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Dropped out of a levels ?????

My friend was doing the following subjects : Applied science, Chemistry and physics.
After the january mocks, she did not do well and her head of year forced her to drop chemistry and she had to take a btec health and social care instead. So she went and entered herself externally. (and she is only doing the btec to not get kicked out of school.) she is now achieving As and Bs in chemistry after self teaching. She has recently done her march mocks and she did not do well in the physics paper, and again her head of year is forcing her drop and do btec business, It is far too late to drop a subject and do a btec, and she is really upset as she really needs/wants to do physics. The head of year at her school is an absolute prick, and is constantly making people drop their a levels. What should she do????? is he allowed to drop her this far into the year?
Btec can be mainly coursework, and if its business, she may just make it.
Well done for her self teaching though...
She may have to retake a year to catch up, is she is year 12/13?
Reply 2
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rxns_00
15
Original post by Mals1999
My friend was doing the following subjects : Applied science, Chemistry and physics.
After the january mocks, she did not do well and her head of year forced her to drop chemistry and she had to take a btec health and social care instead. So she went and entered herself externally. (and she is only doing the btec to not get kicked out of school.) she is now achieving As and Bs in chemistry after self teaching. She has recently done her march mocks and she did not do well in the physics paper, and again her head of year is forcing her drop and do btec business, It is far too late to drop a subject and do a btec, and she is really upset as she really needs/wants to do physics. The head of year at her school is an absolute prick, and is constantly making people drop their a levels. What should she do????? is he allowed to drop her this far into the year?


It doesn't matter if she gets kicked out of school, not at college at least. Well, she can just leave the school and enter herself for physics externally like she has with Chem. It's not hard to self teach sciences so she should be alright. The downside is she'll have to pay for all the exams. Don't see why the head teacher is making her pick up random useless to her btecs that have nothing to do with her interests
In my college you have to get below a D at the end of the AS to be dropped from the course. I don't think you should judge someone's ability based on one bad mock exam. Sometimes you just test really bad.
Tell her to ask the head of year to reconsider.
Reply 4
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Mals1999
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Original post by Debbie_KB
Btec can be mainly coursework, and if its business, she may just make it.
Well done for her self teaching though...
She may have to retake a year to catch up, is she is year 12/13?


She doesn't want to do the business btec as it is not relevant to what she wants to do in university and physics is a requirement. She can pass physics, she just needs to put the work in from now until the exams. she is in year 12. Her head of year is not someone you can talk to as he just shouts and does not allow you to explain.
Reply 5
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Mals1999
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Original post by Shipreck
In my college you have to get below a D at the end of the AS to be dropped from the course. I don't think you should judge someone's ability based on one bad mock exam. Sometimes you just test really bad.
Tell her to ask the head of year to reconsider.


He does not listen and if you disagree with what he is saying he will just walk out of the room. she really needs physics for uni.
Reply 6
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Mals1999
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Original post by RonnieRJ
It doesn't matter if she gets kicked out of school, not at college at least. Well, she can just leave the school and enter herself for physics externally like she has with Chem. It's not hard to self teach sciences so she should be alright. The downside is she'll have to pay for all the exams. Don't see why the head teacher is making her pick up random useless to her btecs that have nothing to do with her interests


I guess she can do that, but its march already and her physics teachers are very supportive so she wants to still be in the lessons. Its just her head of year
who wants her to drop. What could she say or do?
Reply 7
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rxns_00
15
Original post by Mals1999
I guess she can do that, but its march already and her physics teachers are very supportive so she wants to still be in the lessons. Its just her head of year
who wants her to drop. What could she say or do?


Just get her parents involved. It's too late in the year to be changing subjects around. They should speak to the head of sixth form and the head teacher, and if it doesn't work they should not give permission for her to change subjects and write to the governors or whatever governing body is above the head teacher. I doubt it would go that far tho
Reply 8
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Mals1999
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Original post by RonnieRJ
Just get her parents involved. It's too late in the year to be changing subjects around. They should speak to the head of sixth form and the head teacher, and if it doesn't work they should not give permission for her to change subjects and write to the governors or whatever governing body is above the head teacher. I doubt it would go that far tho


This was the same situation with chemistry, she refused to drop and had a meeting with her head of year and head teacher but they still kicked her out of chemsitry. How does the governs thing work?
Original post by Mals1999
I guess she can do that, but its march already and her physics teachers are very supportive so she wants to still be in the lessons. Its just her head of year
who wants her to drop. What could she say or do?


If she gets on with her physics teacher then it would be worth approaching them to ask if they can intervene with the head of year.
Original post by Mals1999
This was the same situation with chemistry, she refused to drop and had a meeting with her head of year and head teacher but they still kicked her out of chemsitry. How does the governs thing work?


It's whoever works with the school who is above the head teacher. They may be able to help.
Either way it's really a matter of just don't pick up the btec, get kicked out of physics but enter for physics externally. They can't make decisions like that for her. She'll just have to put up with not having physics lessons, if nothing else works
That head of year sounds awful! Although it didn't happen to me, I witnessed a similar thing at my school in Scotland. It's really bad. People should have the opportunity to perform and having got onto the A Level it should be their right to take the exam. Hats off to her for all her progress through self-study!!

If it were me I'd definitely stick to my guns about the subjects I was taking! If necessary, I'd register as an external candidate for physics too. I think the best strategy would be to just try to keep them off her back until the exams and don't agree to any more changes in subject. She could say:
- she's not yet getting top grades in the mocks because she requires the time leading up to the external exams to assimilate the content and practice exam technique (this is the point of a course)!!
- she's committed to doing well (give evidence of this, eg. revision time table, having approached teacher for help ect.) perhaps because it's essential to her future plans. Is there a class teacher than can vouch for her?
- also cite previous achievements eg. GCSEs, anything relating to her future career
- as a last resort, say that she understands that the school wants students' performance in exams to reflect well on them and that she, too, is equally as invested in doing well.

I hope that ridiculous teacher leaves her in peace!
Original post by Mals1999
This was the same situation with chemistry, she refused to drop and had a meeting with her head of year and head teacher but they still kicked her out of chemsitry. How does the governs thing work?


That's awful - sounds like the've just lost it those two teachers. Definitely register as an external candidate in Physics as a precaution and meanwhile look into alternative school/ colleges to attend for y13 (as a worst case scenario she could resit sone AS exams if things didn't work out). The've clearly lost it... Do what you can to keep it on an even keel with them until the exams :wink: It's unbelievable the national education system's being run like this!!
Original post by Mals1999
He does not listen and if you disagree with what he is saying he will just walk out of the room. she really needs physics for uni.


I hate when teachers think they are superior like that. You should get her to report him for that. Get her parents involved. Schools usually want people to be there, and this one guy shouldn't be able to force her to do anything.
The parents should go to the head of the school, as in above the head of year. If that doesn't work go above them to the local council/ governors of the school.

Show them that mock exams don't accurately show her ability by showing them her personal mock results for chemistry after self studying.
(edited 8 years ago)

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