Can a child asked to leave 6th form in private school for poor academic performance

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Hi. Just what the title said. I've researched this online and is seems that once a child has been offered a place in 6th form they can't be asked to leave if it is due to poor academic performance - it is against the law. They can be asked to leave for poor behaviour but not academic results. Does this apply to private schools though> I've spoken to someone who says that private schools are a law unto themselves and can do what they like. Am very interested to know the legalities of this as my DS has been threatened with being asked to leave if he doesn't do very well in his first set of exams (October/November). I've also found out that boys that did less well than him in their GCSEs have not been given this threat (they have siblings at the school though so the school is probably trying to stay on the right side of those families).

You keep mentioning kids who have done less well in GCSE's not being threatened butI'm not sure how that is relevant. They are presumably threatening your son because they feel he can do considerably better, maybe the other boys don't have the same ability as your DS but are working harder.
Private schools can basically do what they want, subject to their internal policies etc but if they really want him to go I doubt there will be much you can do.

Read their terms of business. There will likely be something about academic performance.

Yes, independent schools can and will do this. There's no appeals process.

this is not strictly true.

They can remove for poor performance but are highly unlikely to do it without due process. Parents are litigious- ones with money even more so.

1. if this has been said verbally to him and not followed up in writing it’s likely an idle threat. Especially if it wasn’t the head who said it.
2. you’ve no idea what other kids have been threatened with and they are highly unlikely to be honest with you about it so I’d discount that.
3. private schools are not allowed rules which are discriminatory and must apply policies equally.
4. Exclusions are formal things and there will be an appeals process, you may not get anywhere with it, but it will exist.

There are two ways to manage this you need to do both.

1. Make sure you DS takes this seriously and works hard.
2. get a hold of the relevant policies from the school and make sure they follow it for to the letter. Any appeal would probably hinge on you being able to prove they haven’t followed their own policy.

No idea. Got A's in English Lang, English Lit, Maths, History, Art. He failed chemistry (he just can't do sciences) which I think is their main concern even though he has no interest in sciences.

That is not a stellar performance in the context of a selective private school though, especially if the subjects he wants to continue were weaker. What is his attitude to learning and motivation like? Does he have any non academic qualities rated by the school? Stop comparing with others and focus on your child. If the school are negative about his abilities is it in his best interest to stay anyway.

Essentially private schools can set whatever criteria they decide, but for a state school it was challenged a few years back ie. St Olave's grammar in Orpington tried to manage out some year 12s who underperformed.

Thanks for the feedback all. So they really can get rid of him if they want to. Lots of think about and decide. Stressful times.

When everyone took AS levels, schools set grades that pupils had to attain to stay on and do the second year of A levels. Presumably now that there are no formal exams at the end of year 12 they have to let them stay?

All schools do this, including comprehensive schools.

Thanks for the advice - nothing in writing (at this stage), just verbal. Yes, he'll need to take it seriously and work hard but I worry about the stress of knowing that it's the chop if you don't excel/struggle with something. He's actually someone who works best when he feels that teachers believe in him and want the best for him - this feels like the opposite of that.

In your other thread you think he’d do better if he left.

He's actually someone who works best when he feels that teachers believe in him and want the best for him - this feels like the opposite of that.

As do most people. But his behaviours been poor and this is the consequence. He needs to grow up and make some effort. And you need to back his school up and stop pussy footing around and asking that they spend time cajoling and propping him up.

Or see if there are places in non selective sixth form or FE colleges.

So you're in Scotland, to have letter grades still?

You said that you thought they had been too lax and easy going on your last thread.

Wales does.

What is he trying to do for A level?

As PPs have said, you have no idea what the school has really said to others. But if someone worked hard to get three As in Spanish, English and French, got Bs in everything else but failed physics and art, say, but were staying on specifically to do their three A subjects, school might be less concern eg about motivation.

Igcse still have letters iirc

A private school should be following their own contracts with you and school
Policies- what do these say?

God that's awful. What a thing to teach people. You have mental health issues so you're out! That should definitely be illegal.

Don't igsces have letter grades stil too? Often taken in private schools

My son took a mix of iGCSEs and they were all number grades (english private school)

Some private schools may take the very sensible view that they don’t have a course which the child can get good results in and so that child might be better off somewhere that offered more vocational training. Same with mental health worries…maybe best to take the time to actually recover and then start again at sixth form when the child is ready to succeed, rather than coming out (in either of the above cases) with three Us at A-levels and the parents feeling bereft because they've spent a fortune on fees. Not saying either is the case here but really sometimes it’s better to part company with the wrong school and find a better fit.

Not true, they’re quite happy to be seen to weed out people who don’t work hard

Yes they can.

Depends on the school - some are better at supporting mental health than others. (That's true of state and private.) But depending on the issues, it might be better for the student to be in a different environment anyway. No school will suit all children, because we are all different.

If there’s nothing in writing I can’t help but feel this might be a colossal overreaction. Perhaps have a quiet word with the head of sixth form without him present and find out where the land really lies.