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Secondary education

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Unhappy with banding for my son's GCSEs

27 replies

steggers56 · 14/07/2013 17:01

Hello, this is my first post so be gentle with me! In June of this year we moved my son to a new school as he had endured nearly 3 years of bullying. Although unhappy, he still performed brilliantly academically. At his parents evening his English teacher told us he was good enough to study Law. So he starts his new school and thank goodness he is happy and not subject to any bullying. He has just been given his banding for next year (year 10) and he is in the lower band, where to quote his English teacher, 'we'll push you to get a c or a b'. Unfortunately, due to the time of year he joined the school, he has not been assessed in any of his subjects. So my feeling is, they are putting him where they have room. From my point of view, my son who at his old school was classed as good enough to do a law degree and was producing work in some subjects that was at GCSE level already, has now been consigned to a band where he will be encouraged to get c or b grades. What do I do? Any advice would be appreciated, my son is beside himself with worry, as am I. Many thanks.

OP posts:
vess · 16/07/2013 10:20

Definitely go and see them before the end of the year and first thing in September, and insist on him being assessed.

ravenAK · 16/07/2013 14:38

Speaking as a secondary teacher, I'd say get this sorted now - GCSE courses in core subjects can be very different right from the outset of Year 10 (eg. our top sets study separate English Lang & Lit GCSEs, weaker students study combined English, & the Foundation/Higher papers are very different anyway.)

What we'd do with a Y9 student at this stage, if their classroom teachers hadn't seen enough of them to make a secure judgment, is to get them to sit an old SATs paper in English/Maths/Science - they are still available online - & set the student accordingly.

Are you still on good terms with his previous school (the one you moved him from due to bullying)? Might be worth ringing his old HT & asking for a round robin from all his previous teachers, or at least core subjects. I've been asked to sort this for a student previously in my tutor group when parents weren't happy with her setting at new school.

But very definitely don't leave it!

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