School's bad GCSE results - how to address?

[matchingmoll]

Hello, I have a child going into Y11 - she's doing quite an unusual subject at GCSE and according to data published by the school, this year's 9-4 pass rate for this subject was calamitously low. Like, so low I would assume the teacher - who I have concerns about anyway - has failed to teach them part of the curriculum, or there's been an admin failure, something like that. It's a 50 percent fall in the pass rate, it's that bad. There's another couple of subjects that have similar issues. I need to ask about this, no? What's the best way to address it with the school and make sure that they are doing the right things / sorting whatever issues there are?

How many students were there taking this GCSE last year and previous years, and is it similar this year? How many students does that 50% drop actually represent?

Would it be possible to look at past exam papers and the syllabus with your DD to see what she feels they have covered, or not, and at examiners' reports? Perhaps as preparation to meet with school.

Agree, what do those numbers represent? Are we talking four students, of which two totally tapped out and disengaged, or are we talking 40 and 20 students failed despite working hard?

To some extent, focus on your DD - there’s no reason to think she won’t be part of the 50% who pass, so focus on finding out how she can best succeed - what board/syllabus is it, make sure you both know it, ask about best revision sources etc.

I think it also depends on what the students skills were like going into the subject.

I know a school where they let anyone who wanted to, do the Music GCSE- without being able to play an instrument or read music. They did the practical as singers ( the styles of which they had basically learnt by emulating badly pop singers in you tube videos!) Many of these student without the prerequisite skills did badly. Not surprising really!

How many people took the subject?

Yeah, music seems to be a dangerous subject at our school. Only one student passed this year (someone who has a music teacher for a parent) and from what DD2 says she might be the only one who passes next year. DD plays 2 instruments, plays in an orchestra, has a singing tutor, sings in a choir and has performed in musicals. I have no idea how someone who can't read music and hasn't performed in an ensemble would be able to cope with the content. I do think it's a bit rubbish that a GCSE subject requires so much extracurricular input. And I suspect PE is the same.

For your DD @matchingmoll , you say it's an unusual subject. Is it an important subject for your DD, or could she change to something else? Do you think she has the skills via an extracurricular activity to pass? Is she hard working and focussed enough to do the work without input from the teacher? Can you afford to get a tutor? Are you happy to let her fail because her other subjects are strong?

My DC has just started GCSE PE. I'm waiting to find out exactly what the criteria but my understanding is that there is an expectation that they will be doing their sports outside of school. That's fine for us as they play two separate sports over three teams. With PE and music, I would expect children who chose them to be engaged in musical / sporting extracurricular activities. Otherwise I'd question why they wanted to do those particular subjects in the first place.

@JaninaDuszejko I actually think it's criminal what Gove did to the arts and sports. I'm with him on raising standards, but he's destroyed the subjects a lot of the less academic kids thrived in and made them extremely elitist. Art now requires advanced English analytical skills and analysis. Doesn't really matter how good your actual art is.
With music an extremely self motivated child could probably practice enough at home but if the rest of the class isn't good enough the group piece will be crap. With PE it's impossible, no amount of practise at home will give you access to multiple team sports.
None of these subjects get enough time on the Ks3 timetable to get kids from 0 to the level they need to do well at GCSE, because Gove made the curriculum so packed.
If a school doesn't offer the equivalent in BTEC, most kids are doomed to fail PE and Music if they don't have SIGNIFICANT outside input. Art I will never forgive him for as it doesn't even increase the quality of art, if anything it makes kids who are very talented but struggle academically, hate the one subject they didn't dread.

Yes I agree re GCSE PE and music - surely there needs to be sufficient interest that they are done out of school. It's pretty easy to access a sports club - and while music is more expensive, it's not impossible with group lessons, loan of an instrument and community music centres.

DD took music GCSE and played an instrument (still does); DS2 took PE and was (and still is haha) madly madly sporty.

Anyway slightly off topic. @matchingmoll I agree, consider the cohort. If it's an unusual subject, is it taken by very few DC? DD's music GCSE group was about 10 students IIRC. I guess if (say) 3-4 of those had done badly, as a percentage that would look much worse than if 3-4 of the history cohort had failed.

Is a tutor a possibility? I agree, can you look with her at the spec and see what she has covered already? I guess you don't want to name the subject? It might help posters give directed suggestions.

Wouldn't you question why a subject on the national curriculum that should be accessible to all, is only accessible to the lucky few that have the parental input and access to the prerequisites, outside of school? This makes PE and Music completely off the table for a significant portion of kids in England.

Thank you all. I don't have exact figures but it will be similar to this year, which will mean about 5 kids getting 9-4 - not even 9-7! - out of maybe 20. For comparison, let's say last two years were in ballpark of 85 and 75.
Music would be a good comparison point. My daughter is quite driven to do well and has strong extra curricular work in this subject but she's not superhuman - basically she is a teenager and needs proper teaching.
Can't see how tutoring would be an option either.
I feel I need to check up on school, which I hate. But it looks like something has gone awry, no?
Arts for all!

I didn't know that about Art. I did Art O level in the 80s and it involved drawing and painting only. No analysis or written work at all.

@matchingmoll I don't understand why you can't just say the subject name?

See that makes sense. The mark scheme for art is basically all analysis, research and development. My DD has a list of keywords she needs to include in the analysis of tone, texture, colour, theme etc and comparison to previously researched artists. It's not all bad, it's a good skill to have but the mark scheme is far far too heavily based on the written aspect of the sketchbook. That's what will get you marks, not the actual quality of work. If you are great at English but crap at art, you will likely get a higher mark than someone who is amazing at art but crap at English.

Thank you all. I don't have exact figures but it will be similar to this year, which will mean about 5 kids getting 9-4 - not even 9-7! - out of maybe 20. For comparison, let's say last two years were in ballpark of 85 and 75.

Not sure I understand your figures here, but are you comparing with recent years when COVID provisions put a very false picture in place?

This is a question I would actually ask a head teacher. They shoukd know the answer although they might fudge it if the answer is the teachers rubbish and is being performance managed!

It can be as simple as a particular subject attracting weaker students and small total numbers really skewing stats.

@Foxesandsquirrels ok, it's dance. Just aware not many schools do it and trying to be discreet.
@seeline only 5 kids out of 20 (approx) got a 9-4 pass. Understand covid grade inflation etc, but even so. That can't be good, can it ?

My daughter is a talented artist. She took GCSE Art and amongst other issues, the way they are forced to teach it drives out all creativity. She had to leave school for other reasons, but she wouldn't pick up a paintbrush for 10 months. She has finally started painting again.

I also have reason to think it was quite a talented cohort, if that helps.

Unfortunately many subjects are not about being proficient in the subject.
They are about critiquing and analysis.

DT/Technology is another example you can be fantastic at designing and fantastic at making but those marks are very few when placed against the research, analysis and evaluation sections.

The big issue with creative subjects is that they have to be taught in such a way that that it stifles the creative nature of the subject and gives loads of marks to the academic sections.

Like others have said, GCSE dance (and other more practical subjects) are tricky. You can be amazingly talented but yet not get the grades - because the curriculum is not actually assessing talent, but academic stuff. The push to have more academic content and exams for practical subjects has caused a real issue. Eg for music, performance is only a small part of the curriculum, so someone playing at grade 8 would not necessarily have much of an advantage over someone at grade 4. They also have to cover composition, music history and interpretation, which may be harder for them than performing.

Grades are really hard to predict for these subjects. And often are taken by less academic students who think they will be easier, only to find they are not. PE, Art, Music all suffer from this.

If you are really keen to understand, ask the head of the department. But they may not share the individual stories that have led to this situation, so ask instead what they are doing to improve the situation for your child.

Is it a school where dance is offered as an ‘extra’ GCSE offered eg after school or one timetabled in the normal way?

I suspect what nay be the issue is poor teaching of the ‘not purely practical’ components of the course. Definitely worth finding the exam spec and working with your child to tick off what elements they have already been taught. Past papers may also be helpful - can she answer the questions on these on the areas she has already been taught?

Dd had an issue with a DT subject where teacher was a passionate practitioner but poor in the theory aspect. The school realised this and they had a timetable switch so another DT teacher from a different specialism then taught the theory. Dd eventually dud extremely well but there were definitely concerns at the end of Y10.

What do you mean by - “For comparison, let's say last two years were in ballpark of 85 and 75”?

I taught English at higher level in Scotland. During the 90s the school had a policy of anyone, regardless of ability, could sit Higher English. This was partially because they were hot on PE, and you couldn't sit Higher PE if you weren't sitting Higher English. Of course, this meant our pass rate was poorer than it should have been. We had pupils who were never going to get a Higher in English but were ok at PE. If a parent wanted their child to sit Higher English, the school rolled over. It could be a school examination policy, so check it out. I agree that in many previously creative or practical subjects, there is now a greater degree of analysis and that is a big part of assessment.

This is exactly true at our school.The teacher has a formula for achieving 9 s with a very prescriptive approach.Every student every year does exactly the same set of pieces in exactly the same way.Books all the same and nearly everyone gets a 9.

I (and many other teachers) have similar proformas for getting good grades.
In many cases, often those pupils that are good at the practical, will ignore them and do what they want against all advice.
So having a cohort that is "talented" as the OP suggests can be an issue.
As can be the pupils that are parachuted into the class as they don't fit anywhere else and a bottom bucket is were they will cause the least damage to the school's results.

Sorry got a bit side tracked there.