to move my child to another school because of PJ wearing parents and other things.....

[fiftieslover]

Hi there, your views would be appreciated.

My ds is currently in yr 3 (8 yrs old) he is in a mixed class of years 3 and 4. Since Christmas I have had really serious doubts about the school he is in.

He has asked to move schools a couple of times in the past 6 months and I am seriously considering it. BUT I know at 8 this is a massive change for him. He is a social little boy who makes friends easily and can articulate his thoughts really well. The issues I have with the school are as follows.

1. Parents dropping their children off still wearing their PJs. I not talking lounge wear here, I'm talking fullish sheep adorned pink things. I turn up at school dressed for work, smart and ready for the day.

1. Leading on from 1 is the reason for the PJ wearing. There is a very high number of unemployed parents in the school. I live in a nice part of not a very nice area IYKWIM. Unemployment has always been a problem. I have lived in this area for over 30 years and alot of the children in ds class are 4th and 5th generation unemployed. So I assume the pj wearing is because they have nothing to get ready for? I need to add that sometimes the children are picked up from school at 3pm with said parents still adorning the sheep attire.

I have never been unemployed so struggle to empathise really with the other parents. I work in recruitment and know there are always things you can do to improve your chances but I have never been there so know I dont fully understand the effect unemployment has on you.

1. There are ALOT of kids in the class that are morphing into absolute horrors. The behaviour is getting worse as each school year passes. Once lovely little 4 year olds are now 8 year old swearing, disrespectful kids. My ds went over to one of them the other day to show him his homework. The other kid looked at my ds as if he were stupid and said I dont do homework - I wouldnt dare!.

1. I'm aware this is getting long so going to cut it short. The teachers appear to spend alot of time on discipline - taking actual teaching time away from the good kids.

1. In the past out of 26 kids, there are approximately 8 that behave really well. If the other 18 are playing up, the whole class has been punished. This really annoyed me.

I could go on and I think I have answered my own question seeing it in black and white but would still appreciate your comments.

Thanks fifties x

I used to live in Tuffnell Park. This is an area typical of Islington in that it has million pound (over priced) houses right next to council estates. There is a huge rich poor divide and boy, is it visable.

So this woman who went to my church told me with no hint of embarressment that she would not be sending her son to the school next to her because 'I won't have anything in common with the parents and I do not want my son to mix with the children'
My children went to this school. The children her son regularly threw things at, spat at and swore at in the church sunday school. They were far to well bought up to slap him one.

Last I saw of him he was a very rude teenager who refused to acknowledge me when I said hello. His mother didnt see the need to intervene then either.

I was actually on benefits and living in a council flat when she expressed her concern at her son mixing with my kids (she knew they went to the school).

From the above experience I wouldnt dream of assuming that all well off, arty, upper middle class types who live in expensive house and send their kids out of borough on scholarships [even though they can afford fees], were unspeakable snobs with no social skills and questionable moral values.

Because that would be wrong.

What?
Like Orwell?
His writings are all to be dismissed because he was a socialist too?

Sparks,

Being on benefits, or living in poverty or in council housing are not inextricably linked to taking part in anti-social behaviour or breaking the law. That suggests there is no way to avoid one of those situations leading onto the other.

What you mean is that there is a high incidence of anti-social behaviour in areas which also have a high level of unemployment/poverty. Some people choose to see this as a reason to blame all people who tick certain mental "boxes" in their minds for every ill in society, and to prevent them mixing with their children as they are "undesirable".

It's not about disliking sociological theories, it's disliking people who use their own prejudices as an excuse to demonise others - and probably boost their own low self-esteem in the process.

Stick your head in the sand and carry on belittling people for all you're worth sparks.

I haven't belittled anyone and nor is my head buried. Unlike that of your favoured marxist author who'd like to drag us all back to the dark ages and the lowest common denominator. ( As long as he got to keep his book deal and tax payer funded non job)

Sparks, unless you also address the other people who have posted comment to you I will ignore your game playing with me. Ok?

i've been on benefits as a single parent and brought up a child who was bullied for being 'posh' in her primary school. being poor does not necessarily mean having low standards.

but, fiftieslover, if you want to change schools and you can find a better one, do it. my daughter went to an independent high school and it was well worth the struggle to pay the fees.

Sparks, you realise the Dark Ages predated the welfare state, right?

I'm assuming, with your detailed knowledge of Jones' politics, that you've read the book? Although you don't seem to be familiar with his employment status, so I'm not going to hold my breath here...

I live a spits throw from the Old Cambell Rd MrsDV...and my two older dcs' went to a secondary school in Tufnell Park.

(Campbell Rd now called Whadcoat St)

*Sparks, you realise the Dark Ages predated the welfare state, right?

I'm assuming, with your detailed knowledge of Jones' politics, that you've read the book? Although you don't seem to be familiar with his employment status, so I'm not going to hold my breath here...*

Please do enlighten me. Who's he sponging off these days?

Hands up who has lived in council been on benefits and managed not to commit any crimes

Me.

I am sure I am not the only one. Gosh darn it, some of us own books and pay taxes too.

Me , I have books too and work now, so do my council estate kids

Yep. I'm coming to sit with you Mrs DV. Never broken the law in my life (not even speeding). Put up with plenty of hoorah henry's littering my street on their way back from the pubs though.

And sorry Sparks. You're going to have to do your own research on this one - I haven't joined Mumsnet to be your unpaid researcher. Who do you think you are, a Tory MP or something?!

My grown up council estate kids*

They managed to stay out of prison as well

My ds came home this week with a girl and we were hopeful he had a girlfriend finally but sadly no just a friend. But she was the loveliest girl and when she left and I was interrogatingasking about her he said she had been to the school most people locally turn their nose up at and she is off to cambridge in sept

How very dare you?! You all should be ashamed.

Why haven't you taught them to thieve and shot drugs yet? You're ruining them. Their peers will outdo them in drug dealing, conning old people out of pensions, and asbo collecting, not to mention get their ankle bracelets long before your offspring do if you carry on like that!

My next door neighbours son is going to university in America

His mum should have beaten those aspirations out of him

*Yep. I'm coming to sit with you Mrs DV. Never broken the law in my life (not even speeding). Put up with plenty of hoorah henry's littering my street on their way back from the pubs though.

And sorry Sparks. You're going to have to do your own research on this one - I haven't joined Mumsnet to be your unpaid researcher. Who do you think you are, a Tory MP or something?!*

In which case you're an example of why said author is talking complete pish. Oh the irony...

No research needed. Someone who leeches off others but pontificates back at them rarely leaves the trough. He'll be either union subscriber funded or taxpayer kept.

Nasty a you must be really proud

Not sure what the a was doing there!

He's neither, actually. Go on, you can do it! You can try to back up a knee-jerk answer with evidence. I know you can!

As i said, do please enlighten me... yawn..

Why does living in a council house mean you are unemployed and anti social?
Seriously I don't understand.
My 2 siblings and I were born and raised in a council house. My parents have both worked since they were 15 and the only benefit they ever received was child benefit (family allowance as it was then)
I went onto further ed, my siblings didn't.
We are all married now with dc of our own.
My sis and I are home owners and my bro and sil are renting.
None of us has ever been in trouble with the police, or even got a speeding ticket.
We pay our taxes.
And I missing something? Is this not normal?