To think I shouldn’t have to justify why I don’t want my son to do (extra curricular) booster classes.

[babycatcher411]

My son is in Year 6, with the ever looming SATs approaching. He is a high achiever and at the last parents evening his teachers expressed no concerns about his academic ability (just that he is somewhat distractible at times).

At the beginning of the year, a letter came out to say that booster classes would be ran once a week for all the children. 1hour a week after school.

I was not hugely keen for DS to do the booster classes, I do not feel that at 11 they need added stress, ultimately for exams that have very little long term meaning or benefit for my son as an individual. However my son decided he wanted to do them as he wanted to achieve a little higher than he currently was doing (I think predominately to compete with his friends), and as it was self motivated, I was happy for him to do them.
He has now decided that they are boring and he doesn’t actually feel he is learning from them.

I’m quite happy to let him come home on time and miss the booster classes, which a couple of other children do already.
He does some extra learning at home, as suits us/feels necessary/as he wishes.

He has come home from school today, so say that his teacher has told him he (and all others not attending) needs to explain to her by next session why he is not attending.

AIBU to think that he/I shouldn’t have to justify why he is not staying back for extra tuition/extra curricular learning? Am I unreasonable to think that surely he should be being taught sufficiently in school to be able to sit the exams to his ability? I can understand if he was a struggling student, but he is competent and happy, and I do not wish to force a pressure on him so he can possibly achieve a little higher in the exams.

I think you are overreacting. If you have signed a piece of paper to say your child will be at X at whatever time and then they don't come, the teacher must ask why!

Maybe they want to offer you a more suitable time? A more suitable activity? Or just be able to give the head an honest answer to why the child isn't there. Also, the child won't explode in flames if the teacher asks you to please send a note.

So you told your son to tell the teacher, but he might have forgotten. You didn’t inform her yourself, you asked him to do it. Yet you’re unhappy that she asked him why he isn’t going. Surely that’s double standards!
You have one teacher to inform, and she has a number of pupils. Asking the children to ask their parents to clarify why they aren’t coming is sensible.

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend

They won’t have any baring on his level at secondary school, they get “retested “ again in Y7 anyway

Unfortunately tha's not correct. They may get retested this depends on the school but most schools (and ofsted) use a formula now which takes the students SATs result and uses it to make a prediction for GCSE. This means that the school will use this as a target throughout their secondary school life. Some schools set based on this, many offer support for your child to reach the target level but not bother beyond that. If your child has a low target it may affect their chances of getting the support they need to acheive a 4/5. It completely depends on the secondary school but schools are judged on whether their year 11 students meet their targets.

I would just send a note saying he won't be attending. Nothing else will happen about it.

What’s the issue with him just telling her why he doesn’t want to? It could be valuable feedback for them. I don’t think it’s worth getting on a high horse about.