To set you all a challenge?

[FeltOverlooked]

I work in a school.

Every day we get complaints, moans and concerns expressed from the parents. Some of these are fair enough - lost gloves, wrong reading books, confusing communication. Some are less so.

But what we barely ever seem to get is any thanks or nice comments.

Can I challenge you all, for the next couple of weeks, that if something nice happens at school you SAY SO! Drop a note in the contact book, send an email, say it in the line...

I have sent an appreciative email to my DD's school today, as they had an external workshop group in yesterday and she loved it. I have already heard back from the teacher who ran it, saying how thrilled she was to be thanked.

Go on, give it a go.

If they don't do anything worth thanking, so be it, but if they do - please, just try saying so.

Good for you, McNew. Pleased you had somewhere you could rely on.

Oh, I always go out of my way to acknowledge the positive. I will complain if I'm unhappy, so it's only fair. Also, I work very hard in my own role and know how good it feels to have someone appreciate that.

Last week, I made a point of thanking the school caretaker for doing such a great job of clearing the snow from paths around the school. He looked a bit stunned tbh but I hope he was pleased.

A little gratitude doesn't cost us anything, and yet it goes such a long way. :)

I have just been engaged in a lovely email dialogue with DD1's head of department for History. She is part of a group involved in designing a memorial for the centenary of the 1914 Christmas truce football match, and he has bent over backwards to make sure she could be part of it despite having to miss the first trip due to a family wedding. I'm doing some translation work for the group (articles from local papers in Belgium translated from Flemish into English) and have sent these to him, he has been great. DD really rates him as a teacher for making history interesting as well as important and I've told him so (she's in Yr7 by the way).

I always give honour where honour is due and make a point of writing personal letters to teachers (and school admin!) when they go above and beyond. Because they so often do and never get the appreciation. It means writing a lot of letters as we are very fortunate in our local schools, but it's worth it.

I'm trying to rack my brains for something to praise the school for, but am drawing a blank considering my 10yo DS1 spent half the night in years because he wants to die because if the subtle and not so subtle bullying that the school point blank refuses to deal with and even blames DS1 for.

What can you find to praise in this situation : Boy repeatedly punches DS1. DS1 complains to class teacher. Class teacher tells boy to apologise. Boy sullenly mutters a half-arsed apology. Rather than insist boy apologises properly, and put in place a suitable punishment like a missed break time or two, teacher just says "whatever, it's done with now".

When DS1 complains that the boy didn't mean that apology and will just hurt him again because there was no real consequence to his bad behaviour, DS1 is put on 'red' for 'rudeness', and told he will miss tomorrow's break for being so rude.

When I said that it wasn't acceptable, and that I will be going in to talk to the school in the morning, he sighs and says "I know you are doing that because you love me, but really, what is it going to do? You've spoken to the last 4 class teachers about the way the DC's hurt me and don't get punished, when DS2 got hurt the teacher told him it wasn't bullying if it didn't happen every single day, you've tried telling the Deputy HT, you've tried telling the HT. They aren't going to do anything, I'll still miss break, and I'll still get hurt again the next day".

Try and find the fucking positives I that.

And no, I'm NOT the only parent with problems with the school. But we are short by an entire Primary school here and there IS nowhere to move them to.

I know of at least 30 parents who have written letters of complaints to the board of governors about the way the school handles bullying incidents in the last year alone.

I know of two people who have left the town altogether in order to move their DC's school.

It's hard to be positive when you have a depressed 10yo and a 9yo that is used as a punchbag because he is too disabled to run away. And you can't find them a new school despite 4 and 6 years on the waiting lists for 8 other schools.

One positive about DD's Secondary - they take the time to work with DC's (particularly from this primary, which has had an endemic bullying problem along with poor management AND outright denial by the SLT of said issue for YEARS - I've had DC's here for 8 years now, some mums have had the same issues for at least the last 11 years...) that have low self esteem caused by said bullying, and brings them out of their shells.

Their pastoral care is excellent.

I asked a few months ago what would my DDs HoY prefer as a thank you for all the support she has given DD, flowers/chocs or a letter. Most people who responded said a letter as it was personal, so I wrote one and cc'd it to the Head and the Chair of Governors. Sher carries on being wonderful, so she'll be getting another one soon

OP, what a lovely thread. Well done. You must find a way to thank your library

Couthy - oh how awful. It sounds like you are doing all you can. Would home schooling be an option? (if that is ridiculous please don't jump on me, I know nothing about this and my DC1 is only 6mo, just trying to think how I might feel in your situation).

But, back to thread- I will try to find a way this week to praise someone for a job well done. Spread the love.

Couthy, that is terrible. I am so sorry. The slant I was trying to take was to say thank you if they did something good, and it doesn't sound like they have. Awful way to treat kids. As I said up the thread, my DS was bulled terribly and it did take our school a while to respond. They have been excellent once they did though, but I have seen enough to imagine some of the pain you're going through.

Great that the secondary is worthy of praise - some light at the end of the tunnel.

Any more for any more?

I am a big one for positive feedback - I had a really good experience in a Waterstones and told them so, and have also phoned a local taxi firm to tell them what a great service they provided for me over the year or so when I had to use them regularly. DW works on a customer service desk, so I know how bad it can get!

Last year my son was pretty much destroyed by his teacher - she called him stupid in front of the class, refused to help him whenhe struggled, by the end of the year labelled him with various SEN - it was a catalogue of horror stories. He was in the equivalent of Reception (rings living overseas leper bell!).

We moved him to a different stream of the same school in September and I am currently in awe of his new teacher who has not only rebuilt him but almost got him back up to speed with the rest of his class. IMO she is a saint that walks on earth! I have to hold myself back from gushing too much when I thank her.

Don't forget teaching assistants with your thanks. They do an awful lot of background work and as my friend was telling me the other day the teacher gets the praise when the TA has worked extreemly hard for the results.

I work on the leadership team in the area of pastoral care and attendance and see a lot of unhappy parents as a result. We got a compliment from a parent yesterday - the first I can remember in the 4 yeas I've worked there - and it made my week.sometimes parents seem to forget they have a choice of where to send their kids.

I know one thing that really irks teachers is when they return from a school trip and all the parents zoom off with their kids without a thank you. Id never dream of not saying thank you if someone had given my child the experience of a school trip out for the day!

We're ofsted rated 'good' with 'outstanding' features by the way, so we know what we do is ok!

Good point about the school trip mosschops. I can take 30 kids away for a weeks residential & be lucky to get one thank you. It is so lovely when you do get one. X

Yorkshire Deb and others, I do know what you mean about school trips.

The teacher I sent thanks about the external workshop approached me today to say how thrilled she was. She has sent my email on to the team that came in to do it.

deXavia, I am pleased your son is getting what he needs now. Poor wee boy.

My ds's teachers know not to open their thank you letters from us during school hours as they make them cry as we are so grateful for everything they've done for our ds (sen)

babybarrister - yes, you are right. I set a limited challenge but it could be opened to the whole service world.

munchkins - aaaawwwwww...