is it normal for secondary schools to use fear their induction method for year 7s

[Alevelquestions]

My child started secondary this Wednesday and the school has concentrated on emphasising all the ways they might get detentions. Kids have already been given detentions for not having the right colour pens, for not sitting straight or for forgetting parts of their PE kit. This is within three days of starting. My kid hasn’t had a detention but on Friday he told me he spent the whole day trying not to cry because he thought he’d have detention for forgetting his white board. The school prides itself on discipline but it seems to be at the expense of humanity and remembering these are quite young kids undergoing a major and unsettling transition. Is this the normal approach nowadays? It genuinely makes me so sad.

Look up Naomi C Fisher on Twitter. High control environments are really toxic and damaging for mental health as any of us who have had even a fraction of this kind of experience as a fully grown adult at work will testify.

Do consider if this is the right environment for your child.

Last year my son and my best friends daughter started secondary together and were in the same class.

My friend was going on about all she took from the open evening was about punishments. She was saying how worried her daughter was about getting punished (for things like being late to lessons in the first week etc). I asked my son about this and he had absolutely no concerns. I didn't feel the school focused on punishments either.
2 children. 2 families. 2 different perspectives.
If your child is anxious and focusing on this it's all they are hearing. But that doesn't mean it's all the school are saying....
Try to reassure your child that if they do the right thing they will be fine.

The school prides itself on discipline
You knew when you enrolled your child it would be harsh on discipline. How did you think they would enforce it?
Just tell your kid he will never receive any punishment from you for silly detentions such as pens, kits, or speaking .Tell him that if or when he gets a detention, he has to take it as a social experiment and report back to you around the dining table.

Sounds like they were making the expectations clear because when detentions are set, pupils and parents will argue the toss so at least the school can say it the rules were clearly stated.

Just to be clear we don’t really have a choice of secondary school.

At my DDs school they do make a point of saying detentions will be given for incorrect uniforms or lack of equipment but I don't think they have actual done this in the first week. They seem to use more positive behaviour management strategies. My dd got 15 positive behaviour points this week and it was for pretty basic things like having a good start, being respectful in class, handling out the books and being ready to learn. Think they are giving them a little boost to hopefully encourage them to keep on track. I like it much better than the prison like schools I hear about

It's normal for Astrea schools. I'm hoping the new government do something about multi academy trusts which focus more on pupil's appearance than their education and wellbeing.

Where I live we have no other options for secondary school due to catchment areas, and no influence over the environment our kids are educated in.

My sons' school make them line up outside first thing every morning while teachers with loud speakers go round and do uniform checks and hand out detentions. The school had such an awful impact on my eldest son's mental health and so many students left to be home educated.

Yes... because if lockdown. They were year 4 at the time. They totally regressed emotionally.

The influence you can have is by being a Trustee / Director of a MAT. They approve the policies

Is itanafterschool detention or lunchtime?

They were y2 in 2020. They didn't sit KS1 SATs and had their LKS2 severely disrupted.

They enforce these small things which prevents worse behaviour down the line

It's a tried and tested formula

Not sure why you're moaning about it

They waited 2 weeks before giving detentions at my dcs' school which I thought was sensible as the first couple of weeks can be an emotional time for new year 7s. If they'd left it much longer the behaviour would have deteriorated. They might get away with leaving it longer in a selective school

Most DC would be annoyed not terrified

Your DC will toughen up eventually

@DoggoQuestions
Neither of us are right... the current year 7s missed most of their year 3. I know this because I was teaching year 4 at the time and those kids are currently year 8.

Our secondary has been lovely and supportive of the kids starting and any issues are relayed to the parents via email rather than worrying the children. They even have the yr sevens in a day early so they can get used to the surroundings without the rest of the school about. Its a good system

After school

Reading this, what on earth has got into head teachers? Some seem to have gone mad. So glad my DDs were educated normally. With rules but with respect on both sides. @Alevelquestions I’m sorry you do not have a choice. Is every school full? I think it’s wrong for the only school to be like this. I’m not sure what I would do - use the complaints procedure I expect. Who needs a fearful atmosphere like this? Complain to your MP? It’s hardly a healthy atmosphere.

YANBU. Schools should be nurturing and supportive environments. We are storing up so many problems for the future treating children like this.

It’s awful. The problem is that the well-behaved sensitive kids are unnecessarily subjected to the draconian one-size-fits-all concentration camp ethos.

Both of my dds were left secondary school traumatised from the daily emotional battle of managing the twin terrors of hard school discipline and subtle peer group bullying.

Neither kid would’ve said boo to a goose and yet they lived in low-level fear for 5 years. No wonder the mental health of young people is on the floor and getting worse by the year.

If you have another more reasonable school that’s within travelling distance you could start asking if they have a place in January. The waiting list is disregarded after the first term.
I wouldn’t be happy with what your son is experiencing at all.

My son’s school was like this. I used to think it did the complete opposite of what the school tried to prevent happening as the boys rebelled hard in year 8. My daughter goes to a different school and they don’t have this approach although some teachers do teach with fear - one teacher has a thing called teacher picker and it gives my daughter horrible anxiety to the point she started to drop in grade as she was so on edge all lesson she wasn’t taking it in , so again it did the complete opposite of what it is supposed to set out to achieve. My daughter has this same teacher again this academic year so I am going to have to address it with her.

My dd started senior school a kid in her form class needed the toilet, he had a medical problem that his own dad had given a kidney when he was younger and needed the toilet pass. The teacher refused to give him the key as they lock the toilets and he wet himself. Absolutely disgusting behaviour by the school. I would have went berk if it had been my kid. I get rules but they are still young children and it's abit transition from primary to secondary some care and consideration should be given. They are entitled to be that.

Do we know why heads cannot see they are causing some dc to have problems? I cannot see how this approach fits into education research to do the best for dc. Obviously some need stronger handling but it’s a minority and secondary schools do get reports from primary schools so they get a heads up on these dc. The secondaries should be aware that dc aren’t all the same.

I used to help dd pack her stuff the night before as I didn't want her getting a detention early on in case it made her feel negatively about her new school. I know the usual MN advice is "Let them forget, they'll soon learn" etc but it worked for us.