To ask what is the purpose of the Home School Agreement

[storytellinganimal]

And do I have to sign the bloody thing? What will happen if I don't?

[mumtobealloveragain]

Why wouldn't you want to sign it?

[sarascompact]

Schools have a duty to "take reasonable steps" to ensure that all parents sign home-school agreements. I've known that to be translated to "you must sign" but as far as I'm aware that's not the case.

[cantdoalgebra]

I refused to sign unless the school representatives signed my agreement in which I laid out what I expected from the school. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I was never bothered again.

[Sparklymommy]

As far as I can tell it is a feeble attempt to engage parents in educating their own children. The point is, the parents who care would do everything on it without being told and those that don't won't be forced into it by signing a silly piece of paper!!!

[sarascompact]

I've done a quick spot of Googling. They're unenforceable, there are no conditions attached (so your child can attend the school whether you sign or not) and there's no obligation for you to sign at all. In anotherwords, a crock of shite.

media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/h/home-school%20agreement%20guidance.pdf

[storytellinganimal]

That's the impression I get, Sparkling. Of course, I'll get DC to school on time and take a cursory interest in their learning. And I bloody well expect them, as a statutory requirement, to provide a safe environment for my pfb. Oh and teaching them the curriculum would be good too. I just don't see why we need to sign something to say we'll be doing it!

[PervCat]

NONE
its absolutley stupid, and we should be guarding our kids from signing unenforceable agreements

[PervCat]

i agree - dont sign the fucker

[cardibach]

It's an attempt to suggest to parents that education is a partnership and can't be accomplished by the school alone. It is designed to make parents think about their responsibilities. Yes, many parents don't need this reminder. Parents who are as offensive about the agreements as those on this thread probably do need to be reminded. Don't you want to work with your child's school?

[MrsLouisTheroux]

You sign it if you agree to support the school re. HW, ICT rules, behaviour, attendance, punctuality etc.
An attempt to get parents to understand that it's not a one way street.
Why would you not sign?

[PervCat]

i wouldnt sign. and i am a teacher

Parents who wont conform wont be turned around by a signy thing

[MrsLouisTheroux]

So, OP. what are they asking you to do?

[MrsLouisTheroux]

PervCat Sat 12-Oct-13 20:54:00 i wouldnt sign. and i am a teacher Parents who wont conform wont be turned around by a signy thing
God help us.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

signing the home school agreement says that you abide by the school rules.

[echt]

I'm a teacher, and I didn't sign the agreement when in the UK. I always support the school to get the best for my DD.

I think they are an admission of defeat. They set the bar so low: hey, we cannot assume that you, as an adult would not support the school, so here's a unenforceable bit of paper to sign. They've given up on basic decent behaviour.

If a child is out of order, then is the the time for agreements to be signed because they have broken the school rules.

A corollary, and one that was in my last UK school was the rules for the classroom about infringements, warnings, etc. which were a late intervention in the downward spiral of behaviour. They were posted on every classroom wall. The barrack room lawyers in the classroom would call out if the teacher didn't go through exactly the right sequence of steps before ejecting a kid: Hey, Miss, you've not given me two warning/written my name on the board. You can't send me out." Even if I have told you to fuck off.

The school was unbearable.

[marriedinwhiteisback]

I'd like schools to sign an agreement with parents to ensure they stick to the promises made at admissions meetings.

[storytellinganimal]

Well I'd be more inclined to sign it if they agreed not to strike, not to use TAs to "teach" my DC when their teacher is off on yet another course and to actually enforce their anti-bullying policies.

[cantdoalgebra]

coldlightofday by asking the school to sign my agreement I was showing my active involvement in the standards of the school. The school (and the teachers) involved showed, by ignoring this, that they were not prepared to follow through - perhaps they could not commit to the standards themselves, so it was a one-sided agreement.

[MrsLouisTheroux]

storytelling funnily enough, just as you have a right to expect staffing/ bullying issues to be up to scratch, the school also has a right to expect a certain standard of behaviour/ parental support.
You sound quite childish, is this tit for tat? How about booking an appointment with the school to discuss your reluctance to sign and tell them why? In other words, get them to deal with your issues?

[MrsLouisTheroux]

The point is. If you sign and follow through, you are in a Steiger position when you need to pull them up on things they have failed to do. It gives you the upper hand.

[MrsLouisTheroux]

stronger

[morethanpotatoprints]

Hello OP.

I didn't sign the homework part but agreed with the rest. There were a couple of times ds's were pulled up and the threat of detention but I kept sending notes stating we hadn't accepted and they were fine.