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Secondary education

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

Original poster

How much support is 'normal' when GCSE results are way below expected?

75 replies

ballstoit · 26/08/2023 16:59

I'm feeling pretty shocked at the complete lack of 'aftercare' from DDs secondary school and am just wondering if this is the norm.

She has had an awful few years following a traumatic loss on her Dad's side of the family and a period of really unpleasant bullying at school. Is now receiving support from a CAMHS mental health nurse after having a crisis earlier this year. Unsurprisingly, her results are miles away from what she was predicted earlier in the year and both of the sixth forms she had offers from (including the sixth form of the secondary she attended) have declined her.

On results day, she was informed, very bluntly, that her results were not good enough for the school's sixth form and offered a call from a careers advisor. The careers advisor called yesterday and suggested the names of some colleges that might have BTEC courses she could get on to. Call lasted about 3 minutes.

I don't know what the norm is in terms of support post 16 but I am a bit surprised that there seems to be no contact at all to check on well-being or whether any support is needed. As a primary senior leader, I have offered more support to adult staff who are leaving that my child has received from her school. Are my expectations too high? Or is a better level of post exam support a reasonable expectation? I'm interested to hear others' experiences.

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 26/08/2023 17:02

School is closed and teachers are on holiday, tbf.

Rummikub · 26/08/2023 17:05

Try the local FE college. The staff will be working and you’ll be able to have a discussion on what’s available as well support options.

Original poster
ballstoit · 26/08/2023 17:05

Good point.

In my area, school inset days were Thursday and yesterday. Lots of pastoral staff work in the holidays too.

OP posts:
VladsPants · 26/08/2023 17:07

They’re only interested in the pupils staying on to their sixth form in my experience.

Original poster
ballstoit · 26/08/2023 17:07

Thanks Rummikub, that's my plan for Tuesday.

OP posts:
Aworldofmyown · 26/08/2023 17:09

Similar experience at our school last year - basically 'don't let the door hit you on the way out'

Original poster
ballstoit · 26/08/2023 17:10

That's the impression I get too @VladsPants

They must have staff in as they were interviewing on Thursday and Friday but just didn't seem very bothered. I was a bit surprised as I'd always assumed there would be some support for students who didn't get what they expected.

OP posts:
TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 26/08/2023 17:13

My ds had a mental health crisis during his GCSEs and attempted suicide, his results are disappointing, we haven’t had any contact beyond his results which we got by email, so I suppose that says something about what’s normal. Tbh it didn’t cross my mind there would be anything else given that it is the holidays! It’s generally a very caring school but but staff do need time off.

purplewolfie · 26/08/2023 17:13

You'll get loads of support at a decent FE college. We're in from results day and very happy to advise.

Original poster
ballstoit · 26/08/2023 17:16

Thanks @purplewolfie, I'm hopeful she'll be able to get into something and a new start will help.

OP posts:
Original poster
ballstoit · 26/08/2023 17:20

Interesting to hear that our experience is pretty standard.

As I said, in our area, teachers and other staff started back on Thursday so it isn't that there are no staff on site. I guess, as vlad said, their focus is on the ones staying on.

OP posts:
Ohmylovejune · 26/08/2023 17:21

Does she have an area she is passionate about- like business, or IT, or cookery, or beauty.or something else

Because my family have done brilliantly with BTECs.

We all went to a local FE college and the difference in experience was amazing. It might be the new start she probably needs.

Singleandproud · 26/08/2023 17:24

I'm surprised you got anything from school really, your DC will be off roll, teaching staff aren't in, admin staff won't know and pastoral staff maybe in but on rota and it may be a pastoral member that doesn't know your DC, a quick call from the careers advisor on alternate options seems OK and they probably had a long list to get through and only bare bones knowledge on individual courses at the various colleges.

The next step are the local college who are more likely to have staff in and advisors ready for enrolment. Who can give you good advice on what their college will accept and what they can offer you.

Porx · 26/08/2023 17:26

School is closed to pupils.

Even if some staff are contracted to be in, they're probably not the ones who the kids know well, and teachers cannot be directed now. Even being there on results day is above the hours they can be asked to be present for what they're employed and paid to do.

Support in this scenario is really for parents to manage.

SheilaFentiman · 26/08/2023 17:31

Yes - the teachers may be in for inset day training etc but they wouldn’t be the staff who would know about other colleges etc, the careers advisor would be the one. Three minutes doesn’t seem long, though.

beachbitch · 26/08/2023 17:34

VladsPants · 26/08/2023 17:07

They’re only interested in the pupils staying on to their sixth form in my experience.

This. Blessing in disguise really as the support ( and interest in your DC's education) will be far better in a good FE college, of which there are many.

SheilaFentiman · 26/08/2023 17:34

is there a careers contact email? It may be worth dropping a line to see if you can schedule a longer call for Tuesday. But also - are you and she forming a plan? Eg has she a couple of subject areas she might like to do a Btec? Does she want to re-sit anything? Might be worth putting specific questions by phone or email so that more directed answers could be give

DrFosterWentToGloucester23 · 26/08/2023 17:36

I’m a head of Y11. Lots of staff were in on Thursday to help and advise students from 9am until 2pm. This included the Head of Sixth form, all of our leadership team, the vast majority form tutors and our careers advisor (as well as many other teachers) So, on the day, plenty of emotional support would have been available. We flagged up those who had significantly underperformed (and who had, consequently, had their offer to attend our sixth form revoked) and they were directed towards a named member of staff on the day to discuss their options going forward.

All year, students were strongly encouraged to have a plan A and a plan B, just in case things didn’t go the way they hoped. So I would expect most students who didn’t make the grades for A levels to have already though about other courses/colleges they may be interested in.

I have answered a number of emails from parents and students about results etc but I haven’t rung around to ‘check in’ on anyone. I just don’t have the time to do that as I’m off with my own young children at the moment. Come the 4th September then my door is, once again, open.

As PP have said, FE colleges are enrolling most of this week and next. They will have numerous staff who can advise your DD about her options going forward. Sadly, this isn’t an unusual situation and they will be able to reassure her that not all is lost.

I hope she gets something sorted for September.

froomeonthebroom · 26/08/2023 17:40

Sorry to buck the trend, but our careers advisor is brilliant. She was there on results day talking to kids who didn't get what they wanted, but tbh she had sorted most of them with first, second and even third choice courses way before that. We don't have a sixth form and destinations are very important to us, partly for the data but mostly because we care what's happening to our students. I'm shocked to hear how little your schools care!

Temporaryname158 · 26/08/2023 17:40

This is normal, she is no longer a pupil of their school so they don’t care and to say there will be a lot of support from an FE college is untrue this week. 95% of staff will be on holiday. However come 4th September, FE colleges will be working all hours to accommodate and support learners into courses.

can your daughter look at apprenticeships on the national apprenticeship service site? Or look at retaking key GCSE’s so she has 5 with good passes including maths and English (if she doesn’t have this currently)

Thisismynewname123 · 26/08/2023 17:42

@DrFosterWentToGloucester23 what happens with students who want a teacher's opinion on their paper before deciding whether to request a re-mark?

SheilaFentiman · 26/08/2023 17:44

Thisismynewname123 · 26/08/2023 17:42

@DrFosterWentToGloucester23 what happens with students who want a teacher's opinion on their paper before deciding whether to request a re-mark?

The deadline for requesting mark reviews is after the start of term

purplewolfie · 26/08/2023 17:52

Temporaryname158 · 26/08/2023 17:40

This is normal, she is no longer a pupil of their school so they don’t care and to say there will be a lot of support from an FE college is untrue this week. 95% of staff will be on holiday. However come 4th September, FE colleges will be working all hours to accommodate and support learners into courses.

can your daughter look at apprenticeships on the national apprenticeship service site? Or look at retaking key GCSE’s so she has 5 with good passes including maths and English (if she doesn’t have this currently)

At our FE college all teaching staff have been back since the Monday before results day- as have all of the coleges in our area. It's one of our busiest times!

BiscuitsandPuffin · 26/08/2023 17:53

TBH this is pretty standard but mainly because the students who are going to do badly usually have a hell of a lot of notice and support before they do the exams and I think there's not a lot else the subject teachers themselves can do and the job of "person with a vested interest in actually helping the child get to where they need to be" doesn't seem to be done by anyone in a lot of schools.

Careers advisors should step in at this point but the vast majority of them just rattle off lists of jobs or courses with no real advice, rendering them slightly less useful than a Google search. Most of them have no idea what the chances of actually getting a job are in any given field or whether the child in front of them fits the typical person spec for that job or not.

Something to think about is whether this ever would have been a good place to take A levels, given that it sounds like your child didn't get much support here. The local FE college sounds like a better place to be.

Oblomov23 · 26/08/2023 18:01

I think you are being totally unrealistic. Especially if the places at 6th form are desired/competitive. Plus this didn't come as a shock you expected her lower grades, because of long term years of problems. So what did you have planned and organised?