Recently, many schools have been trying to boost their GCSE results (which consequently leads to climbing their way up the league tables and impressing OFSTED inspectors) by focusing more attention on the middle-ability students. This may help the middle-ability students get the 5 A*-C grades the schools are aiming for, but this comes at a cost by jeopordising the results for both the high and low-ability students. The higher-ability students are not given enough work and support to push them to get the A and A* grades they deserve. However, it seems that the lower-ability students are suffering the most. As schools are focusing on obtaining at least C grades for the middle-ability students, lower-ability students in English may also be placed in lower-ability classes for Mathematics, even if their Mathematics ability is stronger than some of the middle-ability students.
Do you agree that this is the right way for schools to try to improve in the league tables? How would you feel if your child was not getting sufficient support due to this method schools have been practising for years?
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