Parents are in “turmoil” after a school announced it will drop some subjects midway through the GCSE period.

Students at the Isle of Portland Aldridge Community Academy (IPACA) have been told they cannot continue to study subjects including French, Spanish, music and philosophy and ethics next year.

Pupils, who are halfway through sitting their GCSEs, have been told they must take different subjects when they return in September.

One parent, who did not wish to be named, said her child, who is studying GCSE philosophy and ethics, was told on Friday that she could not continue with the course next year.

“I’m devastated,” she said. “I’m gutted. I have always given IPACA the benefit of the doubt.

“I got a text from my daughter saying ‘I’m fuming.’ I asked what was wrong and she said the school was cutting philosophy and ethics. She’s got mock exams in two weeks.”

“A friend got in touch with a child in the same class and said the same thing. I looked online at the discussion board and it’s happening with French, Spanish and music as well.”

The concerned parent says she approached the school, where she was told the decision was made due to small class numbers.

“I don’t think even they knew what they were doing,” she said. “They held an options evening two days before and Spanish was one of them and now they’re cutting it. It’s all very sudden with absolutely no warning.

“I was told the decision was to do with the Aspirations Academy and it was decided the classes weren’t viable to teach. I was told it was because there are not many people in the classes. The school knew when they started the course how many people were taking it.

“Everything is just up in the air. I know one parent pulled her daughter out of the school as a result. Lots of parents are worried. My daughter was in tears, she’s gutted. She’s an A-grade student - a little brainbox - and has only just decided she wants to teach philosophy and ethics in the future. Now she’s been given a choice of media studies or PE instead. It’s appalling.”

IPACA has joined the Aspirations Academies Trust and will receive support from September.

The parent added: “In three or four years, I honestly believe the school will be good. I’ve always given it the benefit of the doubt, but to pull subjects in the middle of GCSEs is ridiculous. I don’t know what the answer is.”

Another parent, whose 15-year old son is in Year 10, said “things are in turmoil at the moment.”

“We’ve been let down by the school,” she said. “My son took his options in Year 9. They were encouraged to take them according to what they wanted to do in the future. Now, those have been taken away from them.

"He took Latin and worked hard at it. Last week, he was told to stay after school to catch up and now he can’t carry on with it, he has to take geography instead. He’s missed a year of geography. He came home from school and his GCSE engineering is now a BTech. I’m really upset and there’s nobody available at the school to speak to.”

Another parent, whose daughter is also on the ethics and philosophy course, said: “My daughter took BTech sports science. She wanted to go on to do sports therapy. After a while she did not have a teacher and was put into business studies. She is an intelligent girl, and likes to be pushed, but she hated business.

“She went to the year head and was put in to study philosophy and ethics.

“She brought herself up to scratch and now she’s been told she can’t do it anymore. All that hard work has been wasted.

“She’s now been offered media studies and PE or dance.

“Luckily, she is self-motivated, has always had good reports and seems to do well, but I wonder how many times can they kick them down.

“I just hope their exam results don’t suffer as a result of the upheaval.”

IPACA’s acting principal Gary Spracklen confirmed some courses would be cut half way through GCSEs.

He said: “IPACA has always run with a guided curriculum in Key Stage 4.

“It is usual to review courses at this time of the year in preparation for September.”