My SN child seems (if true) to be being encouraged to drop a subject she's completed all the work in because she isn't getting the right scores.

[Examfullmoon]

DD has handed in coursework for an exam subject. She has already done the exam but there are resits this June if they don't get the score the teacher thinks they should.

Her teacher is known for his results in previous years but DD isn't at all academic and will likely fall below his normal standards.

He keeps giving her her coursework back and saying he wants her to get a certain level. She's no where near on target for this.

Today a teacher has sat with her in form and from what she has said has described basically being told what to add (in her words he told me long words to use) as far as she's concerned so now it seems it's now not even her work!

She's (well the class) have also been told that she will come in every day of study leave until the younger children leave in July (which is ridiculous as it HAS to be submitted before then!) and has (according to DD told them if she doesn't like it to see the head and drop his subject (she's done all the exams and all pieces of coursework already) so there seems no reason for this other than because she won't get his usual grades!

Aibu to think this is a bit dodgy if it's true ?

YABU. The teacher(s) is doing their job - having high expectations and trying to get the best possible grade from her!

Yanbu.

U understand that LittleKitty. I want her to get the best grade too but shouldn't this be HER best grade not her best grade when she's being told what to write in what should be entirely her own work?

I suspose the bit which has annoyed me is any suggestion of leaving the course when everything has already been done and submitted because DDs instant response is great I'll drop it as she hates school.
I don't understand why a teacher would mention dropping a subject that all the work had been done on so they didn't get any exam result for it.

Surely you would just try your best with them and if the child got a crap score they got a crap score.

But if your DD drops the subject then the teacher can remove your DD from the results and this could be the difference between pay progression or not for the teacher.
Btw I'm not saying I think this is ok, especially not with students who have worked hard, but it may be the reality of the situation.

I suspect that the teacher is frustrated with the students in the class who aren't doing the required work (which may or may not include your DD) It's only February and there's no doubt a lot more work to be done before the summer exams, however some students are probably acting like the course is over just because the coursework has been completed. If they're planning to waste these months and fail then what is the point of them being there disrupting the learning of those that do care about getting a good grade?

& in regards to being told what to write in her coursework, YANBU about this, however unfortunately it happens in every school and is one of the reasons why very few qualifications have a coursework component anymore.

This is how the teacher gets good results. Pressure, cheating, and drop out. Not fine.

I think it depends what grade she is predicted and whether she 'needs' it to do what she would like to do next. e,g, perhaps she needs a low pass in the subject to get on a college course or apprenticeship.

If she hates it, isn't managing to improve her skills in the subject despite one to one support and taking the exam will add to her stress in other subjects then perhaps the teacher is right to suggest she drops it.

I entirely understand that CuckooCuckooClock.
I think it's extremely sad that we are left choosing between my child not having a chance to go to college (she needs 5 level 2s for the lowest level course she wants to do) and a teacher's pay progression. If other teachers also decide this we are screwed.
Surely if teachers across the country off rolled pupils from results because they weren't going to get the scores to get the teachers a pay progression there would be outrage?

Kitty I've been told DD tries her hardest and always submits work. She's had lots of postcards home more so in this subject.

All exams are done (it's not a GCSE) and just coursework to finish.

She hates school in general not the subject. It's actually one of the ones she minds the least ironically although I must admit keep giving her her work back is really battering her self esteem.

The exam is done Haffdonga . It's not a GCSE so the last exam was last month.

This is how some schools get great results on paper. My dd is in y11 and some people are being allowed to drop GCSEs right now.

With regards to the coursework- teachers who end up with good results (and their performance pay) will be telling kids how to improve their grades. This is why I think that coursework is being ruled out. Some kids are getting lots of advice so are achieving higher grades.

This sort of thing starts in primary school. Some teachers deflate achievement grades so when they graduate it looks like there's been more progress so the school looks good. It's the price of the current data based way of comparing schools and some schools are playing harder than others.

This is how the teacher gets good results. Pressure, cheating, and drop out. Not fine.

In a nutshell.

It's not just about pay progression, it's also about the school's league table position. That kind of idiotic ranking system encourages this type of game playing where people forget or disregard the core purpose of schools.

It's not a new thing. There should be outrage. But it's done to people without much of a voice by people with much more power.

The teacher will be judging your dd as in individual and have expectations of her based on her target grade. It won’t reflect badly on him if that’s not distinction/level 9, whatever the grading system is. He is allowed to give students feedback and they are allowed to improve their work, that might well include the use of specialist vocabulary.
It will reflect well on your dd if she can display some resilience, accept constructive feedback and improve her coursework.
If she can’t do that perhaps dropping the subject to focus on something more crucial, like maths and English, would be a smart move.

Idontmeanto she's had her coursework back three times. Shes tried. It's not improved. I can't help as you don't bring coursework home anymore. I suspect it will this time because she's been told what to write.

Her target is the highest you can get on the exam and is entirely unrealistic. Think level 2 distinction and she's getting a level 1 pass.
Her target bears no relation to her work, coursework level or her work in other subjects. I've raised this before with no success.

She doesn't need this subject to do what she wants to do (her college course relates to what she IS good at and is more practical) but she needs enough passes or any course if that makes sense.

He's sent her home a booklet to study to help her. It's almost 200 pages. She needs a reader for exams and needs information breaking down.

Is her coursework currently good enough to get the grade she needs to get onto her college course?

Yes it is CuckooCuckooClock
She's better at exams than coursework (she also has a reader) and so I was told it would average out at a level one merit.
She's doing level 2 at college so a level one merit with her other GCSES are fine college said.

He's pushing her to get a level 2 distinction.
That's a big jump in 12 weeks .

If I were you then I'd just contact the teacher and explain that to them. Say your DD is happy with what she has done so far and it's enough for college so she doesn't want to get stressed out trying to improve when she has other exams to think about.
I can't see what your DD has to gain by redoing the coursework. Her teacher will hopefully see that too.