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Secondary education

AS grades and moving up to upper sixth

9 replies

choxanwine · 17/02/2010 17:35

Is it common practice amongst senior schools (private or otherwise) to turf out students after AS levels if they do not achieve the required grades to stay on till the upper sixth? I know that league tables are all these days but even if the child is happy at the school, doing reasonably well, involved in all aspects of school life, and has all his teachers' support, is it right to have such a draconian policy? (which we were not aware of when we applied three years ago - or certainly don't remember being told). The head has stated that there are no exceptions made. I do believe that ds has a fair chance of achieving the grades but he is having to work very hard and is struggling to organise himself (with a fair bit of pushing from us), so I have to consider the unfortunate possibility...

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webwiz · 17/02/2010 19:25

I think it is quite common to have a year 13 entry policy but different schools set the bar at different levels. At DD2's school you need to get at least 2D's to carry on to A2 which is not exactly onerous. I know that one of the larger school sixth forms in our town regularly boots kids out and does a purge after AS results.

choxanwine does he need quite high grades to stay on?

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choxanwine · 17/02/2010 20:51

Not really I suppose - three D's is the minimum. So should be achievable but sometimes he seems quite laid back about it all. Ds works hard generally, enjoys the subjects and wants to stay on, but it doesn't come easy to him (he came a poor bottom in a recent maths test because he didn't do enough revision) and he finds it very difficult to organise his time efficiently so as to meet deadlines and fit enough time in for revision. He is being helped with this but it is taking a long time to get there, and he doesn't have that long really. He is expected by now to be able to be self-motivated and organise himself.

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mnistooaddictive · 17/02/2010 21:12

Never known it in the state sector. As long as you grade at As you can continue to A2.

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webwiz · 18/02/2010 08:10

I'm talking about state schools.

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senua · 18/02/2010 10:58

I think that it is common practice to ask struggling students to leave. In fact, wasn't that the whole point of AS Levels? Instead of failing after two years of sixthform, students realised after only one year that A Levels weren't the thing for them and they would be advised to look at a different route.
I think that the entry requirement for Y13 at our State school is 100 UCAS points (so something like DDEE).

However, don't despair. It is early days yet and many kids struggle initially with the leap from GCSE to sixthform. Let's hope that your DS gets his act together by summer.

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happilyconfused · 18/02/2010 15:59

if he can't manage a D in every module there is little point staying on anywhere for A2. The A2 modules tend to be more of the same but with more detail and concepts. I teach at a bog-standard and all of our entry criteria is based on passing each module with at least a D. If it has been a very difficult year for the student for a number of circumstances (not including being a lazy obnoxious git)then they may be allowed to repeat the year.

Some kids peak with their GCSEs - so just because the darhling was great at GCSE does not mean that they will be great at AS. Others do ok at GCSE and are great at A level.

As Sen said some of the Yr12s are just settling now, after the shock of the first round of module exams

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LadyLapsang · 18/02/2010 16:25

Three Cs at AS last year at the school my DS attends. In practice there was some flexibility for those that didn't quite make it - go back a year and re-do lower sixth (Year 12)or January re-takes and promise to work hard (if they thought situation could be turned round). I think those that are asked to leave are usually those where there are other issues (e.g. poor behaviour / attitude, poor record of keeping up to date with coursework and - perhaps - lack of obvious parental backing).

They also have to get a certain number of points at GCSE to progress to Year 12 and this seems to be increasing year on year. Think it's pretty standard at independent schools in London & SE. At least it's not as bad as an independent prep school for girls where I hear hardly any pupils have a birthday after December!

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choxanwine · 18/02/2010 16:54

Thanks all for some very useful comments. I think maybe he is taking longer to adapt to the very different demands of A level study, but I accept that schools have to make sure that kids will be able to cope.

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webwiz · 18/02/2010 17:21

choxanwine is he struggling quietly or is he asking for help? If he came bottom in a maths test he isn't understanding the work. Yes he should have revised but if he's been in the lessons and done the homeworks he should have some grasp of what he is doing. He does need a bit of help now or you end up trying to put new concepts on top of shakily understood ones.

What are his teachers saying? DD2 does further maths and when they cover something new she understands it in the lesson but then when she looks at her homework she hasn't a clue how to do it - she just goes back to the teacher for another explanation until it all falls into place. The teachers are sympathetic and would much rather kids asked for help than struggled.

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