DS punished for teachers mistake

You could hire a calligrapher to copy it into the new book.

Actually I’d also probably steam the new correct name label off the new book and Pritt Stick it onto the old book. Then hand back the unused exercise book suggesting they are less wasteful with resources.

The word ‘vandalised’ is ridiculous. I’d have to feedback to the school that he has the right to be called the name he prefers and he ‘corrected’ the misnamed book.

That is so triggering for me! I worked in a school where they decided that A4 sized labels should be glued ( with cheapo version Pritt stick) onto the front of each book.
Then used that as a way to castigate me when, inevitably, the labels started to unpeel. Absolutely it was my fault for not instilling proper values in the children I had taught for only 2 weeks in my first job as an NQT.
15 years ago and I still shudder every time I think of the place. It was a rude awakening into how awful SLT can be. I'd never seen bullying in the workplace before, but this school was horrendous.
OP, whether it is the teacher or over zealous SLT, this doesn't sound like a nice environment for your DC.

Well, a mistake that's pointed out can be corrected when there is time (probably the teacher's own time, so as not to waste the lesson, especially if she'd had sorted it in the first place).

I know it's his name, which is personal, but the mistake wasn't.

He didn't need to scribble on his book at all (whether having lost his temper or just through lack of decent presentation) so does need to be told this is a problem.

And a sticker over a load of scribbling with biro won't hide graffiti. It would have neatly covered a typo in the same position.

It won't be the teacher who cares particularly either, it will be someone who looks at the books and says boys are not productive enough and behind the girls and having this individual teacher personally having such low expectations is the reason this is the case every year, across the country.

He shouldn't have scribbled his name out. He should have asked to change it or been patient as I am sure the teacher would have sorted it (but couldn't immediately as they were trying to teach the lesson).
He shouldn't have been asked to rewrite his work but he does need to learn to be more patient and understanding when mistakes happen (those saying the name should be known by now, maybe an old register was used). I would ask the office to check the school files that he hasn't got the wrong name written down somewhere...also check he doesn't actually call himself this at school. My son has a friend using your example who was always called Thomas by his parents. It's only when he started school he started being called Tom, and his mum didn't know! She made a joke about it in the class chat group introducing her son Thomas, who everyone else knew as Tom!.

But was the name written on his book his birth name?

My youngest daughter is called Bella, but all her friends know her as Ben. On her school books, they all say Bella which she hates but also respects because that IS her name.

If that was me I wouldn't be wasting my time copying anything out, I'd be going into school and politely explaining why he wouldn't be doing anything extra.
We had a constant battle in year 4 with teachers spelling my son's name incorrectly (not an unusual name, just one lots of people spell wrong - think Rueben for Reuben). On parents evening I finally lost the will to live when we saw his tray still had the wrong spelling of his name on there - I crossed it out with sharpie and wrote the right spelling on there. He told me the next day that they were cross about it, but they'd had a whole half term to sort it - funnily enough they never spoke to me about it.

Yeah, I am normally all for supporting the school but I wouldn't make him do this. She made a mistake, no big deal. He misunderstood her instructions, no big deal. She can print another label to cover the whole "mess", no big deal. 20+mins extra work for an 8yr old to cover someone else's mistake IS a big deal and disproportionate to what actually happened. Can you print a sticker yourself? I would push back on this.

I'd copy it out myself... to make a point!

This. And I would strongly object to the word "vandalised". What an overreaction.

I'd like everyone reading this to think about this as a sign of far wider problems in primary schools.

I'm a teacher and several others posting are also teachers. I'm afraid I don't agree that this is a wider problem in schools. In every school I've worked in we would have appologised that his name was wrong and just stuck another sticker over the front covering the name and got on with it.

At the most I would cut the pages from the old jotter into the new one and send a note in to say you disagreed with the punishment when he was merely correcting a mistake in his name. I would also say if she has an issue to call you.

Nope I would be sending in a note telling the teacher they made a mistake and can print out a new label

if they kick off I would send an email to hoy explaining why my child won’t be doing it

I would tell the teacher my son isn't doing that and the teacher has wasted a 2nd book now by re issuing another. Such a waste of resources

I don't disagree with you OP.

I'd like everyone reading this to think about this as a sign of far wider problems in primary schools.

The teacher is so worried that she will be questioned over him writing his own name on his own book, that she did this. This is probably because SLT know that ofsted will judge them more positively if every book looks pristine. This has been the case in every school I've worked in. It's devastatingly sad.

If this is a true, full account of the events then the teacher is being unreasonable. Talk to the teacher to hear what he/she says, then decide what to do.

fucking hell. I really cannot understand schools' obsessions with such trivial bullshit.

God this is awful.. I'm 62 and still remember the teacher insisting she knew my name better than me..and her humiliating me in front of the whole class when just 5 yr old me corrected her...
(Like your son she shortened it.. I actually thought she was shouting at another child because I didn't recognise the name!)
Yes I'd fight this one all the way..

I would be telling the teacher that my child would not be doing this and I'm unimpressed by the waste of resources. This was the school's error and he corrected it. She can stick a sticker over it if she wishes.

Yes, I realised my error and pointed it out.

If that's genuinely a risk I'd make a very permanent note in the book on the opposite page explaining that this was his parent's actions and not his, why I had done it, and that if there is issue please contact ME not my child, on (contact details here). Like hell would they have a chance to dick about like that!

I would find it incredibly rude of the teacher to have said that Tom is OK when Tommy is actually his name or preferred form of address. Perhaps she won't feel so dismissive or casual if we shortened her name too, eg from Mrs Jones to Mrs Jon, or to call her Miss Wil instead of Miss Wilson, for example.

Rewriting his name on his own book is actually not vandalism by definition- it's his property. It may be making it slightly messy, but it's not vandalism. It's not like he was writing rude slogans on it or drawing doodles. The teacher doesn't to be terribly bright and appears to have some bizarre obsessions. All she has to do is print a new label and stick it on the old book.

In our school a quick word with the head of year would have resolved matters (ie the child would not be penalised and the old book would just get a new label) ....and teachers with strange obsessions like that and a lack of respect for people didn't last long in the school. OP's school might do things differently though- ask to have a meeting with the headteacher? I personally would point out how disrespectful it was for the teacher to attempt to rename your DS and punish him for trying to retain his real name.

Yes. Do this.
Great reply.

In secondary school ds's gf drew a heart next to his name on an essay jotter book....
He was made to rewrite the whole book after it was' vandalised'..
Apparently even though it had ds's name on it was still school property..
Alternative option was a week's suspension..