Complaining to school about GCSE textiles (practical)

[glebe17]

Does anyone here have any experience of complaining to a school about the actions of a teacher in relation to the practical part of GCSE subjects?

My DD has been working at 6+ and predicted 7 for textiles. Her report last week showed this as C3- and 4+. Art and textiles are her strongest subjects. She's got an offer from a specialist performing and visual arts 6th form to do fashion design. A low result in textiles could potentially affect her even though they didn't state she'd to get a specific grade as part of the offer.

On Friday, her textiles teacher told me there are 2 reasons for the drop:

• Practical: DD lost marks in the making section as she didn't hide the seams so it was sewn the wrong way. The teacher hadn't noticed as DD hadn't asked for her help so she thought she was fine. DD is dyslexic so doesn't always understand instructions. Also, DD didn't submit the material model. The teacher said that, if she had done this, the impact of the errors in the making section would be reduced. The teacher said she hadn't realised DD hadn't submitted it and feels bad as DD had done it. She also said DD didn't get any extra time in the practical only in the test.
• Mock exam: She didn't get any marks in two areas as she mixed them up which considering her dyslexia isn't surprising.

I think the teacher has a responsibility to check that students know what's expected especially if they've additional needs. Shouldn't they check the course work as they're going along (not after it's been handed in) and that every component is being submitted?

Any advice on communicating with the school about the impact of the teacher not checking the work during the year and that all components were being submitted? Can the practical part of textiles be appealed?

I would focus on ensuring that your DD is well prepared for the real exam. and that the school has put in place all of the support to which she is entitled for that exam.

Coursework is essentially completed independently so I am not sure what more the teacher could have been expected to do. Was your DD provided with a rubric of what she needed to do?

I would also focus on making sure everything is in place for your daughters exam. Is it a BTEC course at college? Unlikely that they will ask for a particular grade for textiles as not every school offers it at GCSE but worth asking. College will want Maths and English at 4/5.

I don't know what the teacher did wrong? With a class of 30+ students..

Complaining is negative, planning ahead is more positive. If you are concerned, arrange a meeting with the teacher to talk about how you can best support DD going forward with what she needs to do to maximise her performance in practical work. There are a whole set of rules about what teachers can and cannot do when students are doing control assessments for GCSE so the most important thing is that you learn from this and it helps DD make the right plans so that everything is completed and handed in properly. Get the teacher on side to help this happen rather than complain to the school blaming the teacher for what your child has not done.

There might be all types of issues re-SEN and reasonable adjustments for your child so check those are in place, however the best way to help her achieve in the actual GCSE is working together with her and the teacher.

So was this coursework or a practical exam? Was it a mock or the real thing?
I can't really see what the school has done wrong.The work has to be independently done, and it is on your dd to submit things at the right time.

I know when my dc did art exam the teacher was not allowed to give corrections!!
The purpose of an exam is to differentiate between students. If it were a maths exam and she used the wrong formula the teacher couldn't correct her because it wouldn't be fair!

Just to add, if your DD was eligible for extra time for the coursework (controlled assessment, I am presuming?) and this had been confirmed beforehand by the Exams. Officer/ SENCo and it wasn’t given then yes you could ask for the school to request extenuating circumstances from the exam. board for that component.

I assumed this was the real thing as those with arts GCSE papers took the finals last week

Unlikely to be a full class of 30 in an arts subject like textiles as it’s an option subject.

Thanks! I think the OP said mock?

Lesson learned then - that's why they do mocks.

I didn’t realise they did mocks as such in the arts subjects. My daughter’s “mock” was actually her penultimate final piece which goes towards her final grade in Graphic Communication.

Unless there is an actual paper in textiles which is written? Have to pledge ignorance on that!

Thanks very much for your quick responses and suggestions. The practical and written exams in textiles are both work 50%. The practical one (coursework) that DD already handed was the real thing.

The written one that she did recently was a mock so as people have said there's time to focus on helping her to be well prepared for the real exam.

Not familiar with how they assess textiles, but two things jumped out of what you wrote. You said the teacher said your daughter didn't seek help or show her the design.

I think moving forward, it's a good idea to encourage her to view the teacher as another resource in her Learning and to ask help earlier in the process. It's good to get each stage checked so errors can be picked up earlier and rectified.

I teach a totally different subject but I tell my students that the students who seek extra help are the ones who tend to be doing well. They use their teachers as experts who can help them exceed their potential. I would encourage her to think that if she doesn't understand something is a normal part of learning and to get used to asking for help.
It's the same in work!

course work is independent, and all relevant information is available on line, independent of school and teacher. So nothing to complain about there. And too late, as it has been submitted, and complaints about the teacher wont affect the grade.

She's got an offer from a specialist performing and visual arts 6th form to do fashion design. A low result in textiles could potentially affect her even though they didn't state she'd to get a specific grade as part of the offer.

Why would a low grade affect her if they haven't stated grades as part of the offer?

They cannot reject her for anything that doesn't form part of the stated entry requirements.

Surely that depends on the size of the school and the way the options are structured (2 classes doing textiles in DD's year and another class doing it as an option with another medium as part of Art and Design)?

Wow! That school must be HUGE! My kids go to a 12 form entry school and they only have one textiles GCSE class of 9!

The offer from the school is made on condition that she completes Year 11 in a satisfactory manner and attends all her exams. I might contact them but checked the policy as well as the letter and they don't state specific grades.

My school was a 7 form entry and we had about 60 of us/2 classes for textiles. I still remember sitting up all night sewing something before it as to be submitted!

I did it for A Level and then there were about 8 or 9 of us.

Try not to worry then. Plus she can hopefully get a better mark in the real written exam.

16 form entry. And you have to take at least one (and often two) "creative" option(s) where there is a limited set of choices. To be fair I'm not sure the classes are all at 30, but they are certainly mid 20s.

Many thanks all for the encouragement. It helped to have a constructive chat with the teacher and also show to my DD the benefits of speaking up.

Ask for the mark scheme for the written mock exam that she sat so that you can go through it with her.

In terms of the practical, if the reasons for her low mark were reflected in an ECHP, for example, then I would have thought there may be some process for the mark to be reviewed in light of specified accommodations not being followed - e.g. if it says that instructions must not be delivered solely in writing, or that as a result of her needs she does not ask for help and that the teacher should check in with her. However, I'm not clear what the rules are for textiles practicals - I'm not sure if they are allowed to give help/assistance, but the expectations should be clear in advance. It may rest on whether the same feedback on previous items has been provided and she has failed to act on those.