Is a school able to prevent someone in Year 11 from doing a subject? (1 Viewer)

lmjk

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If you have just joined a school, can a school block you from doing a subject? What are the legalities of this? What to do if they are adamant about this? (Maths extension 1?)

P.S The school is a relatively good ranking school and my previous school marks for (Maths) were A's and B's.
 

Kolmias

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No, they can't. Tell them to fuck off and threaten with reporting them to the BoS. State that they can't do what they're planning. They know perfectly well what is within regulations and what isn't.

Play hardball with them. Stick up to them. It's a disgraceful how higher ranked schools pull shit like this. In the ubercompetive world of today, they're forgetting what the point of education is: to educate.
 

donkily

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If you have just joined a school, can a school block you from doing a subject? What are the legalities of this? What to do if they are adamant about this? (Maths extension 1?)

P.S The school is a relatively good ranking school and my previous school marks for (Maths) were A's and B's.
No, they can't. Tell them to fuck off and threaten with reporting them to the BoS. State that they can't do what they're planning. They know perfectly well what is within regulations and what isn't.

Play hardball with them. Stick up to them. It's a disgraceful how higher ranked schools pull shit like this. In the ubercompetive world of today, they're forgetting what the point of education is: to educate.
Firstly, yes schools can prevent you from entering whatever subject you want. I know for a fact schools can choose who does what subject and who doesnt do what

Secondly, I believe this practice is somewhat common in top schools, they prevent certain students from entering courses because they don't want the cohort average to get dragged down

Thirdly there is a class limit in senior school (i.e. 24) and schools can only make a certain number of classes due to timetabling restrictions. If there are 4 classes worth of students wishing to do the course but only 3 classes can do the course only 72 students can do it and the other 24 have to miss out

Fourthly, you can try to sit the course out of school if possible if you cant sit it in school (with a legitimate reason of course)

Fifthly, the BOSTES isnt responsible for this who does what subject and whatever (well they do go on about registering students for the course but they get this info from your home school), it's the school
 

Kolmias

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Just be up straight with them and don't put up with their bullshit
 

si2136

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Pretty sure they can't. Unless the class is full. You can always do the course outside of school if your school doesn't rlly allow it.
 

Shadowdude

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In some circumstances, yes

Let's say you want to do Ancient Classical Latin or whatever - but no teacher at the school is capable of teaching it. Obviously they can't offer the subject
 
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No, they can't. Tell them to fuck off and threaten with reporting them to the BoS. State that they can't do what they're planning. They know perfectly well what is within regulations and what isn't.

Play hardball with them. Stick up to them. It's a disgraceful how higher ranked schools pull shit like this. In the ubercompetive world of today, they're forgetting what the point of education is: to educate.
This kind of protest only works to a point, from there on it's just pointless hand-wringing. Look, schools are perfectly within their bounds to bar someone from a particular subject. Let me tell you that this isn't only commonplace at higher-tiered schools; my school was just an ordinary, salt of the earth Catholic school and these kind of standards were religiously (no pun intended) enforced. There is a reason for this. Yes, schools should be about education, but at what point does education become daycare? At what point does one's education become diminished because the teacher is spending too much time with one or two particular students? No disrespect or reference to the OP, but these standards exist to stop people who'd otherwise struggle in courses that are notorious for difficulty. So in short, yes, schools can and will block people from courses they deem too difficult for certain students.

Now, don't get me wrong OP. I'm not saying that you're going to struggle. On the contrary, I think if you've been getting A's and B's consistently, then you'd probably excel in said course. Hell, one of my closest friends had to really hammer away at our school's Maths Department to get accepted into ME1, not to mention needing to complete an additional yearly exam. In the end, she turned out to be one of our highest Maths achievers. If she can do it with a lot of hard work, then I'm sure you can too!

I strongly disagree with Kolmias, the nuclear option is very unlikely to work in my honest opinion; all you're going to do is piss the school off with a protracted argument testing the mettle and patience of both yourself and the institution. I think it would be better to try an assuage some of their concerns. Draft a formal letter outlining the reasons you'd like to do the course, stating your intention to lift your game and try very hard. Say that you'd be willing to be placed on 'probation' so to speak, prepared to accept the need to achieve a certain mark or standard by your half-yearlies and that if you fail to meet the goal, you'd reevaluate then.

Bribe them, bargain with them, barter with them. But most certainly DO NOT anger them, you're only ruining your own chances if you do.
 
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HoldingOn

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This kind of protest only works to a point, from there on it's just pointless hand-wringing. Look, schools are perfectly within their bounds to bar someone from a particular subject. Let me tell you that this isn't only commonplace at higher-tiered schools; my school was just an ordinary, salt of the earth Catholic school and these kind of standards were religiously (no pun intended) enforced. There is a reason for this. Yes, schools should be about education, but at what point does education become daycare? At what point does one's education become diminished because the teacher is spending too much time with one or two particular students? No disrespect or reference to the OP, but these standards exist to stop people who'd otherwise struggle in courses that are notorious for difficulty. So in short, yes, schools can and will block people from courses they deem too difficult for certain students.

Now, don't get me wrong OP. I'm not saying that you're going to struggle. On the contrary, I think if you've been getting A's and B's consistently, then you'd probably excel in said course. Hell, one of my closest friends had to really hammer away at our school's Maths Department to get accepted into ME1, not to mention needing to complete an additional yearly exam. In the end, she turned out to be one of our highest Maths achievers. If she can do it with a lot of hard work, then I'm sure you can too!

I strongly disagree with Kolmias, the nuclear option is very unlikely to work in my honest opinion; all you're going to do is piss the school off with a protracted argument testing the mettle and patience of both yourself and the institution. I think it would be better to try an assuage some of their concerns. Draft a formal letter outlining the reasons you'd like to do the course, stating your intention to lift your game and try very hard. Say that you'd be willing to be placed on 'probation' so to speak, prepared to accept the need to achieve a certain mark or standard by your half-yearlies and that if you fail to meet the goal, you'd reevaluate then.

Bribe them, bargain with them, barter with them. But most certainly DO NOT anger them, you're only ruining your own chances if you do.
Playing hardball would work better. Hell just get your way into the course by any means possible and work your arse off and prove them wrong.
 
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Playing hardball would work better. Hell just get your way into the course by any means possible and work your arse off and prove them wrong.
How exactly do you think the OP is going to get into the course and prove them wrong in the first place? By 'demanding' he be admitted? With what leverage? As a student, he has little. Certainly not enough to pressure an institution the size of a school.

By threatening them with a report to BOSTES? You think BOSTES is inclined to listen to some random complaint, a complaint that is dubious at best? How do you think that will go for him if he does get accepted into the course? Well? Because I sure as hell don't think so. He'd only be making himself a target for resentful teachers.

OP I say again, DON'T burn all your bridges with a student/school war, it will only end badly for you.
 

Kolmias

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Contacting BOSTES is just a bluff tho lol
 

lmjk

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I guess I have to go back to the principles office. (This is what it feels to feel absolutely powerless...cause that really sucks)

Thanks for everyone here
 

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