Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Is it stupid to bring a complaint like this?

60 replies

var123 · 03/02/2015 11:01

Its not even that i want to complain. I am just beginning to feel that something isn't right and I want reassurance that my son is not being overlooked.

DS is high achieving in maths. He's at an outstanding secondary and everything went very well last year. However, this year (as far as I can tell):-

  1. He's only being taught level 7 work this year in class despite getting level 7a last year.
  2. I asked the teacher if he would sit a level 8 exam. She didn't reply for a week and then 10 mins before she wrote back to say yes, she emailed DS and some others with an invitation to do 2 hours of level 8 work with her out of class hours.
  3. The teacher is taking up to a week to reply to any email I send her. All other teachers reply same day usually and within 48 hours at most.
  4. DS won an award last year so i know he's one of the most able mathematicians in the school, yet I learned that he's been excluded from G&T opportunities. It can't be behaviour.
  5. the teacher has never given him one of the daily class awards for good work or good behaviour, despite the fact that even she says he does all the work easily and his behaviour is never an issue.
  6. The teacher refused to give me a parent's evening appointment. then she took a week (and a reminder email) to send me a one line email which only said "keeping up with work in class well".
OP posts:
Original poster
var123 · 03/02/2015 11:26

DS's CAT score put him in the top 1% in the school, I was informed by the school. So, if attainment doesn't put him in g&T, then surely CAT scores would?

OP posts:
Original poster
var123 · 03/02/2015 11:24

Why in earth are you sending so many emails to teachers that you know how long each individually takes to reply??

I'm not. I have had emails with only four other teachers over two years, all relevant things. I know the statistic from other parents. This teacher has given me some cause for concern. Moreover, she doesn't fully answer anything I ask her - brevity is perhaps understating the effort she puts into her reply. So, then I write back asking for more info. Then we have another lengthy delay.

Right now, i am still waiting to get the three questions I wanted for parents nights a fortnight ago to be answered. All of them relevant. All of them my duty as a parent to find out the answers to.

OP posts:
capsium · 03/02/2015 11:23

So your son is going to do the level 8 exam? You have a result there.

The teacher has offered lessons out of hours covering the subject matter. Will he go to these?

Did you want your DS to be taught the subject matter in school? I can understand that. However are there enough pupils of his aptitude to make up a whole class?

Original poster
var123 · 03/02/2015 11:17

His target is for year 8 is 8c. However, it was set at the start of year 7, and he exceeded the target for year 7.

I believe DS had mastered level 7. I have a degree in maths myself and I was checking that he was prepared for the exam last year. I could see that he could do it all easily.

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 03/02/2015 11:16

3. The teacher is taking up to a week to reply to any email I send her. All other teachers reply same day usually and within 48 hours at most.

Why in earth are you sending so many emails to teachers that you know how long each individually takes to reply?? Teachers are completely overwhelmed with work at the moment post-mocks and exam classes will be taking priority.

The teacher is giving up her time unpaid out of school hours to teach your DS some level 8 work. This is good.

Perhaps he is being excluded from G&T opportunities because he isn't on the G&T list. The G&T list and opportunities has nothing to do with subject teachers at my school, and an award wouldn't put him on the list, I think it's totally decided by CATs scores in my school. If you want to query G&T stuff, you need to contact the school G&T coordinator.

You sound a bit over involved worrying about daily class awards in secondary.

MillyMollyMama · 03/02/2015 11:14

I think it is difficult to know what level work he is being set if the teacher is not really communicating with you. I would ask to see the Head of Maths. A good school will forensically have monitored his progress and will be setting work according to his ability. However,if he is doing the work easily, this suggests he is not being stretched. I would not term this a complaint: I would see it as a fact finding meeting. Teachers should plan according to previous, measured, attainment, so you can ask what his target is for this year and where he is on reaching it. Good progress would be 8b. If he is having exceptional teaching, he might get to 8a but you may find he has been over assessed at 7a and is doing that level of work to consolidate. However, you can ask but I would bypass the teacher who seems not to want to talk to you about it. Be pleasant but firm when you ask for an appointment with the Head of Maths. Also, does your son have feedback and targets written in his work books and does he know what his targets are? If not, this is a problem and it should be raised with the Head of Maths.

Original poster
var123 · 03/02/2015 11:14

No he is in year 8.

OP posts:
Original poster
var123 · 03/02/2015 11:13

there is a level 5-7 paper and a level 6-8 paper. Last year he did the 5-7. This year it will be the 6-8. Sorry I wasn't more clear.

OP posts:
honeysucklejasmine · 03/02/2015 11:12

I would try raising it with the head of maths or failing that, head of year. Provision for gifted students should be a department wide thing, so the head of department is best placed to deal with queries.

I assume ds is in year 9? It might be worth asking if he will later have the chance to do FSMQ, a maths qualification between GCSE and a level. Or, even further ahead, do they offer Further Maths a level? The point is... Are they equipt to handle G&T maths?

Floggingmolly · 03/02/2015 11:04

How can he sit a "level 8" exam? Surely you're awarded whatever grade you've achieved? Is he is the top set?