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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think a school can’t just cancel a GCSE/A-Level course halfway through?

134 replies

ChocBanana · 05/09/2023 21:01

This is on behalf of a friend who’s not on MN.
Her children have gone back to school today, one into Y11 and one into Y13. Both were taking the same subject, one at GCSE and one at A-Level.
They have been sent a letter today saying the school has dropped the subject with immediate effect and they won’t be able to take it this year.
They have said they will meet with each student “over the coming weeks” to discuss how to move forward. There was absolutely no prior notice and the teacher is still employed at the school. He only found out at the inset day on Monday.
I can’t find anything online to this effect to confirm or deny, but surely there is some kind of legal requirement to finish what they have started? I can almost understand not starting anyone new (my son was down to do the subject but is happy with the alternative because they have moved the timetable around so he can now take something he had to drop before).
But my friend is distraught and her 17 year old is frantically looking at his uni options because he doesn’t know if he will get in without this course.

Does anyone know whether this is legal/illegal and what law it come under? I’m going to help my friend to draft a response (English isn’t her first language).

Any ideas or advice?

OP posts:
user30 · 05/09/2023 22:24

Get a tutor and ask the school to pay for it from their budget. I have experience of this situation and this worked.

user30 · 05/09/2023 22:25

We used Tayberry.org.uk

Original poster
ChocBanana · 05/09/2023 22:25

Yes it is their other language (it’s Mandarin). I think possibly an external tutor may be the way forward, but wasn’t sure.

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 05/09/2023 22:25

I don't think there's a legal requirement to complete the course - my school had to do similar when we couldn't recruit a replacement teacher. Literally nothing we could do about it.

Is it computer science?

C4tintherug · 05/09/2023 22:27

MaudGone · 05/09/2023 22:13

You can sit any GCSE or A-Level as an external candidate.

Not if it has a non exam component.

if it’s something with a large coursework part, there might have been a malpractice incident, the school may not be allowed to teach it anymore.

noblegiraffe · 05/09/2023 22:27

Ah right Mandarin, I'd also suggest looking for a tutor.

jallopeno · 05/09/2023 22:30

ChocBanana · 05/09/2023 22:25

Yes it is their other language (it’s Mandarin). I think possibly an external tutor may be the way forward, but wasn’t sure.

As teacher hasn't left I expect it is due to shockingly bad results. Perhaps teacher is an eg. French teacher first who can also teach mandarin but was crap at it?

Can you not ask why?

jallopeno · 05/09/2023 22:32

Did the year 13 do an AS level - was the grade ok?

Cosyblankets · 05/09/2023 22:36

Maddy70 · 05/09/2023 21:46

Sounds like that subject teacher had left and they can't replace. It's happening all the tien. Staffing schools is a nightmare.

Teacher has not left
It's in the OP

Qilin · 05/09/2023 22:36

Many years ago my A level teacher left at the start of upper sixth, with no warning. We were left with no teacher to muddle through. Didn't really go well tbh.

Friend's son had his gcse course cancelled half way through year 10, a year and half ago. Teacher was still in school, and still is. They decided it was no longer financially viable to run the course. It was too late for most of the children to suddenly pick up a new subject, so the poor children just lost out on a GCSE option.

NewName122 · 05/09/2023 22:38

My child has just finished his and we got told this may happen if not enough students pick the subject. I was so shocked at how many different GCSE options his friend at another school had compared to him. Think council estate school vs non council estate school. Unfair giving them less options I thought.

EnidSpyton · 05/09/2023 22:47

The school probably can’t afford to keep paying a teacher to deliver Mandarin to such a small cohort of students. This is the state of school budgets right now. Tough decisions need to be made. If 1 teacher is being paid to teach 3 students while another is being paid the same to teach 50 students within the same timetabled hours, it’s very difficult to justify the expense of the teacher who has very few students compared to everyone else. Mandarin is not a compulsory subject and the school has no legal obligation to finish a course of study. They should help to find alternative provision i.e. if a neighbouring school delivers Mandarin the students could go there for their lessons or could join a class remotely if possible. But they have no obligation to do so.

I would tell your friend to ask the school if an arrangement can be made with another local school. If that’s not possible then private tuition would be the only option.

HardcoreLadyType · 05/09/2023 22:53

jallopeno · 05/09/2023 22:32

Did the year 13 do an AS level - was the grade ok?

That’s not the way it works, anymore.

AS level is a standalone qualification, not the first half an A level, like it used to be.

OrderOfTheKookaburra · 05/09/2023 22:58

In Australia, so not exactly the same, but Specialist Math is not offered in year 12 (equivalent to A levels) at his school so the students go to a local Senior College just for that subject to undertake that subject.

However what often happens (and might well happen with my DS) is that the student moves to the senior college and does all their subjects there.

Schools should really facilitate something. Languages is often done as an evening option at specialist colleges to enable students wider choice as well, so for Mandarin that is what they would do.

jallopeno · 05/09/2023 23:01

HardcoreLadyType · 05/09/2023 22:53

That’s not the way it works, anymore.

AS level is a standalone qualification, not the first half an A level, like it used to be.

Show quote history

Oh! That's sad

ZadocPDederick · 05/09/2023 23:01

voxnihili · 05/09/2023 21:11

We have had to do this with one of our subjects (only at GCSE though). The teacher left and there is no one who can take the classes on. We’ve tried to recruit but had no luck. We’re doing the best we can to get the students an additional qualification.

If someone needs the subject for further / higher education it might be worth looking into whether there is a private tutor available who could support them. The school may be willing to enter the student for the exam anyway if they’re being tutored outside of school (we would do this, and have done this).

Have you looked into whether it's available at any other local schools so you could send your students there for lessons?

BarbieKew · 05/09/2023 23:02

Can you ask the teacher if he’d tutor them?

ZadocPDederick · 05/09/2023 23:04

They have said they will meet with each student “over the coming weeks” to discuss how to move forward.

This is far too leisurely. If students are potentially going to have to start another subject, they can't afford to waste further time.

Handlecarefully · 05/09/2023 23:09

EnidSpyton · 05/09/2023 22:47

The school probably can’t afford to keep paying a teacher to deliver Mandarin to such a small cohort of students. This is the state of school budgets right now. Tough decisions need to be made. If 1 teacher is being paid to teach 3 students while another is being paid the same to teach 50 students within the same timetabled hours, it’s very difficult to justify the expense of the teacher who has very few students compared to everyone else. Mandarin is not a compulsory subject and the school has no legal obligation to finish a course of study. They should help to find alternative provision i.e. if a neighbouring school delivers Mandarin the students could go there for their lessons or could join a class remotely if possible. But they have no obligation to do so.

I would tell your friend to ask the school if an arrangement can be made with another local school. If that’s not possible then private tuition would be the only option.

This will be the answer I'm sure. I've recorded similar scenarios up in minutes of governors' meetings several times. Sometimes a subject is no longer viable, no longer effective use of the teacher's time.

VeloVixen · 05/09/2023 23:11

My nephew is teaching himself further maths as the school can’t accommodate the subject. They’ve agreed to enter him for the exam. I’d be looking at self teaching, tutoring and telling the school to still enter them for the exam (they may have to pay and enter him privately if the school refuse).

BringOnSummerHolidays · 05/09/2023 23:12

ChocBanana · 05/09/2023 22:25

Yes it is their other language (it’s Mandarin). I think possibly an external tutor may be the way forward, but wasn’t sure.

I see it’s mandarin now. Is there a Chinese school around where you are? My children go to one and they have pre gcse and gcse classes. I think they may also have A levels. The lower level classes are all ethnic Chinese students, but the GCSE classes have a lot of British students. I thought they go to get extra tuitions but now I’m not so sure. If it’s available to you, contact the Chinese school and see if they can enrol there.

RampantIvy · 05/09/2023 23:13

How many A levels is the 17 year old doing? Will he drop from four to three or three to two?

BringOnSummerHolidays · 05/09/2023 23:14

If you are near a city with a large Chinese population, there will be Chinese schools in the weekend.

Callyem · 05/09/2023 23:24

Is the course offered at another local school of FE? I know around here, where a subject hasn't been offered, it has been known for them to take one at a nearby school if schedules allow.

TheHennaHairedHarridan · 05/09/2023 23:33

This happened to me many years ago - our teacher left halfway through our English language A level, and there were no other teachers who were qualified to teach it. We all had to swap onto English literature and do extra work to catch up 😱