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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

School Dilemma

19 replies

Babyroobs · 30/07/2013 22:36

Just wondering if anyone can offer any advice. My eldest DD is almost 14 and due to start a new school in september yr 10 to start GCSE's. The local school she is due to go to is failing and has been for some time. Last year's GCSE reults were the lowest in the county and amongst the lowest 6% in the country! The only reason I agreed for her to apply for a place there is because she is bright and she doesn't want to be split from friends she has known since she was 4. It's also walking distance and I work and have 3 younger dc's to consider. In March the head of this school left suddenly and the school was taken over by sponsors( from a group of schols with Outstanding Ofsteds) who made lots of promises about turning the school around, focussing more on Maths, English and Science for all pupils regardless of ability ( at the cost of all students having to drop a GCSE option)and generally improving things.I felt really optimistic that things would change for the better. Parents were waiting anxiously for the recent Ofsted report, the inspection was done weeks ago but it has never materialised, rumours are that is being contested . Today the local media has reported that the sponsers have unexpectedly pulled out of the school and a new sponsor and a new head is being sought! I feel so demoralised over the whole situation and future of the school at a crucial time for my DD. Does anyone have any experience or advice in this situation? It seems too late to try to get her into another school although I will try. The only other option seems to try to find a private school for 2 years which would really stretch us financially, but could be possible. Do many pupils switch to private education at age 14, is it even possible to get places with only a few weeks until the start of term, or do I leave my DD in a failing school and hope for the best. Sorry this is long, any advice appreciated.

OP posts:

racingheart · 30/07/2013 22:54

In your situation, I think I'd just try to work out a plan to safe guard your own child's future, whatever state the school is in.

I'd talk to her and ask her if being with friends is that crucial to her happiness at this important stage. How will she feel if the school is so disruptive that she can't learn, or if her friends go off the rails? Will she join them? Can she imagine making new friends at a new, better school? If she's open to it, look around. But if not, then sending her elsewhere could be counter productive.

You say she's bright. With support at home, bright children can survive bad schools as long as they are happy in them. I'd pay out for the GCSE coursework manuals for all the core subjects and go through them with her. Make sure you discover which exam syllabus the school will be using and check which texts and topics will be set, where applicable.

Make sure she does her homework, and if it's not set or doesn't seem to be marked, get her to work through chunks of the GCSE course books each week - as far as possible going over the material that was covered in class that week, so she can consolidate it.

All this is emergency stuff. It may be that the school will be fine. My biggest misgiving would be that she's spending hours every day in an atmosphere that doesn't foster concentration, co-operation and learning. Better off at home if that's the case.

BoundandRebound · 31/07/2013 08:21

I would do everything in my power to find an alternative

JohnnyUtah · 31/07/2013 08:26

If you look at private, go for non selective. Your daughter is probably too much of a risk to take on at this late stage for a selective school hung up on its exam success.

lljkk · 31/07/2013 08:39

do you know anyone whose child has had good results out of this school or are they universally poor? Does no one have a good thing to say about it?

A school with that profile will, I think, get an artificial boost (the GCSEs get weighted upwards because of the circumstances).

What are her A-level options afterwards, assuming you think she'd want to go to Uni?

titchy · 31/07/2013 09:17

Where on earth do you get the idea that GCSE results will be weighted upwards? Local 6th forms MAY let in a student from a very poor school in with slightly lower marks than they'd normally ask, but the exam boards won't reduce grade boundaries!

Why is she moving at the end of year 9 out of interest? Middle school system presumably?

You know your dd best. Is she in a group of bright like-minded friends who will keep their heads down and get on with it, or will she follow the crowd of disruptive pupils? If there's even the remotest chance of the latter, or if she's not top set material I'd move her tbh.

pixelchick10 · 31/07/2013 09:32

My daughter's girls indie school has several new girls joining this year (beginning of Year 10) including one from the local academy ... her best friend is also moving to another girls' indie - there is definitely movement but I wouldn't leave it any later :) x

curlew · 31/07/2013 09:37

"A school with that profile will, I think, get an artificial boost (the GCSEs get weighted upwards because of the circumstances)."

I don't think this is right- check before you rely on it.

Sometimes insitutions give students from struggling schools a bit of lee way in the grades they need....is that what you mean and inamnmisrwding?

curlew · 31/07/2013 09:37

I am misreading- that should say!

Original poster

Babyroobs · 31/07/2013 10:14

Thanks for all your replies. I have found a slightly better school about 5 miles away that apparently have a few spaces, so I'm considering trying to get her in there, but she is against moving away from her friends, although she would know a few at this other school. It's so hard finding a balance between getting her a half decent education and making her unhappy.

OP posts:

curlew · 31/07/2013 10:27

What sort of levels is she working at now?

Original poster

Babyroobs · 31/07/2013 10:34

Hi Curlew- she is at level 7A for Maths, 6A for science, 6C for English and mostly 6's for all other subjects.

OP posts:

curlew · 31/07/2013 10:40

Well, that's above where she is expected to be at the end of year 9. So she's doing well, even if the circumstances are trying. Is the school perhaps better than it looks on the surface- for example, is the ability profile of the intake very low and it does as well as it can with the students it's got? Or is she a self starter who's just got on with it?

Original poster

Babyroobs · 31/07/2013 10:49

The school has had problems for years and been in and out of special measures. The middle school where she has just finidhed yr9 are trying to convert to becoming an 11-16 school because they are aware that after the pupils leave there at 14, they do not fulfill their potential and get good GCSE results, so presumably it is the school which is failing rather than the pupils abiity. Also due to other local schools becoming 11-16 recently, this school has lost over half of it's numbers, so 50% of the teachers have gone and staff morale id low.

OP posts:

racingheart · 31/07/2013 10:50

curlew, she hasn't started at the school yet. Those are her middle school exit grades, presumably.

Is that really ahead of target for a bright child at the end of yr 9? There are many pupils achieving level 6 in yr 6 at our village primary.

OP has she visited the better school? Is it only slightly better? have you looked round the local private schools and done a financial estimate for them? The sooner you get sorted, the more options you have.

curlew · 31/07/2013 10:57

Oh, I'm sorry, I misunderstood

Yes, those levels are above average for the end of year 9. The are a few level 6s at a primary school, but not many.

I would look at the better school and, if it really does look like a better option, put your foot down about it. The disruption and unsettled atmosphere that there is bound to be at the intended school would be horrid, even if things do start to improve under new management.

Itscoldouthere · 31/07/2013 11:00

Hi Babyroots the school you are talking about sounds like the one near me.
I am new to the area and my DC don't go there.
I have a yr 10 going into yr 11 DC and I would say be aware that the time goes so quickly whilst they are doing their GCSEs that the last thing a child needs is a school in chaos.
If it is the school I'm thinking of hopefully it will be turned around, but it may take a few years, so may be ok for your other children.
I would move your DD, she may be unsure but she will make new friends, don't forget others are moving at that time so she won't be the only one.
She sounds like she could do well, so you need a school that will help to make that happen.
She will probably enjoy the freedom of getting the bus to school and having some independence, also she may want to stay at the new school for 6th form so she could have a good 4 years at one school.
Good luck

Theas18 · 31/07/2013 11:01

heck... I'd move her to the private school and find the money somehow. shirt, you have an ankle child and You are setting her up to fail.

if the school was stable and" on the up" maybe buy nit under these circumstances.

she fails to achieve gger her full potential at gcse, she might, just might, get a 6th form place with lower thantheir grades but she'll have a bit catch up to do in the first year to get any where near AS grades that she needs

settledandsmug · 31/07/2013 12:13

Having been in a similar position, although primary school not secondary, and having struggled on hoping for the long promised improvements, I would run a mile!

Staff will leave in their droves, and it doesn't sound like it has a good business case for the future to attract a good sponsor. I eventually moved my DD. She said she didn't want to go, but after two weeks in new school was much happier and a term later swore that she would never go back to the old school (even though new school is 3 miles away and old school is opposite our house).

Original poster

Babyroobs · 31/07/2013 12:24

Thanks all, Settled that is what I am worried about more staff leaving and becoming demoralised. I have just submitted an online application for the other school, but not holding out much hope of getting a place at this late stage. I'm pleased your DD has not looked back, hope I can pursuade mine that another school is the way forward.

OP posts:

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