The WGGS Triple Science Saga

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WGG$Dad
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Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2016 11:02 am

The WGGS Triple Science Saga

Post by WGG$Dad »

Watford Girls has announced changes to the numbers for triple science for the current batch of Year 9s. Historically WGGS has entered around 150 girls for triple, but they are cutting this number down to 75. There has been no discussion or consultation with parents, just an email announcing the decision, ending with the sentence that all decisions "will be made solely by the Science Department and will be final."

Is it reasonable for the school to do this? It reeks of a desperation to cling on to league table positions, at the expense of limiting the children. I can't imagine that only 75 girls out of the cohort of 180 at the school are capable of doing triple science. Many parents, myself included, chose WGGS because of its rigorous academic standards, and it's been a massive let down to see that they've chosen the easy way out as a way of handling the new GCSEs.

Is anyone up for challenging this?
Daogroupie
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Location: Herts

Re: The WGGS Triple Science Saga

Post by Daogroupie »

85% of the 227 students in Y9 at DAO will do Triple Science.

Halving the amount of girls allowed to do it at WGGS surely cannot be because they are not capable of doing it.

The two schools are closely related in intake, even more so now that they are using the same CEM paper to determine intake.

Do you think this is the Science Department pushing this through or the new Head? DG
Guest55
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Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: The WGGS Triple Science Saga

Post by Guest55 »

Write to the Governing Body - they would have to have agreed this.

It seems a very small number of students for a selective school - especially with the focus of getting more girls into STEM degree courses.
hairybiker
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Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2016 9:47 pm

Re: The WGGS Triple Science Saga

Post by hairybiker »

Deeply saddened by how this has been handled on so many levels.

The boys school current yr 9 chose their gcse options in year 8 before the new gcse curriculum was released...have they culled to 75 only? why were their teachers not as concerned? am i mistaken.

also the girls have been taught all along to stand up for their convictions, beleifs, to go for it...that they can do anything and be successful. allowing only 75 girls the option to do triple science flies in the face of all that.

sitting with a very demotivated dd at home.
hairybiker
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Re: The WGGS Triple Science Saga

Post by hairybiker »

maybe write to nicky morgan?
JamesDean
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Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2013 5:03 pm

Re: The WGGS Triple Science Saga

Post by JamesDean »

hairybiker wrote:maybe write to nicky morgan?
Better whip off an email tonight then ... :lol:

JD
ToadMum
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Location: Essex

Re: The WGGS Triple Science Saga

Post by ToadMum »

Guest55 wrote:Write to the Governing Body - they would have to have agreed this.

It seems a very small number of students for a selective school - especially with the focus of getting more girls into STEM degree courses.
It's actually only partially selective, but limiting by number (presumably three classes-worth) rather than aptitude is just mean.
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Guest55
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Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: The WGGS Triple Science Saga

Post by Guest55 »

In the past any child with a KS3 level 6 Science was deemed able to take triple science.

According to the DFE perforrnace tables 119/180 [43 middle, 7 low, others no KS2]of the last Year 11 cohort were 'able' - list of 'similar schools' include some Kent GS.
AgNO3
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Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2016 11:04 pm

Re: The WGGS Triple Science Saga

Post by AgNO3 »

Another disgruntled parent here, registering just to post.

Very surprised at the cack-handed way the situation has been handled. Seems like a cop out on the part of the school to only choose the seventy five most able girls rather than meet the challenge of the new syllabus head-on.

These changes are likely to have an impact on grading, with fewer pupils expected to achieve the highest grade. Having considered the increased subject content for triple science, we are of the opinion that we should enter a smaller group of the most able pupils than in previous years.

The school isn't even bothering to hide the fact that they're only looking at their own interests.
WGG$Dad
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2016 11:02 am

Re: The WGGS Triple Science Saga

Post by WGG$Dad »

Daogroupie wrote:85% of the 227 students in Y9 at DAO will do Triple Science.

Halving the amount of girls allowed to do it at WGGS surely cannot be because they are not capable of doing it.

The two schools are closely related in intake, even more so now that they are using the same CEM paper to determine intake.

Do you think this is the Science Department pushing this through or the new Head? DG

I don't know if the new head can make these decisions before even being in post. It seems unlikely.

The timing of this is tactical, and means that parents will not have the opportunity to challenge the decision. Sets will be allocated on Monday or Tuesday and school closes for the holidays on Wednesday. Once school is back in session for the new year the girls will be in their new sets and on the relevant syllabuses. So any parents waiting to see how their daughters have fared before protesting would have left it too late.
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