many of them are struggling to keep going.

MFL departments are very often staffed by a patchwork of part-timers. They may not be willing to work a disjointed timetable where they have long gaps in their day, or are only required to come in for one lesson, but if you can persuade them to take on your DD for some one-to-one coaching off-timetable, you may find there is more flexibility.

My DS studied 5 languages pre-GCSE and took 4 to GCSE, two of them in lower sixth. He was only timetabled for 2 languages but managed to fill in the other two with lunchtime and after school sessions. That sort of arrangement can work for some, but it takes a lot of motivation from the child and a willingness to go the extra mile from staff. The £££ is only one aspect, and may not make any difference if there is no spare capacity.

Good luck to your DD. She will be able to learn any language she wants to at uni from scratch. Maybe she can start exploring the options now and pick something really interestiing/exotic that isn't available in school - Japanese/Russian/Persian etc etc. The possibilities are endless.

As PP have said, complain to board of governors and look at other schooling options. Might be worth considering a state school.