Yr 6 struggling in private school

[loopyloo87]

Hi my 11 year old is currently in yr 6 private school , she's been in the same school since nursery , however she's seems to be stuggling academically , this years test results say a lot . Ive been in touch with the teachers and am trying to arrange a chat with them after half term
i have had a discussion with my Oh and feel that if shes not achieving and struggling shes going to start to feel very disheartened.. I'm wondering if the school is too academic for her? Is anyone else going through this at the moment?

Is it a private school that goes up to yr 8, because normally she'd be transferring to secondary by now. And why haven't the teachers said anything before?

I would wait and see what her teachers say. Are there particular subjects she's struggling with or an overall issue?

I would expect there to be other contributing factors if this had been a sudden drop in performance e.g friendship issues

She would stay at this school until yr 8 .
The school isn't very communitive I find myself constantly chasing areas up .
My DD's end of year results seem to be declining every year and I have to bear in mind that being private it's more advanced .
I feel sorry for her as she has worked hard on revision but didnt do well

Sorry but you pay for your dd to be educated and it's not going well but the school don't really want to discuss it with you? Sounds like you might have a case of shitschoolitus right there.

Oh gosh it doesn't sound like a great school if they aren't communicating!
Lol at it being "more advanced 😂" though

I think that the OP means that the children in this school generally out perform state school averages. The private school nearest to us is really intense. The majority get A and A*, but I'd be too nervous to send my son there because of all the pressure!

It's not a fair comparison though is it? State school will have a wider range of pupils. so it's not a like for like comparison. Our local comp has a high number going to oxbridge etc bur they also obviously have the less academic which our local selective school doesn't have. it does not mean the selective school is more advanced 😂

Tbh it is appalling of them to have left it so late to take an opportunity to move her elsewhere for y7 . Such conversations should have started by y5 latest. Have there been any indications in the past? If it is an academic school do be aware that your perception of her struggling may be skewed by others' apparent excellence. It can be demoralising to feel you are below par while in fact being perfectly ok among her general peer group. You may find she isn't placed in lower bands elsewhere. Do they do cat or pip tests which would put her aptitudes in a wder context? If the upshot of your conversation is that she really isn't going to cope there for a further 2 years ( do they do CE or prepare for 13+ entrance tests, perhaps with pretests) then you should ask the head to guide you as to which schools to look at and even make enquiries on your behalf.

What do you mean by your comment Draylon ????

The fact you think state school pupils are somehow behind private school pupils when your child is struggling! Posters will sit back and wait for the fireworks.

Your private school may be full of very bright children because parents are heavily invested in their education and are very bright themselves and can make a home where learning is a priority. The children in state schools with these attributes will do just as well but some will not have these benefits.

If your DD is not changing schools until Y9 you have time to plan. You should engage with the school about possible destinations for the less stellar children and aim for this. You don't have to take CE. You can aim for schools that administer their own exams. If you have chosen an academic prep and others are accelerating away, then you have decide whether this is a good atmosphere and I assume they set. Someone has to be in the lowest set, don't they?. If you cannot accept this you could look for a state secondary school with a spare place or another prep with children more like yours. I would have a chat with the school to see what the barriers to learning actually are when compared to the whole year group and take action based on what they say.

And it doesn't make much difference regarding revision time and effort if you don't understand the concepts in the first place.

Can you clarify what you mean by she's not doing well? What are her scores and what are you comparing her against? The rest of the class? Or simply how you feel doing well should look?

I would be tempted to move her.I have a year 8 boy doing CE and it's not for the faint hearted and has really contributed to a stressful year for us.My ds is dyslexic which hasn't helped.Has your school screened for any learning difficulties?

Don't feel you have to stay till the end of Y8. As teta said, CE is horrible. There are plenty of senior schools for girls starting in Y7. There is also a bit of movement in the first term of Y7 if you are not looking at the highly academic and over-subscribed schools - some people will hold places till the last minute even at the cost of a term's fees. I think you should consider moving DD sooner rather than later. Go on open days with a copy of DD's last report, a pen and a cheque for the deposit. Sing her praises to the admissions person or the head, tell them how this school is just exactly right for her and see if you can sign up on the spot

Have they made any suggestions about what schools she could aim for?

In what way does your DD struggle? What levels is she at? It may well be that your DD will struggle whether at a private or state school, but what you need is a school that is communicative, talks to you either by way of reassurance that there are others in that situation or what they can do to help My main concern is the school supporting her whatever her academic situation.