A Level Adventure (2)

So, after the meeting with the head of year and head of Maths I felt like I had no chance of achieving anything. BUT I then remembered that the head of year had said there was no racism at the school.

So I wrote a LONG letter to the Head (new) and the Chair of Governors outlining what had happened. Among other comments, I observed that if a member of their senior management team thought there was no racism at the school they clearly needed to do something about this. Interestingly, the Chair has NEVER acknowledged or replied to my letter, or made any attempt to find out if I was happy with the outcome.

The Head invited me to a meeting, which both myself and my husband attended. (Having to take time off work as it was in the middle of the day.)

The meeting was held in a small room with a large table down the middle and both the Head and head of Maths offered to shake our hands across the table (why do teachers do that, I thought they were getting children ready for the work place?).

The new Head shocked me - she sat us down, said she had read everything and that she fully agreed with everything that had been said.When I started to speak she told me to hurry up as she was very busy. I honestly don't think I have ever been in a meeting with such a rude person before.

During the course of the discussion, she said that my daughter could still apply to Engineering if she dropped Further Maths. I pointed out that if she had looked at the piece of paper right in front of her (that she had read...) she would see that it would leave my daughter taking Maths, Physics and Music, which meant she could NOT apply to do Engineering. (She did not have this in the minutes when they came out, so I asked them to change it).

She also insisted the school was not racist (sigh) and would not budge on the predictions.

So I gave up, and my daughter did not apply to do Engineering (or anything) at uni.

Final, long term outcome?

1) At the end of that year the Head, head of year and head of Maths all left the school

2) My daughter got an A* for Maths and a B for Further Maths. (Nice to know the spreadsheet was right, eh?)

And my daughter now wants to study Music.

A last observation. People go on about getting more girls into STEM subjects. This is a girls school. There were less than 20 girls taking Further Maths (out of more than 200) and the school was happy with this. I don't think they wanted anyone to take subjects unless they were guaranteed to get A*s or As. We will only get more girls doing these subjects when schools encourage them, give them a chance - even if there is a risk of failure (so what?) - and support them in their attempt. The reason my daughter did much better than predicted was because she studies with a brilliant Maths tutor outside of school who taught her well AND believed in her.

A Level Adventure (1)

My daughter wanted to study Engineering at university, so chose to do A level Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Music, giving Chemistry up after one year.

At the start of the second year of sixth form, the head of Maths, who did not know her, sat her down and told her she should choose a different career path as she would not pass Further Maths. (For her AS level Maths modules she had got 5 As and a C). Having spend the whole of one year, plus the summer holidays, preparing to apply to do engineering my daughter was understandably distressed and called me from school. I contacted the teacher by e-mail - he ignored my email.

So I contacted him again and copied in the head of year - who did bother to reply saying that she had spoken to the head of Maths who recommended that she give up Further Maths, as she would not pass it.

They then issued her predictions, and said she would get an A for Maths and a D for Further Maths (they felt they were being kind).

So, I asked for a meeting...

(The next bit honestly, really, happened!)

I arrived and the head of year took me in to her office and sat me on a low chair at a coffee table, next to another low chair. She then left to get the head of Maths. They returned and both sat on desk/office chairs (i.e. a LOT higher up than I was). Annoyingly, I was already anxious so I did not stand up and ask to sit at the same level as them. I really  wish I had.

I had contacted my daughter's educational psychologist and various Maths teachers I knew and they all felt my daughter should be getting a higher prediction. Someone I had met told me that schools often predict low grades for black children and gave me a report on it. I went into the meeting armed with all their comments, reports etc. and was completely dismissed by the two teachers. The head of year told me 'we don't have racism at this school' (proving she has no idea about the school or racism,by the way), and the head of Maths would not even consider changing his prediction, as he had worked it out on a spreadsheet, which was never wrong.

He then very kindly (!!!!!!) told me that it was OK because my daughter was a very popular and well integrated member of the school (remember, he didn't actually know her). I replied that this was not what my daughter would say - she only had two friends at school and was one of the 'invisible' children.

The head of year immediately insisted that they do not have invisible children at the school (she really didn't know much, eh?!). I pointed out that my daughter had come back to school with pink hair after the holidays and that not one teacher had said anything. 'Oh, I would have told her off if I had noticed' said the head of year - proving my point, I think.

They then ended the meeting, no doubt happy to get rid of a difficult parent....