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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To say no to school over revision sessions

68 replies

TravellingSpoon · 20/09/2019 18:26

DD is in year 6. Came home tonight with a slip about after school tutor session that she has been given. It's on the night that she does art club and has done for 5+ years. She is distraught because they asked her to pick days that she could do, she put down Monday and Tuesday (couldn't pick Friday) and they have given her Wednesday.

Called the school and they can't change it. Letter says that children are expected to attend and basically guilt trips parents into believing that your child's whole life is going to be ruined if they don't attend.

Dd is doing well. This is coaching that all children receive after school, DD's is for maths where she is doing fine. She hasn't been asked to attend for literacy.

AIBU to tell them that she isn't going to be going? I could understand if it was her GCSE exams but this is primary school.

OP posts:
SalrycLuxx · 20/09/2019 18:28

Tell them she’s not going unless they change it to one of the nights she actually said she could do.

She has a prior, long standing engagement.

Parker231 · 20/09/2019 18:30

If she’s been at school all day she doesn’t need tutoring. She needs after school fun activities and some down time. Ignore it.

ALoadOfTwaddle · 20/09/2019 18:31

YANBU. Tell them she's not going unless they change the day. That's absurd.

Moltenpink · 20/09/2019 18:31

Primary!! Her art club that she enjoys is far more important.

happywifi99 · 20/09/2019 18:32

If it's unnecessary it's unnecessary. Plus if it's makes her miss her art club unnecessarily it'll make her miserable and probably not help her grades

HobbyIsCodeForDogging · 20/09/2019 18:32

Agree with @SalrycLuxx, only agree to it if it's on a day that suits. This is an opportunity to teach the school about a wonderful character trait of your daughter's - commitment. 5 years is a long time to stick with an activity, it should be commended not cancelled to pander to school!

checkeredredshorts · 20/09/2019 18:32

Yanbu

What if she had dance or karate or brownies or something already committed to outside of school!
They are being ridiculous.

Theendofmyrope · 20/09/2019 18:33

Teacher here.....no way. This whole Sats thing is totally out of control now. She should go to her club.

HugoSpritz · 20/09/2019 18:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Whatkatyforgottodo · 20/09/2019 18:36

Secondary school maths teacher here. Year 6 Sat’s results are not everything, her progress at secondary school up to her GCSEs will depend on how she does her tests within school. So do not make her miss an activity she enjoys to try to boost her maths grades. In the long run, they are really not important. Hope that helps!

BringOnTheScience · 20/09/2019 18:36

They can't make her attend at all, regardless of other prior commitments or not.

ChildminderMum · 20/09/2019 18:36

No chance. I won't do any extra stuff at home for SATS!

littleducks · 20/09/2019 18:38

DS was invited to a before school club (to push kids who were expected to do well into a highest marks bracket). I wrote a note saying he wouldn't be going and I was sure the school would continue to provide him with excellent teaching within school hours.

Don't think school was happy but he did well in SATs which were then ignored forevermore once started secondary.

Hoppinggreen · 20/09/2019 18:40

Is it for sats? I didn’t even want my dd doing extra revision for it, no way would either of my dc being doing extra sessions after school for them

TimeforanotherChange · 20/09/2019 18:42

I see you've rung the school and they can't change it. I would simply email to say, 'I'm writing to let you know that as DD already has prior commitments on a Wednesday she will be unable to attend. It's unfortunate that the revision sessions do not fall on one of the days she indicated she was available.'

viques · 20/09/2019 18:45

Revision sessions? It's only September, if there are areas of weakness in maths they should be revisiting them in class sessions.

LadyJaneGrey56 · 20/09/2019 18:47

Agree with the others, just no!! These are optional sessions. Make it clear that Monday/Tuesday are fine and you can either help her to do a little extra at home on these days or they can find space in the sessions. Wednesday is out and she won't be going. Stick to your guns.... the whole SATS drama is getting silly.

bridgetreilly · 20/09/2019 18:49

No, no, no, no, no. There is NO educational advantage for the children in this. It's all about the school looking good in the league tables and for Ofsted. Even if she didn't have a club that night, I still wouldn't let her go.

AChickenCalledDaal · 20/09/2019 18:50

Both my children have been through year 6 SATS. DD2 was the first year group to do the current tests and her school went nuts over it. But even they didn't have compulsory sessions out of school hours.

I would totally tell them she can't and won't be coming. And I wouldn't offer to swap to Mondays or Tuesdays.

Cohle · 20/09/2019 18:53

Christ, not for primary school.

Parker231 · 20/09/2019 18:54

Is it a failing school?

MrsKCastle · 20/09/2019 18:55

Just say no, she can't attend. Even if she was free that evening, I would be reluctant to agree to extra tutoring at primary school. They work hard enough during the school day in Y6.

PanamaPattie · 20/09/2019 18:55

Don't let your DD stop doing her art club. Tell the school she won't be attending. I wouldn't agree to any day of the week. The pressure on children for SATS is out of control.

PuffHuffle5 · 20/09/2019 18:58

Teacher here.....no way. This whole Sats thing is totally out of control now. She should go to her club.

Totally agree - I work in Year 6, we’ve barely even mentioned SATs ... It’s completely unnecessary.

GreenyEye · 20/09/2019 18:58

Tell them no.

I dont agree with the SATS.

I have made it quite clear that DD will not be attending any revision sessions, extra tutoring, nor doing ANY kind of homework relating to them.

SATS are banned in my house and outside of normal school hours. I've also told them she won't be doing any IN school ones during lunch break either.

Stand your ground.. They'll be under enough stress as it is, its important she keep going with Art Club.