To send college an email after no teacher for a year?

[Mnetter11]

My DD 17 attends college and will be taking her 3 A levels in 60 days. She is very upset as she is currently getting D’s in one of her subjects (background: she is achieving A’s in her other two and was achieving A’s in this subject last year.) This subject has had no teacher for the whole second year and have had around 10 supply/agency teachers. She is very disheartened as her dream universities and apprenticeships are now out the window.

We’ve both made many complaints throughout the year to the head of year who has promised there would be a permanent teacher soon. I’m not in a financial position to pay for private tutor but feel very sorry for DD and not sure what to do next.

AIBU to contact the college about emailing somebody higher to put in another complaint (I am worried the college will turn on DD if I do this as they’ve been no help previously) ?

Is there any educational boards I can put in a complaint too?

Wow, that’s awful. I’m afraid I have no advice, but I just wanted to say that I hope someone on here can offer constructive guidance, as it sounds like the college has really let down your DD, and their other students.

Like the pp I don’t have answers, but I’m so sorry for your dd and her classmates. It’s totally unacceptable.

I can sympathise as the same thing happened to me in my second year of A Levels. One of the teachers left and I was unfortunately in the unlucky group of students who had this teacher as both their chemistry and biology teacher. They got a reliable substitute for chemistry but biology either had nobody turn up to teach or some weeks we would get a nurse turn up to cover some of the topics. Almost the whole class struggled and the grades weren't good. Like you, my parents couldn't afford a tutor so I just had to try and work through the textbook as best I could but my grades didn't recover.

I agree with complaining again to the college, not sure if there's anything else to be done? A few of my class repeated year 12, others chose "easier" universities and some, like me, went into a whole different career trajectory.

Email and ask if your dd’s Ucas reference has stated that there hasn’t been a subject tutor for a year. And to request they take this into account. I’m not sure if it will make a difference but if she’s getting AA and a D and that’s the reason why then that’s the least they can do

If they haven’t then ask them to email admissions of the uni she has applied to.

I would also go higher than head of year to complain. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem like there’s much that can be done in the time that’s left. Are they offering subject specific revision over Easter?

It’s dreadful for your daughter, you would be perfectly within your rights to make a complaint although what good it would do I’m not sure. I’ve taught A level for a long time and it’s a sorry state of affairs.
The issue is no one wants to teach - if the college can’t recruit because no one applies what can they do? They get away with it in schools by roping in a teacher qualified in another subject by telling them they will only teach y7 and then slowly fill their timetables with older years - obviously they can’t do that in a college. Is it a science subject by any chance? I can’t remember the exact statistic but the percentage of gcse and A level students being taught science by a teacher whose only qualification in science is a gcse is absurdly high.
By all means make a complaint but you are only going to see any kind of result at this late stage by trying to practically do something to help your daughter (and help her to help herself).
Firstly, I would check to see if the college is actively recruiting for this role - have a look on their website. If they aren’t recruiting then that’s a whole different complaint. If you can’t afford a tutor you could look in your local Facebook community groups to see if you can find a recent A level student with a good grade who could help? She could move colleges or go to a local 6th form in a school and repeat y13?
I know it’s not fair and if she had the right teaching she wouldn’t be in this position, but she is. She shouldn’t have to take responsibility for her own education right now, but she has to. If nothing else it’s a good life lesson. If it were me I would throw everything into doing as well as I could on the exam in June, wait to see the results and see what I could get through clearing. University applications are down so a lot of courses are being more lenient with entry requirements. Good luck!

You could look at the subject specification online, use the text book and see if there are online teaching videos for it (some subjects have loads, others are not so good). Are there any teachers that teach her subject in college or is there just one class? Some retired teachers do voluntary tutoring. My mum tutored someone who would mow her lawn and make her cakes (she would have done it without these things, but it was nice of them). It is all quite late in the day though. I don’t think I would rely on the college to do anything as you don’t really have time.

You can send in a complaint but if the college are trying to recruit and no one is applying there is little more they can do.

Try posting the subject she needs help with on the secondary education board and asking for free resources.

The fundamental issue is that no one wants to teach. It is not fair on your daughter I know. Could you ask the school yo psy for a tutor for the group? Even online would be better than nothing?

Could you club together with some of the other pupils in her class to share the cost of a tutor for some private lessons? Also if you contact some private tutors and explain your circumstances you may be able to haggle a cheaper rate. What's the subject?

To be honest I’m not sure about your approach.

From the school’s pov, they have found cover for the lessons and course material. That there’s been a range of supply teachers doesn’t mean that everyone in the class would automatically get a D grade. There must be something else going on specific to your daughter that would explain going from A to D. I’m not sure that the 2 things are as strongly correlated as you think, but maybe you just need to outline why you think that more clearly to the school.

10 different cover teachers in a year who are not doing a proper handover one to the next are not going to deliver an effective, structured course. It is only the most independent, self-motivated (and possibly otherwise supported) individuals who will thrive in spite of that. Just as in a workplace with constant leadership change productivity and morale drops - people don’t become bad at their jobs - it’s just very difficult to do them as you ideally would.
Making a complaint won’t change things for your daughter but is essential for future students who might sign up to an unresourced course on the promise that it might be resourced.
I think as others have suggested, I’d see if it’s possible to club together for tutoring.
If her results turn out poor would it be feasible to have a year out and retake the subject elsewhere?

Maybe look at the complaints policy of the college and try to follow it but escalate as quickly as possible. Supply for a year isn't acceptable though the national picture is not good. They must have data on students' gcse outcomes and targets for what they want them to be achieving now. They should be supporting those students who are below where they should be somehow. Can they bring an external consultant in, who knows the course, to run holiday or in-term intensive crash course? These people do exist though cost of course - what's the subject and where are you? Funding and staffing are in a mess like everywhere I expect but you may be able to pressurise for something like this if enough people make a fuss to a senior decision maker. Are you able to contact other families to try to increase pressure?

I would also go to the exam board website and get marked exemplars in the subject in past papers so DC can see 'what a secure one looks like'. Again whether she can replicate these this may depend on the balance of skills versus knowledge in the subject and what it's possible to do without a skilled teacher.

Though it's also worth checking what the reasons are for the D. Is this the picture across the group? Does DD know what she needs to do to improve etc. has she had decent feedback on the mock? Can that be organised if not... by someone who knows what they're doing... ?

As I said, OP needs to explain why she thinks the two are correlated more clearly to the school.

I’m in my 20s and went through similar and in recent years - and it didn’t impact my a levels. My teacher was present during AS year but then I had an array of supply teachers during her maternity leave in 2nd year. It was slightly disruptive but I came out with the grade anticipated. So that’s why there needs to be more of an explanation as to what the issue is in OP’s circumstances.

A level students are expected to independently study so classroom learning only makes up a % of the overall expected learning time. I’m sure the school will state something similar, and I’m not sure what resolution they can provide here.

These things happen in 6th form unfortunately - it's shit for the students, though. Supply teachers can be good, but a constant stream sounds really difficult for continuity.
I agree with complaining again to someone higher (am sure this won't impact on anyone's treatment of your DD) and with trying to find out whether the lack of teacher can count as a mitigating circumstance for UCAS.
Beyond that, I guess she has to study independently as best she can - use the textbook (if there is one), past papers, model answers etc. There's presumably someone in charge of the subject who could provide, or signpost you, to some of these things.

If this was at the start of her course I’d be straight on to my MP. He has sorted out a similar issue for me, and when he talks people listen.

It’s too late in the day for that though, so it’s a case of buying the revision guide and getting stuck in to self learning.

Exactly this - Her UCAS reference should have referred to this and if not each Uni told . You need to send in an official complaint as that way it should be addressed properly rather than covered up at a lower level . May also be worth commenting on local social media updates even if to just let other parents / students know that this is a subject to currently be avoided

I second taking control of the situation yourself. Buy the text book, go onto the Exam website and download past papers, read examiner reports, mark schemes.

Get together with other members of the class ti get a tutor.

Watch videos.

Someone who is capable of getting As should be able to improve this grade.

T*HERE ARE NO TEACHERS

IT'S NOT DUE TO THE COLLEGE BEING CRAP, THEY CANNOT RECRUIT! * Trust me, it's MUCH harder work for the college having to set cover --and deal with the constant complaints from parents about the lack of teachers.

No one wants to teach so there's no new staff.

Good, experienced staff are leaving in droves - in part due to the CONSTANT stream of complaints like this one about the lack of resources - which should be going to the government but instead get lobbed into schools.

OP - I'm sorry for your DD but what do you think your complaint will achieve? Do you think they will receive it and the penny will finally drop that they need to put an advert out for the first time?!

Yabu as it is not the college's fault.
Huge shortage of teachers. Even with bursaries of up to 30000!

I’m sorry you’re going through this but there are no teachers. I teach in an Outstanding secondary and even we are 2 English teachers down and thus one of our English Lit A-levels group is being taught by a cover supervisor. We have so many complaints but there’s nothing we can do if no one applies for the position. Emailing will only make you feel worse as you think nothing is being done and will make the institution feel awful too when it’s the Tories who have created this mess.

Tutors are the way to go - group tutoring will be cheaper or asking Uni students to tutor as well.

You could experiment with perplexity.ai to create structured revision material and exercises for her, tailored to her gaps. It's currently free

Complain to Head. Ask that all her Uni's are contacted. This will achieve little though, and little practical affect. I agree with Lily, why a D? She needs to pull out all resources. And you need to find whatever money you can, club together with other parents to hire a tutor.

OP what subject is it? There's lots of teachers on here who might be able to point you to the best online resources. Lots of teachers recorded themselves presenting their PowerPoints over lockdown and put them YouTube. If it's RS, message me and I'll try to help.

I really sympathise with you, the same has happened in one of my child’s GCSE subjects and they will probably not end up with the 9 they could have got in this subject if there had been a specialist teacher throughout all of year 11 (appreciate its the not the same as A level but it’s my child’s best subject that they also want to continue at A level and beyond).
By all means complain but it’s too late to make much, if any, difference at this stage I’d say.
I’d make sure she has all the revision guides etc and there are also loads of helpful resources on YouTube, like lessons by professional teachers. There are also sites like ‘maths and physics tutor’ (I don’t know what her subject is) which are free and explain all the different topics in videos as well as providing practice questions.