To wish schools would scrap registration

[gettingevenhotter]

Seems to make more sense to me to register kids in lessons.

We could finish half an hour earlier if this was the case. Bliss.

The way I’m told to.

But I’m not here asking for advice on how to use it. I’m stating an opinion. You don’t have to agree of course.

Are you SURE that you're TOLD to make them dull, pointless and chaotic??

What makes them like this? The way you are told to use them [in which case, lobby for change] or the way you deliver them [in which case, seek some CPD]?

i am assuming, btww, that you are already fulfilling the full pastoral aspect - knowing who is PP, who is vulnerable, who is a young carer, who isn't making academic progress (and have sought to find out why), who has MH difficulties, who is in and out of care, who is vulnerably housed, who looks after younger siblings (or may be being drawn into the behaviour of older ones), who is on the radar for behaviour, who is chronically ill, who has SEN and its nature etc etc?

I am sure THAT can't be delegated to other lessons, so I presume you
have arrangements to check in with each of these children daily / weekly / at need, and to speak to parents / carers regularly, at the very least?

We have 15 minutes for registration every morning. It's important really. Messages about clubs, room changes etc get passed on. It's when heads of year catch up with certain kids. I also sign homework diaries and look for messages from parents. We also do a morning worship (Catholic school). All of this is important and sets the day up in the right way. We still have to formally register the kids every lesson too.

They're not dull and chaotic as a matter of course. They're an important home base in some schools clearly. Hard to change a mindset of someone who just isn't interested in well being though.

I suppose it's the law that schools have to be able to account for who is there and who is not.

However I was very good at missing registration (& skiving) and my son was even better at it! We both grew up to be OK :-).

KS3, that is the case. In KS4, for those not taking it to GCSE, it is delivered mainly through tutor times and occasional off-curriculum days

As a head of RE I would not be happy with that arrangement , it will not be keeping to the locally agrees syllabus.

It's the school holidays and the weather's not good.

A pupil who doesn't like registration and detention perhaps?

Morty I agree. Reads more like the post of a child than a teacher. I can't imagine many teacher's worrying about it in the last week in July either!

Tw1nset, I agree (obviously) and am amazed that is allowed. You need a qualification in Religious Studies (or similar) to teach the subject properly.

I love being a form tutor. It's the best part of my job. We have vertical tutoring though, with kids from each year group (7-11) in every form which works brilliantly
We have some structures and notices to give out and then we have some time to run our forms individually. We do quizzes and competitions and fundraising stuff. We had a party for the Eurovision Song Contest and looked at geographical and political connections (as well as dressed up and sang ) We had a party for Shakespeare's birthday - so much stuff.

Next year I'm going back to being a 6th form tutor only which I'm really looking forward to.
I guess it's what you make it!

I’m not worried about it

It’s something that has been the bane of my life all year though, and having to spend an hour with them on the last day was hard going.

Or do you honestly think a teacher with a different view to yours must be a kid?

I was in high school in the mid-late 90s and i remember them getting rid of the afternoon registration of 5 mins and going strate to the lesson after lunch.

They did this because students who had to go up to the 3rd floor for 5 mins afrer luncg registration weren't bothering (myself included) it wasn't worth it the bell would go by the time youde come in the building walked up 3 flights of stairs and into form room the bell would go to start lesson after lunch which would normally mean going back down 3 flights of stairs.

Or do you honestly think a teacher with a different view to yours must be a kid?

It's not your views OP. It's your turn of phrase.

Apologies then. The inference that I must be useless because I dislike registration and don’t see it as having a value or a purpose is irritating.

I think that lots of people have shared their perception of its value. It is what you make it and having one adult see you every day is important to young pupils, particularly those with safeguarding issues or SEN. Use it yo build relationships and get to know your pupils in an alternative setting. For now though, forget about it! It's the holidays!

I have great relationships with pupils, and I don’t need enforced reg for that

Well, as others have said, move to a different school where they don't do it then, or seek promotion to a level where you don't have a form.

Why post in AIBU if you’re going to refuse to accept any views other than your own?

No problems with that. Interesting to read how some of you love it.

Glad you don't have my child in your form. The only adult they see daily at school and you can't be arsed with them.

Don’t be ridiculous. I certainly have not said at any point I can’t be arsed with a child.

Getting,

I suppose my question is that you may have good relationships with certain pupils who you teach your subject to. The role of the form tutor is for EVERY child to have 1 adult they see every day, usually twice a day, with whom they have that good relationship - not a subject teacher they may only see a few times a week, if that.

Do you have a good relationship with every child in your form? are you confident that, if there was no registration time, every single one of those pupils would have a good relationship with a member of staff within the school, and would they have an opportunity to see that member of staff every day?

Also, certainly in my DC's school, the form tutor is the 1 adult every parent can contact at any time - for more trivial things that the head of house, and for a wider range of things than any individual subject teacher. So for example when we had a break-in that affected DD, I e-mailed the form tutor, who let all staff know and could speak to DD when she arrived at school.

I do. They are good kids, but I have nice relationships with all my classes who I see four times a week so just about every day.

In your 'no resgistration time, no form tutor, first lesson loses the time doing the full register instead' scenario, who do i contact on such an occasion? Do I hunt out her timetable,and e-mail the subject teachers for that day individually? Do I contact the head of house, who has much more serious things to deal with? Or contact the school reception, who don't know her from Adam?

I do genuinely prefer the model where I contact a single person, who knows DD well, and knows the appropriate in-school communication methods to alert others as needed.