GCSE rate at dd's school has dropped from 65% to 41% over 4 years.

[VivaLeBeaver]

She;s in Year 8. Its been getting worse each year but I've just seen the 2013 results and they're 41% get 5 GCSES A-C inc maths and English. Previous year was about 50%.

That's quite shit isn't it?

Head and deputy head are both leaving in July. Dunno if that's good or if things will just get worse.

DD is in the top sets but I don't think she's making good progress. She was level 5 IN Year 6 and still level 5 now according to last term's report.

I used to live in Dover. An 'interesting' town.

I looked at the results for all the schools in the city yesterday and was amazed. I couldn't believe the difference and I had expected WF to be much higher and your DD's school and LC to be up there too.

Dd1 went to the school on the hill and I know why it got such good results, it puts so much time and effort into the kids that are struggling to get a c in English and maths. So much so that last year there was one child who didn't get a c in maths and English. It will be interesting how they manage the removal of multiple attempts at the exams though.

MrsPnut

I've heard that the school on the hill won't allow kids to sit a GCSE if they don't think they'll pass it. A friend's boy had to pay £400 to sit his history privately. The school said if he passed they'd refund the money. I imagine because then they could include him on their stats???

I asked dd if she wanted to go there and she's adamant she doesn't. It's the only one she could possibly get to if there's space on the private minibus from the village. She's heard horror stories of how strict it is....but then moans when kids arse about all day where she is.

And if all they do is fiddle their figures in every way they can then is it really better?

It is strict but in a good way - DD1 would have been kicked out of any other school in the area but they really fought to get her through and her head of year was quite sad when she left.

DD1 was entered for all of her GCSE exams even those she was quite weak at, I haven't heard of anyone having to pay privately to enter. They don't fiddle their figures, what they do is put intensive support in to those children who might not achieve maths and english from very experienced teachers. They were resitting at every exam session until they got a C but that has happened at every school. I think they will use past papers as mock exams from now on until they think the kids can get a C before entering them in the exams.

I'd take your daughter to visit, it is a brilliant school and there are very few disruptions to learning because of the rules.

I've asked her just to come and have a look but she refuses. Which is frustrating but at her age she has to be involved in the decision and if she refuses to entertain it than I'm stuck. She doesn't mind the idea of moving school, just not there. I've told her to have a look and if she still doesn't like it then ill leave it but still no.

I've just sent a long email to Michael Gove. Probably wont do any good but you never know. Move heard of the DoH sending a special inspection squad to a certain part of a hospital after receiving three letters on the same subject. So I'd like to think sometimes they listen.

My dc's school also from 72% went down to 55%. That s very unusual as historically the school always has around 70%. Many locals always commends on how good and popular the school is with parents and children. Don't know what went wrong.

It is perfectly possible for a school to have a lower attaining year group though. A school will know if it has a weaker cohort or a stronger one. If a school is thought to be good and supported by parents it is probable that it had a weaker cohort. Not even all the grammar schools around me get 100% A-C grades every year!

I thought that high attainers were the ones who scored level 5 and above in year 6 SATs, middle attainers level 4 and low attainers less than 4? Could be wrong though.

A school's results can be caused to plummet by a technicality eg putting students into IGCSEs instead of GCSEs - top academic schools have been caught by this.

My DCs' plummet to the bottom of the league tables was caused by a monumental cock-up - the school had royally screwed up students' entrance into English GCSE so that students had to resit the following year and didnt get to sit the Lit element. The English GCSE the students were left with wasnt good enough for league tables.

The Head made some whiney-arsed excuses about this being terribly unfair. Funny, no other school managed to do something so pathetically stupid.

No explanation or apology was ever given to students.

You know the real disgrace? The head kept his job.

My dd's school has woeful figure for the Ebacc- but that is because it has an amazing RE curriculum, and lots of the kids, particularly the scientists, choose it as their humanities subject. And therefore don't get the EBacc. But if you just glanced at the stats it would look concerning,

Yes, DDs school is the same. RE (philosophy & Ethics) is compulsory, so EBacc is low.

I don't understand why RE doesn't out as an Ebacc subject?

For me ebacc is definitely a secondary measure. I would be a lot more interested in the 5 GCSEs A*-C incl English & Maths.

The particular thing which would concern me as has concerned the OP is a sudden change. IMO such a decline sould be being explained by the school.

Should but in my experience such is the arrogance of even the most incompetent Head that they wont.