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Original poster

Not allocated a class for English in Y9??

60 replies

CardyMow · 17/10/2011 20:47

Tonight I asked DD why she hasn't had ANY English homework at all this school year. She has told me that her and one other boy have been sitting in the library for their english lessons, unsupervised, just given websites to 'play maths and English games on, or doing wordsearch worksheets'. DD and this other boy both have SN's, and would normally be with Learning Support for this lesson, but when DD spoke to them today, she has been told that they "Haven't been allocated a class yet". We are almost half a term into Y9, why have two children not been given a class to bloody LEARN in?

Who do I e-mail? Her Form tutor is notoriously crap at sorting anything like this out, her HoY has left for maternity leave this week - no replacement yet. She doesn't HAVE an english teacher yet (which is what I want to complain about) and I can't seem to find on the school website who the Head of English is - and I'm not sure if it's a problem from the English Dept or the Learning Support Dept - who I also can't find an e-mail facility for.

I'm so Angry that the school has basically left two SN dc, one of whom is my own DD, with just some wordsearches and a couple of websites as the sum total of their learning in English for an entire half term. What the hell do I do???

OP posts:
Original poster
CardyMow · 18/10/2011 18:46

Well, I'm going to write a proper letter to the governors (slightly less emotive and inflammatory than the one I wrote on here earlier), and I am also going to write to Ofsted. Why Ofsted? Well, because as my DD wasn't on ANY register for these English lessons, if there had been a fire at the school, no-one would have been looking for my DD - thus it also becomes a safeguarding issue.

If the HoY has sorted it, and is going to get back to me on how they are going to help DD catch up, and is going to inform me about how this has happened (once she blooming knows herself!), and the HT isn't really involved - is there any point in insisting on an appointment with her, when they are as rare as hens teeth, and from all accounts, not much use - when another parent stated that the school's organisational skills were severely lacking (will explain in a sec), the HT turned round and said "If that's how you feel, then why don't you take your son out of the school now?"

That situation ALSO happened this year - her ds is Y8, was in top set maths in Y7, start of this yr, complained to mother that his work was far too easy - turned out that he had been put into BOTTOM set. When his mother complained, he was moved straight back to top set (5 sets difference!), and that is what the HT said to his mother when she complained about the lack of organisational skills...

So it's NOT an isolated incidence of timetable trouble this term - how many other dc has it affected?

I should also point out that the dep. HoY also said to me, and I quote : "It's a good job you pointed this out, as we would never have known otherwise". Which basically means that if I was an uninterested parent, or a trusting parent that assumed that DD had got it wrong - DD would have had NO English teaching ALL Y9!!!

Urgh! I really DO have to insist on seeing the HT, don't I? Would you believe this school is rated Outstanding by Ofsted?!

OP posts:
Hullygully · 18/10/2011 18:22

Hunty

You still need a meet with the head and you need to put it all in writing.

Original poster
CardyMow · 18/10/2011 17:58

Well, I phoned the school at 3.15pm (as that's when teaching finishes), still no answer from the Dep. HoY. I rang back again at 4.30pm, and finally got put through to her.

It has affected her English the worst, but also her Geography and History. They have given her an amended timetable. They ARE going to provide her with some extra help to catch up on the English she has missed, but they are not sure what form that is going to take - the Dep.HoY. Will call me in a couple of days to let me know about that.

The Dep. HoY is adamant that they have no idea how this has happened, or why it hadn't been communicated to her, and that this 'has never happened before'.

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Hullygully · 18/10/2011 14:31

Oh poor you.

I woud insist on an appointment with the Head. Insist. Politely and lovingly, but insistently.

piprabbit · 18/10/2011 14:26

I hope they call you today - I think you are right, probably running round like a blue-arsed fly.

Original poster
CardyMow · 18/10/2011 14:24

Deputy HoY still hasn't rung me. I can't think why...I am assuming they are scrabbling around trying to find out where DD should be for all her classes before they ring me to try to present it as a 'fixed problem'. However, in my mind, that will not be the whole problem fixed - they need to give DD extra help to catch up on the half term's worth of work that she has missed, AND explain to me how this could happen AND how they are going to make sure it doesn't happen again.

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Original poster
CardyMow · 18/10/2011 12:50

What happens if they DO have to go back and design a timetable from scratch? Will that take longer? You see, I don't know how much of what the Head of English told me about it all was true, given her comment that it was only one lesson when it clearly has been all half term - I know the HoE said that they had just printed the wrong timetable for them, but what if it is that there actually ISN'T a timetable for them? Because the HoE also vaguely mentioned modern languages too...very vaguely, just said they weren't timetabled for the correct MFL lessons too - so God only knows if DD has been in a classroom for MFL too.

HoE was trying to get me off the phone, I felt.

OP posts:
piprabbit · 18/10/2011 12:46

That gives them 3 days to sort it out. Plenty of time to print a timetable.
I'm assuming that they do know where your DD should be, but have just failed to communicate it to her or her class teachers and not having to go right back to designing a timetable from scratch.

Good luck with talking to he Deputy HoY.

Original poster
CardyMow · 18/10/2011 12:40

When I speak to the Dep. HoY, I will be insisting it is sorted NOW. half term is next week, I want it sorted before the break.

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Original poster
CardyMow · 18/10/2011 12:39

Thank you. I will try to amend it in a little while when I have finished feeding DS3. Maybe I will have calmed down a bit by then...

OP posts:
piprabbit · 18/10/2011 12:37

BTW - insist that this is sorted out before half-term. Your DD needs to know that she is starting afresh in the correct classes from the first day back after the break.

piprabbit · 18/10/2011 12:35

I think that sounds broadly reasonable. You've certainly got your main points down and remarkably calmly.

However the first sentence makes it sound as though your main issue is with timetable production rather than their failure to teach your DD properly. Perhaps drop that bit and start stright off with "I very angry and disappointed to found out this week, that my DD has not had any English teaching...."

It might also be useful to give details of who exactly you have already tried to speak to with regards to this issue - and what action (if any they have taken). It will help their investigation and prevent them from acting all surprised.

Do you want to raise the issue of where the LSA/TA has gone to?

Could you bullet point the things you want them to come back to you about - basically the final paragraph.

"I would like yo to investigate what has happened and provide me with the following information:

  • How many of my DDs subjects have been affected by this timetabling error.
  • Where my DD has been sitting in on classes working at a higher level than she is capable of accessing, what steps you plan to take in order to enable her to catch up with work taught in classes at her correct level.
  • What steps you plan to take to prevent such a timetabling issue happening in future.
  • How you plan to improve communication and reporting so that any future timetabling issue is identified and corrected immediately (and not after half a term)"

That way you will actually be able to tick off that they have actually addressed all the points you want them to tackle.

etc. etc.

This has taken ages to type - so probably 101 x-posts Grin.

Original poster
CardyMow · 18/10/2011 12:17

I can't even sort my head out enough to work out what to write, I'm just sooooo bloody ANGRY.

Dear whoever,

             There are clearly huge issues with the way your timetables are produced. I am saying this because it has become apparent to me that my DD has not had any English teaching for this half term. Her and another child were 'given the wrong timetables', which has resulted in them not having a class for English at all. They have been sat in the library looking at 'English and Maths games websites' and telling each other jokes - so I assume they were left unsupervised with no teaching input either. Also my DD has been put in the wrong set for Geography, as evidenced by the fact that her teacher told her this week that "You can't do this homework, you are not meant to be in this class, but I don't know what class you should be in".

I would like to know how it is possible for two students to be given the wrong timetables, and when they turn up to a classroom, the teacher only says "this is not your class" instead of actually finding out which class they SHOULD be in. And why have the teachers in the classes they should have been attending NOT flagged up that they have two pupils that have not been in class for the whole half term.

I would like to know how many other subjects this will have affected, that my DD may not have been able to access the full curriculum for due to her SN, as if she is in a class working at a higher level than she is able to, she will be unable to learn anything. I would also like to know how your school is going to ensure that this doesn't happen again, to my DD or any other pupils. And how, if it DOES happen how you are going to improve your school communication systems so that it doesn't take more than ONE LESSON in the wrong class, or without a class at all to sort out, rather than the entire half term it has taken in this case.

Could your staff please learn how to organise a piss-up in a brewery, as I would hugely doubt their ability to do so. And could they please stick to their school ethos of 'every child's education is important', because obviously that doesn't mean MY DD.

Yours sincerely,
Extremely pissed-off parent.

OP posts:
coccyx · 18/10/2011 12:09

Bugger the reporting chain! hope you get it sorted

Original poster
CardyMow · 18/10/2011 12:05

YY I agree that they knew and didn't bother to do anything about it! Head of English tried to claim it was only for yesterday's lesson, until I pointed out that after a conversation with DD this morning, it has DEFINATELY been happening since September - last Wednesday they were sat in the library telling jokes to each other (!). Only then did the Head of English admit that they were given the wrog timetable in September.

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piprabbit · 18/10/2011 12:03

Hunty - write the letter once, then put it away for an hour or two and look at it again. Take out any bits that seem OTT.

Or post the bare bones here and we'll let you know if your (justifiable anger) is clouding the message you are trying to get across.

Original poster
CardyMow · 18/10/2011 12:02

Can't find an e-mail for the HT, no HoY right now, only a deputy HoY as proper HoY on Mat leave. School insists you follow a 'reporting chain'. Class teacher, form tutor, Head of Dept, HoY, Dep. HT, HT. As I already skipped the form tutor step, due to her FT being useless, I am already in hot water...

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piprabbit · 18/10/2011 12:01

That is shocking.

Also, somebody knew that something wasn't as it should be because somebody took the time to tell your DD and her friend to sit in the library and use the computer. And then left them to it for half a term instead of following up where they were meant to be.

Zero initiative from various staff members my the sound of it.

Original poster
CardyMow · 18/10/2011 11:58

YY. I am going to write to the Governors - just uunsure of how to begin to word the letter - I will probably put far too much anger into it if I write it right now!!!

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Original poster
CardyMow · 18/10/2011 11:57

Aparrently DD has been given the correct timetable for her ENGLISH lessons this morning - but not for the rest of her lessons. Because that isn't the Head of English's job. It's not the Deputy HoY's job either. Apparently it is the Head of TIMETABLING'S job - but I can't speak to the Head of Timetabling.

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neolara · 18/10/2011 11:56

That is truly appalling! My goodness. I definitely think a strongly worded letter to the governors would be appropriate here, stressing that the whole system is obviously clearly flawed if it took half a term for this to be flagged up.

Hassled · 18/10/2011 11:53

Please don't piss about with Deputy Heads of Year etc. Call the Headteacher, do it now. Or email if you think that would be easier. And then ring the office and ask for contact details for the Chair of Governors. Ask the Chair for a copy of the school's Inclusion Policy, when their Inclusion Policy was last reviewed and whether he/she thinks that the policy has been followed.

Original poster
CardyMow · 18/10/2011 11:44

I have spoken to the Head of English - apparently DD and this boy were given the WRONG TIMETABLES by the school. So it's NOT just English and Geography that have issues - ALL her subjects she has been put in the wrong groups for, and probably has been unable to access a HUGE part of the curriculum for the entire half term.

I am waiting for the Deputy HoY to ring me - because I am about to rip her a new one! My DD is already behind her year group because of her SN, and now has basically been in the wrong classes for all her subjects for a whole half term, in classes where she will have been unable to understand the work.

How did NONE of the teachers in the classes she HAS been going to not notice that she is not on their register and do something about it? How did NONE of the teachers for the classes she SHOULD have been going to not notice that someone ON their register hasn't been in the class since September?

Oh - I got the school pupil numbers wrong, apparently there are 1750 pupils there now. God knows how many are in each year group!

HOW does something like this go unnoticed for a half term? A week, maybe, but 6 weeks?? FFS I'm STEAMING. The Head of English has said she will ask the Deputy HoY to ring me to discuss things - what I want to know is, as it is the SCHOOL'S fuck-up (as admitted by the Head of English), what THE SCHOOL are going to do to help DD catch up with the work that she has missed out on.

I just cannot understand how the teachers were given the correct timetable, must have KNOWN DD wasn't in their classroom when she should have been, and didn't bloody say anything? And why was DD given the wrong timetable in the first place? (Head of English blamed computer error).

OP posts:
Original poster
CardyMow · 17/10/2011 23:00

The school is adamant that their bottom set is working on level 4a+. The only dc in Y9 working below lvl 4a are my DD and this other boy. At least that's what was said at their last parents evening in July. And it is showed by the fact that my friend's DD is IN the lowest set, and her end of Y8 lvl was 5b. In the lowest set - and my friend's DD is still IN the lowest set.

It IS the school that has the most expensive, houses in our town surrounding it - very MC area, I am on a private development in one of the 6 'social' houses here - all the rest are very expensive bought houses - very small, two bed plus study mid-terrace houses are going for £220K here.

I FULLY intend to 'scream my head off' tomorrow - just AAAAARRRGGGHHH!

I may need more help tomorrow after I have spoken to the HT.

What, if anything, would I be able to do if it IS a funding issue?

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Themumsnot · 17/10/2011 22:42

Hunty - I am a trainee English teacher, so not very experienced as yet, but from what I have observed in similar-sized schools a child in Y9 working at level 3b in English should be perfectly able to access the curriculum with the right support, and furthermore, would not be by any means the only child working at that level. I find it very odd that they are doing this, especially as Y9 is crucial to your DD as the final year of a key stage. The progress she makes this year is very important, because it will determine what she is able to access in KS4. I would be furious with the school if she were my child - scream your head off and demand some answers.