School report

[parentonarant]

I received my child's school report today - she hasn't been back in school since 20th March. General report all fine. But to my amazement, we have been categorised in a separate section headed "engagement in home learning". We have been given "room for improvement", despite completing all but two pieces of work, and logging on daily to upload the set work, constant stream of positive encouraging feedback from her teacher and being set extra work in one area due to her doing so well with it. I am absolutely fuming, what on earth is the school thinking that this is fair, appropriate or helpful to grade us like this! My child is key stage 1 so couldn't have worked independently. Unfortunately I have juggled working from home and caring for a 2 year old at the same time as her school work. I did my absolute utmost with her home learning and now feel totally deflated. I'm furious with the school, think it's totally unfair and feel like this is an absolute kick in the teeth to parents who have done their absolute best in a really difficult situation.

I've already sent in an email to the school but am considering a formal complaint.

Well to be honest if you child is ks1, I would simply bin the report and forget all about it. They break up soon and will be back in school in Sep.

Well to be honest if you child is ks1, I would simply bin the report and forget all about it. They break up soon and will be back in school in Sep.

In the nicest possible way, get a grip. Its a Y1 school report. It wont affect her application to Oxford in 8 years' time. If you know you've tried your best, then thats fine. Dont, for gods sake, be one of THOSE parents by making a complaint about a school report!

I'm shocked that their reports are covering the time home schooling, it's not a level playing field at all. Some people haven't been able to do any school work with their KS1 children. How unfair!

I’d complain too. Does the teacher realise the massive mental health impact it has been to try and juggle work and homeschool. Who is the school marking, the parent or the child. Very poor.

The teacher probably just made a mistake and forgot to move the tick into the right box. Email the teacher/school to clarify.

I'd check there hasn't been a mistake on the report.

Well I agree with OP this would make me mad and it's a stupid thing to do
I would definitely let the school know

It's probably just a mistake. It sounds like you have put in an epic effort and made a sterling job of home school. I'd be feeling a bit miffed too but you'll have to brush it off.

That's ridiculous!

Mine is in reception and we've had her a school report back as well, with an accompanying letter explaining that it covered the period before lockdown, and that they'd catch everyone up after the Summer so not to worry. They had a couple of things to work on (check writing for capital letters and full stops in DD's case!) and a request to keep reading every day if possible, and that was it.

I'd be very put out to have my home-schooling efforts graded (although I wouldn't make a formal complaint)

Sounds very unfair to me, and I would probably feel like you and want to offer 'feedback' to the school about this, in a measured way. We were under no obligation as parents to even engage with home learning, seeing as we aren't employed by the school.

I wouldn’t let it stress me out; she won’t understand what it means any way

@funnylittlefloozie why is there always one? Helpful, thanks!! 👍🏻

There’s ways you can go about things without “making an official complaint”.

Have a friendly chat with the teacher - tell them you were really pleased with XYZ comments but a bit confused about the home learning grade because you felt like you’ve done lots of the work. You will likely find it’s a mistake, and if not can gently make your point without it being a big conflict.

Personally, as a teacher, I wouldn’t have wanted to grade my class like this because they all have wildly different home lives - but they have so if you’re upset by it, ask for a chat.

@BovvyDazz

I’d complain too. Does the teacher realise the massive mental health impact it has been to try and juggle work and homeschool. Who is the school marking, the parent or the child. Very poor.

Please remember it won’t have come from the teacher, but from the headteacher. The teacher is a human too who has possibly been juggling work/childcare etc too and potentially made a mistake on the report?

Why do we have to jump so aggressively on everything? Give her/him the benefit of the doubt and just have a normal chat.

ks1 or not no wonder you are mad because it’s basically a comment on you! That’s really out of order. You’d have to be pretty thick skinned to shrug that off nonchalantly. After months of school not having your child in, it’s pretty rich that they then pass judgement on your efforts at all.

It does seem to have the effect of pissing off a lot of parents for no good reason. I wonder who thought of that little addition to the school report?

I'd query it with school to see why they gave that mark, and what more they were expecting, but I wouldn't make a formal complaint.

I think that if you have been juggling wfh and a two year old then your daughter’s home ed work possibly lacks compared to some of her classmates, purely because of what is possible to get done. Certainly my DDs does because I was also looking after younger children and working. However, I don’t think having any section in the school report about it is really appropriate or helpful, although I would ignore it and not go down the formal complaint route - after all, can you honestly say your child is exactly where they would have bern academically if the lockdown hadn’t taken place? Some children are there or exceeding because their parents have been able to spend uninterrupted one on one time with them. It’s not fair but often reports work with a certain number in each category.

Yes it clearly about how you have done

I think it is very unfair to have it on the report

I think some may not understand a formal complaint - to clarify, it means a written complaint addressed to the head teacher at first level and if the complaint is about the actions of the head teacher then it must be written to the chair of governors. I'm not having a dig at the teacher, I am wondering what on earth the headteacher was thinking when they decided to do this.

@parentonarant

I think some may not understand a formal complaint - to clarify, it means a written complaint addressed to the head teacher at first level and if the complaint is about the actions of the head teacher then it must be written to the chair of governors. I'm not having a dig at the teacher, I am wondering what on earth the headteacher was thinking when they decided to do this.

I understand exactly what a formal complaint is and I still wouldn’t do one. A large part of your child’s academic year has been spent doing home schooling and if you have even juggling working from home and a younger child, I’d be very surprised if your child has reached the same standard that others in the class whose parents were able to give one one one throughout have.

The teacher either made a mistake and owes you a sincere apology, or he/she is an absolute arse.
I would write an email asking if they can share their secret of extending the day to at least 28 hours.

Wow.
It’s probably a typo.
Ask the teacher directly and stop trying to ruin their career with an arsey email.

@OhMyDarling if you read my post properly you would see my issue is that the school felt it was a good idea to do this in the first place. Not ruining any teachers career.