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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to complain to school

96 replies

kandykane77 · 30/11/2016 23:57

DS is in year 1 and has been in the top phonics set since the start of the year. Teacher always very complimentary about him, even commented at parents evening 3 weeks ago that he's doing extremely well for a summer born boy. Yesterday he was moved into the bottom phonics set after performing poorly on an assessment last week. I don't understand how a kid's reading can deteriorate from top set to bottom set in a few weeks. Either a) he's been in the wrong group and struggling all term, which is not ok, or b) something went wrong with the assessment and he's been moved down to a group that's too easy for him, which is not ok or c) his reading has got dramatically worse in 3 weeks, which is worrying.
Having spoken to the teacher today she contradicted herself several times and I've got no clear answer. So I've drafted a letter to the headteacher. AIBU? Am I being "that mum"? Or would you want answers too? (Fwiw DS is very cross he's been given a "baby book" instead of the books he was rather enjoying.)

OP posts:

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 02/12/2016 08:30

AFAIK Read Write Inc was using non-word assessments long before the Yr 1 screening check started and use them from the start.

I don't see how he could have got to the top group in the first place without having passed whatever test seems to be causing him an issue now and presumably a number of more difficult ones. Which I presume is why the HT is also confused.

Trifleorbust · 02/12/2016 08:55

No need to apologise, Catkind, it's fair enough.

catkind · 02/12/2016 11:44

Oh, and "stakeholders" because it's general enough to apply to both my profession and yours. Not that I generally refer to parents and children as such

Original poster

kandykane77 · 02/12/2016 22:47

So it seems that there are two higher level groups and three lower level groups and a gap in the middle as there's only one child who falls in between and that's my boy.
So they plonked him in the group above his ability but didn't teach him the middle stuff (or let me know so I could teach him the middle stuff) So he was learning the higher level phonics fine, hence the teacher saying he was doing fine. Then the assessment showed he didn't know the middle stuff (no kidding) so they plonked him in the lower set. The headteacher was lovely and actually assessed him herself this morning to check! She is giving him the middle level phonics to work through at home one book at a time, while in the lower group, so he can fill in his gaps and also be challenged.
Overall I'm happy and really glad I spoke up.

OP posts:

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 02/12/2016 22:50

That sounds like a reasonable outcome.

Original poster

kandykane77 · 02/12/2016 22:51

Thanks everyone for answering my post, it was great to get such a range of opinions

OP posts:

catkind · 02/12/2016 23:12

Yay, that makes much more sense. Though still rather bemused as to how they got there in the first place.

StripyHorse · 02/12/2016 23:57

Makes sense. It just seems a shame that your child's teacher didn't talk to you about it and discuss how best to support your child. Thankfully that has now happened with you being proactive.

mathanxiety · 03/12/2016 01:13

Trifle ...an immediate assumption that the teacher is an incompetent, lazy fool whenever the judgement of the teacher doesn't match the judgement of the parent...

But is it ok to suspect a teacher may have made a mistake?
Because in reality I suspect that is as far as the vast majority of parents go in their assumptions.

Italiangreyhound · 03/12/2016 01:25

Another chat to get full picture.

Plus less mess for child on ego is top or not, year one is so young. But obviously if books are boring, too easy, need to change.

Italiangreyhound · 03/12/2016 01:26

Less stress for child on who is top- that should say!

Trifleorbust · 04/12/2016 06:16

mathanxiety: It's okay to suspect anything you like. But clearly, as in this case, it's not reasonable to assume the teacher is wrong whichever way you look at it and has made a mistake (which, with respect to the OP, who is obviously a reasonable person overall) seems to be part of what happened here.

And there are a great many people on this thread who basically slated the teacher with no basis for it.

Anyway, glad it worked out so that there is a sensible outcome.

HaveNoSocks · 04/12/2016 06:59

Trifleorbust I don't agree that OP assumed the teacher made a mistake. What was very clear was that the teacher hadn't done a good job of explaining to the parent the sudden change in group and OP wanted this done properly. In fact in this case the teacher obviously had made a bit of a mistake in neglecting to differentiate appropriately, it doesn't sound like it's a huge deal and it will now be compensated for but OP was absolutely right to speak up. I don't see what OP has done wrong - she hadn't been given a satisfactory explanation so she politely asked they she be given one, this has now happened and all is well.

BusyBeez99 · 04/12/2016 07:23

This summer born thing annoys me. On recent selective tests they change marks depending on when you are born. Funny how the most academically gifted in DS class are summer born anyway.

Trifleorbust · 04/12/2016 07:43

HaveNoSocks: It's not worth rehashing the whole issue to demonstrate this but if you revisit the OP's posts I think it's clear she did assume this. Fair enough, the explanation she received wasn't clear enough. The assumption was still there that either the teacher was wrong before it wrong now.

I agree there was nothing unreasonable about seeking clarification.

Italiangreyhound · 04/12/2016 09:53

Just saw you update OP great news.

FasterThanASnakeAndAMongoose · 04/12/2016 10:27

I'm a teacher. Please don't write to the head. Just go in for a conversation.

It's entirely possible that his progress slowed slightly - children often make progress in waves in my experience - and will pick up again.

The important thing is that he's in the right group for his current level and rate of progress, and that you work collaboratively with the school. Writing to the head could potentially jeopardise that supportive relationship between you and the teacher.

There will be a good reason - go and talk.

And being summer born does often make a huge difference with younger children. Look at the difference for example between an almost 5 year old and a child who has just turned 4. It evens out but the difference can be very noticeable during reception and year 1.

FasterThanASnakeAndAMongoose · 04/12/2016 10:28

Apologies - didn't have time to RTFT.

rollonthesummer · 04/12/2016 10:37

Glad you've got it sorted. It seems very odd though to have two top sets and three bottom ones?! Are all three bottom sets working at exactly the same level and do exactly the same work?

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 04/12/2016 12:29

The assumption was still there that either the teacher was wrong before it wrong now.

I'm not sure it's an assumption. There's enough info from the OP to suggest something had gone wrong before or is wrong now. It could be argued they are still wrong now, but they've settled on a reasonable compromise.

Personally, I'd still be keeping an eye on the situation, OP. There's a potential problem round the corner. The ideal solution is for him to be in the top group but with help to catch up the missed middle bit (which is what they should have been doing anyway.) By putting him in the bottom group but giving him the extra help at home, he's not being challenged with his school work and the top group are moving ahead of him as they are being given new work which he won't have been exposed to.

Original poster

kandykane77 · 06/12/2016 21:52

Rafals - the set he has just been taken out of us splitting into two at the end of January with half of them redoing what they are doing now so they will be doing it for the second time while he does it for the first time, with me still supporting at home. That's the idea anyway but we will see how it pans out

OP posts:

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