The Student Room Group

Tutor's Reference

I'm not sure if this is the policy in all schools but here I obtain a reference from my form tutor (the person who registers me). Is this the case for all of you guys?
I am extremely irritated by this system because my form tutor doesn't know me personally or academically (what I'm like to teach) because she's a supply teacher. She doesn't know me personally or my character at all because she has me for 15 minutes a day where all we say to eachother is "Rachael" and "Yes miss" when she is taking the register. Furthermore, she has only actually known me for this 1 year - so has had no contact or experience with me further down the school.
I have no idea how she is going to write more than a couple of lines about me. Furthermore, even if she does manage to write more - it will be nowhere near the kind of reference I need to get into a course such as Law, in which professors at uni open days have told me they can make decisions based on a tutor's reference - since lots of people get good grades.
Do you think it is at all possible to get a reference from one of my teachers rather than my form tutor? Or is this unheard of?
That's really strange, are you sure it's just your tutour who writes the references? Maybe I'm biased here but that seems like a crappy way of doing it and really unresponsible on the school's behalf.
At my school EVERY one of my subject teachers wrote about a paragraph each, that's all eight of them so it was about a page long of all my teachers singing my praises. And I think that the head of sixthform wrote some stuff aswell. I can't imagine having got any offers without them.
I'd definatly try to talk to one of your teachers or whoever is in charge of the application proccess at your school and try and see if you can get somebody else to write your refernece because that is probably the most unfair, ridiculous disadvantage I've ever heard of:rolleyes:
Reply 2
sleepy_person!
That's really strange, are you sure it's just your tutour who writes the references? Maybe I'm biased here but that seems like a crappy way of doing it and really unresponsible on the school's behalf.
At my school EVERY one of my subject teachers wrote about a paragraph each, that's all eight of them so it was about a page long of all my teachers singing my praises. And I think that the head of sixthform wrote some stuff aswell. I can't imagine having got any offers without them.
I'd definatly try to talk to one of your teachers or whoever is in charge of the application proccess at your school and try and see if you can get somebody else to write your refernece because that is probably the most unfair, ridiculous disadvantage I've ever heard of:rolleyes:


Yeah it is the case. We've been told about it and our form tutor has been commenting that she wont have much free time soon as she will have to write 800-1,000 words or something on us (which I don't know how on earth she will be able to write that much on me - she might just have to draw a massive cartoon diagram of me and annotate it or something to fill up the page).
If you are applying to do Law, honestly I think it is worth at least asking somebody if one of your teachers can write your reference. Nothing bad can come from trying. If they say no then speak to your tutour and explain to her you plan on doing law, a stupidly competitive course at uni, and you are concerned she doesn't know enough about you to highlight your potential to admission tutours and maybe you two could talk about the kind of things she should be putting in there?? Good luck anyway!
Reply 4
my form tutor will be writing my reference as well not my subject tutor my teacher has never taught me either so i have no idea what he is going to say
sleepy_person!
If you are applying to do Law, honestly I think it is worth at least asking somebody if one of your teachers can write your reference. Nothing bad can come from trying. If they say no then speak to your tutour and explain to her you plan on doing law, a stupidly competitive course at uni, and you are concerned she doesn't know enough about you to highlight your potential to admission tutours and maybe you two could talk about the kind of things she should be putting in there?? Good luck anyway!


:ditto: At my school, we get mini references from each of our subject teachers and then our form tutor compiles them all into our UCAS reference, adding a bit of general stuff on attendance, punctuality, work ethic and anything we've done to help the school. It seems ridiculous to expect your form tutor to write your reference if she's only known you for a year and has never taught you. I'm sure she wouldn't mind someone else writing it as it would mean less work for her, and I'm sure one of your subject teachers would be happy to write you a reference.
Reply 6
At my school it was my form tutor who wrote mine aswel, but he took into consideration what all my subject tutors had to say. However, me and him wernt on the best of terms (he hated my guts lol), so he wrote me an absolutly dreadful reference (and I mean really, really negative things such as "immature", "over-confident", "took a while to settle in at college" etc etc.)However, it doesnt really seem to have worked against me.

I highly doubt your tutor would write anything negative on your reference; if she hardly knows you then I would think she would just write the usual stuff about how wonderful you are etc etc. I personally dont think admissions tutors put THAT much emphasis on references because they are all the same. Those applying for top Law schools will all pretty much have perfect references, and admissions tutors know that forum tutors tend to just write pretty much the same reference for all students and just change the name in it. I would say that out of all the things taken into consideration (GCSEs, AS, A2 predictions, personal statement, LNAT etc) the reference is the least important. I sometimes wonder whether admissions tutors even waste thier time reading it. I mean just looking at my reference it makes me laugh to think that Nottingham and KCL read this and still offered me a place.
Maybe, possibly they took into account that it was just your tutor writing it and not your subject teachers (I don't know if they can tell but just an idea) because then they would be watching for A) biases and B) the fact that tutors cannot, despite best (or worst) intentions write a valid reference of how you perform in lessons. If it had been say your English/History/French teacher saying you were over-confident the universities may have placed more emphasis on this. But many tutors are just bias since they don't have to deal with our 'brains' or work so conflict in personalities will shine through! Meh
Saying that though, I loved all my tutors! hehe
Reply 8
Take the brave step of applying as an individual. That's what I'm doing this year. There won't be any teacher to chase you along and ensure you met UCAS deadlines, but at least this way, you are in control - you'll be able to write your own PS (some teachers apparently don't approve applications if your PS is what they think to be 'horrid') and source for your own reference. I think it's very important to get a convincing reference, and at least this way you know you will get one.
Reply 9
At my school, our form tutors write our testimonials (which eventually forms more than 90% of our references). My form tutor teaches me Economics but she surely, if given the choice, isn't the tutor I'd choose to write my testimonial/reference. Every teacher has different attitudes towards testimonials and methods of writing them - some ask students to write the testimonials themselves with the teacher only vetting/fine-tuning/approving it, while others write every student's testimonial from scratch himself/herself. The lack of standardisation is what is regrettable, and should that not be an achievable scenario, I think students should be given the choice of who writes their testimonial. That being said, it could end up as a logistical nightmare for some. C'est la vie.
Reply 10
kellywood_5
:ditto: At my school, we get mini references from each of our subject teachers and then our form tutor compiles them all into our UCAS reference, adding a bit of general stuff on attendance, punctuality, work ethic and anything we've done to help the school. It seems ridiculous to expect your form tutor to write your reference if she's only known you for a year and has never taught you. I'm sure she wouldn't mind someone else writing it as it would mean less work for her, and I'm sure one of your subject teachers would be happy to write you a reference.


:ditto:
My tutor will write mine. Its ironic, he's the head of maths but we're in a bit of a spot at the moment-- he won't let me do f.Maths unless i drop biology (clash) but i've already done a module for f.maths plus A2 maths is out the way, so i definitely want to do it otherwise i'll only be doing two A2's this year having worked my ass off last year. Plus i may apply for a maths degree so i'm gonna need it. He refuses to enter me if i dont go to lessons-- like its my fault??
The only way out of this is to pay for my own exams and do it behind his back (even with his 'approval' he'll be pissed)... how on earth will he recommend me for a maths degree after that?? He's barely seen a piece of work from me and doesnt want to see any work unless i go to his lessons. He'll be so annoyed he didnt teach me but i'm doing it anyway. I think he'll take it personally.

Can you buy a reference?? :p:
I think it is really wrong to give someone a bad reference, if you haven't got anything nice to say then don't say it. If you have received a bad reference from your tutor ask to see it (your right) and check it very carefully as it could be slanderous. I had a friend who successfully took his school (well, the LEA) to court for a bad UCAS reference.
Reply 13
ChemistBoy
I think it is really wrong to give someone a bad reference, if you haven't got anything nice to say then don't say it. If you have received a bad reference from your tutor ask to see it (your right) and check it very carefully as it could be slanderous. I had a friend who successfully took his school (well, the LEA) to court for a bad UCAS reference.


I got hold of my reference through UCAS. And yeah, at the time I was SO pissed off, and definitely would have took legal action had I been rejected from all my choices. I think most tutors tend to omit all the negatives, but some think it is there job to tell the "truth". Ive read some others peoples references and they seem pretty much the same, especially where tutor doesnt know the student that well; they tend to just change the name in each one and maybe make it a bit specific for the course applied.
legal_mc
I think most tutors tend to omit all the negatives, but some think it is there job to tell the "truth".


The truth has to be substantiated though, i.e. one cannot merely say that an individual is "immature" or "over-confident" without refering to clear examples where that individual has displayed those characteristics.
My tutor does mine :mad: REALLY don't like that man. We have to give forms to our subject teacher then hand these back to our tutor, so hopefully those will dictate what the tutor writes. I'm also never at registration, don't see the point as I dont get EMA, but I know he holds this against me. Got so angry when I heard its him writing our reference, I'd rather my head of year did it. Anyone know if my lack of attendance at tutor time could go against me ?
Reply 16
ChemistBoy
The truth has to be substantiated though, i.e. one cannot merely say that an individual is "immature" or "over-confident" without refering to clear examples where that individual has displayed those characteristics.


Yeah, exactly...I got screwed! Everyone applying this year...make sure you read your reference before it is sent off (especially if you have a suspicion your tutor may right something dodgy), if you disagree with parts of it then atleast you can ask for it to be changed.
Reply 17
Candy_Shop
My tutor does mine :mad: REALLY don't like that man. We have to give forms to our subject teacher then hand these back to our tutor, so hopefully those will dictate what the tutor writes. I'm also never at registration, don't see the point as I dont get EMA, but I know he holds this against me. Got so angry when I heard its him writing our reference, I'd rather my head of year did it. Anyone know if my lack of attendance at tutor time could go against me ?

Yes, they can either write you're not punctual, or that you're frequently not there.
I can't believe how many tutors write the references! I just can't comprehend it, what school could possibly think that would work in their favour??! After all our subject teachers write our school reports, surely if they have time to faf around with that they have time to write a few glowing lines on you for your universtiy application, that matters much more than a year 8 report saying so-and-so is always willing to put their hand up in class. Guh some schools are stupid, makes me appreiciate mine much more!
Reply 19
Well actually in my college all the subject tutors write an end of year report at the end of AS, and then in sept/oct the form tutor brings together all these reports and adds of bit of thier own to come of with the full UCAS reference.