To complain about this TA?

[angryschoolmum]

I have name changed for this post due to ranting at a few people who I think are on here already.
My DD is 5, she left school today weeping due to the comments of a TA. She said that the TA had told the group 2 minutes left and so she rushed the last of her work. Then the TA said "this is awful" about her work.

I know sometimes 5 year olds tell few lies/fibs re school and what happens. When DD does this and I say I'll ask a teacher she will always backtrack and end up confessing she exaggerated/made it up. When I said I'd call school tonight she said "please do, I don't want to see Mrs XXX again".

WIBU to complain to the head as I don't think awful is a word to tell a five year old about their work? If she'd said something like "it's not your best", "we'll redo it tomorrow" or "I don't think you tried hard with this", surely that would be better at this age.

It's a really sloppy policy. The year 1 teacher should be able to extend the lessons in order to stretch a gifted year 1, in the same way that they would adapt content to include less able children in the curriculum.

I can't think of a school that would have pupils working with others who are four academic years ahead.

Well if she is producing "awful" work and struggling to keep up so she has to rush her work, maybe she should work with her own year group as she is struggling to keep up.

I am also stunned that the HT rang you, but hey ho, there you go.

I would be asking for my DD to be working with her own class, she can do her extra reading at home, for pleasure.

Do children in Year 5 actually have reading sessions? Aren't they doing much more structured English and Spag sessions at that age? And would a 5 year old seriously begin to be able to access properly books like "Goodnight Mr Tom" and "Tom's Midnight Garden"? A photographic memory would be of no help whatsoever in comprehension or understanding new vocabulary, let alone working out inferences and motivations. I agree there certainly are 5 year olds with very advanced reading ages, but it is incredibly easy to differentiate ordinary literacy sessions for them just by giving them more advanced books to read with a few questions about the books.

In fact, a teacher friend was moaning to me recently about how they were no longer allowed to give children work deemed to be out of their age group - whereas previously she would give good mathematicians in her Year 3 class work at Curriculum levels 4, 5 or even 6, apparently that's no longer allowed. Is that the usual rule? If so, it makes OP's daughter's position even more odd.

I would be concerned about the content of the reading material for your DD in such a situation. Many books suitable for upper end primary will not really be ideal reading material for a 5 year old. And although she can read the words, reading at school is about far more than that - its all the compression that goes with it; I am not sure a 5 year old is going to fully comprehend books aimed at older children - or be able to join in a discussion with 10 year olds about it all, etc.

I have taught several children who can read extremely well. I wouldn't be advocating putting a 5 year old with 10 year old though - I think the teacher should be managing the reading within their own class, through differentiation and effective planning.

TBH I would probably be more concerned about that than a TA not being happy with the quality of your child's work on one occasion.

Gruntledone - yes, under the new NC a child should be extended through mastery of a topic/area rather than simply being pushed onto work aimed at the next age groups.

I don't know any TAs silly enough the stay after 3.30pm The pay-off for the low salary is leaving on the bell and not taking any work home!

Best. Drip feed. Ever.

I'm impressed the fictional HT rang you back. Exactly how much of a fuss did you make over this non-event?

So the Head phoned to say the TA would be apologising tomorrow? Give me strength.

What a load of rubbish!!

So the Head called you over one word that a TA used?
You know why......?
You are one of those parents.

What has happened is this:

Teacher - I've had Mrs Angry in again. This time she was complaining about Mrs xxx.
Head - OK, I'll give her a call and try to placate her before she moans about it all over mumsnet, I'm guessing its all over the playground. I would have thought that getting DD to read with the year 5s would have shut her up.

Oh, and for the benefit if others my TAs are in school until 4pm if not later.

My children's school has year 5/6 reading with year 1/2 but it's more of a mentor role than the kids working on a piece of work together.

Pipbin You have hit the nail on the head!!

Nope, my sister was deputy head until around a year ago, we get along with the school well. DD was offered to be moved to be with the free readers in year five and accepted it, as did I.
I am not a troll. I understand you all say I am being unreasonable and have taken this on board. I think because of my situation I take a lot of her emotions more seriously than most. I didn't mean to drip feed. I do apologise. However, this is real, I had three calls and now am happy with the outcome.

I think because of my situation I take a lot of her emotions more seriously than most.

What situation?

angryschoolmum You are happy now! You had 3 phone calls, wasted valuable teacher time, possibly got a TA into trouble. But as long as you're happy that's the main thing!!
Whilst the poor deprived children in the school (you said it was a deprived area) are being overlooked to appease your sense of entitlement!
Sleep well. x

Ooh, more dripfeeding to come.

Also, 3 calls over the word "awful". If that's true I despair that so much of my DD's teachers time will be wasted on hand-wringing parents like you instead of developing her education.

So you had a call within half an hour of posting this.
You do know that some heads monitor Mumsnet for posts like this don't you?

Is the op on the board of governors or the head of the pta perhaps?

I teach year 5. I have a daily group guided reading session with the different groups in the class as well as listening them to read over the course of the week. I cannot think of any circumstance that would benefit my class or a year 1 child to have them reading together. It would either humiliate my lower ability groups or the material would be way over a younger child's head. Reading is about far more than word recognition so even if this child does have a does this phenomenon even exist outside sci fi photographic memory, giving her reading work with an older class would serve no purpose at all.

Just to add to the year one and year five debate....In my DC's school they mix things up a bit. They put some year fives and six's who are struggling with confidence or need a bit of extra time reading/ maths/ writing, with some bright reception and year one pupils. It works really well. Helps to instill confidence and responsibility in the older pupils and makes the younger ones feel special.

My youngest is year r and middle one year five. They think its a really special treat to get to see each other in lesson time.

It helps to instill confidence in a Year 5 or 6 child to be paired up with bright reception children? Getaway...