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Original poster

Behaviour at Secondary School -Y7- is this usual low level disruption or more?

68 replies

Teabaglady · 07/01/2015 23:02

I am getting quite concerned about behaviour at my DS's secondary school - Y7. Apparently lots of swearing at teachers, turning up late to lessons on purpose, using phones in class to play games, imessage children in other classes, or to play out noises like foghorns but more often swear words or offensive phrases. Some of the forms are now being mixed up again and some children have been excluded (temporarily) so teachers are on to the behaviour but it's still on-going. There also seems to be a culture of playing games on phones/tablets at lunch rather than 'playing' including apparently playing GTA ( these are 11 year old kids). Is this what secondary school is like? Am i just out of touch?

OP posts:
Hakluyt · 09/01/2015 19:36

Really? That the behaviour at a type of school probably unavailable to the OP is better than the behaviour she is describing? How very relevant!

Anyway. OP. It's not the norm. You should do something about it. Hope this helps.

LaQueenAnd3KingsOfOrientAre · 09/01/2015 19:36

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Philoslothy · 09/01/2015 19:35

in my experience swearing at a teacher would result in an exclusion. Swearing in the presence of a teacher would result in an internal exclusion - at least. If students are seen with their phones they are confiscated for parental collection - this includes breaks and lunch times. If students are late for a lesson they are put into detention and a letter sent home.

Philoslothy · 09/01/2015 19:33

It is something I very rarely admit to about my son.

TheFallenMadonna · 09/01/2015 19:32

OP, what you describe is not low level disruption. Low level disruption is talking when the teacher or another student is talking, off task chat during independent work etc. What you describe is serious disruption, and should not be acceptable in any type of school. Swearing at a teacher should get a student put into internal exclusion.

LaQueenAnd3KingsOfOrientAre · 09/01/2015 19:32

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Hakluyt · 09/01/2015 19:31

Well, I can't remember ever typing that sentence about my own dd- unless it was directly relevant..............

LaQueenAnd3KingsOfOrientAre · 09/01/2015 19:31

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LaQueenAnd3KingsOfOrientAre · 09/01/2015 19:29

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Philoslothy · 09/01/2015 19:26

Hak I'm pretty sure you would love to be able to write the same sentence about your DS, yes?

That is rather uncalled for and personal, I am rather relieved that I do not have to write that sentence about most of my children.

LaQueenAnd3KingsOfOrientAre · 09/01/2015 19:25

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blueemerald · 09/01/2015 19:23

I teach in a special school for boys with EBD and what you describe is not normal for every lesson. When one of our students "goes" they really go (punches and chairs thrown, foul language, spitting etc etc) but that is maybe once or twice a week.
Lateness to lessons is an issue but I blame that mostly on not having a school bell!

LaQueenAnd3KingsOfOrientAre · 09/01/2015 19:21

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Philoslothy · 09/01/2015 19:19

Op you need to list the behaviours and contact the head, then ask your son if things have improved in two weeks If they have not go to the governors. If necessary threaten press involvement. Again this is not the norm.

Philoslothy · 09/01/2015 19:17

It is not the norm at all and have taught in tough inner city schools and secondary moderns.

Hakluyt · 09/01/2015 19:14

"DD1 is at a girls' grammar."

She's not is she? Well, I'll go to the foot of our stairs!

OP, my ds goes to a eecondary modern school, and behaviour like that would not be tolerated. It is not the norm. Do not believe anyone who tells you it is. Talk to the form tutor, then the head of year, and failing either of them, the Head. If necessary, move him. What does the most recent OFSTED say about behaviour?

ItsAllKickingOffPru · 09/01/2015 18:55

Is there any possibility of you moving him if it is true?

Educational life is too short to put up with a school where the behavioural issues are so extreme. They won't be solved overnight. Leadership and socioeconomic reasons are complicated and take a while to solve.

LaQueenAnd3KingsOfOrientAre · 09/01/2015 18:37

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Original poster
Teabaglady · 08/01/2015 22:42

Thanks for all the comments - I am glad to hear that this behaviour is not to be expected. The teachers are trying to tackle the behaviour , there are detentions etc but I just think some of the kids don't care and the phones/ tablets are IMHO are just another distraction ( so glad I am not a teacher)
I am going to try and get more details from my DS and make sure he is not exaggerating and then contact the HOY next week

OP posts:
Quitethewoodsman · 08/01/2015 21:52

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ShipwreckedAndComatose · 08/01/2015 21:42

This is not the norm where I teach (state comp) and a lot of what you describe would be considered worse that low level disruption.

I would second the idea of contacting the school about it and also be looking at what the alternatives were.

MissMillament · 08/01/2015 21:37

Strikes me senior management are not up to the job.

Exactly this. If a pupil swore at me and was not suspended I would feel senior management were undermining my ability to do my job properly. If a pupil misbehaved to a level where I needed to send them out of class to ensure the education of others was not disrupted then I would expect a mechanism to be in place to enable that to happen (in our school they are taken away by a senior member of staff). People talk about 'weak teachers' but no teacher can manage their classroom effectively without a strong and consistently implemented schoolwide behaviour policy.

pointythings · 08/01/2015 21:31

Definitely not normal in the perfectly normal comp my DDs go to. Phones are only allowed on at break and lunch, if they go off in lessons they are confiscated and a letter sent home. Swearing = exclusion. They aren't draconian at all, they just expect good behaviour. Sounds like your school is falling down on the job and the teachers are badly supported.

Hakluyt · 08/01/2015 21:21

Not normal. What is the school's behaviour policy like and what did their last OFSTED say about behaviour?

kwerty · 08/01/2015 21:17

Phones allowed here but if seen or heard in lessons they are confiscated. Late to class = detention. Swearing at staff happens less than once in a blue moon and would be suspension. Strikes me senior management are not up to the job.