I teach chemistry in a pretty average mid league table comp and am currently teaching a top set GCSE chemistry. Even though they are a top set they have a real spread of target grades from A*-C (think my collegue messed up the setting this year!). Anyway they are all in Y10 and have discovered drinking and the opposite sex in a big way so generally have heads full of teenage nonsense. This has meant that they don't do their homework or do it in a rush so not reflecting their true ability.

So today I snapped and sent a letter to all the parents of those who didn't get their target grade. It said -

Dear Parent/Carer,

I am writing to inform you that your son/daughter has submitted a piece of homework below the standard expected of them.
Student:
Homework: June 2007 GCSE Chemistry Unit 1 Past Paper
Target Grade:
Grade achieved:

The homework was/was not handed in on time.

I have identified the following reasons for your son/daughter missing their target.
□ Completed in detention due to failure to complete/hand in
□ Homework shows evidence of being rushed
□ Parts of questions have not been attempted
□ Whole questions have not been attempted

This homework is vital preparation for the exams your son/daughter will sit in June. I would appreciate it if you would speak to your son/daughter about this issue and stress the importance of homework. Thankyou for your support in this matter.

So as parents, would you be happy that I'd kept you informed? One of my colleagues thinks that I'm being over the top but I think it's for their own good. Any comments welcome.

Letters good. Contact between school and home good. I'd have sent the same home.
Can only speak as a teacher and not as parent of a teenager though.

Absolutely fine; (am also a teacher). I'd want to know if my child was falling behind so that I could keep an eye on things more at home.

blimey yes i'd be grateful you'd written. ds is only 14 but i'd like to think his teachers would do the same.

Call me an anal and controlling mother, but I think it's a great idea!Everyone knows some teenagers can be right lazy little shites, so a kick up the backside may be just what they need

Great - but I bet you get smoe little shits making their parents ring up to say you bully them.

I would want to know as there at least some chance of cracking the whip at home in these last few weeks that could make the difference. I suppose if there have been issues like this going on for a while I'd want to know why I hadn't been informed sooner??

I think it's good (as a parent)

Thanks for the messages. I don't have time to call all of their parents as it's half the class! I wonder whether my collegue is just thinking I'm showing him up as lazy!

I would more likely be unhappy if I wasn't given this information. How are parents supposed to have any positive input in their children's education if they are not told when there is a problem?

I had words with DS1's ICT teacher recently. At parents' evening, she said DS1's work was fine, he just needed to double check more often to ensure there were no unnecessary errors. Not long after wards, she told DS1 that he was unlikely to reach his required target. I asked her why she hadn't mentioned this at our parents' evening and also why she hadn't suggested that he attend an after-school ICT session for those children who needed additional help. Some of DS1's friends, who were achieving higher grades than DS1, had had letters sent home suggesting they attend this after-school session, but DS1 hadn't. Very inconsistent and not very satisfactory. I'd much rather she'd told us that his work needed improving.

I'm an English teacher in a secondary comp. We do this sort of thing constantly & it has bugger all effect!

If it were my ds/dd I'd menace them into re-doing it (draconian sanctions until it was done). But that might be my teacher solidarity mentality.

What we usually get from parents is 'What letter?' come Parents' Evening. Or they ring up in a state & dither ineffectually about how they can't do a thing with him/her. OR just occasionally they ring up in a towering rage 'How very dare you expect me to make him do his homework. That's your job...'

speaking as a parent - though mine's primary age, I'd much rather be told about any problems as they occur rather than at the twice yearly parents evening when it's too late to really influence your child. So letters home detailing the issues to me are in no way over the top. Only thing is you'll probably know which kids will be spoken to by their parent and which parents may wish to apeak to you! . It's big bug bear to me the limited communication we have between my DD's class teacher and the parents.

It's probably a whole-school issue, so I would be inclined to have a joint approach with other members of staff, via the form tutor or pastoral head.

If I was making personal contact with a parent, I would prefer to discuss it over the phone or in person.

I'm not a big fan of form letters, tbh.

As for the student, I would just call them back at lunchtime to do their work. They soon get the message.

I'm also a Chemistry teacher, and haven't really run into too many of the social problems you have (my Y11s, a different story). Ours have just had fab results from their first set of module tests, so we are in the mode of encouraging them to move on to greater things, and fostering a can-do attitude.

I've only been teaching them a few weeks because we rotate the class through three subject specialists, biology, chemistry, physics. I think some of this is a legacy from the physics teacher they had previously who didn't set them any homework for 10 weeks.

I place no premium on being told verbally - mostly I don't want to engage in long discussions with teachers etc - much better to have a note IMO

And whilst I would be horrified to receive such a note I would really value the teacher who took time out to write it how it is

i think that letter's great.
i think this sort of support/communication/attention is far too lacking in state schools (or, was at my school when i was there)
and i think this is the main reason that i am relieved that we can afford to go private; i think im going to get more of this sort of attention and information.

Raven - yes, I have many similar conversations as a teacher; parents blaming me, telling me that little Junior never comes home until 10 o' clock and says he's been at extra English etc!!!! However, as a concerned parent, I'd want to know! Like anything, these letters will work with some parents and not others, so it's still worth sending them. It makes you wonder what on earth some parents think will happen to their precious child later though, doesn't it.

I spoke to a university tutor a few weeks ago and she told me that they STILL get some parents phoning asking why their child didn't get a First (or whatever)!!!!!!

no experience myself dd1 only 6 but my dp's sister gets text from school of her ds 14 really helpful and knows truth straight away

Possibly a whole school issue that you will have limited potential to change but letter is excellent.

And falls under the catagory of Formative Assessment and sharing Goals and Aims with your students. So you can tick that bloody box as well!!!!

{grin]

Speaking as the mother of DSs who have problems with deadlines etc. I think it is excellent. I am always trying to get the school to e mail me at the start of any problem, I think that the school leave it rather late to phone or write a letter.

I'd be happy to be informed of this - 100%.

The thing is, it might seem like work to write these letters / phone home but in the long run (IMO) it's worth it as more often than not (for me) kids then see you take no shit and they don't then take the mick as much with standards / deadlines etc.

And echoing mb, keep a record of this letter and its affect on their work / grades - all good for things like your own threshhold applications.

I think letter is great. I think you should also send out a letter to the parents of the children who did especially well. Also important IMO.

I would make "thank you" as two words not one .

I think the letter is great - my oldest DCs are past the GCSE stage now but with DS1 especially I've found out since quite why he failed to live up to expectations in Year 11; he pratted about, coasted where he could and time-wasted at levels that completely passed me by at the time. A letter like this at the time would certainly have focussed my attentions a bit more.

TheFallenMadonna's right - I sent postcards home to some of my year 10s (bottom set) for achieving coursework targets.

Much to my surprise they were incredibly chuffed & the ones who didn't get them were miffed - & tried a bit harder with the next piece. I'm going to do more of that in future I think...

I would welcome the communication.

Need to speak to a teacher next week, because DS1 is slipping in one subject, which I've discovered through his report.

I have no doubt that DS1 is at fault, and my tack will be what does he need to do to get back on track, but some communication before now might have helped.

I have a lazy Yr 10 DS. Our school does keep us informed, either via a note in their homework diary or if it gets really bad and you get a phone call. Love your letter, woudl welcome it (more info than in a diary note and you don't want to be ringing them all as you say) Agree with the need to balance with good letters/postcards too. Definitely not over the top, shows you are a conscienstious teacher. Unlike your colleague.

Yes, good to be informed and a good letter, but I'm not sure it will be a strong enough incentive iyswim. They already know homework is important - but what will make them do it? That's the problem.

But they are probably telling their parents that they don't have homework.

From conversations that I have had on parent's evening

Coming from the opposite side of this debate so to speak- we get one of these letters every week I also most weeks get the same teacher on the phone (during school hours) telling me that DS3 hasn't given in his coursework.

I Have Words with DS3. He screams at me that he's done it- she doesn't know what she's talking about- we go round and round in circles.

It didn't help that after one of these letters the teacher happened to ring me and said it was a "general buck up" letter and not specific to DS3... after I'd given him a bollocking and had a huge row with him..

He's a lazy little git and I have explained until I'm blue in the face about why it's important for him to do the work but TBH I'd rather they communicated with eachother and left me out of it. He has been so miserable and has been turned right off school. He was a different child during the holidays.

As a one-off a letter it's a good idea, especially in Y10 when there is time to sort it out. In Y11 a letter every week has completely the opposite effect

I suppose there would have been nothing that would have made me do mine. I couldn't motivate myself. Just couldn't. My parents wouldn't have forced it either.
I think I was depressed though.? Maybe that's why I lost the plot with school.
Didn't care about the work, just wanted to find some yoof who would understand me

Still haven't