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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU? Dentention for low score?

95 replies

ThrowAwayQP · 22/01/2019 08:13

Okay; I’m a long time lurker. Made this account to ask all you kind people to sound out this issue we and DH are having.

DD is in year 7. Yesterday we had a text from school saying that she had a detention for “inadequate progress”. DD has never been in trouble before, no issues at parents evening and we always make sure she does her homework so was a bit confused.

I asked her what happened when she got home, and she explained that her teacher set homework to revise for a short test in lesson. Apparently they needed to get a certain score in the test or they would get a dentention and she missed this score by two marks. She says there was another pupil in the class who got much lower but everyone else met the score; so she and this other boy were issued the detention.

It didn’t seem fair to me to set a detention for a score on a test so I rang the school to enquire and to be fair the class teacher emailed me within about half an hour.

The teacher said, and I’m quoting here; “It’s not a dentention per se, but a mandatory revision session that I’ll be running. It’ll be an opportunity for [DD] to have another look at what’s she’s struggling with in order to ensure she makes the progress she needs to to meet her target. If you are not happy with her to do it after school, considering her age and the dark nights we can arrange it for a lunchtime instead; but in line with the policy she will be attending at some point.”

I was actually happy with the response; since it looks like the teacher will actually be going back over lessons in this time and explained to DD it wasn’t a punishment but meant to help her.

DD is stil pretty upset by the whole thing tho; and when DH got home he still thought the school were being unreasonable in making the session compulsory for her.

So... what are your thoughts; people of mumsnet? Do I get back in touch with the school or no?

OP posts:
Lovestonap · 22/01/2019 08:18

I think, with that reframing it's OK. Child struggles with subject, teacher offers extra tuition time. A detention wouldn't have been appropriate but I think this is alright. Try and help your daughter see it as an opportunity.

ohreallyohreallyoh · 22/01/2019 08:20

Ask your DH what he's going to do if your daughter doesn't progress as expected. Who will pick up the slack? How will it be picked up? Will he be expecting her year 11 teachers to fill in those gaps for her?

TeenTimesTwo · 22/01/2019 08:20

I would say that's OK.
Say it is French. If you don't master the basics, you can't then build on it.

Suggest next time she has to learn for this subject (whatever it is) she gets you to test her. Also go over how she is trying to learn stuff to see if you can help her technique.

NicoleNoPants · 22/01/2019 08:22

I have not done it personally but I find setting revision as homework very woolly.

Was the text automated OP? The teacher should’ve called you and had a 1:1 conversation.

Waveysnail · 22/01/2019 08:22

That's fine. Extra support. I would have problems if the entire class knew dd score. It needed to be handled with a bit of sensitivity

PrincessButtockUp · 22/01/2019 08:23

I'd be trying to frame this particular session as an opportunity for DD, if she is genuinely in need of extra support. But I'd want the teacher to be helping her understand how she can perform better on tests generally as well as subject matter knowledge. That will stand her in good stead for avoiding this in future.

NailsNeedDoing · 22/01/2019 08:25

So what would your dh prefer to happen? Should the rest of the class be held back before they move on to the next subject so that your dd can have the extra time she needs, or would he prefer that she just moves onto the next thing with gaps in the knowledge that she should have so far?

If he doesn't want her to do any extra work, those are really the only two options. Personally, I'd be thankful that the teacher was prepared to give up their own time to help my child achieve their full potential.

Jackshouse · 22/01/2019 08:27

The teacher is giving up her own time unpaid to help your DD with a subject/topic she is struggling with. Intervention works much better in year 7 rather than getting to year 11 and students have to catch up on 5 years of work.

YY to asking DH if he does not want the qualified and experienced teacher to help your DD how he is going to help her with this issue instead.

GeorgeTheHippo · 22/01/2019 08:29

Completely normal, honestly.

Quartz2208 · 22/01/2019 08:30

She clearly needs it though if only 2 people did not reach and would she go if it were not mandatory

altiara · 22/01/2019 08:31

No I wouldn’t speak to the school again. DD needs to attend the extra help session and it will prepare her for future tests.
When my DD was in Y7, similar happened in French but wasn’t an after school detention. Bucked her ideas right up and she generally does quite well in her French tests now. The teacher also has targets eg if you get 40% you have to do xxx extra work, 50% xx extra work, 60% x extra work etc
If they don’t learn the basics they can’t progress. I think DD learnt ‘put enough effort in the first time’ otherwise you’ll regret it.

Aventurine · 22/01/2019 08:31

If she was set test revision as homework did she do the homework ie. Revise?
If she forgot it's because she didn't do the homework. If she did revise but still got a low score it sounds like the teacher giving up her time to help will benefit her.
This is normal in my dcs' school

Original poster
ThrowAwayQP · 22/01/2019 08:32

Thanks for replies;

DH said he didn’t have a problem with the session being offered; but has a problem with the way it was made compulsory and how it was framed as a punishment. I can see his point but don’t think it’s worth contacting school about.

DD is still a little upset about it as she still views it as her being in trouble; but I’m trying to bring her round. The whole class didn’t know her score as apparently (according to DD) they marked it themselves and the teacher went round later in the lesson to collect scores.

OP posts:
LadyGAgain · 22/01/2019 08:33

It's the framing, or perception that's wrong. The actual session - teacher gives kids additional input to keep them on track - is excellent. What a great school!

Original poster
ThrowAwayQP · 22/01/2019 08:34

She didn’t revise yes; she mentioned the test last week and made some revision notes at the weekend.

OP posts:
Original poster
ThrowAwayQP · 22/01/2019 08:34

*DID revise!

OP posts:
Aventurine · 22/01/2019 08:35

Ok. It sounds like she needs the extra help if she revised thoroughly and got a low score

Bluntness100 · 22/01/2019 08:38

This is the difference between what a teacher said and what a pupil heard. Lots of schools do this, if a pupil is failing in a certain subject they get extra revision sessions to help the child and they are mandatory. If she gets behind the rest of the class, she will simply get further and further behind, and it disturbs everyone's teaching as they will need to support her more.

How is your husband proposing to support her struggle in the subject if he objects to this, and quite frankly, why didn't he do it before.

Poloshot · 22/01/2019 08:40

Seems very reasonable.

brizzledrizzle · 22/01/2019 08:41

I'd be pleased that the school were making sessions like that available.

sirfredfredgeorge · 22/01/2019 08:42

The actual session - teacher gives kids additional input to keep them on track - is excellent. What a great school!

No, it's specifically punishing the stupid, a "great school" does not bring everyone up to some minimum level, they set appropriate individual goals, particularly they do no punish those who are struggling.

If you can't run round the PE field in under 5 minutes, you'll be back after running around it again, is exactly the same as this teacher was doing, but I don't think many would support that.

RiverTam · 22/01/2019 08:44

the session itself sounds fine but agree that the way it appears to have been framed as a punishment isn't great.

Are you concenred at your DD's lack of progress in this subject?

whatacrapusername2306 · 22/01/2019 08:45

this could actually be my childs school as they do exactly the same. if you get below a certain score on a test you get a ‘detention’ my child never misbehaves at school, so why they can’t call it extra studies or something and keep the real detentions separate. it is logged on her file as a detention too. its an odd rule, but i do agree if dd needs to bump up her score, then she must attend. must make the well behaved kids feel a bit crap though.

nellieellie · 22/01/2019 08:47

I’m with your DH on this. You received a text saying it was a detention. That would have sent a clear message to your DD that this was a punitive action. Only when you, rightly, queried did the teacher reframe to show it as a more constructive, rather than punitive measure.

I also think there is an issue generally with less able kids having to give up spare time This may be a one-off for your D.C., and that’s fine, but less able kids and those with learning difficulties already have to spend more time on homework, and coaching sessions, so to routinely remove break times or free time in evening as well is not really fair. As I say, if a one- off, fine.

DippyDuck123 · 22/01/2019 08:51

"It's not a detention per se"

No, I don't think it's ok- at least to call it a detention. It needs to be re-phrased. In my DCs school detentions of all type are put on their record. They are sanctioned at the end of term by being excluded from certain incentive trips. So no, not on.

However, I am not disagreeing the extra curricular revision class (why not name it that?) wouldn't be beneficial.

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