Teacher Reply Over Summer

[hairnightmare17]

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.

I'm laughing at the idea that the teachers should have their work emails connected to their phones. Hell no, there is no need for it.

If I happen to sign into my work email at night and get a parent email, I might reply or I might not. A lot depends on the tone of it and the general attitude of the parent - if it's a nice one I will, if it's a pushy, bolshy person I won't. Just because you got a reply out of hours from one teacher doesn't mean you'll get it from others.

lljkk

If you think it is so much better then why don’t you retrain?

@MaisyPopsI really think you might need to avoid this thread, for the sake of your own sanity.
Really? Because I don't understand how anyone who is told by multiple posters that staff don't have to reply to emails on holiday can still 'cluelessly' go 'oh I thought they'd have work emails to their phones like people I know... oh maybe they have to be on site to access emails'.

The idea of people not having to reply to emails when on holiday is so unbelievably simple.

Just get a tutor. They will assess him properly and direct you to where he needs help.

@DonutCone not necessarily true!! Some tutors are much better than others. They don't actually even need UK he trained teachers. Or some are ex teachers unfamiliar with the new GCSE spec

• don't need to be trained teachers

Maybe you doY n't know this, but most teachers (in the UK at least) aren't actually paid for the summer vacation. AFAIK, their salary is based on 10 months and paid over 12.

So the teachers are probably on a well-deserved break - a holiday even!

It won't hurt your sone to go over the work he is behind with - such self-discipline will stand him in good stead for A levels, when he will need to do a lot more work on his own. And even more for university or whatever else he decides to do, post-school. It won't hurt him to do some revision work over the summer.

Or donut, he can just start working hard.

It always make me laugh at the end of y10/12 when parents of lazy students start getting in the tutors. The child actually needs to work in the 25 hours of lesson time they have in school. It amuses me how the answer to a lazy child is to throw money at tutors (and expect staff to do intervention) rather than expect the student to develop a better attitude.

Scottish primary teacher here. I’m still in bed and that’s more or less what I’ve bern doing for the last few weeks. Along with drinking a lot of wine
I won’t be going anywhere near my school or doing any work WHATSOEVER during my holidays.
I stopped going into school to set up my classroom a long time ago.
I’m on holiday. End of story.

Maybe you doY n't know this, but most teachers (in the UK at least) aren't actually paid for the summer vacation. AFAIK, their salary is based on 10 months and paid over 12.

You are misinformed. Teachers are paid a salary based on 12 months. They can only be required to undertake work directed by the head in school for 195 days, however.

That’s not true. We are paid for 195 days plus 5 days in-service.
No more, no less.
It’s just split over 12 months.

Going into year 11, if you assume the worse and heavy boot camp him, you're helping him in the long run with grades.

@RavenWings I didn't say they had to, I said I didn't know how it works. I really have no idea about the ins and outs of IT communications in schools. It's what I am used to in my business world, by no means am I suggesting it should be mandatory. I really am indifferent. I don't know how public bodies work in terms of the minutiae.

All I wanted to know was the likelihood of getting a response. The overwhelming reply on here is almost zero. So there we are. Now I know.

Thank you to everyone for your time and input, especially to those who haven't sworn or judged me. I take on board the recommendations to avoid a boot camp, even though it wasn't what I was asking about, I guess by providing an overly detailed background, I brought it on myself. I wasn't really being serious about that, however , those who have responded in a sensible, friendly and measured way. I have read and digested it anyway.

Also, just to be clear I am not attacking teachers or their holidays. I think the teachers at my son's school are mostly fabulous. In respect to the teachers who haven't replied, I have had contact with them via parent's evenings and other events and I have the highest regard for them too. For whatever reason they haven't replied to this email but it doesn't effect my view of them as teachers. I understand these things happen sometimes. I just wanted a general view on whether a further email was worth it and if a response would be likely.

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)

That's your answer: your DS's lack of revision has led to the much lower mark. He needs to learn the consequences of no revision!

I'd say get him to work on it regardless. If he really is grade 7 standard, it will be a breeze and he'll prove he can do it easily.
If he is a grade 4, he will struggle. You will know pretty quickly.

Godalmighty, I hope Clairetree1 is not allowed anywhere near children or young people after that last post.

I come from a country where secondary school students have 12 - 12! - weeks holidays over the summer. I never, ever did any school work whatsoever over the summer, and nor did any of my siblings or anyone else I knew. Summers are for a break.

I think the likelihood of you getting a response now is 0. You probably will a week or 2 before term starts.

As for working over the summer. Be careful. Year 11 the teachers work you hard. If you do this "full on boot camp" you seriously run the risk of mentally and emotionally draining him out.

I have not been near my computer in school all week due to trips, workshops and sports day plus our network is down until Monday and I broke up yesterday.
I won't be answering emails before the 3rd September and have removed notifications from my phone.
I understand you need answers but I doubt you will get them before September. Have your son to do some extra work during the holidays. Most exam boards have past papers etc and follow teachers on Twitter as they always share great resources and ideas.

DrMantisToboggan To be fair the long summer break does cause a massive drop in learning, It takes on average 2 months to recover from so if you're behind as you approach an important exam it would be fairly obvious that you can still have a break while doing a bit of work to catch up.

I don't think teachers should have to have their emails on their phones though. I'm not sure what the expectations are for replying to parent's emails through the term but outside of it surely any reply is out of the goodness of their hearts.

lljkk, If your colleague has quit your organisation recently in order to partake of the better deal that they perceive teaching to be, perhaps they should give it a year or two before trumpeting the benefits.

In all fairness a 4 is still a pass, if you know he's capable of getting a 7 in the subject then fine but I don't thinl you should put him down too much for getting a 4

Haven't RTFT, I'm in a rush - OP, the school
should have ensured they'd replied to all queries about reports if they choose to send out reports so late! I think they've planned that very badly. If they haven't replied by now they won't before the summer.

You said that your DS has had a 4 previously and a 7 previously - I'd take that to mean he wasn't secure in a high grade and therefore I'd be insisting on more in depth study over the summer just so he doesn't have all the pressure on him in the new term. You should praise a lot for the 7 and encourage him by saying you want to help him be secure in that grade, rather than saying it's because of the previous 4. Sorry if that sounds patronising! If a high grade is required for his dream job then I don't think you can go wrong with in depth study.

Personally I would respond if I knew you had emailed during last week and I hadn't had a chance to reply. Much as people think we do nothing in the last week it can be one of the busiest of the year.

As a maths teacher I would suggest he looks at the previous exam that gave him a 4 and look at the topics he struggled with then, and do lots of work on them. If he has the exam he did more recently then I would look at areas again he didn't do as well on, and any questions where he made silly mistakes. There are lots of practice questions available on the web based on topics.

Personally I would say, whatever he got he should be doing some work every week on maths - I have told every single year group this - as there is a huge slide in ability over the next six weeks. Not the best time inbetween yr 10 and 11.

That’s not true. We are paid for 195 days plus 5 days in-service.
No more, no less.*
It’s just split over 12 months.

You can call it what you like, but you receive a salary - a total per year - which means you're paid every month. You're paid and taxed for every month, not for 195 days. The 195 days (see my comment below on this) is the number of days which you are currently required to be in school. The rest is holiday and you're paid for it. People who think teachers don't get paid holidays need to examine the law, which says they must receive paid holidays: www.gov.uk/holiday-entitlement-rights

Many teachers are confused by the fact that temporary teachers are told their pay is calculated on the basis of 195 days but also includes payment for holidays.

By the way - your statement "We are paid for 195 days plus 5 days in-service" is incorrect - you are required to work for a total of 195 days, which includes the 5 inset days.

Agree with those who say, believe your son, that his grade was based on him getting a 4 and didn't take into account that he subsequently got a 7, then maybe see if you can get him to a tutor - or get your sciencey DP to do it - once a week over the summer to highlight what his weak areas are and work on them so there's no danger of him getting a 4 again in the future and not achieving his stated dream of pursuing a vocation that requires a 7/8 in science.