School putting child in isolation because parents haven't paid lunch fees

[Bubbinsmakesthree]

Apologies for the DM link, and in case there's another thread on this (couldn't find one, but it's such a mumsnetty topic I can't believe no-one else has started one).

A school has threatened to put a child in isolation for their entire lunchbreak every day until the parents pay the £75 due for the term's school lunches (which are 1 week overdue).

Daily Mail article:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3713583/Superhead-claimed-Britain-s-education-broken-puts-pupils-detention-lunch-restricts-food-parents-failed-pay-school-meals.html

Link to a picture of the letter from the school:

twitter.com/RichardA/status/758941460741758982

WTF are the school playing at? In what possible circumstances is this OK?

That blog though.
With all the gory details of how to teach French didactically.
Sounds boring as hell.

This place is truly Gove's wet dream, isn't it.

This:
MAY 9, 2015
BARRYNSMITH79
1 COMMENT
I talk too much. I talk quite a bit of English too and that’s really, really bad because I should only ever speak to them in French. I don’t do starters. I don’t do plenaries. I don’t do targets. I don’t do written objectives. I don’t give them written feedback. I never ask myself if the stuff we do is “engaging”. I don’t differentiate with loads of different sheets. I never tell them how to get to the next level. I kind of go off piste in lessons quite a bit. I don’t do lesson plans. I make kids copy sometimes – especially the weakest ones. I don’t do group work. I don’t do much pair work. I don’t do powerpoints. I don’t use pictures. I scribble on the board a lot. My writing isn’t very good.

Damn posted too soon! Let's see the GCSE results.

Well, tbh I rather like the idea of a teacher who goes a bit off-piste. But I'd prefer a teacher who is naturally a bit unconventional and doesn't feel the need to bang on about it endlessly, rather than a "look at me - I'm sooo alternative!" kind of teacher.

Why are people suggesting that their GCSE results might turn out to be crap? I would expect a highly disciplined school where the kids pay attention to everything the teacher says, where lesson time isn't wasted on poor behaviour, where the kids work every night and spend a lot of time reading, to be excellent.

I thought someone said upthread that they have a very large number of SN children?

1.7% statemented kids compared to a national average of 1.8%.

Much higher than average EAL (which would usually lead to good results) but also much higher than average FSM (which doesn't).

I know you're a teacher noble, and after working as a TA for six years I understand how soul-destroying it can be to have to navigate through low-level disruption in every lesson. But if this school is so fantastic (I'm not talking GCSE results here), why does reading the school website not fill my heart with joy? Why does it sound like a school that's had the soul sucked out of it?

Can you tell us of a school website for a secondary school that you think shows soul?

We're not talking about other secondary schools, practy, we're talking about Michaela

Why are people suggesting that their GCSE results might turn out to be crap? I would expect a highly disciplined school where the kids pay attention to everything the teacher says, where lesson time isn't wasted on poor behaviour, where the kids work every night and spend a lot of time reading, to be excellent.

That's the point though, isn't it? At the moment there's no ofsted, no results, just a bunch of claims. Reading the teacher's biographies, it seems like a bunch of them aren't actually qualified. And to add to that, you've got the questions regarding the truth of Birbalsingh's experiences back when she was Ms Snuffy...

Oh, well there is hundreds of thousands of pounds bestowed on a teacher who happened to fit Gove criteria some years back...

I know that. But I don't generally see secondary school websites as shwoing schools as having a soul. So it seemed a strange claim to make that a school website seems as if the school had had its soul sucked out of it.

And to add to that, you've got the questions regarding the truth of Birbalsingh's experiences back when she was Ms Snuffy...

What's that about then?

Your point would make sense if I'd added, "compared with other school websites", which I didn't.

"Family lunch is squarely focussed upon building strong common values and a sense of school community. We do not operate prayer rooms and we do not allow pupils of any faith to pray on the school site. We pride ourselves on being a secular school with strong morals at our core. Family lunch, where all pupils come together for the duration, is a key part of this moral focus. We rigorously endeavour to avoid any potential for sectarianism in school. Instead we actively create systems which ensure all pupils, regardless of race or religion, mix fully throughout the school day.."

I am shocked that pupils are banned from praying. Is that legal? I thought that all community schools had to have a daily act of worship of a vaguely Christian nature. Can a school punish a child for praying? I think my 14 year old son would diliberately start "praying" to test the boundaries.

I like the idea of family lunch. I can't see how banning packed lunches is enforceable though.

Thats why they ask for £75 at the start of term because they don't want their pupils eating packed lunch.

Some elements of this school do sound great and refreshing. Others sound utterly bonkers and quite scary!

that awful letter to parents is riddled with errors

I thought that all community schools had to have a daily act of worship of a vaguely Christian nature.

It's a free school - they can do what they like and if you object they can quote their "Michaela is clearly not for you" line.

interestingly that disgusting reply i was reading last night has gone from twitter mobile.twitter.com/tombennett71/status/759047024637456384
ive also literally just realised that this Dragon Lady is the one who showed a pic of some kid and took the piss out of him isnt she?

Whoever's "marked" that letter has missed some errors. For instance, in successive sentences they've put "You are now £75 over due. You are currently one week overdue". That should have been something like "Your payment of £75 was due on 1st June and is therefore now one week overdue". Then it goes on to say "If this full amount is not received within this week" which is just appalling. How hard would it be to put "If the full sum of £75 is not received this week" or "by 15th June"? I know it might not have been composed by the Deputy Head, but he's signed it; and his own blog demonstrates that his literacy is distinctly dodgy.

Since the 'family lunch' is compulsory, they are effectively insisting that parents pay £12.50 a week for their children to attend the school. That can't be right, surely? Is it legal?

I talk too much. I talk quite a bit of English too and that’s really, really bad because I should only ever speak to them in French. I don’t do starters. I don’t do plenaries. I don’t do targets. I don’t do written objectives. I don’t give them written feedback. I never ask myself if the stuff we do is “engaging”. I don’t differentiate with loads of different sheets. I never tell them how to get to the next level. I kind of go off piste in lessons quite a bit. I don’t do lesson plans. I make kids copy sometimes – especially the weakest ones. I don’t do group work. I don’t do much pair work. I don’t do powerpoints. I don’t use pictures. I scribble on the board a lot. My writing isn’t very good.

He sounds like the David Brent of teaching - what a wally!

Will be very interesting to see how this school pans out.

David Brent; spot on!