To think that teacher trying to name and shame DS

[krabbiepatty]

In a nutshell the school set targets for Y1s who are not conforming behaviourally (we are talking things like not holding up hand before speaking). The proposal is to stick these targets on the wall with the child's photograph. A small minority of children have these targets. I feel very very very angry about this. I cannot see any justification for doing it and it seems to me likely to do DS harm. Anyone encountered this system? Any thoughts?

KP, that's absolutely atrocious. I would refuse point blank to allow any of my children to be singled out and humiliated like this.

Ant primary teacher worth his/her salt would never need to resort to such stupid behaviour.

Don't put up with it

Our Yr1 imposes 5min playtime bans. Three warnings and you lose 5mins. Very effective ime.

How upsetting, KP.
And what a dreadful and ill-conceived way for a school to operate.
The children need their self-esteem improving, not reducing.

Where are the pictures? who will see them?

OK, school has said won't do without our support (in a v -disappointed - on - your - head - be - it - kinda way). feeling bit shaken. Does anyone know of a school where they do IEPs but not stuck on the wall?

Pictures are on sheets with the targets. They go on the classroom wall for anyone to see.

No ...don't like it then.
So the teacher wants the rest of the children to see them and use peer pressure assumedly
It smacks of bullying...(using the other children in the class to police the ones with behavioural problems)...don't care whose doing it
I assumed you meant in the staff room or something.
In one of the year 5 classes in my boys school the teacher sticks little stickers on the corner of the desk with each child action plans on it. ie ' John needs to work on:...'
Not sure i would even like this.

When I taught we didn't put our IEPs on the wall.
They were kept in a folder on the desk.

(That was about 5 years ago, though - maybe things have changed, but I haven't noticed any on DD's classroom wall)

Jthe S, are they just for SEN?

krabbie, well done. It's hard to face the might of the school and be opposing something but you've done fantastically.

As far as I am aware IEP's are pretty much for kids with SEN though I believe that if a child was educationally ok but having some real behaviour issues or dreadful disruption at home that would affect them (going into care or something) an IEP could be used then as well. I think.

It would certainly not be good practice to stick them up on the wall in my view, though it would be less problematic in a school where ALL kids had them obviously.

Well done you!

Bump, feeling v confused by my researches. No one has suggested DS has SEN but is that the subtext of all this?

oops cross-post ssu. I don't understand then. The issues are things like sometimes not raising hand and getting upset about making mistakes.

no, krabbie, this policy has NOTHING to do with SEN or IEPs, it's simply a badly conceived bit of classroom procedure.

But they are calling the thing an IEP.

IEPs don't have to be for SEN. DS was on an IEP for about 2 yrs, if I remember it was in Y1 and Y2. They were for his behaviour which needed help. The IEPS were for School Action (ie they didn't need to bring in any outside agency) and were for things like - not pushing, sharing, not shouting etc. I was very ill at the time and DS was really struggling.

The IEPs were between school, DH and me, and I'm not sure that DS was even aware of them as being a particular 'thing' if you see what I mean. All he knew was that he got to join the 'Stay Cool' club at school (anger management), he got a bit of extra help when he needed it, he got a laminated card which he could carry around to remind him how to handle a disagreement etc. And now he's in Y5 and is as happy as larry.

I would say that identifying a few children by sticking photos etc on a wall is tantamount to humiliation and is absolutely NOT the right way to go about it. If you can sound out some friendly governors, or other teaching staff, then get them on your side.

Good luck

Hi OtheMC, That is very helpful - sounds like your school did a good job. I just begin to wonder about the judgment of the staff at DS' school and whether it is a good place for him to be.

An IEP is a plan designed for an individual child. Targets for them to work on/towards. It is not something that needs to be shared with anyone but the adults involved with that child and the child's parents, certainly there is never a need to put it up for public scrutiny on a classroom wall.
It is ONLY to do with those educating and parenting the child.
What they are suggesting they do with your child are NOT IEPs in the 'normal' and understood sense of the word.

As someone suggested this is bullying and victimisation.
The school must have very weak discipline/ motivation methods if it thinks it must resort to this.
Well done for saying 'no' and for protecting your child.

an IEP is confidential between the parents and the school, as others have said.
I am amazed this sort of thing, however well-intentioned, is used widely in schools. By this age children are quite capable of teasing each other about this kind of thing, I think "supporting" each other is a lot to ask of six year olds.
hope you get it sorted Krabbie

i dont agree with the idea of putting up pictures on the wall of children who are not conforming behaviourally. why dont they do it the other way round and when they achieve a target have their picture on the wall its much more positive and would give the children a sense of achievement.

Thank you kitty. I just feel very concerned for his future in this school now where he has been happpy.

And thanks to everybody who has posted. It's very easy to feel alone (and indeed unreasonable) when a number of professional eductors are tring to tell you something is a good idea.

Kp, I think you need to keep and eye on thigs. If your DS is happy there it would be a shame to move him.

I think all schools have their quirks, and individual teachers can do some very strange and franky outrageous things.

When ds1 was with the teacher whom ds2 is now with she did some really unacceptable things and I complained to the head. Basically I think she is a very sound teacher with some very strange methods.

Look at the ledger.

If you are generally happy with the school and can indeed find many plus points and most importantly your son is happy then I would stay vigilant but leave him there.
If you feel the bad points start to outweigh the good then you could consider moving him at some point.

Thanks kitty, I think vigilance must be the answer. Feel a little worried that his card is marked (and indeed mine).

really annoying situation kp. does sound very much like an inexperienced teacher being incredibly heavy handed.

don't worry about the IEP thing. they are not linked to SEN except in the sense that some schools use IEPs as a way of avoiding the far greater expense of statementing.

still a bloody stupid thing to apply to your ds1, though.

i remember having one or two really dreadful primary school teachers, and just having to sit the year out. i remember one woman who took against a particular boy and kept sending him out of the room for no reason. often the school does know that the teacher is struggling but has to support them.

just wanted to respond to the message from ages ago about contacting a parent governor. Please don't - I am a parent gov. and for a while I thought I was a channel for views and concerns of parents. THis was until I attended some vital training. The first point of contact should be the teacher. If policy is at question, then the head. If you are still unsatisfied, contact the chair of govs. Hope this may be helpful.