children's exercise books

[bullethead]

Hi I'm new here...I'm wondering if any of you more experienced mumsnetters know the answer to this question. Why don't schools send the children home with their workbooks at the end of the school year any more? It was really disappointing not to find my son's English and Maths books in his bag when his term finished. He's year 6, so I don't understand why the school would want to keep them. Any clues please? Thanks, I know it's only minor but it seems a bit odd not to even give children, whose work it is, the option to take it home.

[primarymum]

For Year 6 we need to keep them in case OFSTED come in as much of their judgement is simply based on levels achieved, we need to have the evidence to back up our teacher assessments (especially if they differ from the SATs results, so I have had to keep EVERY piece of work by my Yr 6's this year as we expect OFSTED in the Autumn term
Some schools don't send books home any more because of the reactions of parents, there have been occasions where parents have come in with the books and objected to comments made in marking!

[bullethead]

Thanks for your reply primarymum, I can understand why books are kept for the Ofsted inspection. Afterwards, if parents ask for the books, would the school be willing to give them to those who ask? I wil ask but am wondering if you have an idea of what is likely to be the response.
On the other point about parents complaining about marking of books etc, it seems a shame to let one or two parents spoil it for the rest who just want to be able to keep them to look through with their children. It doesn't seem to be fair, or wise really, as it just makes it look like the school has something to hide.
Thanks again for taking the time to reply, wish you all the best for the dreaded Ofsted, bet it goes swimmingly

[mrz]

I sent all my class's exercise books home at the end of term and retained a file of levelled work ( a piece of each half term)

[bullethead]

mrz this is what I don't understand. why don't all the schools do that for ofsted? Really I think they'd rather watch their own backs in case they get criticised(which they shouldn't if there is no problem with the marking or work) by the minority, so spoiling it for the rest of us. Its the children's work, for goodness' sake!
sorry for rant

[mrz]

Everyone is different and not every teacher feels confident to stand up to Ofsted and say look there is a file containing examples of the work my children did last year ... fear, lack of confidence or something else ?

I have worked with a teacher who had never thrown away/sent home a single piece of work since she began teaching just in case!

[bullethead]

Perhaps schools need a set policy either way which they can explain to parents to avoid any misundersatandings.
Many thanks for your insights as primary teachers.

[Teacher401]

As a teacher, I personally think Ofsted do not care about work from the previous year. We had an inspection in the autumn term two years ago and they were not bothered about the previous year, they wanted to know about the current cohort and how their needs were being met.

Teachers are living in fear of ofsted this year and use this as an excuse all the time.

[mrz]

Having suffered a September Ofsted and having been asked to produce the books for my reception children and for the previous year group I do have sympathy for those teachers who feel they need "insurance"

[spanieleyes]

Isn't it true that many schools boycotted the yr 6 SATS this summer, if OFSTED come in the Autumn Term they may well be asked to justify the levels awarded as there has been no "external verification"

[mrz]

Schools should have enough "evidence" from internal testing and APP to "prove" a child's level even if they boycotted the national tests and they only apply to Y6 not other school years.

[bullethead]

Bottom line is, it's the children's work,so they should be given the option of whether to keep it or not, especially at the end of year 6. It really doesn't look good if a school refuses to give them out but then just ditches them- makes me wonder what they're hiding. Some schools go on about the children taking care over their work and having 'ownership' of it, yet it's not genuinely meant.

[bullethead]

So mumsnet decided to wipe this topic off campaigns. Obviously it isn't important in their eyes.

[bullethead]

Apologies .Jumped the gun a bit. Thank you also for the email...

[Loshad]

As a secondary school teacher I'm amazed that some schools don't send the childrens' books home - certainly smacks of something to hide imo. I wouldn't expect OFSTED to be able to examine books from last year - I probably didn't teach half of them anyway,and i would hope they would be looking at current cohort not historical data (with the exception of public examination results, and of course i will be judged on those) and I would hope the parents would be interested to see their childrens' work - ours keep their own books so in theory constantly available for the parents to look and see our marking - as it should be imo - part of the parent/school/student partnership. It really would ring alarm bells with me if my own childrens school did not allow me to see their books

[bullethead]

Thanks Loshead, this is the sort of outrage I feel; there is an arrogance about head teachers making this decision to deny children and parents their own work. Then they hope parents won't notice.

I think it needs to be brought right out in the open so that this 'loophole' which heads have been using - is closed.