Parents sue school for ‘axing pupils at risk of not getting top grades’

PARENTS are taking legal action against a top grammar school after it allegedly told their children to leave halfway through their A-level course.

It is claimed up to 16 pupils who failed to gain B grades in their AS-levels over the summer were rejected by St Olave’s, in Orpington, south-east London.

Now a High Court hearing has been scheduled for September 20 after lawyers acting for two of the families issued judicial review proceedings against the school’s governing body.

One father, whose son’s place was withdrawn just before the summer holiday and is struggling to find a new school, said: “It’s like putting your old garbage out.

Shocking

“He doesn’t know what to do. We are in limbo. School starts soon and we don’t even know where he’s going.”

Last week, St Olave’s celebrated 90 per cent of GCSE grades at A*/A or the new levels 9/8/7 in mathematics and English. At A-level, sixth form students achieved a remarkable 96 per cent A*/B grades.

But critics claim the results are high because students at risk of lower grades are weeded out.

According to parents, in July one set of pupils were told they had secured the required grades and their place was confirmed.

A second set were put on warning following poor results for internal exams until the outcome

HEAD BANNED FOR CHEATING IN EXAMS

A CHEATING headmaster who results annulled. Prince had altered pupils’ exam answers denied any wrongdoing until to help his village primary he faced a National College for school keep its “outstanding” Teaching and Leadership Ofsted rating has been banned panel earlier this month. from teaching. The hearing in Coventry was

Alan Prince, 50, tampered told that after the tests were with SATs papers completed another taken by children at staff member took his academy to boost them to a key-coded their marks, a storage room for safe disciplinary panel keeping. Prince was told. Prince had asked if he could been in charge at look at them and was Wistaston Church left alone in the Lane Academy, near room. He later Crewe, for 11 years claimed he when he was “corrected two or suspended last Pressure: Prince three answers” so he January. He later resigned. could “add two to three

An investigation by the marks” to a pupil’s paper. The Standards and Testing Agency panel heard Prince had been showed answers on 26 out of under pressure while trying to 58 of the 2015 mental maths maintain the school’s rating. papers had been altered. As a He was barred indefinitely result, the children had their for professional misconduct. of their AS-levels in August. A third group were told their internal exam grades were not good enough and they had to leave.

One mother said: “There was no counselling available, there were no parents there. They were just given this letter. It was shocking. These kids have been at that school since Year 7.”

Dan Rosenberg, a partner at Simpson Millar, who is representing the families, said: “The school is operating an unlawful policy. Proceedings have now been issued. As well as assisting our clients, these proceedings will hopefully assist others who may be affected now and/or in the future by the school’s policies.”

One teacher, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “These weaker students are being treated as collateral damage in pursuit of league table position.

“There’s a feeling if you are not getting those top exam results, you’re not worth talking about. But at the end of the day these are children we are dealing with.”

The school did not respond to a request to comment.