Would you be upset if..........

[bonkerz]

My DS is 5 and when he started back at school in September he was not the best behaved little boy. I went in lots to talk with his teacher and for the past 6 weeks he has been really good, even getting awards for his improved behaviour! Thought we had turned a corner at last!
Dh picked DS up from school last night and was asked if he could go in to talk about DS which he did. APPRENTLY DS hadnt been great yesterday, when the teacher went off to get something DH noticed a small red book in DS folder so he had a look and its 5 pages long of all the bad things DS has been doing dating back to October this year! When DH asked the teacher about it she said DS was the only one to have this book and that he shouldnt have seen it!!
Dh and i spoke last night and agreed that we should be able to see this book and that really it should be sent home every night as a communication record. That way school and home will be able to communicate about DS behaviour and hopefully help sort it together.
Must add here that DS teacher is a nightmare to catch. She rushes off every day and doesnt like you talking to her in the morning.
I went in today and asked her if i could see this book and was told flatly that i could not! I then asked if she could make a point of talking to me in the evenings about how DS has been and she said she didnt have the time! HOW am i ever going to find out what my DS has been like at school if im not told!??
Im so upset by all this and getting angrier by the minute!

[NutcrackingXmas]

Definatly not on. I would go and speak to the head tbh.

The teacher is deliberatly witholding information about your son and refusing to discuss everything with you.

[bonkerz]

PHEW thankyou! She really was OFF with me this morning and i left in tears (nothing to do with being 8 months pregnant!!)

[Hulababy]

I am not sure that they can withhold information from you, and I would be furious as towhy they were doing so.

Go and talk to the head about it and be insistent!

And I agree, some form of communication book, maybe with a form of reward stars or something for DS, would be a good thing for the school to develop and carry out with you.

[bonkerz]

It really is upsetting because DS was only 5 at the end of July. He is the youngest in his class by 10 weeks and so i believe that his behaviour is highlighted because of this! He sulks alot and can be stubborn and also gets tired easily despite having 13 hours sleep EVERY night. He was placed with the older children because work wise he is very clever and keeps up with the group no problem. I really feel that his teacher is not giving him any allowance for his age.

[seb1]

Check out Freedom of Information Act 2000 for advice

[Katemum]

I agree that this info cannot be withheld but not sure if it comes under FOI or Data Protection.

[puff]

No, the school is not allowed to refuse access to your child's records in this way - go and see the Head asap.

[puff]

I think it's covered under the Data Protection Act.

[acnebride]

Make a written request under the Freedom of Information Act to see 'information held about [your son's name]. If I were you I would send it to his teacher first, and to the head if no response within a week or so. Legally they have 20 working days to respond. In practical terms the only difference between FoI and Data Protection is the length of time they have to respond - under DP it's 40 days.

You may wish to reassure them by saying that you have no argument with this information being recorded and want to work with the school to improve your son's behaviour. It sounds like th eteacher is under pressure and was caught on the hop, so if you want to be kind I would not refer to her behaviour over this.

NB I am not a lawyer but am a clerk to a Governing Body for a primary school. any queries google for the website of the Information Commissioner and they shoudl advise you.

[bonkerz]

Just rang the school and spoke to receptionist. Asked her if i could arrange a meeting with head and DS teacher. Wont be able to fit me in till JANUARY!!!! Got very emotional and said well in that case i dont want DS punished or anything else done about his behaviour without discussing it with DH and I first!! She says she will get head to ring me but not sure when!!
OBVIOUSLY DS behaviour isnt that much of an issue then surely!

[JonesTheSteamingSanta]

That's not on at all - you are entitled to see any information the teacher is keeping / writing down about your child.

Occasionally I kept a "behaviour" book on a child when I was teaching - the book was written in by myself, the TA or the head, signed by us and then sent home so the parents could see it. The parents were also supposed to sign it to prove they'd seen it.

It also wasn't just negative behaviour but positive as well.

What this teacher is doing is wrong!!!!!

I agree with the actions acnebride suggests, but think you should arrange an appointment with the head first to discuss this issue.

[JonesTheSteamingSanta]

In that case bonkerz I suggest you approach it in the way acnebride suggests!!!

You could also try contacting the LEA or speak to a member of the governing body!!!!!

[LIZS]

doesn't that only apply to computer held info though ?

I'm not surprised you are angry. Definitely make an appointment with head or head of year to try to iron out the communication issue if the teacher is so uncooperative. Perhaps give her one more chance to pin her down to a time to discuss it more formally - do the kids go off for assembly,library, PE or swimming separately so she has "free" time during the day. It is surely counterproductive to keep a log of his bad behaviour without either informing you/him at the time or balancing it with praise for good behaviour/work.

A general point, as mum to an August-born dd who has just started Reception, when does the early/late birthday thing become less of an issue. She is coping well, much better than we'd anticipated, but it is quite obvious when you look at work on the wall which children are 11 months-ish older. Yet there are some children of that age who cannot sit still or concentrate as well as she can.

[Katemum]

acnebride in the type of work i do there is a huge difference between data protection and FOI. FOI is information relating to the business and Data Protection covers information held for individuals.

[soapbox]

Bonkerz - rushing as meant to be working but please do contact the LEA and discuss this with them.

I think there are 2 issues

1. the status of the book and whether you have a right to see it
   2.the lack of communication and willingness to meet you to discuss a serious matter to do with your child's education.
   
   If LEA are snotty, tell them you are going to put a report in with OFSTED and that might get them more interested!

[LIZS]

January !! ffs. I know it can be busy in schools at this time of year but surely he could give you 15 minutes or so.

[bonkerz]

What surprised me about the class DS is in is it is a mixed class with the youngest of year 2 and oldest of year 1! DS SHOULD bein the class with oldest reception and youngest year 1 but because academically he is very good they moved him up. No problem with this really but cant help thinking that is why he comes across as very immature behaviour wise!

[JonesTheSteamingSanta]

I agree LIZS - January is ludicrous.

If the school can't spare 10 minutes to discuss something like this, they've obviously got 'time management' issues!!!

Also if the teacher can't spare 5 minutes to talk to you after school, then IMO, she's not doing her job properly.

When I was teaching, I'm sure I was legally obliged to be in school for at least 10 minutes before and after school officially finished!!!!

[puff]

If you want to handle this formally, you can do the following:

You can apply to the school under the Data Protection Act for all computerised and manually held records, in particular, manual records held by the class teacher (mention the red book and all conversations related to it, so it it clear you know this document exists and you have seen it).

The school must comply with your request within a certain time frame.

I think this is quite serious and should be handled directly with the Head.

[bonkerz]

I think i will talk with DH tonight and maybe compose a letter for the head explaining how we are feeling and requesting that a meeting be booked ASAP!!! I hate this because the way im being fobbed off gives the impression its not imprtant BUT to me if my son is not being good at school then he is going to get a bad name and he is a good kid who is going through a phase of sulking and being stubborn! OR is that not normal at 5?

[CaChristmasLista]

I would be really upset and angry about this, in fact posted a few weeks ago about a similar issue with my Ds1 and his teacher!

There is something in the Children's Act 1989 about having to work in 'Partnership with Parents', and all schools usually have something about this in their prospectus that you could maybe quote to the Head/teacher and ask why they don't seem to be upholding this. I am also sure that legally you have access to ANY information held anywhere about your child, and this teacher has really breached your trust by keeping this record without telling you. How dare she tell you you are not allowed to see it!
Have a good look into the ins and outs of things, maybe ring Ofsted for advice too? Write it all down in clear points and then arrange a meeting with the Head and this teacher. You poor thing having to go through all this when you're 8 months pregnant. (((Hugs to you))))

[puff]

bonkerz, this is very important - you are absolutely right to be concerned. School should not be holding "secret" behaviour management books about children. If it is a policy across the school it could end up in deep sh*t.

Hope you get it sorted.

[shimmy21]

Whoa there a minute!!!

While I absolutely agree that the teacher and head's refusal to discuss this with you is outrageous and very bad practice I can't help wondering about all this freedom of information talk being OTT.

Your dh 'snooped' for want of a better word in the teacher's confidential records. She obviously wrote this for her own viewing only and not to be shared with you. I assume the reason she doesn't want to show it to you is because she has not written the positives about your ds and it is just an aide memoire for herself. I'm sure that if she was writing a dcoument for open reading she would make more effort to write in a more 'diplomatic' turn of phrase. I feel that forcing them to show you something that was clearly never meant to be seen by you will just upset you a lot more. I assume (but not sure) that you only have the right to see your ds's school records. If this book is not included as part of his records then it is not going to form part of his 'history. I mean if the teacher had written something in her diary about your ds and left it on the table would you have the right to read her diary?

[shimmy21]

No, I apologise -just reread your post and see that your ds is keeping this book not the teacher in which case it absolutely should be shared with you.

[CaChristmasLista]

Shimmy21 !
"Your dh 'snooped' for want of a better word in the teacher's confidential records"? No, he looked at his own son's records, something he is fully entitled to do! Likening it to reading the teacher's diary is just ridiculous! IMO it would be extremely unprofessional of her to keep such a record without involving the parents or ever expecting them to see it.