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Secondary education

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

Original poster

GCSE and SEN

27 replies

ChristmasFlary · 19/12/2018 07:59

Yr11 DS currently not doing at all well despite school giving loads of support and input.

He is taking maths, English, science, art, history.

Currently predicted U/1 for science.

I really don't see the point of him sitting this exam. He can't do the homework. He is often missing from class due to disagreements with the teachers and gets detentions. The thought of putting him through the exam and all the anxiety amd stress that causes just seems completely pointless when he isn't going to even get a decent mark.

Does anyone know if he can drop this "compulsory" subject?

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 19/12/2018 09:04

Exams aren’t compulsory in any subject. A 1 is more valuable to the school league tables than a U though, so they might insist on entering him.

Original poster
ChristmasFlary · 19/12/2018 11:20

But what about his Mental health and the stress it puts on him. Shouldn't the school be thinking of that too..... ponder ponder...

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noblegiraffe · 19/12/2018 16:28

That’s a conversation you need to have with the school, he’s already short on the number of GCSEs normally taken so is he already on a part timetable? What does he do in his free periods?

Original poster
ChristmasFlary · 19/12/2018 16:54

They have intervention lessons for maths and english. I can't fault the school with their support.

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MaisyPops · 19/12/2018 17:42

I would guess probably not to dropping science. He will probably already be doing the double/combined (however they keep renaming normal science).
Science is one of the buckets for progress 8 too. Given how few options he's doing school have already (rightly) put his needs above their progress 8 figure because for your son to have empty buckets the school will need multiple students to significantly overachieve to get them back to zero. Getting him pulled from a subject because he has disagreements with the teacher and isn't doing wrll isn't really a reason. Plus what will happen if he comes out of science? Who will supervise him? Where will he be working? Who will be setting work for him? Will the work be marked? All of that is extra time and stress for other teachers.

He needs to have strategies for science and an agreement on how to move forward.

winewolfhowls · 19/12/2018 19:13

Drop the history, its so much content and really short amount of time in the exam to do really difficult questions!

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 19/12/2018 19:41

I agree with wine. History is way too much content. What is the nature of his SEND?

Soursprout · 19/12/2018 20:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
ChristmasFlary · 19/12/2018 21:00

ASD.

If he isn't in lessons he goes to the study support area which is permanently staffed.

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Original poster
ChristmasFlary · 19/12/2018 21:02

I have been told his progress score is the worse in the whole school. Unfortunately he had inflated SATS score which didn't help.

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MaisyPops · 19/12/2018 21:13

Progress 8 wasn't meant to measure individual students. It's a cohort level analysis tool. Each student is worth X in the buckets but it's really not helpful for schools to be speaking in terms of a child's p8 score (a data expert like noble might correct me on this though).

Your child will probably have the lowest p8 score as it seems he is only doing 5 subjects so has 3 empty buckets. Leave p8 and sats/targets to one side.

If he wants to make the most of opportunities post 16 then he'll need 5 good GCSEs to get onto a level 3 course. Most likely he will (based on the info on this thread) probably do a level 2 course for a year and then level 3.
Having his core subjects will help.
Having fewer than 5 GCSEs will hinder him.

For a child to withdraw from a subject me and staff have to set work for them and packs that can be studied. It is extra work on staff who are already doing their jobs by teaching the course. Sitting a child in a room with an adult and hoping with a few revision guides they'll learn something isn't a viable option if we're trying to get a set of decent outcomes.

Equally, he's having disagreements with the teacher. Not to be harsh but and? Allowing a student to withdraw from a GCSE because they don't get on with the teacher is a silly idea (in my opinion) and reinforces an idea of 'don't get on with someone then give up and do your own thing'. As an approach it doesn't support someone moving forward to college or n.a. apprenticeship.

Your best bet would be to speak to the teacher and arrange a meeting, focus on a solution to help your DC achieve and get some agreement between you all.

Original poster
ChristmasFlary · 19/12/2018 22:04

Unfortunately he won't be getting higher then 1 or 2.... realistically U in any of his subjects.

He would love to drop maths but l won't allow that. Am sure that teacher would also love him not to be in his class as they had to evacuate it recently for the other pupils safety when he had a meltdown.

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Original poster
ChristmasFlary · 19/12/2018 22:06

I even considered de-registering him but l am applying for an EHCP and need the schools support.

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MaisyPops · 19/12/2018 22:13

Please don't take this the wrong way, but if that's his likely outcome how come 5 years of mainstream was the chosen pathway (no criticism there by the way. I sometimes find myself wondering what good it does the students who I've met who are in mainstream.and yet struggling despite our best efforts). I'm guessing mainstream given your mention of a staffed support base.

Deregistering him has it's own advantages downsides, the biggest issue is that it doesn't give him any more preparation for post 16.

Original poster
ChristmasFlary · 19/12/2018 22:18

I always hoped things would improve. The first EHCP was refused so have spent the last year implementing the recommendations.

I never considered homeschooling as l didn't have an insight into it until friends with Sen children did it.

I wish l had now but I'm still holding out for the EHCP for his future security.

I have failed my son completely and he is now mentally and educationally suffering

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MaisyPops · 19/12/2018 22:25

Wow. That sounds really stressful

You haven't failed at all. You've made the best choices you could in a difficult situation.
Honestly, in schools we see parents fighting these battles and often we are on their side fighting the system with them.
Parents who do their best aren't failures at all.

I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder about off rolling of SEND children (sign of a poor system and awful when schools push for it), but if you think he would thrive more then it might be worth considering home education.
If not, could you look at a tutor who's an experience teacher to support in certain areas. I've known some parents of SEND children get ks2 tutors to brush up on the basics and it sometimes helps secure the foundations a bit more.

noblegiraffe · 19/12/2018 23:54

If he has inflated SATs scores and is heading for 1/U in the few subjects he’s taking, then it’s worth knowing that his Progress 8 score may well be capped as an outlier.

Basically the bottom 1%ish of the cohort who have a terrible progress 8 score will have their score capped to something not completely dreadful (say -2.5) so it won’t totally drag down the school progress 8 figure. It might be that dropping science makes no difference to his progress 8 score if it really is that low.

Unfortunately they don’t release what level of progress 8 score is capped and what to, until after the exam results as it’s done statistically.

Original poster
ChristmasFlary · 20/12/2018 05:55

I had hoped he'd have made just one friend but he has none. Spends every break and lunch alone

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winewolfhowls · 21/12/2018 09:48

You haven't failed your son. As parents we expect the school to act in our child's best interest, now you know that is not the case. If I were you I would be focusing on the future rather than fighting school battles if you expect that your ds will not grade whatever happens. Focus on making him an employable person with good mental health : push him into volunteering, a small job, a new hobby, anything to make him more employable. If he gets into a college course grab all opportunities with trips and enrichment activities like first aid courses and d of e. Lack of GCSEs is not the end but you are going to have to push him in the next two years to get a stable future for him.

User111222333 · 21/12/2018 09:59

This reply has been withdrawn

The OP has privacy concerns and so we've agreed to take this down.

cakesandtea · 22/12/2018 18:52

OP, ask the school to enter him in Level 1 exams, not GCSE or any Level 2.
GCSE at grades 1-3 does not count as proper GCSE Level 2 qualifications, they are Level 1 qualifications. So if that's where he is at, I would ensure that he sits the Level 1 exam paper. That way he would still be entitled to education at Level 2, i.e. would be able to do GCSE at college or otherwise through EHCP. Talk to educational charities like SOSSEN and ACE.

Original poster
ChristmasFlary · 23/12/2018 17:17

I wasn't aware there was any other options at school other then GCSE.

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Original poster
ChristmasFlary · 23/12/2018 17:18

Are Level 1, Functional Skills?

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Original poster
ChristmasFlary · 16/01/2019 05:58

As suspected, Ds1 got mock results of U and 1.

U was in science.

He has yet another detention tonight for loosing his temper. Maths teacher wanted him to stay behind during lunchtime and funnily enough my ASD child who hates school and hasca lunchtime routine to follow didn't want to

OP posts:
Shineyshoes10 · 16/01/2019 13:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.