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AIBU?

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Original poster

Teacher Reply Over Summer

353 replies

hairnightmare17 · 21/07/2018 11:08

Son is in secondary school.

We received school reports on Monday. One grade on there is different to what my son said he achieved. It was a terrible mark for an important subject and he would need work on it over the summer if it is correct, since he is going into year 11.

I tend to believe my son didn't get that mark but without a reply from the teachers I won't know for sure. I have queried it by email twice this week, no reply. Attempted to call, to no avail. School broke up yesterday.

Is it worth emailing again? Is it likely I would receive a response over the summer break.

OP posts:

ManyCrisps · 21/07/2018 11:10

Or maybe your son lied to you.

Original poster

hairnightmare17 · 21/07/2018 11:11

Yes that's right. I don't know if he lied which is precisely what I am trying to find out!!!!

OP posts:

Original poster

hairnightmare17 · 21/07/2018 11:14

I thought that was evident from my post. Either he lied and he needs to boot camp over the summer or he didn't and doesn't.

He says the teacher said the reports were written before the results were back from the exams. He doesn't tend to lie but has told the odd one and he wouldn't be the first teenager to lie to get out of something.

If I don't get a reply from the teacher, how am I suppose to make a decision.

OP posts:

Plural · 21/07/2018 11:16

What decision do you need to Make?
It won't be of any detriment to you son if he does extra work on that subject over the summer anyway

wellBeehivedWoman · 21/07/2018 11:18

I would give it a few more days to see if you get a reply and then send another. It may just be end of term / start of holidays madness and the teacher will get back to you soon. In the meantime does your son have any homework from that subject he can show you so you can get an idea of his marks?

Even if your son did lie about his grade it would be weird for him to keep the lie going if he's usually pretty truthful. He might come clean if you're talking about boot camps etc.

GunpowderGelatine · 21/07/2018 11:18

Sorry OP but I think it's more likely your son lied than the School made an error, and rather than waiting maybe implement the changes so he can improve over the summer anyway? If he knows his stuff then it won't be a problem

Butterymuffin · 21/07/2018 11:18

Yes, I'd think the sensible thing would be to get him to spend extra time on that subject anyway. Don't make this all about a teacher's reply, focus on getting your son into the right routine.

MeanTangerine · 21/07/2018 11:19

Teachers vary. Some (lucky) go away for 6 weeks solid. You may not get a reply until staff are back for inset in September. If it's an important subject make him do some over the summer anyway - kids regress a lot when they don't do work for so long.

Original poster

hairnightmare17 · 21/07/2018 11:19

Because the difference between the 2 marks are sizeable. He'll work on it anyway, it's just how much. He says he got a 7 and has often got 7s so it wouldn't be strange but the mark is a 4. He has also got a 4 once or twice. Surely you can appreciate that a mark of 4 would require a huge boot camp whereas a 7 wouldn't.

OP posts:

NewYearNewMe18 · 21/07/2018 11:22

Are you qualified to set extra work to bring him up to standard?
Are the marks based on a mock, where he may have misinterpreted the question as opposed to not known the subject matter?

MaisyPops · 21/07/2018 11:23

Or it could be that his report has an overall working level vs 1 piece of work / exam which was higher.

He's going into Y11 and will need to be revising all his subjects to meet the demands of the new course. It doesn't harm him to brush up on the subject ober the summer.

There'd be absolutely zero chance of me replying to any parents over the summer.

PumpkinPie2016 · 21/07/2018 11:26

To be honest, it's unlikely the teacher/school will respond at the moment! I know that I am not looking at my emails at the moment.

A bit of extra revision of the subject over summer will be useful no matter what the grade.

Original poster

hairnightmare17 · 21/07/2018 11:29

my son said the teacher explained to the class that the mark on the report is going to be based on previous exam result (which he got a shit mark for due to zero revision), because they hadn't marked the exams in time to compile the report They did the exams right near the end of term.

He's never lied about his good or bad results before. He just tells us either way. Plus he appeared to revising hard. As I made him do it in a visible area of the house instead of his bedroom. He's a clever but lazy boy. He's extremely well behaved and have been incredibly lucky. The naughtiest thing he has done is be grumpy if I tell him to get off fortnight, or eat too many sweets and lie about it. A lie like this would be extraordinarily out of character but he knows I was upset about his previous mark. I find it hard to imagine he would get a poor mark if he had revised, as he always does fine whey he puts the effort in.

He got a 4 in maths last time and a 7 this time because he worked. That teacher had marked the papers apparently much earlier.

OP posts:

Mookie81 · 21/07/2018 11:29

It's the holidays. They aren't at work. Leave them the fuck alone and work on it yourself over the holidays. Then when the 4th of September rolls around you can speak to them!
I wouldn't even open it, I'd be annoyed a parent had emailed me when I wasn't at work.

Original poster

hairnightmare17 · 21/07/2018 11:32

If they had answered me during the last week of school or sent out the screenings earlier I wouldn't be in this position.

He will be working on it over the summer but surely you can see the amount of work would be different if it is a 4 or a 7.

OP posts:

ohreallyohreallyoh · 21/07/2018 11:33

I wouldn’t answer now. I would have answered up till 3 yesterday so it’s annoying the teacher didn’t get back to you. Is the teacher going to be at the school after the summer?

user1471426611 · 21/07/2018 11:34

Our school network is down for a large part of the summer for upgrades to be carried out so if you'd emailed me I wouldn't actually get the email until the end of August.

Original poster

hairnightmare17 · 21/07/2018 11:35

It was actually 2 teachers for the subject. I emailed both twice. Tried to call yesterday and then resorted to emailing the head of year. I emailed 30 minutes after receiving the screenings. I couldn't have tried any harder.

OP posts:

BrownTurkey · 21/07/2018 11:37

Sounds like your son has explained the discrepancy. Base your response on believing him.

Gazelda · 21/07/2018 11:38

I think you'll have to assume your DS is telling the truth, and get some heavy-duty studying in over the summer. If he's been truthful, then you're helping him to bring his grades up. If he's lying, then he'll learn never to do so again!

nipersvest · 21/07/2018 11:38

I think it's worth emailing again, also try contacting the head of department or a deputy head as well as the teacher. It is absolutely possible for the school to make a mistake, my ds is in Year 8, his end of year mark for maths was wrong on his report, the grade didn't match his percentage mark, eg say his mark was 62% and his grade was a 4, when others in his class with 60% got a 6.

We queried it with the teacher, it was a mistake, and his grade was increased. Glad we did as it made a big difference, ds was told before term ended he is moving up to top set maths next year, had we not, he may have been overlooked.

Original poster

hairnightmare17 · 21/07/2018 11:39

@BrownTurkey I feel guilty for not taking him at his word but don't want to kick myself for not being sure.

OP posts:

KindergartenKop · 21/07/2018 11:39

We write reports about 3 weeks before they go out because they need proofreading by head of department, proofreading by senior leadership team, collating and posting.

mn101 · 21/07/2018 11:40

@hairnightmare17 annoying they didn't reply to you but there's not a chance I'd reply in the holidays. His explanation sounds plausible - the grade on the report was based on a previous test marked before the reports were written. Reports are written surprisingly far in advance as they need to be proof read, so what he said could be the case. I'd say why not make him work hard on it anyway , if he's actually a 7 that 7 could increase to a 8 or 9!

MaisyPops · 21/07/2018 11:40

So the conclusion to the bigger picture is that:
The school told students which exam the report was based on
The report was based on the grade from the exam the teacher told your child

You are contacting the school repeatedly to query the report grade when your child has told you how the mark was arrived at.

When your child works, they can do well. When they don't work, they don't do as well.

Logical conclusion, probably an able but lazy student who thinks they can coast and do well. They probably need to be doing some revision over the summer in all areas they haven't worked hard enough on.

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