To ask how much support your KS2 children are getting from school?

[concernedforthefuture]

DCs are yrs 3 & 5 (age 8 & 10). Since the beginning of lockdown, work has been sent weekly from school in the format of a series of links to where we can download various worksheets and watch online videos (all of which are available to the public such as Twinkl / White Rose Maths / BBC Bitesize, rather than something the teacher has produced). These are not to be returned for marking, there is no supplementary online teaching by their class teachers (either live or pre-recorded videos) and no real contact from the school apart from a weekly email to remind us to visit the class pages on the school website to see this week's recommended learning links.
I was more than happy with this for the first few weeks but with a real chance that they might not return to school this term, I'm really feeling that our children are being let down by not really getting an education at the moment. They're bored of the work - each day is quite different to the day before in terms of content and there's no obvious progression from one week to the next. Not having any feedback is leaving them wondering why they should bother at all and it's getting difficult to motivate them. We do other stuff too, but I do worry for the children whose parents aren't able to offer anything extra.

I wonder how this compares to others' experiences? Are all families just being left to get on with it ? I see a lot of posts about online teaching and class zoom meetings (with the teacher). I just don't understand what the teachers are doing. It's a big school (450+ pupils) and most days they only have around 10-15 key worker children so they can't all be in school everyday. To be clear, I'm not expecting online school from 9-3 for 5 days a week, but a few lessons a week tailored to the class would be welcome, together with some kind of interaction between the teachers and pupils to see how they're doing.
If it makes a difference, the (state) school is currently rated Outstandjng by Ofsted.

@concernedforthefuture

I've been saying that to DH for a while: why are they making teachers all across the country reinvent the wheel?

What a waste of time and energy.

This isn't a teacher bashing thread. It's highlighting the stark contrasts in what one year 3 child is getting compared to another at a different school.

That is likely due to a management decision. We are months into this now and our school (fantastic teachers and head) are sending us links to bbc bitesize and twinkl. They did do a VE Day video on YouTube but that is the only time we've seen them at all.

The neighbouring school has daily online content. Videos of teachers reading stories for the little ones to phonics and then science experiments etc for the older ones.

There is a huge difference in the impact on the kids. My friends children feel content and happy that they've still seen and heard and interacted with their teacher. Mine are missing theirs and have no way of interacting with them

I agree that people wanting schools to reopen is possibly linked to their school failing to provide enough for children. I would like my DC back in as the school has been so poor during this, and yet I can imagine the management will be amongst those who are very against the idea. The school has a very low number of FSM and SEN pupils. I thought this was an interesting view from an academy trust:

[[BBC News - Coronavirus: Unions demand assurances over 1 June school plan
www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-52669441]]

There are going to be real issues from Junr 1st if parents aren't happy with provision now. I teach one of the year groups that is not returning to school. However I've been told that I will be expected to be in school working normal hours, presumably either to facilitate splitting of the classes that are coming in, to maintain provision for key worker children once the year R/1/6 teachers are off the rota or to cover staff that are unable to work. It is likely I may have to teach at another school in our trust where lots of the staff are currently not working in school due to health issues, which I'm not too happy about as I don't know the children.

I currently provide a lot of content for my class at home with videos/explanations, marking work online etc as well as making pastoral calls weekly. There's no way I can keep up with all that if I'm in teaching another class every day.

"I currently provide a lot of content for my class at home with videos/explanations, marking work online etc as well as making pastoral calls weekly"

Yes dippy and clearly that will have to change. But the parents that aren't overly impressed aren't receiving this are they? (I'm not unhappy just surprised at the lack of interaction from our otherwise excellent school)

There is a mumsnet web chat today at 2:15 with Vicky Ford, MP for children. Hopefully she'll be able to answer some questions on this.

That's not my point crustycrab. My point is that even parents more parents are likely to become dissatisfied with provision when the teachers that are currently providing a good level are no longer able to because they are teaching a class all day.

even more parents that should say

I am a teacher. I set work for the subjects I teach on google classroom. For core subjects, I set a task for all and an extension task which is optional twice a week. Children hand it in online and I look at what they have done and send back a comment on their efforts every single time. Unfortunately, many children are not doing the work despite assuring me they have access etc etc. I also provide answers wherever I can so that those who prefer to print it out and do it on paper can if they want to mark their own work. Many parents are happy with these arrangements; some think there is too much work; some think that there isn't enough. You really cannot please everyone! I find this constant moaning about teachers very depressing. I have had bad experiences with dentists, doctors, carers, shop workers etc etc but I don't assume they are all the same and therefore slag off the whole profession.

This isn't constant moaning about teachers! I've no doubt at all that my children's teachers would like to be more personal in their approach. Not one of the teachers at school have an online presence so it must be a local decision. The reasoning hasn't been conveyed to the parents.

Dippy my point is that your point isn't relevant to most who appear unhappy on this thread. Your pupils have had up to 10 weeks of input from their teacher. Ours have had whatever the parents managed to muster up.

My DS has work set each day, an English task, Maths task and a topic e.g. Geography, Art, Music etc. He always finishes by lunchtime so he has the afternoon free. We get a brief comment from his teacher, she marks the work ready for the next day so she's obviously putting the hours in. My worry is that whilst this is keeping his brain ticking over, its not really challenging him, he's a bright boy but needs support to keep motivated right now. There's no perfect answer of course, I'm just pleased his school is setting some work for him.

It’s not the teachers. The provision from our school is due to the heads decision she is a good head but very cautious and obsessed with safeguarding which is good on one level but she has prioritised practically helping a few disadvantaged families over education for the majority - blaming individual teachers for lack of education is futile and unfair. Frankly I disagree with the heads approach disadvantaged kids will fall further behind as likely they don’t have supportive educated time rich parents to help them.

I agree, it isn't the teachers. I wonder if our head is investing everything into those vulnerable children.

I'm "time rich and educated" as you put it but I'm a shocking teacher

I am excellent if you want to learn history or English otherwise kids stuffed

Many parents at our school are dissatisfied as we just get links to Whiterose maths and Pobble each day and a weekly Learning Project guide that they have copied from an educational site and passed off as their own. They are fab sites but we hoped for a little more interaction from the actual teachers. I am normally highly supportive of the school but their provision since lockdown has definitely changed my feelings.

My Y4 son is getting almost nothing. Same for his step brother in same year at a different school. A work sheet or two that takes them 15 mins max to complete and that's the most they get a day, sometimes nothing. They haven't heard their teachers voices once since lockdown.

It's really gettng them down. They are both very bright boys who love traditional academic learning. We are trying to do some teaching but we have very busy full time jobs of their own.

Meanwhile my friends children in private school are getting proper teaching on all subjects. I don't know why there isn't a massive outcry about how much the educational gap will be widening.

All the extra curricular activities (dance, drama, singing, cubs) are still taking place on zoom etc so I don't know why we haven't had anything remotely resembling teaching from school yet.

On a societal level I am furious at the widening of the educational gap between state and private.

On and individual level I am furious for my son who hasn't heard a peep from his teacher and whose mental health is being affected by the lack of actual teaching (he loves school, or rather lessons, he used to come home buzzing about what he had learnt)

So if you are one of the teachers who are properly delivering education still this isn't aimed at you, clearly! But something has gone badly wrong and it isn't sustainable to allow this to continue.

I don't think it's any individual teacher. I think it's a management level decision as to each schools approach.

Both my kids teachers would definitely do online lessons or just a catch up and they haven't. Great teachers, the kids are missing them

@Tellmetruth4 they have! It’s called Oak National Academy and it’s brilliant! But grossly under publicised.

@CoronalsComing do you think the lack of publicity is intentional? Almost a soft opening? At the moment schools are in charge of their pupils learning; however, if children go back in June a lot of teachers will be back in school full time and unable to teach children who remain at home and/or if kids are on rota. Is that when the Oak National Academy will be publicised more? If your child is at home you will be told to use the Oak National Academy?

Oak national academy is ok but it is not the same as a proper lesson and I don't think any teacher should argue it is (otherwise they are rather destroying the profession). My son finds it ok but actually he loves learning and even he is losing motivation without feedback and interaction.

We have had no contact. I have 2 in yr 2 and one in year6. . Year group puts a task on fb each day - which is very light and that is it. Thank goodness for the oak academy. I suggested to the head a couple of weeks ago that a recorded message would be nice for the kids from their teachers and this is coming next week apparently.
The head has said in the weekly newsletter that further contact snd work being set isn’t possible as each teacher is working 1 day a week in school looking after key workers children and 4 days per week working from home - planning . It is like the kids have been forgotten about to be honest

‘Planning’ for what, Clockers?!?

This is the same sort of crap we are getting from our primary. Along with the odd note going that we are “safe and well, as that’s all that matters at the moment”.

So pathetic, and disappointing in the extreme.

Never have I wished more to be able to afford private school

@chocolatecard

Our private school has been woeful to be honest, Cash down the drain, hardly any lessons online and just a load of unmonitored projects.

Mawbags that is really bad. I'd be complaining and looking around for another school. Ours has been almost perfect. Dd prefers it to normal school!