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....