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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

To complain about this TA?

208 replies

angryschoolmum · 26/01/2016 16:15

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.

OP posts:
EddieStobbart · 26/01/2016 22:42

Angry, I think you are right to be concerned about aspects of the school. It does seem to be oddly run with teachers staffing after school clubs and yr 1 pupils being heavily criticised for the standard of their output when working with children twice their age. I think you should raise more with the head than this one issue.

Pipbin · 26/01/2016 22:46

I see Humpty.
I shall join in then in wanting to know who the phone calls are from.
Also, being in a deprived area doesn't automatically mean the rest of the children are a lower level as you can see from your own DD.
In fact if you feel that the level of the children are so far below average as to be on par with a higher level year 1 then you should seriously think about moving your child.
I teach in a school in a deprived area. We are about 60% free school meals.
100% of our children achieved level 4 or above last year in reading.

IguanaTail · 26/01/2016 22:47

Pip - were they reading with year 5?

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 26/01/2016 22:51

Same results as our locally deprived school, Pipbin. With a much higher % of children achieving level 5s than the national average.

Mind you the teachers aren't running the afterschool club, you wouldn't have got 3 phone class about this and year 1s aren't in classes with year 5s. Swings and roundabouts and all that.

Floggingmolly · 26/01/2016 22:52

So the teacher, the TA and the Head all called you to discuss the use of the word "awful" used in connection with the schools finest scholar. Indeed.
I thought the TA was being ordered to prostrate herself at your feet apologise to you in person tomorrow, why did she need to call you in advance?

SuburbanRhonda · 26/01/2016 22:58

I have never complained/spoken to the head other than on a hen night

I've never complained to her on a social occasion or ever before

Which is it, OP? Hmm

Pipbin · 26/01/2016 23:02

I think when the op wrote 'I have never complained/spoken to the head other than on a hen night'
She meant 'I have never complained or even spoken to the head other than on a hen night

Sunnybitch · 26/01/2016 23:02

Who's up for bingo Grin

IguanaTail · 26/01/2016 23:02

Flogging - I wonder if after making 2 calls they decided that a pre-apology was in order, before the Main Apology. I had thought the TA was being asked to apologise to the 5 year old. But then the 5 year old doesn't want to see her again. Who knows. All too complicated for me.

Original poster
angryschoolmum · 26/01/2016 23:04

I apologise, I meant I've never spoken to her other than on a hen night and have never complained at all before.

OP posts:
Pipbin · 26/01/2016 23:04

The year 6 children achieved 100% level 4 or above, they didn't read with year 1s. Although may be they should.......

SuburbanRhonda · 26/01/2016 23:05

Well you've certainly made up for it with this complaint, OP.

Original poster
angryschoolmum · 26/01/2016 23:07

The school DD is at has less than 40% reaching level 4. I cannot move schools due to needing my DM to help. This is the only primary within walking distance.

OP posts:
AllPizzasGreatAndSmall · 26/01/2016 23:17

I'm interested to know if the TA works with Year 5 and has had a year 1 child foisted on her, or if Year 1 can spare a TA to go with one child to work in Year 5.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 26/01/2016 23:17

They have less than 40% reaching level 4? Is that for all 3 subjects combined or just reading?

I can't imagine that the head is going to stay the head for long.

Original poster
angryschoolmum · 26/01/2016 23:20

All 3 subjects, it has been in special measures a while.

OP posts:
Floggingmolly · 26/01/2016 23:21

So 60%+ don't reach anything approaching expected / required levels Shock Reading with the Year 5's isn't looking so good anymore...
Do you need to be in walking distance, op?

Pipbin · 26/01/2016 23:21

I all seriousness op, if you DD reads so well due to a photographic memory then she is going to really struggle with the phonics test. How does she cope with words she doesn't know? Can she sound them out?

sleeponeday · 26/01/2016 23:23

A TA there after 4.00 0 'Clock, never!

No comment on any of this (though personally, I think when kids half-arse work from laziness, and are capable of massively better, then it does them good to hear that the adult has clocked all of the above - it's both a scolding and a compliment, isn't it?) but to say that my own school's TAs work bloody hard, and are often there well after the final bell. One left to head up a training group for specialist TAs, and another is now supporting the SENCO as well as a class TA. And my son's class teacher was a one-to-one TA to a severely autistic child before she did her own PGCE.

Sorry to sound defensive, as I appreciate a lot of parents may not have that much to do with TAs, but as someone whose son is disabled but not entitled to any one-to-one time, I am in awe of how amazing the vast majority of the TAs I've encountered are (one rather appalling exception, but you can't win 'em all). It's a specialist profession in its own right, just a rather under-appreciated one.

/vent over. Sorry. Blush

sleeponeday · 26/01/2016 23:24

Sorry, that should be another is now supporting the SENCO as well as being a class TA.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 26/01/2016 23:26

If it's been in special measures a while, then she may not have that long left. The new Ofsted regime seems to have a lot less tolerance for schools bouncing back and forth between categories 3 and 4.

Original poster
angryschoolmum · 26/01/2016 23:28

She's good at sounding out but, as I've said, I know the memory doesn't do many favours - in a way it is a hindrance as it makes her seem better than she is. I'd say she reads at around a 7 year old standard - we're reading the first Harry Potter at home at bedtime at the moment whereas my g&t nephew had read them all, alone, by age 6.

I need to be in walking distance as we don't drive and I am in and out of psychiatric units a lot at present, meaning my parents look after her a lot.

OP posts:
Sunnybitch · 26/01/2016 23:47

Of course they did...night all

Original poster
angryschoolmum · 26/01/2016 23:49

Who did?

OP posts:
Original poster
angryschoolmum · 26/01/2016 23:59

This thread has really confused me, at no point have I lied, bragged about my child, or attacked anyone. I agreed I must be being unreasonable - the whole point of asking is to get an opinion.
To be treat like a troll is not nice though.

OP posts: