QE A level cull

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Jean.Brodie
Posts: 451
Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2012 6:55 pm

Re: QE A Level Voluntary Cull

Post by Jean.Brodie »

Hello bullread and suzyb!

Sorry to sound like a Jeremiah, but QE Boys' only have around 140 in their Year 12 each year. So, however they do it, about 40 out of the 180 in Year 11 will be excluded, come what may.

And I expect they do not have the classrooms or the staff to fit in any more even if they decided to keep all 180.

Incidentally, a deafening silence from so many QE parents on this forum, all of a sudden .....
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Re: QE A Level Voluntary Cull

Post by Etienne »

Jean.Brodie wrote:Hi Etienne!

How about the Young Persons' Learning Agency? ... Is this not, in general, the first port of call regarding an Academy?
Hi JB

The YPLA no longer exists. It's been superseded by the EFA.

The EFA, like its predecessor body, deals with complaints about academy appeals.
Etienne
tiffinboys
Posts: 8022
Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:00 pm
Location: Surrey

Re: QE A Level Voluntary Cull

Post by tiffinboys »

Jean.Brodie wrote: Sorry to sound like a Jeremiah, but QE Boys' only have around 140 in their Year 12 each year. So, however they do it, about 40 out of the 180 in Year 11 will be excluded, come what may.

And I expect they do not have the classrooms or the staff to fit in any more even if they decided to keep all 180.
Do the numbers go down because some children leave QE to pursue subjects of their interest or cull is always on the agenda?

I feel very sorry for the children if the cull is pre-planned and the QE is not open about it.
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Lady Byron
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2012 4:58 pm

Re: QE A Level Voluntary Cull

Post by Lady Byron »

This 'engineered' cull happened to my son about 5 years ago. Owing to a poor internal test in year 10, he was not allowed to do A-level maths. Despite getting a tutor in and his results dramatically improving, they were adamant in sticking with their decision. Such intransigence and arrogance is breathtaking, as at such an early stage they are effectively pre-determining and limiting the boys' uni choices. My son knew early on that he wanted to do Economics, which requires maths , and now further maths. They are also promoting a negative cycle of expectations as why should a boy try harder, if the decision is already cast in stone. He achieved an A* in maths, but we had to put in motion a move to another school.
He went to an indie on a substantial scholarship with free access to his A-level choices and flourished there, realising how QE's oppressive regime in his GCSE years had undermined his confidence.
It always amazes me that in a school, like QE, so few boys do further maths, which must be v constraining for those boys wanting to read physics, Economics, etc at the top unis.
Incidentally he's in a top uni and on line to get a first. Now the worry is finding a job in a very tough market.
bullred
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2012 9:20 pm

Re: QE A Level Voluntary Cull

Post by bullred »

Jean.Brodie wrote:Hello bullread and suzyb!

Sorry to sound like a Jeremiah, but QE Boys' only have around 140 in their Year 12 each year. So, however they do it, about 40 out of the 180 in Year 11 will be excluded, come what may.

And I expect they do not have the classrooms or the staff to fit in any more even if they decided to keep all 180.
I specifically asked QE about the rumoured cull and they told me they use to do it but do not any more. How I wish I had that in writing instead of taking them at face value. Given that I assumed they had capacity to take all 180 boys into the sixth form.

This is utter deception. Lets face it it is not about capacity but culling to reduce the risk to slip in the league tables.

The boys leave voluntarily because QE gives them no practical choice. QE does not offer them subjects they want to pursue and are more than capable of pursuing in any other school in the entire country.

Of course I can understand any school not allowing a student to take an A-Level subject that they are poor in at GCSE level. But I am sure all reasonble persons would not be expecting A* to be classified as poor, rather the opposite.

There does not seem to be any realistic recourse open to take QE to an independent judge/adjudicator to achieve anything.
suzyb
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2012 6:10 pm

Re: QE A Level Voluntary Cull

Post by suzyb »

bullred wrote:
Jean.Brodie wrote:Hello bullread and suzyb!

Sorry to sound like a Jeremiah, but QE Boys' only have around 140 in their Year 12 each year. So, however they do it, about 40 out of the 180 in Year 11 will be excluded, come what may.

And I expect they do not have the classrooms or the staff to fit in any more even if they decided to keep all 180.
I specifically asked QE about the rumoured cull and they told me they use to do it but do not any more. How I wish I had that in writing instead of taking them at face value. Given that I assumed they had capacity to take all 180 boys into the sixth form.

This is utter deception. Lets face it it is not about capacity but culling to reduce the risk to slip in the league tables.

The boys leave voluntarily because QE gives them no practical choice. QE does not offer them subjects they want to pursue and are more than capable of pursuing in any other school in the entire country.

Of course I can understand any school not allowing a student to take an A-Level subject that they are poor in at GCSE level. But I am sure all reasonble persons would not be expecting A* to be classified as poor, rather the opposite.

There does not seem to be any realistic recourse open to take QE to an independent judge/adjudicator to achieve anything.

I remember the old headmaster on at least two seperate occaisions saying at parents meetings that the school had the capacity to keep any boy that wanted to stay in 6th form and they could house 180 if needed. Some do leave through choice and that happens in all school and is to be expected. However, as bullred has pointed out many of those that leave will do so because they have been pushed out. Definitely not something for any educational establishment to be proud of.
bullred
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2012 9:20 pm

Re: QE A Level Voluntary Cull

Post by bullred »

Lady Byron, thank you for sharing your experience.

I am glad your son succeeded.

Shows QE internal tests may not be as predicative as they seem to think they are.

Suzyb - do you think it is worth more than one of us writing to the head, or someone else, to say that we were told specifically culling was not happening any more at QE?
WP
Posts: 1331
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 9:26 am
Location: Watford, Herts

Re: QE A Level Voluntary Cull

Post by WP »

suzyb wrote:I remember the old headmaster on at least two seperate occaisions saying at parents meetings that the school had the capacity to keep any boy that wanted to stay in 6th form and they could house 180 if needed. Some do leave through choice and that happens in all school and is to be expected. However, as bullred has pointed out many of those that leave will do so because they have been pushed out. Definitely not something for any educational establishment to be proud of.
You're not the only one who got that impression:

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... 242#p92242" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... 039#p60039" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I suppose that literally it is true -- anyone can stay, provided they're happy switching to Politics, Economics and Business, Sociology, Design, PE or Accounting.
suzyb
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2012 6:10 pm

Re: QE A Level Voluntary Cull

Post by suzyb »

WP wrote:
suzyb wrote:I remember the old headmaster on at least two seperate occaisions saying at parents meetings that the school had the capacity to keep any boy that wanted to stay in 6th form and they could house 180 if needed. Some do leave through choice and that happens in all school and is to be expected. However, as bullred has pointed out many of those that leave will do so because they have been pushed out. Definitely not something for any educational establishment to be proud of.
You're not the only one who got that impression:

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... 242#p92242" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... 039#p60039" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I suppose that literally it is true -- anyone can stay, provided they're happy switching to Politics, Economics and Business, Sociology, Design, PE or Accounting.
Funnily enough we have been offered those subjects!!
Can't see that's in breech of the admissions code either which is depressing.
suzyb
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2012 6:10 pm

Re: QE A Level Voluntary Cull

Post by suzyb »

bullred wrote:Lady Byron, thank you for sharing your experience.

I am glad your son succeeded.

Shows QE internal tests may not be as predicative as they seem to think they are.

Suzyb - do you think it is worth more than one of us writing to the head, or someone else, to say that we were told specifically culling was not happening any more at QE?
Bullred. I will send you a pm
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