I’m not BU just need help. To all parents, TA’s, teachers and all staff in schools

[Letsmaketheworldbetter]

I’ve just posted this in education but let’s be honest we all love a AIBU thread so I thought I’d post it on here hoping to get more responses as I genuinely need all your help. I’m sure a lot will want to voice their opinion.

As parents/school staff there are always improvements we would like to see for our child/children’s school. Some of you may think they are too irrelevant to mention, or you may not have the confidence to voice your opinions to your child’s teacher or your colleague.
I am currently working in a primary school and would like to make some improvements. I don’t have the authority to employ more staff or buy more resources, but I’m hoping I can make a difference.
I would like your opinions in case I have missed anything.
Thank you in advance.

Nanny0gg - you expect teachers to supervise children at lunchtime instead of ‘leaving it to the lunchtime staff’?? Erm, that’s what the lunchtime staff get paid for! Besides, when are the teachers supposed to eat their lunch/have a break?
Teachers are there to educate our children, not supervise them eating their lunch and playing games!

Communication : remember that parents are adults, not children. The tone of some of the newsletters home were awful and eroded trust especially when coupled with the totally unapproachable attitude to raise issues.

In the classroom: spend some time on the middle children. The ones that just get on with it as not only do they often not get recognised for their achievements, they tend to only come on the radar when they are doing something wrong so feel like they are being punished all the time with no encouragement. It was a running theme in my son's class and resulted in a lot of low confidence.

If you need some volunteers ask...I would have happily helped out and did with reading in the early years, they even paid for my checks but then the later years the class teacher didnt want any help and i wouldnt have felt comfortable asking thr other years teachers.

Paying online: being able to pay for trips online rather than having to find odd bits of cash would have been a huge help.

My ks2 child probably struggles with cutting food at school.
Purely because I can't think of many meals I make that require cutting with a knife. We tend to have soups, pasta dishes, chilli etc.

Homework should be for my child to do with a minimum of supervision, not requiring me to spend an hour or two with him completing it. I need to be able to be cooking tea or similar at the same time as I have my own work to do as well (to keep a roof over our heads). I also get irritated when it barely gets looked at, much less properly marked. If teachers don’t want to mark it then don’t set any! Research suggests it makes little difference at primary level. Funnily enough the best teachers for the best types of homework IME tend to be the ones with primary-aged children, which tells you something.

My year 6 child struggles to cut with a proper knife and fork.

She has adapted ones at home because she has dyspraxia. Not that you can tell by looking at her, you'd probably have to read her Ehcp to know that.

Luckily she has packed lunches so this isn't an issue.

The lack of understanding and intolerence of SN in schools is shocking and probably my biggest gripe.

I'm not talking about children with additional needs. And I know full well about dyspraxia thank you.
I'm taking about the children whose parents do everything for them meaning that they havnt a clue how to do it for themselves.
I am completely aware of the children in my care who can't do certain things because they have health problems or conditions.

I can put up with a lot of the things people have mentioned here. But, if my child has behavioral issues which are affecting their education (and others in the class) then I would like to be told about it ASAP. Certainly before parent's night. And definitelty well before they reach Y4 and it's suddenly sprung on me as a massive issue. And when I express surprise that it hasn't been mentioned before, please don't tell me his records indicate it has been a major issue since Reception and he needs an SEN referral. Because that might piss me off a bit and worry me even more.

Can you tell I have a slight issue with this?

Being school ready isn't just...

We know,
But inevitably some children will be in school 2-3 years before they are ready. It's just the education system we have. And there is no money to deal with it.

But at least we could have TA's teachers and support staff who appreciate this and are sympathetic.
And realise that a lot of SEN is unknown at the age of 4 and 5.

Our school did a big consultation in communication which has addressed a lot of issues in our school .

Our office staff are amazing . They go well beyond to help .

As for the idea of parents helping what you have to understand is as the way things are done change constantly how I did things at school change so while I can solve his maths problems it won’t be the way school does . I can write a sentence but wouldn’t be able to find the subordinate clause.

For me make the information I need online.

I would also say for all school , all staff education on Sen’s

School office worker here.

Most parents are lovely, but the number who openly admit that that they don't read the school's emails is astonishing... and even more surprising when they then complain that they don't know what's going on!

Don't even get me started on the newsletters, containing all important upcoming dates, and carefully written by me.

Happy and welcoming receptionists! I get it that they are stressed but they are the front of the school, the first people that visitors sees. Smile!

Schools that are not C of E should not do prayers in assembly.

Another thing OP.

Train support staff, including office staff, but especially lunchtime staff in child development, SEN, behaviour management and what is age appropriate behaviour.

Most of the behaviour problems at my DC's school occur when the lunchtime staff are in charge.

Primary teacher and primary parent here. Son's school did an info evening in September and it was very helpful.

Agree with lots of the communication comments above. Parentmail and seesaw are really helpful and I wish they would be able to pay online for more things as I hate scrabbling though purses and money boxes looking for the exact change.

I think information evenings about how things are taught now or what topics they will be covering would be useful.my husband doesn't understand how subtraction is taught now. Phonics can be daunting too.

As a teacher - please name your child's stuff. All jumpers look the same and I don't have time to root around the classroom looking for susie' s favourite pencil.

Also, if your child wears lace up shoes, please teach them to tie their laces. Wet shoelaces always make me wonder if it's puddle water or urinal splashes (Not envy).

Homework needs to calm the fuck down sometimes. I work, get home and would like to cook dinner and spend time with my children, rather than do some worksheet. I'm ok with number facts reading and spellings.

As a teacher I'd like to see more of a united front on discipline. But then you always get that one teacher who is unfair or a parent who nitpicks every decision so i dont think there is much that can be done.

I feel lucky that my boys have a lovely school and the staff are very good.

Nanny0gg - you expect teachers to supervise children at lunchtime instead of ‘leaving it to the lunchtime staff’?? Erm, that’s what the lunchtime staff get paid for! Besides, when are the teachers supposed to eat their lunch/have a break?

No. Not as such. But I do think the HT should go and observe and not leave them to it and I do think it would be nice if teachers, when they know a particular child has a problem and is struggling, to go out and observe every now and again. It might make it easier for them in the classroom.

Train support staff, including office staff, but especially lunchtime staff in child development, SEN, behaviour management and what is age appropriate behaviour. Most of the behaviour problems at my DC's school occur when the lunchtime staff are in charge.

This also illustrates my point.

Homework should be voluntary and schools should not ask for any money.

1. If your going to text or email me please state which school and child.
2. Tell us dates for the entire term, trips, sports days, plays.
3. If you want money again ask a term in advance.
4. Don't send raffle tickets home with my child when it's rigged so only the pta friends and family win.

Cambion I hear what you're saying but this is a very flawed argument. I read the school newsletters religiously but no way can I retain all the content. It simply doesn't work. Your school needs to upgrade to an app & portal system. The world has changed and most parents today are extremely tech savvy yet time poor. The old ways of doing things are no longer relevant.

Sorry if I am repeating other comments but as a parent who has time and will to help on occasion, it is v helpful to know what exactly the school needs. Eg

Putting away readers
Setting out art supplies
Listening to students read
Reader/writer duties
Laminating pictures

Having said this, my children's schools are very specific with their requests and this is great.

If you are SMT in your school, give the staffroom occasional treats. It's amazing how a packet of biscuits or a bag of doughnuts can raise the morale when everyone's having a tough week!

Also if you are SMT, don't be like a previous head teacher of mine who would promise one thing to parents and another thing to staff, make promises to try to keep everyone happy knowing full well he couldn't deliver.

Deal with bullying.

Protect the victims

(Yes, you do have a bullying problem in your school, if you think you don't, then look closer.)

I have 5 DC, primary and secondary.

More photos on school website/tapestry please, I like to see what my DC have been doing.

More understanding of SN please

Get rid of awards for 100% attendance