Im sorry this post is a bit long but please bear with me because I just don't know what to do.
My daughter is 17 and has just done her first year at college doing childcare. She had one teacher half the week and another the rest of the week. One of the teachers was an awful woman (I know because I met her!) and my daughter, Sophie, didn't get on with her at all.
Well, Sophie has had special needs at school all the time growing up - a bit like dyslexia except with the spoken word instead of written. Instructions have to be clear and concise and she also has a terrible memory. She had a statement of educational need at school which is a legal document meaning she had to have a helper in certain subjects at school as well as one-to-one sessions. She is very bright, she just needs a bit of extra help.
I explained this all to the college in person, as well as in writing because sometimes it can seem as though she hasn't been listening properly or is being awkward which isn't the case. I have always felt as though they didn't really believe me and on the days when she had this specific teacher she would come home in tears. The sort of thing that would happen is that the teacher would say "Im going to put the names on the blackboard of all the pupils who have done well today" (bearing in mind they are all 17 and not 6!!!) and then she would write everyone's name except for Sophie's. This is just one example.
The other teacher she had was lovely and really liked Sophie and she also didn't like the other teacher very much. She stuck up for Sophie and did her utmost to get Sophie through her first year so that she could go on to the 2nd.
She did all the work she was supposed to have done and during her work experience at a local nursery the staff there sent a good report praising how well she looked after the children and we thought all was well for her next year at college. We were also happy that she was no longer going to have this awful teacher the next year. Sophie went for her college interview last week and the head of department at college said Sophie's attitude must change when she starts again in September (she only has an attitude when in that certain teacher's company!). I have also arranged for her previous school to send a report detailing Sophie's problems and how they were dealt with at school.
Well, yesterday we received a letter from the college saying that she hasn't been accepted for her 2nd year at college and we are devastated. I spent most of yesterday crying because I just don't know what to do now. I will obviously contact the college and ask why because it doesn't explain anything in the letter. I feel as though she has been unfairly dumped and now will have to find jobs that require no qualifications. What sort of future can she have now? Is there anything we can do?



