Gcse’s at Special School

[Verbena37]

Hi - not been on here for ages but just wanted to ask advice.
So do (15 next week) is in year 10 at a special school, having started there in year 9, when it opened.

The school offered maths and English GCSEs and have employed a specialist English teacher for him and another child.
Their form teacher does the maths (prior to going there from mainstream), he was doing really well in maths (set one in year 7) and then doing well at Interhigh during his time of school refusing.
Now however, he’s barely doing much maths and we are half way through the first gcse year! He’s only had 3 pieces of homework since September.

He asked me to chat to his teacher and say he’s not being challenged but I wasn’t prepared for her reply.
She said that she doesn’t have time to teach KS4, and two levels if KS3 at the same time and as they’re not yet an exam centre (still in application process), she can’t yet access the exam board syllabus and so is pulling stuff off websites she can access. He is currently having a GCSE hour a week and another other 2 non gcse KS3 lessons in a week.

She said she’s guessing that they don’t have any more funding for a specialist maths teacher.
Does anybody know if the EHCP Personal Budget would allow them to employ a teacher to teach them? I think it’s a notional budget so have no idea what sort of money it would be?

I explained that we based the choice of school on the fact the head teacher said they would offer maths and now it seems it can’t logistically be taught to the necessary standard.
My husband want us to fork out for a tutor but I don’t think we would need to if they employed a specialist teacher.

What does his EHCP say in section F about maths provision?

How detailed and specific is Section F? I would raise the issue with the HT and LA, because they are clearly not meeting DS' needs.

I think the teacher is partly making excuses. I don't envy trying to teach such a wide range in one class, but GCSE specifications are open to view on exam board websites, as are past papers. They should be able to teach the broad themes without teacher access. The school could also order a text book and work through it.

In the meantime you could get a CGP revision guide to slowly work through, or even a text book. Also, there's a couple of maths teachers on MN who may be able to point you in the direction of more specific resources.

Totally forgot to look at section F but by memory, pretty sure it says ‘by the end of year 11 will have maths and English GCSEs
Qualifications’.

Thanks so much - i’ll tell school about the exam board specs being on the websites and we are also going to get a tutor ASAP.

@Verbena37
You shouldn't be forking out for a tutor. The EHC Plan is a legal document and the LA is legally responsible for securing the provision in it.If school isn't providing the maths tuition, then the LA should be making alternative arrangements.

www.ipsea.org.uk/complaining-when-the-provision-in-an-ehc-plan-is-not-being-made-model-letter-6

I know Ellie but my husband is fuming our son has basically lost out on 6 months of a 2 yr course.
It’s a free school and part of an academy trust of other special schools.
I will double check plan tomorrow and I will call the head Monday.

Thanks so much for the IPSEA link. I will write and complain.

If you don't get anywhere complaining and section F is specific threaten Judicial Review - it usually results in prompt action.

Ok, thanks so much.

Ok so I’m looking at the ehcp and there seems to be Section F for all of the different categories (Cognition & learning/communication & interaction etc).

Which part should I be looking at exactly?
The photo shows the qualification part I mentioned. I can’t see anything that specifically mentions GCSE’s but obviously does say qualifications in line with his ability and potential.

Just found this bit (F)Special Education Provision - under cognition & learning...

That is rather woolly. Is his potential defined anywhere else? Accessing another course in fe does not mean he achieves gcses in y11, it could be another level 2. Most fe courses beyond level 2 will require a minimum of 5 gcses at 4/5. Is he being taught to gcse or Functional Skills curriculum?

The school/his teacher told us yesterday that they’re still not officially an exam centre yet and they didn’t realise the process would take so long!
So they have led us to believe that since sept, he’s been being taught the maths and English GCSEs; it’s only now we’ve been told they’re having to pull stuff off websites as they don’t have access to the actual courses.

His SATs marks and subsequent test results from his previous secondary mainstream would show his potential (approx level 7 for maths gcse) wouldn’t they?

I agree that's a bit woolly. There's nothing there you can actually pin the LA down on. How do you define sufficiently challenging? It doesn't even mention GCSEs.

In contrast my son's EHCP said DS needs 6 hours tuition in GCSE level maths and 6 hours tuition in GCSE English each week delivered by a qualified teacher in a small group of no more than 9 pupils.

So in September when he got his timetable if 6 hours of English wasn't timetabled I could instantly challenge them about what was being provided and they would have to make changes. If it had just said, "access to English and maths", it could have meant considerably less than 6 hours and not necessarily GCSE, and I couldn't have done anything.

They absolutely can teach the GCSE spec without being an exam centre. In fact, you could find it on the exam board website and send it to them!

qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/mathematics-2015.html

www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/mathematics/gcse/mathematics-8300

If he is capable of grade 7, they will need to be looking at the higher tier spec now.

Oh gosh-how are parents supposed to know all this?
We thought we had gone through and made all the right changes to the draft plan before it was finalised but because school had agreed in principle for him to do GCSEs, we assumed that was a given!

Unfortunately, you won't be able to go down the Judicial Review route.

Publicly recognised qualifications could be entry level functional skills - which clearly aren't appropriate for your DS. Who defines what a good level is? Surely that is dependent upon someone's potential.

If the school genuinely believe they can not teach GCSE content without being an exam centre I am bemused. Do you think they may be trying to brush you off?

They have bought in a secondary teacher who is teaching them English GCSE and has no problem.
This is all really dodgy and worrying.
I’m going to be asking for an urgent meeting with HT on Monday.

I’ve just found an email I kept from the HT stating that if they can’t take the children to other schools for specific KS4 study, they ‘will look to buy in secondary specialist teachers’.
This they have obviously done for English but not for maths. I’m now wondering whether his teacher even has quals to teach maths!

Also - is there a way i can get the EHCP altered to specify GCSE hours?

You would need an early review, or reassessment of needs if you feel he needs it. What is the EP report like? IPSEA have model letters for both.

What about other subjects?

So he’s having 2 gcse English lessons a week (over an hour each) and seemingly doing quite well.
The other subjects he does are private music lesson, swimming, PHSE, the supposed gcse maths but in class where he’s with KS3 kids and does their work and science once a week which he enjoys but not gcse.

I’ll see about an early review.

How old is your son Verbena? 2 hours English a week doesn't seem very much.

He’s almost 15. They get a lot done as it’s just 2 of them doing the gcse and one other boy learning with them but might not take exam.
My dad took her GCSEs a couple of years ago and they’re following along the same sort of lines she did so I’m happy that’s progressing.

But the form teacher teaching the maths is supposed to be teaching the gcse course plus in the same room, is teaching KS3 syllabus so I think is tending to do it all as one, trying to differentiate the gcse stuff- not sure how successfully.

How big are the classes? I teach in Alternative Provision and I am teaching entry level (below grade 1) to level 2 (grade 4+) with every class. I can do it because I have 5-7 per class, and I have a TA. I'm not a specialist Maths teacher (I'm a scientist) but I have taught GCSE maths for years and have done Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses. There's loads of support out there for non specialists, probably because there are so many of us!

I meant my DD took her GCSEs a couple of years ago!