The Student Room Group

Is it right for a school to segregate 40 children with EG of 7,8,9 into 2 forms?

Hi all,

Just wanted to get some opinions on a new scheme that has recently come under place at my secondary school.

A bit of background info, I'm 15, in year 10 going into 11. I have a government expected grade of 7 (A) across the board and am working around that level in lessons. My school has recently been taken over by a new head teacher and is 'under an umbrella' with quite a few others in the surrounding area.

So recently, 40 students' parents in my school got an email asking them to attend a meeting to discuss a huge academic opportunity and achievement that their child has been selected for. At this meeting, it was told that these children are the ones expected to get 7,8,9s in their final exams by the government and school. These children are going to be placed into 2 tutor groups so that they can 'be pushed to their potential'. It was also said on the evening that these children are going to be at a huge advantage to the unselected children as they will get special help and will also be chosen for more trips and other academic opportunities.

I personally haven't been chosen for this 'academic opportunity', making me the only student in my year group with an expected grade of 7 not in it. I find this really disheartening as some students who have been picked have lower expected grades than me and just an overall slack attitude towards school. I'm one of those students who works hard at everything they do, I literally come home after school and work my arse off to do well and this new scheme has made me feel horrible in complete honesty.

It makes you feel like these students are the only ones who have value to the school and the only ones who deserve to be challenged and don't understand why not just me, but every other doesn't deserve a shot at being pushed to their best potential? When speaking to the head teacher about it, he couldn't give me a reason as to why I wasn't in it and teachers have been confused also.

At first, yeah I was annoyed that I wasn't in the group but now it's more about how it's made me feel. In all honesty, it's made me feel stupid, inferior to others and like all my hard work never gets rewarded. I genuinely just came home and cried because of how this has made me feel and I know to some it might sound stupid but it has disheartened me.

Anyways, I just wanted to see some other people's opinions on it and whether i'm just being overly sensitive or if i do have a fair reason to be upset.
Reply 1
I'm in two minds about this sort of thing. It's kind of similar to how I'm conflicted about grammar schools. On the one hand, it's a "rich get richer" kind of thing. People who were already going to do well anyway get the attention while weaker students who could really benefit from tutoring like this and see huge improvements, rather than small ones, are left in the dust. Of course, some people just don't want to learn, and wouldn't benefit, but I imagine a lot of people not in the group could benefit. But on the other hand, I do see the value in trying to push those who show promise forward, as we ought to be getting the best out of our best, so to speak.

I wouldn't feel too bad about not being part of it. If you are dedicated it is quite possible to do well at GCSEs with crap teaching, or even no teaching for certain subject/exam board combos with good resources. Not being picked for this does not in any way define your intelligence or potential.

Original post by da1s
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