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Original poster

to be horrified at the behaviour in bohunt school

999 replies

SEsofty · 04/08/2015 22:13

Just watched the programme about Chinese teachers in uk. Whilst I appreciate that it is reality tv and thus exaggeration for effect I was still horrified with the apparent number of children who were talking in class.

I'm not that accident and went to a very normal school but talking whilst teacher did simply didn't happen. I don't agree with the Chinese methods but talking whilst someone is trying to teach you is simply rude.

OP posts:
Mehitabel6 · 18/08/2015 09:00

I think that is a great idea, Noodle - in my area the brightest went into the comprehensive occasionally. Something that would have to be stopped if 'they are all the same'.

A primary teacher has to teach every subject. They are going to have strengths and weaknesses. My weakness was music. Sometimes you get a specialist music teacher, that solves the problem, but not always.
I am tone deaf. All brains are not the same. I got distinction in all my theory of music exams because it is logical and like maths- I didn't have a clue what it sounded like! I scraped through piano exams. Many primary teachers have never played an instrument or read music. You can't do it all.

However Maths is an essential!

NarrativeArc · 18/08/2015 09:06

That sounds terrific noodle.

One of the greatest strengths of my DC's prep school was the subject specialist teachers from year 3.

Whilst obviously that wouldn't be practical to roll out across the state system, more peri teachers would be great.

noblegiraffe · 18/08/2015 09:23

To be a teacher you need a C in GCSE maths. This is about a level 7. Given that this may have been taken many years before becoming a teacher, it's entirely possible that a primary teacher could be insecure at teaching the harder topics.

Lioninthesun · 18/08/2015 10:18

noodle very interested in your post as I'm going back to Uni this September with a view to a term time job. My friend who teaches seniors was saying they are increasingly getting in specialists rather than relying on one teacher per subject. She thinks it is going to be the next wave.

NK5BM3 · 18/08/2015 10:49

When I was in primary school in the late 70s early 80s in an Asian country, we had specific subject teachers, so a math teacher who taught the entire year (160 kids, 4 classes) and an English teacher teaching the whole year etc. that worked really well in my opinion. These teachers were also the form teachers of each of the 4 classes.

My children who attend a good primary school in the UK have v good teachers however, some of the subjects like PE and music seem to be outsourced to specialists. I have no problem with that.

noblegiraffe · 18/08/2015 10:54

The problem with specialist teachers for maths is that there aren't even nearly enough to teach secondary, let alone primary. It's a major crisis.

NK5BM3 · 18/08/2015 11:01

Interesting article I came across... www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/youngest-singaporean-to-score-a-in-physics-9-year-old-boy-not-born-smart#xtor=CS1-10

Obviously this is not the norm. But a few things I gleaned from the newspaper article:

  1. Child is born in August or September, as he was 8years and 3 months in November. This puts him as 'middle or late in the year' since the Singapore school year starts in January. So the UK equivalent of perhaps February/March born child.
  1. He does 30 min of homework or training a day. 3 h per weekend.
  1. Parents do chess and other homework time. So lots of engagement.
  1. Emphasis on hard work, engagement from family members.
  1. The school he attends is a v highly regarded state primary school. People are desperate to get their children in there.
NK5BM3 · 18/08/2015 11:01

Interesting article I came across... www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/youngest-singaporean-to-score-a-in-physics-9-year-old-boy-not-born-smart#xtor=CS1-10

Obviously this is not the norm. But a few things I gleaned from the newspaper article:

  1. Child is born in August or September, as he was 8years and 3 months in November. This puts him as 'middle or late in the year' since the Singapore school year starts in January. So the UK equivalent of perhaps February/March born child.
  1. He does 30 min of homework or training a day. 3 h per weekend.
  1. Parents do chess and other homework time. So lots of engagement.
  1. Emphasis on hard work, engagement from family members.
  1. The school he attends is a v highly regarded state primary school. People are desperate to get their children in there.
NK5BM3 · 18/08/2015 12:07

Interesting article I came across... www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/youngest-singaporean-to-score-a-in-physics-9-year-old-boy-not-born-smart#xtor=CS1-10

Obviously this is not the norm. But a few things I gleaned from the newspaper article:

  1. Child is born in August or September, as he was 8years and 3 months in November. This puts him as 'middle or late in the year' since the Singapore school year starts in January. So the UK equivalent of perhaps February/March born child.
  1. He does 30 min of homework or training a day. 3 h per weekend.
  1. Parents do chess and other homework time. So lots of engagement.
  1. Emphasis on hard work, engagement from family members.
  1. The school he attends is a v highly regarded state primary school. People are desperate to get their children in there.
NK5BM3 · 18/08/2015 12:07

Argh, sorry for the many posts. This was when the site was down!! Blush

BertrandRussell · 18/08/2015 12:19

What are we to draw from that, NK5?

NK5BM3 · 18/08/2015 12:57

No need to get aggressive BR! Smile

Just that there are kids out there who aren't September born, who show some sort of interest in a particular subject, given extra tuition from interested parents and is able to get far.

That's all.

BertrandRussell · 18/08/2015 13:47

Good Lord- that was just a question! How on earth was that aggressive?????????????

NK5BM3 · 18/08/2015 14:03

Well sorry BR - perhaps it was just me trying to catch up with the thread and reading the dialogue you were having with several posters here. Apologies.

Mehitabel6 · 18/08/2015 17:20

Disappointed to have no answers from Vanilla.

Just wondered how she would start teaching maths in reception class? Chose that one as you can't blame the teacher below.

ShellyF · 18/08/2015 22:06

Interesting result.

Mehitabel6 · 18/08/2015 22:08

What was the result? - not seen it. Did it end well?

BertrandRussell · 18/08/2015 22:08

I wonder if the results would have been the same if the Bohunt kids had had the same number of class hours as the Chinese school? In other words, was it teaching methods or teaching time?

adrianna22 · 18/08/2015 22:10

The Chinese school won. Are any of you guys surprised by the results? Or saw it coming?

adrianna22 · 18/08/2015 22:11

Not only that. The Chinese school came on top in every category.

adrianna22 · 18/08/2015 22:13

I'm not sure Bertrand... I was in the top set in my English class in school. I had this really good teacher whose teaching methods were similar to the Chinese and all her students At least a grade B or above.

ShellyF · 18/08/2015 22:13

I really wasn't able to call it.Was good to see improved relationships in the Chinese School this week.
Extra teaching time must have helped a bit I suppose.

PlayingSolitaire · 18/08/2015 22:15

Yes, I was suprised. No, I don't think it was just the extra time.

A partly sceptical part of me thinks this was Telling Us Something. It all seems a bit Goveish. Chalk and Talk. Different teaching method (school?) suits different ability children.

Another part of me wants more chalk and talk and longer hours in secondary schools in this country. There is no reason for a teenager to need to finish school at 3pm.

Mehitabel6 · 18/08/2015 22:15

Did anyone not expect the Chinese school not to win?
I thought that was the agenda in the first place.

Mehitabel6 · 18/08/2015 22:17

I can think of plenty of reasons for a teenager to finish at 3 pm.