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Secondary education

Still issues with class ... what now?

9 replies

redskybynight · 20/01/2016 19:05

I posted a couple of months ago about DS's Year 7 class being particularly disruptive. See here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/2493417-What-can-schools-do-about-disruptive-classes

We raised our concerns with the school and they were escalated to the head of KS3 who gave us lots of reassuring words about dealing with behaviour and mentoring less experienced teachers and senior teachers observing the lessons etc. He asked us to give it a few weeks at least to see changes. DS reported lots of teachers observing lessons (miraculously when a senior teacher came in the class was well behaved), several children being put on report and 3 children suspended for a day. Whilst this all sounded positive, his general impression was that the class was still rowdy, it was hard to hear the teacher or to get teacher time.

We thought we'd leave it till this term so see if there were miraculous changes (!) The main change is that DS has become resigned to the behaviour. He himself says he knows that that is not good as he doesn't want to get used to the idea that this behaviour is"normal" He's also been told my 3 separate teachers that his class has a bad reputation as the ill-behaved class.

DS is also aware that at least 2 other children (or their parents) have complained, though not the substance of complaints.

We cleaerly need to go back to the Head of KS3 to say this is not acceptable but what should I be asking for? The behaviour "improvements" are not working. My gut feeling is that the year should be shuffled as there are potentially too many badly behaved children in the class and now they have the bad reputation. But can't imagine the school doing that mid-year. I've suggested to DS that we ask if he can be moved, but he has one good friend in the class and really likes some of his teachers and is also conscious that he might be better with the devil he knows (though sounds like there are no such behaviour problems in any other classes!!)

Any words of wisdom. I just feel like DS is in an unwinnable situation. He told me today that he has accepted that lessons are miserable and he just has to block out the class and try to get through them. I really don't want him to be feeling like this when he'sonly just started secondary.

OOps! Sorry it turned into an essay ...

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woodlands01 · 20/01/2016 22:13

Yes go back and say that while there was some short term positive steps, long term the issues are still there. They may re-shuffle the class mid year if it is a problem - depending upon the setting/streaming in year 7 it may not be an issue. However, I would concentrate on your son and the impact it is having on his learning - I would suggest a move, it seems the behavior issues in the class are not going to be easily sorted and, even though he likes some aspects of it, his learning is the most important. They may be reluctant to move him though as other parents may then expect the same treatment.
It is very difficult to get this sorted - I have had similar issues in a year 10 science group. I was very nice at first contact but when nothing happened I became very blunt and described exactly what was happening in class and asked if I needed to explain this to the Head Teacher. Some action was taken and the best action was the strongest teachers were re-allocated to this class the next term. This will not be so easy for your son's class as it seems to be across all subjects.
Don't give up, speak up as often as you need to, escalate to Head if necessary, use the correct terminology - the affect it is having on your sons learning and engagement with school generally.

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eyebrowse · 20/01/2016 23:08

In year 8 ds school have introduced teaching groups for some subjects which I suspect is an attempt to shuffle classes but without actually changing the registration form groups. Perhaps you could suggest this? There are also boy-girl seating plans in some lessons

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IguanaTail · 20/01/2016 23:23

Explain that the interventions were effective but short lived and the situation appears to have regressed.

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redskybynight · 21/01/2016 12:05

Thanks for suggestions. Had a chat with a good friend last night and she said I need, as I think others have suggested, to just go in and say that DS is having issues with his learning due to class behavior and I don't have to think of the solution as that should be the school's forte!!

His school doesn't set (except maths) or routinely mix classes so unless something changes he will be with this class for the next 5 years (at least for subjects like English which everyone does, there will be some mixing up once they get into GCSE options as obviously children will choose different options). Hence I'm very keen to get it resolved now!!

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KarenLong · 21/01/2016 17:39

You are talking to totally the wrong people. Teaching staff, heads of years, headteachers, etc, have NO POWER OR AUTHORITY what so ever to control the behaviour of the hooligans you are describing. Schools and teachers are there to offer an education. They are not corrective institutes to punish, train or in any way make up for the inadequate parenting of their pupils.

Contact your MP.

Push to give schools the power to discipline and exclude.

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kippersyllabub · 21/01/2016 20:31

Can you change schools? It doesn't have to be like this: your ds deserves to be able to learn

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redskybynight · 21/01/2016 20:57

Blimey KarenLong. not precisely sure how contacting my MP will help but hey ho.

kipper No chance of changing schools really - everywhere round here is oversubscribed and we won't get into anywhere else. Aside from the point that DS doesn't want to change schools anyway.

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KarenLong · 21/01/2016 23:18

because there is nothing, absolutly nothing that any member of staff at the school can do, that's why.

Woodlands idea of "escalating to the head" is plain laughable. The head can't do anything what so ever. might not even have ever been a teacher, in fact, and can do nothing but berate the teaching staff, who can do nothing themselves other than vote with their feet and walk out, and then they will be replaced with agency staff, and the behaviour in the school will deteriorate.

Or of course you can complain to ofsted, who will berate the head, who will berate the teachers, who will leave,

None of this will make a scrap of difference to the badly behaved children.

I suggest you contact your MP.

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IguanaTail · 22/01/2016 22:53

Of course the school can act. They can gather information on the class and establish who the main problems are. They can call their parents in and put the students on a contract. They can remove some from lessons short-term until the dynamic has changed and then re-integrate. They can look to see if the poor behaviour is due to needs not being met (Sen as one example). There are a whole host of things they can do, they just need to do them with more rigour.

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