Son's school told him not welcome at 6th Form before GCSE exams taken

[Damali]

My Year 11 son started boarding at a small school in Year 9. He is not a straight A student but he has progressed in his learning, his reports encouraging and at last parent meeting no indication from teachers that access to A level would be a problem.

There were grumblings about how long he spent on his gadgets and not always being too enthusiastic about all the extra stuff on offer. He felt he was unfairly singled out. I have made a point of every few weeks asking whether there are any problems with the replies positive.

His recent GCSE mocks were borderline but he was nowhere near the bottom. But that is the point of mocks, you know where your weaknesses are and you work hard over the next 5/6 months.

This week he was told that there would be no 6th form place for him come September citing the old problems and that he was not A level material. He is devastated, bewildered, sad and feels rejected as do I.

How can a school tell a child that at this crucial point of GCSE studies. Its like it was deliberately timed to ensure exam failure. Kids are already under enormous pressure and this new stress could totally derail him. The school obviously don't want him as 6th form is automatic with the required grades. Surely it would have been kinder to tell him after his last exam?

I feel I need guidance on how to support my son and help with what to do next. I was getting non-school help with the fees and feel we would not be in this situation if I were a rich or famous parent who could make a large donation to the school.

This is a challenge to prove them wrong & take his custom elsewhere to excel there instead.

(did OP never come back?)

Why on earth would they give a 6th form place to a kid who they know is uncooperative and unenthusiastic and only just scraped the minimum GCSE grades after being given a massive shock at mocks followed by a few weeks of intensive effort, but who in 6th form would return to the previous pattern and achieve uninspiring A-Level grades and mediocre or zero university offers?

As I said on another thread, this is a silly attitude to take. My GCSE results were less than inspiring but I got 3 As at A level and got an Oxbridge offer. Some people do much better once they can get shot of the subjects they are not interested in or very good at.

Trouble with crappy small private schools. Go look at the local state sixth forms and get him excited about moving to one. Some are fabulous and get better results from more comprehensive intake of children.

Crumbs1 has it in a nutshell, I think. Similar happened to a family friend - his DD moved to the local sixth form college, where she was treated much more like an adult. The change was amazing. From mediocre GCSE results, she flourished at A level. Got a place at a Russell Group university and graduated with a first!

I smiled at the "crappy private school" term, but it's spot on for some of these places (pulled my kids out of one!). He maybe just doesn't "fit" in that environment. It then really isn't the environment you want him to be in....if he's not "their" kind of kid, they're unlikely to make much effort with him. Not his fault; says more about that school than it does about him. Somewhere new will have an open mind and give him the chance to start again with no pre-judgement. Work with him to find somewhere more "him" and gush with enthusiasm. It could well be the best outcome for him in the end (certainly was for the girl I mentioned upthread).

As I said on another thread, this is a silly attitude to take Only if your funding and reputation does not rely on the governments success and/or achievement targets.

That you were one of those who did manage to improve doesn't mean that every other student who does not meet the usual benchmarks would have.

You really do have to remember that post-16 education is not compulsory... for the student or the school!

All VI forms and FE colleges have their main Open Days after the mock exam period

Not here they don't- open evenings start October with every school in the LA doing their mocks around Christmas which is why all our students (even those we want to keep!) To go to them all, apply for all as you can make your final decision when you get your results

Ours start before Christmas too. We go directly from Registration Week (plus the extra week to allow for those taking a late holiday) to Open Day: Do not pass Half Term, do not settle in, etc.

But the ones that get advertised most, the busiest ones, are in Feb, March and April. Then again over summer... as the disbelievers suddenly panic. It seems to be never ending!

This really pisses me off about private schools. They're happy to take our money but not happy to support them through 'A' levels when the going gets tough. My DS is at a large private school where they offer BTECs in several subjects for those with a different way of learning. He is doing 'A' levels despite not being 'A' level material. We are not expecting 'A' grades but he is working hard and holding his own.

This really pisses me off about private schools.

State schools do it too!

You could just save words and say "schools do this"

I was told I was not A level material at my very average boarding school, I was bored, unmotivated and not particularly happy ther. My father took me out and I went to a tutorial college and got A levels, not brilliant but enough to get to an average University, I was completely inspired as I was doing a subject that interested me. I then ended up going to LSE and I honestly have not looked back from there and work in the same industry as Oxbridge graduates who obviously were the right material . I think children develop at different rates, especially the more creative ones, the GSCE syllabus can be incredibly dull especially if taught by people who do not get your son. Find another school and check that your son does not have any other underlying issues causing him to withdraw from studies.

A to you Bluelupin*. I already know that my DS will not come out with high grades but he works hard and despite him being at boarding school we communicate with him every day, help and support him. He does have some learning issues and receives LS. I also wanted him to change schools and come back home to do his As but he decided to stay put. Over the next few months we will try and work out with him what he wants do next. If he gets good enough grades to go to an average university we will support him, because like you, I think he has the will and determination to do well. Fingers crossed!

An average university?