.. to think a mum is an idiot for putting her DD into a failing school?

[Pusheed]

At the start of Year 6 DC came home one day and said that x's mum was putting her down for a secondary school that was officially classed as 'Failing'.

At the next school gate huddle I made it my business to ask the mum why that school? Her reason? A close friend's daughter went there so the mum thought it would be cool if the daughters could go to school together.

Well, we bumped into the mum a few days ago for the first time since the summer and she was telling us how she is trying to get her daughter transferred coz vandalism was rife at the school, kids would be f-ing swearing at the teachers etc.

I nodded my head understandingly and churned out the usual supportive comments but inside I thought - what an idiot. The school was/is a joke to the local community yet she chose to send her daughter there coz a friend was at the school???

And what nickel- and others - have said.

On the other hand, nickel, it could mean that despite all that the school remains the pits and is subsequently closed down, reopening with a new name, more money thrown at it and turning out to be little better than its predecessor. This happened in a friends area, she fought like a tiger to get her children placed elsewhere and thank god she did.

It was in special measures at the time of the form filling.

"Maybe the other mother chose it as they teach children how to spell 'because' correctly?"

You would look less of an idiot if your flame was gramatically correct :o

Well, they are obviously not teaching the children much else. Having said that, the children apparently have a extensive knowledge of the parts of the human anatomy that can be formed from 4 letters.

My DD1's school (primary) is failing because of the management, not the teaching.
She is excelling in all areas, so I have happily put DD2 down to start in Sept.

Don't always judge a book by its cover - Ofsted don't know everything.

My dds school was in special measures. I couldn't be any happier with it!

If anyone bothers themselves to 'make that their business' they they're a sad twat IMO!

I haven't met any child from a secondary school that doesn't know 4 letter words, and human anatomy!

And they say the class system is in decline!

It takes a community to bring up a child you know.

Oh and to be fair, it has fuck all to do with you, keep your nose out!

*42 yr old ex crappy secondary school attendee, who did great for myself thank you very much!

NB
Notice to Improve
and
Special Measures
no longer involve money and resources being parachuted in
if the school is one of Gove's academies.

In that instance the school has to ask the Dfe to send in consultants if they want to
the LEA have no power
and there are no test cases yet as to what rights parents have......

MN is full of shite atm.

"I made it my business"

LMFAO

Thought your kidlets were at private school, Pushed?

and don't say 'coz'

I may look an idiot but I'm smart enough to not put my children into a failing school and polite enough not to make it my business to quiz other women on their choice of establishment.

Crashdoll - My kids went to a state primary. They are at indie secondaries only coz there are no grammar schools in our catchment area

Indie secondaries? New word for private school?

You can think whatever you want OP, but actually approaching the woman and asking for an explanation was....err....rather bold!

You worry about YOUR kids, and let her worry about hers.

Stickybeak.

"At the next school gate huddle I made it my business to ask the mum why that school?"

Course you did.

Private schools have always been called independent schools tbf

It is wrong and very naive to think that if everyone used their catchment school there would be no failing schools. There has always been good and not good schools.

Even if you were only allowed to go to your nearest catchment school the problems would exist. House prices increase, houses become more sought after, people are priced out and the catchments are no longer equal.

I do think it was wrong of the op to actually go and ask the mum all about it though and very nosey.

Apparently asking a mum why she chose school A is rude but picking fault with other people's English isn't :o

We obviously have a few posters who identify with nice-but-dim mum.

"My kids went to a state primary. They are at indie secondaries only coz there are no grammar schools in our catchment area"

Ah. What an elegant explanation!

There's nothing wrong with your English. In fact, it was you who criticised mine. It's your use of a wanky abbreviation which bugs me.

I'm with you on the bewilderment over the woman's decision though. (I'm not nice but neither am I that dim).

My friend sent her children to the 'local' school which was apparently failing , her children came on leaps and bounds , the class sizes were tiny in comparison to the school in the next town where everyone desperately tried to get their children into , think class size of 15 compared to 32 . They also had the latest up to date equipment , no sharing resources , the kids had one each .
Would i have been as brave ? probably not .

Pusheed
My kids went to the feeder for the comp they are at, NOT my catchment school.
Some parents DID send their kids to the catchment school. The rest of us thought they were mad. And the body language afterwards was such that we all knew they regretted their decision.
But we had manners and none of us challenged the mum on it - especially at the school gate that is made of ears.

Stay out of other people's lives and get your own.

DD will be going to a failing school in September.

I don't think there is anything I can do about it, but maybe I'm just an idiot for not having a plan B.