Educational issues and chool to parent communications: post 16.

[AchPtui]

Some potential difficulties regarding a boy at a new school, and it communicating with me. Apologies for the length of this post; I have tried to be thorough in explanation.

Background:

The Boy, AP Jr., now 16, and has left his previous secondary school for a sixth-form college.

He currently splits his time in the ratio 3:4 approximately staying at my house and at his mother's house, which is some miles away. She has worked shifts for several years. She will be moving out of the area, and is only vaguely interested in his education. We both have PR. Previously, he was "registered" at her house. Now, he is registered at my house.

In his previous schooling, it was extremely difficult to know what was happening to him at school. Virtually no communications came my way, despite several years of trying to get the school to communicate, and a number of complaints. There has been little communication between the ex Mrs AP and me.

For various reasons (I feel) including the above, AP Jr's GCSE results were poor. He failed the subject he wanted to study at 6th. form (!). He also failed English (both). I like to think that AP Jr is not thick, but that he has not been applying himself. Looking at his year 8 & year 9 exercise books shows that there's not enough written in them to show me what he had been studying.

In his new college, AP Jr's chosen course was dependant on his results (the study subject, maths, one English). He has been relegated to a low-level course, and has also been put on an "English functional skills" course.

It was said that there is some possibility of his re-entering his original course, dependant on him achieving English (one) at GCSE, plus successfully completing a probationary period. He will be periodically re-taking English at GCSE until he passes, or turns 18.

Question: If he's on a "functional skills" English course, is that appropriate study for a GCSE exam.?

I am worried about school to parent communications. In his last school, these were extremely difficult. I am hoping that now AP Jr is registered as living with me, that this will simplify matters.

I am told by the school that:

(it) "can inform you directly if you so wish, and do like to contact the parents if there are issues or extra support needed from home ... the contact with be few and far between if AP Jr is doing well".

That's helpful, if it happens.

"You do have parental responsibility and AP Jr has at this stage given consent for us to have contact with you about his college experience. He can withdraw this at any time according to new GDPR laws which we will have to comply with. It is my understanding that due to the new GDPR legislation we won't be contacting you directly about events and so on, but instead addressing correspondence to Ptui Jr which he can share with you. We do have events through the year such as parents evenings, and parents welcome evening which you will be invited to. ".

I am unaware of the relevance of the GDPR for school to parent communications.

Question: How do the GDPR affect school-parent communications about homework, behaviour etc.?

I feel very strongly that AP Jr was allowed to "go astray" partly due to previous lack of communication.

Question: How can I best ensure that I am kept informed of AP Jr's progress, any outstanding homework, school trips/fees and generally ensure that he's not falling behind again?

AP Jr really needs all the help he can get if he is to improve his prospects. I don't think he's mature enough or has the realisation of what will happen if he leaves school with continuing poor results. Fingers crossed, and any help or suggestions will be most welcome.

Can't help you with all of it, but this question - If he's on a "functional skills" English course, is that appropriate study for a GCSE exam.?*

You need to know whether he's doing Level 1 Functional Skills or Level 2. If he's doing Level 2 and he passes, it will be equivalent to GCSE.

I think you are looking at this from a parent school perspective but actually you have a young man and the experience will be that of a parent to a young man and a sixth form college.

The college will ( rightly) be trying to getting him to have some personal responsibility for his learning, if he does not want to be there they do not have time to waste policing that. With GDPR as a young man he has to consent as to who receives information about him, and the college are correct in saying he can withdraw this at any time. He is almost an adult and your interaction with him around his sixth form college experience needs to reflect that. Possibly a carrot rather than stick approach?

OK Chocolateworshipper, thanks for that. It would be good if he could get a GCSE, and I see no reason why he should not. Predicted grade was 5, actual was 2!

He will be re-taking GCSE, as described. I wondered whether the "functional skills" teaching is in fact relevant to GCSE.

I did the old GCEs before my "A" levels, and there was a CSE below them. Is the "functional skills" somewhat equivalent to CSE, I wonder? It would seem better to have a real GCSE rather than an "equivalent", as in the old days a "C" at GCSE was preferable to a grade 1 CSE.

As the previous poster said, functional skills level 1 is equivalent to grades 1 to 3 GCSE, or in old money cse grades 2 and below. Functional skills level 2 is equivalent to gcse grade 4+, o level in old money. Functional skills is a qualification in its own right, not a preparation for GCSE.

You seem keen to blame others for your sons poor performance, despite him staying with you half the week. I'd look a little closer to home rather than getting arsey about college communications. All to emails in the world won't make him revise if he doesn't want to.

Oh, for God's sake. I am not "blaming others" or "getting arsey". If you can't read, or be polite, or often jump to conclusions, or are "up for an argument", please do not post further.

As for the rest of your post, thank you for adding explanation to Chocolateworshipper's post.

Are you sure he will be retaking GCSE? Students who get a 2 can be entered for functional skills instead of GCSE. Functional skills is a different type of qualification and studying for functional skills would be inadequate preparation for GCSE. Students who got a 3 have to be entered for GCSE so the college should be running a GCSE resit course as well as functional skills?

I’m not sure about this GDPR and not being able to communicate with parents line - he’s 16, not 18 and so still a child. Certainly at my sixth form we communicate with parents when there are issues and no one has said anything about GDPR. Does anyone have any links about this?

"Are you sure he will be retaking GCSE? Students who get a 2 can be entered for functional skills instead of GCSE. Functional skills is a different type of qualification and studying for functional skills would be inadequate preparation for GCSE."

Oh dear! I will have to double-check, or rather ask AP Jr to carefully check. This was indeed my worry, or one of them, anyway.

Thank you for worrying me so nicely!

Part of the issue is that we all mature and become capable at different rates. I don't want 'im to miss out because he's not quite there yet, if you see what I mean.

My dd is 16 & has just gone away to college to study on a course where some students enter aged 16 but others are 18 plus.

They are still communicating with me as a parent until she turns 18.