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Secondary education

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Original poster

Really feel school has let dd down - WWYD (if anything)

55 replies

sweetheart · 06/04/2016 09:48

I will try and explain our situation as briefly as possible - I;d really appreciate any views of how we should handle this.............

Dd is just about to sit her GCSE exams, she is not academic and really struggles with school. She has had various test's over the years but always deemed to be borderline dyslexic. She has had learning support throughout secondary school.

In year 9 she took her options - unfortunately 2 of the subjects she picked were under subscribed and scrapped by the school which meant she ended up doing a language and a humanities GCSE - both courses she wasn't really interested in. She also took a "study support" option which basically means she took 1 less GCSE subject than most but uses the additional timetable time to focus on core subjects.

In year 10 we were called by her language teacher to say she was not progressing in the course well and would ultimately fail even with lots of additional support and they felt it was best if she dropped the GCSE and focused her efforts elsewhere. I told the school she could only drop the language if they supported her in another course - I didn't want her wasting more time in the study support center (which is independent learning) and loosing another GCSE.

The school arranged 2 additional courses for her - a level 2 sports course (she had already completed level 1) that is coursework based and a finance course that was exam based. No other student in the entire school was taking these courses. I told the head I was worried that because dd didn't fit the usual mold she would slip through the net. He assured me that he personally would not let this happen.

I have had a letter over the Easter holidays from the head saying that before the holidays dd took the finance exam twice and failed both times (she says she missed out by 2 marks). She can no longer sit the exam again so this is yet another qualification that she will loose.

I am really cross with the school and I feel they have really let dd down. I don't understand why they let her take the exam the 2nd time if she was borderline - shouldn't they have made sure she was well clear of the pass mark BEFORE submitting her for the exam the 2nd time?

Dd has had her college interviews and has a conditional offer in place for the college and course she wants to study in September and fingers crossed she will still get the grades she needs to do this but I just feel so sorry for dd that she is coming out of school at a huge disadvantage compared to the rest of her peers.

Is there anything I could or should be doing regarding the school? Is it worth complaining to the governors? I've no idea where that will get us. Dd only has 3 more months at school so not really sure it's worth making a fuss about.......

Any help or advice please?

OP posts:
Original poster
sweetheart · 06/04/2016 14:47

There is an additional 1 year access course to the one she has the conditional offer for but I feel this would be a bad route for her. I've been told by college tutors (friends, not from dd's course) that the access course attacks a certain type of pupil and that the classes can be very disruptive. Dd has worked so hard I'd really like her efforts to be rewarded but at this moment in time we just can't guarantee that which is why I want her to have the best chance possible. She is in no way stressed about the situation - in fact she is remarkably calm about her upcoming exams. She's not fussed how many GCSE's she gets overall - so long as she get's her 5 A-C's

I guess I just feel let down that the school know that dd's situation is balancing on a knife edge and they still pressed forward with the 2nd exam when she clearly wasn't ready. It feels like she's been rushed through it.

OP posts:
catewood21 · 06/04/2016 15:29

I guess I just feel let down that the school know that dd's situation is balancing on a knife edge and they still pressed forward with the 2nd exam when she clearly wasn't ready. It feels like she's been rushed through it.

Or more likely they thought she wouldn't pass it at all, so better get it out of the way, then it wouldn't interfere with preparations for the 4 she is in with a shout of getting
I think you are really unfair to blame the school, it seems as though they have gone out on a limb for your DD

Original poster
sweetheart · 06/04/2016 16:23

If that is the situation casewood I would hope that the school would have an open conversation with me. I have been in to meet with the head on several occasions - he knows that I am not burring my head in the sand with regards to my dd's limitations. The fact that she says she was 2 points off a pass does not indicate that this is the situation to me.

OP posts:
catewood21 · 06/04/2016 17:28

what is the 'finance' exam?

zoelife111 · 06/04/2016 17:35

I'm sorry, but students fail exams. That is what happens.

Why do you think this is the school's fault?

If every student passed every exam, the qualifications would be worth nothing.

She was given the opportunity, she failed (twice)

maybe she didn't work hard enough? maybe she wasn't capable? Either way, she was given the chance, and she failed, as happens.

Not many people go through life passing every single exam they take, do they?

tiggytape · 06/04/2016 18:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

noblegiraffe · 06/04/2016 18:12

The thing is, your DD isn't very academic. She failed an exam twice despite having 1-1 tuition. Entering your DD for more exams won't have made her more likely to meet college entry requirements, it would have made her less likely. She needs all the time she has to work on the 4 she's got left.

I understand that you're nervous about your DD meeting the college entry requirements, but as a pp poster said, the school have gone above and beyond in trying to support her. She's on the borderline because she's a borderline student, not because the school have let her down.

CotswoldStrife · 06/04/2016 19:11

OP, we can only go on what you've said on here and the school don't seem to be at fault. They can't guarantee a pass. They have spoken to you in the past when they think your DD would fail (the language option). They have provided your DD with personalised tuition which no-one else has received. That's not rushing her.

LuluJakey1 · 06/04/2016 19:23

Your daughter is exactly the knd of child the government want to fail to achieve A-C grades or equivalents. It sounds as if she has done some kind of BTEC Finance course and failed to achieve a C. In that case she is unlikely to pass Maths at C grade I would think. Some people are just not good at exams but given time on coursework based courses can produce high quality finished pieces. However, the government don't approve of that.
In addition they ae makng GCSEs harder. From next summer 66% of children who currently achieve C grades in English and Maths will not achieve the Grade 5- the equivalent in the new, harder GCSEs.
It is bonkers and very unfair. As a Deputy Head, I have never, since I left University, ever had to produce work under exam conditions again. It is a test of nothing that prepares anyone for real life.
It sounds to me like the school have done their best for your daughter to try and help her achieve qualifications. The government and Gove are at fault here I'm afraid. There will be a lot more children in this boat from next summer.
ECDL counts as one of her 5.

defunctedusername · 06/04/2016 19:42

Were you aware DD had even sat the exam once? Did the question never arise at that point about when she would resit?

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 06/04/2016 20:00

If fewer schools had cheated at the coursework that might still be an option, lulu Scrapping it was the only thing that could have been done if GCSEs were to be worth the paper they were written on outside the school system. It was massively unfair on those schools that actually followed the rules.

I'm not sure the school have done much wrong here. As noble says, her chances of getting the grades she needs are better with fewer courses and less work. If they gave her 1:1 with the finance, is there any chance of that happening with the other subjects? Particularly anything where a C is looking a bit shakey.

LuluJakey1 · 06/04/2016 20:38

Rafals- what percentage of schools/teachers cheated? What do you mean by cheated exactly?

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 06/04/2016 21:12

I don't know that it's easy to put a figure on it. Obviously no schools are going to openly admit to doing it.

I'm not sure all schools will have been aware of it going on in their own schools. Generally, it wasn't particularly well hidden though.

It's an unfortunate artefact of a high stakes assessment system where schools, departments and teachers are judged on results and not much else.

The new system has been badly thought out and rushed through. It could have been much better, but I'm just not sure the old one was something we want to go back to either.

LuluJakey1 · 06/04/2016 21:19

That is rather my point- lots of publicity about it but very little concrete evidence or figures. Yet children en masse are punished by the imposition of an inumane unfair system.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 06/04/2016 21:35

An exam only system is not an inhumane unfair system. It;s perfectly fine.

Not having an adequate vocational qualification system and exams in a curriculum children have not had enough time to study properly is. And I think progress 8 might have missed it's mark by a country mile.

lljkk · 06/04/2016 21:37

I'm sorry if I missed this, tried to read carefully.
What course does she want to do at College? Is going to College the only way to get that kind of training? And what is her plan B if she can't get into College. Because you say she's borderline for getting the grades, good to have a Plan B.

Complaining to school wouldn't feel like satisfaction to me, more like prolonging and reliving a difficult experience. I would work on the Plans B & C instead.

LuluJakey1 · 06/04/2016 22:20

An exam only system like the one that has been put in place is inhumane and unfair. I say that as an English teacher. It is inhumane, unfair, boring and unlike any other test of ability they will ever sit. It has no relation to real life whatsoevet and favours middle-class children.

defunctedusername · 06/04/2016 23:40

LuluJakey1 - easy to slag off but suggest something better? A system of course work that is easy to cheat?

ShanghaiDiva · 07/04/2016 08:02

When I was at school back in the 1970s/80s it was an exam only system and for years before that - calling the system inhumane is an overreaction.
Examinations, without coursework, do continue after university for many professions - accountancy, law, HR management, medicine and it is appropriate to have this type of testing in school.

Coursework is also appropriate and tests different skills, but can be open to abuse.

catewood21 · 07/04/2016 08:39

My feeling is that coursework is wide open to cheating, and favours the 'try hards' more than those who are genuinely good at the subject.

mouldycheesefan · 07/04/2016 08:42

Op I think the school have bent over backwards to help her, special courses just for her, 1-1 etc. Instead of blaming the school you need to focus on the fact that if she has failed the finance exam twice there is a risk she will not pass maths at c grade. You need a plan B for the college course e.g the access course or resits and you and your dd need to put everything you have into getting past these exams.
Unfortunately it does seem that academics are not for her, is there anything more vocational she can do instead. Or would getting a job be better than college as she may have the same issues there. Not all kids are cut out for study.

Original poster
sweetheart · 07/04/2016 09:36

ok thanks for everyone's point of view - exactly why I posted here before approaching the school because as you can see it is a emotive and sensitive subject for us right now.

Yes the course she is planning to study is much more on the vocational side of things and will suit her perfectly. She already has experience of working in the area and both loves it AND most importantly is very good at it. We do have plan B & C - she can do the access course if necessary and she could also do this training in an apprenticeship role if necessary, although I believe most places won't take her until she is 17 so she would need to stay in education doing resits for another year which feels like a bit of a waste. I believe that under government legislation she is not allowed to leave education until 17 or 18 and she must resit her maths and English if she doesn't get her C grades.

Strangely enough Maths is her strongest subject and the area she is most likely to get her C grade hence why I'm quite surprised on the finance result. No - we were not told by the school that she had taken the exam the 1st or 2nd time (although we knew because dd told us).

I'm looking forward to dd having the freedom to study her choice of subject and hopefully thrive - she deserves it after the effort she has put in.

OP posts:
RalphSteadmansEye · 07/04/2016 09:51

I think it's also worth bearing in mind that the college may well still take even if she slightly misses her offer, for example, passes maths and two others but misses a C in English.

If she's obviously hardworking, keen, already has a related job, then they should be able to see her suitability to start the vocational course at the agreed level and not at an access level. Could you get a reference from her employer to back her up in case this happens?

Many students will start their FE courses still needing to retake maths or English.

Original poster
sweetheart · 07/04/2016 09:53

Thanks Ralph - i am hoping this is the case and yes she already has references which she took with her to her college interview so they are on her file.

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