6 years fees, then asked to leave. Post Reply

[pix]

I bumped into somebody I know who has recently sold their house and I joked about how can they leave the area etc etc. He shocked the hell out of me by informing me that they have decided to move because the (well known fee paying) school their child attends isn't willing to have him/her there any longer now it is apparent they are mildly dyslexic. I was gobsmacked. I'd be interested to learn if anybody else has suffered this fate for their small person? It's a bit flipping much after paying nigh on £60k in fees. Surely governers can't be happy with this approach?!

[excitera]

Shocking! May I ask was it Thomas's or Eton?
6 years in fees more like 90k in fees, you'd think for this money they will help your child with learning, no bully him and parents into leaving school! Disgrace!

[SoConfused!]

I find the English private school system very complicated so am probably wrong but...

Don't some school assess at entry and some assess as a "Continuous Assessment" ? I think some of the schools in the area do highlight this and therefore this is a danger - this not not necessarily mean that I agree with it !

Also if the child is struggling at a school would it not be best to move to maybe a less academic school ? Again I don't agree with the parents being bullied into doing this but perhaps this is how the school suggested it ? I can't imagine for a parent it would be easy to hear your child is struggling so am sure it is a very difficult message to give...

[excitera]

It is funny that now every second child is either dyslexic or autistic or has other issues... In fact one of the teachers I know said that this year about 75% of her class are having one of these conditions. Sometimes I think it could be used as an excuse...

[BalhamMumWorkingFT]

Many schools have amazing learning support. And if they don't and you need it, the school probably did them a favour. However, the execution sounds very poor and more school focused when the children's education should always be the priority.

[SoConfused!]

Doesn't this also have something to do with the fact schools only started recognizing Dyslexia in the last 10 /15 years and the diagnosis of it has only really improved in the last decade ? I think the same could possibly be said for Autism.

[pix]

It wasn't either of the schools mentioned, but even so I find it astounding! A good friend is a teacher and at her school outside london they organise teaching assistants and split off groups for the children who need a bit of help as well as for the particularly bright children. My little boy goes to a school where they view a successful child is one who is enthusiastic and they say all kids have something they're good at and they work with that. I'd go bananas if suddenly I was told to ship out because of a tiny learning difficulty!!! Apparently a few others have also been asked to leave. I'm just furious on their behalf after ploughing all that cash in!!!

[Bubs]

Sadly, I have heard similar. Not locally, but a friend whose children have some issues is continually meeting brick walls when it comes to remaining at their current independent school. From what she says, state schools have a procedure that they have to follow, and allowances that must be made / support offered (stamenting / CAMS ??), etc, whereas private schools aren't bound by anything, and can choose how they deal with such things.

I know in their case, on top of the fees, they are paying for extra support staff to be brought in for instance - and this was a bit of a compromise / last resort as ideally the school would have preferred to have 'got rid'.

It's something I would always raise in an interview / selection process for private schools - enquiring as to how they might deal with such a situation if it arose. Just to see what their reaction & response is (of course, they could always act entirely differently than they've said if or when the time comes, but I still think it gives a bit of an idea as to where they stand).