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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

the consequences of not going to Saturday School.

114 replies

Binkyridesagain · 02/05/2013 09:17

not necessarily an AIBU but as I posted about Saturday School in this topic, I thought i would post the consequence of mine and DS stand against school pressure in here.

Obviously the ENTIRE year went to the 2 SATurday School events, except my son of course, and a great fuss was made over the huge success of the event in the newsletter. All fine, blow your trumpet. I have a happy DS who doesn't feel pressured.

Until this morning. he'd forgotten to do his homework, so panic mode kicked in, as he can't possibly let down his teacher. He does acknowledge that doing homeowrk 10 mins before he's due to leave is not acceptable but HE HAS TO GET IT DONE BECAUSE HE WILL HAVE TO STAY IN TO DO IT!! (capitals are to demonstrate the importance he has placed on this piece of homework)

All is fine until he reaches calculating probability, he knows what it is but doesn't know how to calculate it, it was shown in SATurday School.
This question I can help him with, so he calms down a little.

NExt question involves a table, a spinner and estimating the probabilty of the spinner landing on particular section when only spun once. 3 marks, so it must be a complicated answer, Cue melt down. This was also taught in SATurday school.

In fact most of his maths homework, relates to what the children have been taught at SATurday school. So I now have a distressed 11year old because he doesn't know how to do stuff because he hasn't been taught because he didn't go to fuckin SATurday school. He has now decided he is a failure.

It seems that SATurday school wasn't just about priming them for passing the SATs but was also to teach them extra bits.

Fuckin SATs, fuckin SATurday School and fuckin School. This is my 3rd DC to go through SATs and he is the first to be put under stress for something that doesn't fuckin matter.

I am now calm, writing it down does help, doesn't it?

OP posts:
meglet · 02/05/2013 09:20

What on earth is saturday school? Is it a private / grammer / senior school thing??

Sirzy · 02/05/2013 09:22

That is awful.

I would be tempted to complain to the govenors/lea about that one. The school should be able to do the teaching during the school day.

Original poster
Binkyridesagain · 02/05/2013 09:24

It is my DS state schools attempt to get all the year 6 children well rehearsed for sitting their SATs, for the past 2 weekends the entire year group have been going to school on a saturday, for the entire day to be taught how to pass their SATs.

OP posts:
YoniConnect · 02/05/2013 09:26

If this is a state school then it is very, very wrong for them to teach key curriculum areas outside of mandatory school time. If this is a private school, then i suppose they can pretty much do their own thing, on the basis that this is their ethos which presumably parents sign up to when they decide to send their DC there.

If state, I would suggest you ask for a meeting with the Head to explain, and if you get no joy go to the Chair of Govs. If independent, I would suggest you meet with the class teacher first to establish their expectations for SATurday (crap name!) school attendance.

What year is your DC? State or independent, if the whole of SATurday school all year round is devoted to SATS, this seems a huge over-emphasis!

pickledginger · 02/05/2013 09:26

You chose not to send him.

YoniConnect · 02/05/2013 09:27

OK, Xpost - that's crazy - complaint to Head, copied to Chair of Govs.

allnewtaketwo · 02/05/2013 09:29

Would it really be such a problem to send him?

Sirzy · 02/05/2013 09:31

I can see a lot of problems with putting children under so much pressure that they are expected to be in school 6 days a week, and then it seems do homework on top of that.

These are 10 and 11 year olds who need time to have fun and just chill and do nothing. They shouldn't be being pressured to improve school results

Original poster
Binkyridesagain · 02/05/2013 09:31

Its the HT that has set the homework, she's the one thats pushing for some of the children to pass their level 6 maths. So i know I'm not going to get anywhere with her and the Govs are supporting her.

Prior to her taking over as HT the school was classd as satisfactory(just) so she has spent the past couple of years getting the standards back up, so increased pass rates in the SATs ups the standing in the league tables.

OP posts:
JesusInTheCabbageVan · 02/05/2013 09:32

This SATurday business sounds like bollocks and is potentially discriminatory on top of that (any religious Jewish people in your area who might use the school?)

Is there any chance you can get the course material and do it as extra homework? I bet there are a lot of parents (and teachers!) who would like this - you may even be able to get some of them on board.

Original poster
Binkyridesagain · 02/05/2013 09:34

Allnewtaketwo yes it would, he didn't want to go and any mention of him going caused him upset.

OP posts:
thebody · 02/05/2013 09:37

Saturday is family time at body's house.

We all work full time and need to chill.

I wouldn't be happy with this. There's ample time in the school day to teach.

If it was just a maths club or sports activities that's ok for those who want to go but course work should be taught in the school day.

This sats stuff is all such bollocks.

pickledginger · 02/05/2013 09:41

If teachers are giving up two Saturdays for it, it's important. Yes, the stuff should have been covered in regular school time, but it wasn't, which is probably why they've given up two Saturdays to do it ...

allnewtaketwo · 02/05/2013 09:44

Well I guess it's up to you obviously, but it sounds like choosing not to go had caused stress in any case

Original poster
Binkyridesagain · 02/05/2013 09:45

If teachers are giving up 2 saturdays to teach something that they haven't managed to teach during the school week then maybe they need to look at why they haven't taught it in regular school time.

OP posts:
maddening · 02/05/2013 09:46

Why didn't you want to send him (sorry didn't read your other thread?

Tailtwister · 02/05/2013 09:49

YANBU OP. They shouldn't be teaching stuff at saturday school which hasn't been covered in regular classes. It should be for extra revision of stuff they've already been taught. I would definitely complain, as you need to now find out what your son hasn't been taught and get it covered somehow. No wonder they were so insistent he attend.

BrigitBigKnickers · 02/05/2013 09:50

My guess would be that their data is not looking good and they are trying to keep ofsted from the door...don't blame them- the goal posts have been moved recently and there are one hell of alot of stressed teachers out there.

If they have indeed taught areas of the curriculum NEVER taught before on these Saturday schools then obviously they are very much in the wrong. But before going in all guns blazing- how sure are you that this wasn't revision and they have covered it in class?

Probability of this kind comes into the numeracy curriculum in year 5 so I would be surprised if it had never been covered.

Of course it was your choice not to send him but surely being better prepared for SATs (no matter who they are for) will make a child less stressed not more?

And I have to say- teachers offering extra (presumably unpaid) tuition on their Saturdays shows real dedication.

You say SATs don't matter.

They will have learned or revised areas they will continue with in Secondary school. So what if it was for a test?- how can it not benefit them to understand better areas of the core curriculum they might need in the future.

The words foot and shot come to mind.

quietlysuggests · 02/05/2013 09:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pickledginger · 02/05/2013 09:50

I agree, it should have been covered. It wasn't. That's their fuck up. They did however recognise that and try to make arrangements to deal with that. I'd imagine from what you've said that it's something that is needed for the higher level that they haven't really focused on in the past.

pickledginger · 02/05/2013 09:52

Ah, x posts, so it's something that they have done in the past but maybe a topic that they feel needs refreshing/that some DC haven't grasped.

Original poster
Binkyridesagain · 02/05/2013 09:53

He didn't want to go. HE made the decision.

OP posts:
teacher123 · 02/05/2013 09:55

I have offered unpaid extra revision classes and coursework catch up sessions at weekends and in the holidays in order to help my students pass their exams. It's got nothing to do with poor planning on my part, but a desire to see my students do the best that they can. Think of all the school trips/sports fixtures/enrichment activities that schools are expected to provide. This has a knock on effect on class teaching time.

The teachers will not be doing this to make your child miserable, or to stress them out. They will have family and other commitments and things they would far rather be doing on a Saturday.

We are judged by ofsted and the lea and parents for how our classes do in their exams, whether it's GCSE, A level or SATS. Can you blame us for getting a bit stressed out about it and wanting our classes to do well?!

pickledginger · 02/05/2013 09:55

Grin He's 11 at most??? Since when do 11 year olds get to make decisions about what's best for them educationally!

INeedSomeSun · 02/05/2013 09:57

Don't you want your child to do well?
Its only 2 weekends, right?
I think UABU - the school is trying to improve standards and possibly teaching extra things, so that your child can do well. I would jump at the chance and as your child was the only one who didn't attend in the whole year, doesn't that tell you something?