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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think school made him take the subject, they can support him to the end?

30 replies

Bestseller · 01/02/2019 17:00

DS2 is soon to take his GCSEs.

He's a fairly average student. Does well in maths and science, struggles a bit in English, History etc.

His school made everyone take EBac subjects which meant he had to take a language despite having done very badly in French and German in yrs 7-9. He didn't want to do it and felt he was "rubbish" at languages but the school insisted.

Until now, when he got a 2 in his mock and they think he should withdraw to concentrate on history - there's a history class at the same time which he could join I. E do an extra five history classes instead of the language.

DS is gutted, thinks he's been trying harder and can pass. He's been going to all the extra revision sessions they've put on since Christmas (mock was in Nov).

Initially, I thought their suggestion made sense, but in the face of his disappointment and renewed effort, I'm inclined to insist they finish what they made him start. What do you think?

OP posts:
RonaldMcDonald · 01/02/2019 17:02

Depends. If he is too far gone to save he should put his efforts elsewhere

arethereanyleftatall · 01/02/2019 17:11

What are his history grades like?
Could it be rather than failing two subjects, they think it's better to pass one? If so, that seems sensible.
Also, our local secondary schools on their open days tell you what their policy is with regards to gcse subjects, so you know when you choose a school.

KatieKittens · 01/02/2019 17:16

Who are ‘they’?

Why doesn’t he ask his French teacher what their opinion is on his progress?

Original poster
Bestseller · 01/02/2019 17:18

They tell you what the policy is but then they change it during their school career. Languages weren't compulsory when he started, but even if they were how can you know if that will suit your child when choosing a school at 10/11yo?

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Original poster
Bestseller · 01/02/2019 17:22

"they" are the school, it was his head of house who called me with the plan but she didn't seem to know much about him. There were a lot of "I thinks" and "maybe we might". The language teacher has since said that the extra effort is showing and she's happy to keep him in the class.

Yes, he's doing badly in history too. If one of them has to go, then he'd prefer it was that but they don't have another language class for him to join in the right time slot.

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Bobfossil2 · 01/02/2019 17:24

They change it during their school career because the government changes their goalposts.
I’m an MFL teacher. Really if a student is getting a 2 I would be concerned that they won’t get a 4. What is his target grade, do you know? If he was pushed to do ebacc subjects I assume he was a high achiever in year 6?
In my school there is no opportunity for students to drop a subject and I would be expecting to support students right to the end. I would be interested to know what his French teacher thinks- does she/he think he can pass? Does he think he knows his tenses? Lots of vocab? How is his spoken French?

Original poster
Bestseller · 01/02/2019 17:29

No he's never been a high achiever on this side of the syllabus. He got 4 for English and 5 for maths in Yr 6. Every child had to do a language, except those on a vocational path, approx one class out of ten.

The language isn't French, it's a new obscure one he only started on yr 10 to avoid the French and German he'd been so bad at and hadn't enjoyed in yr 7&8, although he could have take French or German if he'd preferred.

OP posts:
Bobfossil2 · 01/02/2019 17:31

Ah sorry I don’t know why I assumed French.
I would make an appointment with his teachers asap if I were you. You need to know the details of what they think he can achieve and then you can make a decision with your son. I agree, it seems a real shame to stop now especially as he is putting in effort.

KatieKittens · 01/02/2019 17:35

Sorry, I had assumed french in my post up- thread.

I agree that a meeting with the head of house would be a good idea- sounds like the language teacher would support your son to continue.

Orchidflower1 · 01/02/2019 17:48

Could he switch to French/ German rather than the language he’s doing then he can build on the foundation he had before?

Original poster
Bestseller · 01/02/2019 17:49

With 4 months to the exams?

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LoopyLu2019 · 01/02/2019 17:53

Do they still do short course GCSE? I sucked at languages and was getting D's because I could not for the life of me do spoken or listening assessments. My reading and writing wasn't too bad. So I switched to doing just reading and writing assessments and got a half GCSE ("short course") you could either to reading and writing or speaking and listening. Boosted me up to a B and no one asks if it was a full GCSE (not that anyone cares about any subjects other than English and maths after you have your first job/uni these days) you just put GCSE (SC) on your cv.

Bobfossil2 · 01/02/2019 17:54

No, there is no short course.

Jackshouse · 01/02/2019 17:59

Do one less GCSE will mean a lot less pressure in terms of homework and revision. The GCSE timetable is very packed not so I think the school’s suggestion is a good one.

RabbityMcRabbit · 01/02/2019 18:00

If he's getting a 2 in his mock he may struggle to get a 4. Languages now are very challenging. Do you really want to force him to carry on with a subject which he may not do well in in order to prove a point? If he swaps to history and drops the language it may enable him to secure a solid pass in History. I would not recommend swapping to another language at this stage, that's madness

Original poster
Bestseller · 01/02/2019 18:08

No I don't want to force him at all. No as I said, I initially thought it was a good plan. It's him who wants to stick with it.

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Kolo · 01/02/2019 18:22

What was his mock result in history? Is it really worth perusing that? I’d imagine a good history grade is better than 2 low grades. But at the same time, there’s usually very little point in ‘forcing’ a teenager to embark on a plan that they aren’t in agreement with. I say this as an experienced secondary school teacher. Generally, kids will be more motivated, and therefore do better, in a something they have chosen to do. If he’s not bothered about history, he’s unlikely to make great progress at this stage.

Original poster
Bestseller · 01/02/2019 18:25

He got a 2 in history too, he'd rather drop the history, but school aren't offering that because they can't give him extra lessons in the language.

I remember saying at the time th at I didn't see what the school gained by making all these "nonacademic" children take a language. DS is mostly mid sets, higher for maths and science. There are lots of children "worse" than him who had to take a language.

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Tweennightmare · 01/02/2019 18:35

This was us last year. So annoying, school insisted DD do a language for her options . Then watched her struggle for two years before announcing maybe she shouldn’t sit the exam after she got an E in the mocks. (International gcse so still letters) No way was that happening . I wanted to make sure whatever result was recorded on the school results. In the end though we caved and got a tutor two months before the exam and amazingly she walked away with a B no help from the school and £££ spent by us

Babygrey7 · 01/02/2019 18:41

I would not change so close to gcse, too much to take in now

It's a shame the school is so hung up about ebacc

Our comp allowed DS (y11) to drop languages And history and geography and allowed him to tech subjects like design and tech, food tech, computing... I know some Unis will reject him for not doing the "classic" subjects, but I am glad the school allowed us to take that decision.

In your shoes I 'd be on the school's back for extra help and make the best of it, can you ask for past papers to practise at home?

Dermymc · 01/02/2019 18:52

I remember saying at the time th at I didn't see what the school gained by making all these "nonacademic" children take a language.

They get judged by ofsted on the number of students who get the Ebacc (eng, maths, Sci, hist/geo and MFL). However if he has another qualifying course in his prog 8 basket, they will aim for a higher history and bin off the MFL if its dragging his grades down.

Blame the government for their crazy policies and the law of unintended consequences leaves this sort of situation country wide.

Dermymc · 01/02/2019 18:53

Unfortunately the new "under consultation" ofsted framework seems to place a lot of importance on the Ebacc. Trust me schools do not want every kid doing a language.

Original poster
Bestseller · 01/02/2019 20:10

Yes I understand why they'd like children to pass EBacc but to make everyone take the option, even those highly unlikely to pass and then withdraw them before taking the exam?

It might be the system rather than the school but it seems schools very rarely do anything that's actually in the interests of the child. I work in a PRU and the treatment those already broken children get in mainstream schools is shocking. I know why but it's still heartbreaking.

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Jackshouse · 01/02/2019 20:13

You need to teach him a dunk cost fallacy.

Kolo · 01/02/2019 20:16

Unfortunately, some schools have lost sight of who they should be serving in their desperate attempts to get a decent ofsted grading. In my time As a teacher I spent quite a bit of it arguing with senior management to try to get the best outcome for the student, rather than worry about schools results. I don’t know if this is what’s happened here - if your child is quite bright (and he sounds like he is) then they were probably right to encourage him into ebac routes. I’d definitely advise you to arrange a meeting with HOY/HODs and advocate for your child. I don’t think my school ever went against a parents wishes in terms of exam ‘strategy’.