Would you contact school about this? Really odd lessons.

Just come across this - and as a secondary History teacher my eyebrows are raised in amazement! Normally Y7 should be doing Norman Conquest, Medieval England and Castles, roughly speaking. I can't think of a scheme of work that includes Nicky Minaj's boobs! I'd be more concerned about this than the drama work as drama has a lot more flexibility generally than History does.

I asked my DD and she said to contact the school and ask the teacher to check her planner to see it was copied down properly. She did suggest that they might be doing some role play about a doctors surgery or something similar, but she looked very surprised when I described it.

My DD is a secondary school drama teacher, I will ask her tomorrow and see what she says.

Another year 7 and another Norman Conquest history lesson here. This weeks history has been write 1000 words on England after the Norman invasion. It's gone on and on and on and on ........

Homework every evening here, sometimes only 10 mins per subject and sometimes an hour but it seems to add to what they have done in class and is always in the class books so I get to see them.

I would be a bit concerned about the relevance of the lesson and the phones but would make light of it at this stage keeping a watchful brief for the future.

Thanks for the update!

Just to mention, my Y7 DS gets fairly regular homework for Literacy and maths. He has had some homework for RE, art, geography (but that was only name 2 local restaurants and which countries they are from) and technology.

This sounds bonkers. As a teacher I'm really intrigued by this! Please come back and tell us what happened when you enquired!

Have a quiet word with other parents first

Vivalebeaver Just read your thread and how...erm...weird! Doesn't sound right to me. My DS is also Y7 but hasn't been given any h/w like that and hasn't told me about any bizarre lessons as you mentioned.

Anyway, I hope you have followed this up in school and hope you come back to tell us what the school said as I'm nosey intrigued

I wouldn't wait to talk to other parents, I'd do as others have suggested - e-mail or phone (I'd go for the Head of Department myself) and say, as a genuine question that you were wondering if you could find out somewhere what they are supposed to be studying in History, and what homework they should be getting, as, from what your daughter has said is happening, she's clearly got confused somewhere along the line, and you'd just like to get it cleared up.
the HoD will be concerned enough to investigate, without you having had to go in with guns blazing in a complaining parent type way.

Faces on the board to be fair could have a rationale. In my subject, English, I can see how I might use them as a quick recap or plenary.

(Just to clarify my last paragraph, I have namechanged recently but we were both on a thread discussing specific schools a while back - at least I'm sure it was you...!)

OK history lesson sounds weird, could do with clarification.

Drama sounds completely normal assuming, as I would, that your DD has got the wrong end of the stick and the leaflet is to be brought into school for use in a drama lesson set in a GP waiting room.

Using phones to take photos in class - WTAF?

That is the most bizarre yr 7 story I've ever heard. If I hadn't regularly seen you posting sensible comments I would have thought you were mad.

Agree you should contact the HOY and say that you are really worried that your dd is not listening properly/understanding the syllabus/homework because surely these are not really what she is being asked to do in lessons/for homework?

Ds is doing the Norman Conquest in yr 7 history as are the yr 7s at my school and those of my friends in other schools...

Who the flip is Nicky Menaj? And I wouldn't be happy at all about the use of phones in the classroom. They are banned completely at ds's and our school, with infringements dealt with severely. There is a very good reason for this: child protection.

Together with other comments you've made, Id be really worried about this school (and I think you might be roughly in my area - so I kind of wish I knew what school you were talking about to maybe warn friends off...!)

This all sounds completely bizarre and nothing like the history my DC or those of friends at other schools do. Plus the leaflet in the GP's, mobile phones in lessons, faces on board....

Is the history curriculum for Y7 available on the school website or maybe you got a handout at a Parents Induction Evening or something? Otherwise, I would contact the school and say you would like to know what they expect the Y7 to cover in their history curriculum.

To be honest my first concern would be that children are using mobiles in class to take pictures!

Its possible the nikki minaj thing is an example of historical time lines, famous figures and personalities and the effect if the digital age. But I think you could ask for clarification.

I would be concerned about putting a fake leaflet in a GP's waiting room.

It could be upsetting for very ill people and depending on whatever this fake illness is it could actually resemble a real illness or present symptoms of a real illness. I think it's not clearly thought out and irresponsible.

I think the surgery would not want unsolicited info being left on their premises purporting to be a genuine document.

Is it something along the lines of the big hoaxes schools have put in the past ie crashed spaceships / robberies etc. If so its for the potential to backfire on the school.

This could easily lead to complaints to the school.

I would clarify this issue too