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.

I would be very disapointed by this. I think it only serves to reduce parents efforts too. No single adult who gives a shit, hasn't been trying their best throughout this pandemic. In some cases it means they have found an hour at the weekend to do a bit of learning because they are working full time in demanding jobs etc, in others its full schooling because they are furloughed or somewhere in between. None of these parents are going to get that comment and think" oh I had better try harder". They will give up!

@SunbathingDragon I'm not concerned about her levels. She is exceeding and tops groups across her learning. My issue is that the school felt the need to do this at all. Achieves nothing and just makes you feel inadequate

I wouldn't make a formal complaint but I would make my opinion on it known to the school and would ask them to explain in detail how they felt my home teaching 'required improvement'

I agree OP it is a stupid and pointless thing to add to a report. Likely to have a detrimental effects on future home schooling efforts! Plus it's really none of their business what has been going on at home. They should restrict the report to comments on the child's achievements or areas where further practice might be helpful.

I hear you op. I'm a teacher and we had to comment on online participation. I felt it was so unfair as I teach year one and the children couldn't do their work without a parent helping. Plus me and my husband were working from home too so I knew how crap it was trying to juggle everything. And that's me as someone with enough devices and only two chikdren.

Thankfully the education authority decided to not comment on lack of participation so we were toold to comment only on those who had participated.

Of course this was all down to your own judgement which meant what I saw as excellent engagement, a colleague teaching the sibling might have only thought it was satisfactory.

I really think it should not have been commented on at all.

I'd say it's probably likely due to the teacher ticking the wrong box or pasting the wrong comment in. I think you are absolutely right to comment to the principal about this.

I'm with you OP. Anyone who has battle wfh and childcare and teaching their child will get how fucking difficult and hideous it is.

In your shoes I'd be asking to understand this comment and would be telling them exactly how it is trying to do all the above.

Thanks @Sunnysidegold that makes me feel better. I'm not objecting to the "grade"
She / we were given (although I think it is unfair given that we completed every piece of work set, bar 2/3), it is the fact that the school did this at all that has upset me. I think it's wholly inappropriate.

@SnackSizeRaisin yes - our home schooling finished yesterday thankfully but if it hadn't, well nothing would have killed my motivation so much.

[quote parentonarant]@SunbathingDragon I'm not concerned about her levels. She is exceeding and tops groups across her learning. My issue is that the school felt the need to do this at all. Achieves nothing and just makes you feel inadequate [/quote]
Which is why I said I don’t think having any section in the school report about it is really appropriate or helpful 🤷🏻‍♀️

Prob a mistake. Have a casual chat with the teacher. I wouldn't make a formal complaint.

I think you’re right to complain that this shouldn’t be included in the report. Our school just did their reports up to lockdown as they made clear they couldn’t fairly comment on the home learning.

I’m a teacher with a Key Stage 1 child and younger child. I’ve had to juggle working in school and doing her home learning. I would be gutted by that report! Absolutely you should complain. That’s terrible.

"I am sorry that little narent didn't engage with the home education you provided to your satisfaction, I would gladly take my opportunity to discuss the school report to detail exactly what was so unengaging about your work that they did not so you can improve in the future."

I’d be livid too OP. At her age, her engagement with home learning is basically down to you. The school know this, so they’re essentially ticking you off. As someone who also tried to work while home educating, and found it crushingly difficult, I would be furious with anyone who criticised my efforts.

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

I wonder how many only children there are with a non-working parent? I'm not saying they don't exist, but I would have thought they were few and far between.

@Mintychoc1 thank you, this has upset me far more than I thought. The time and energy and effort we have put in since March, we've never once sacked off even though I've really wanted to, through the sheer hell of working from home and home learning. I didn't mention in my first post that I also had (minor) emergency surgery halfway into the homeschooling. Still we kept going and didn't sack off. I really feel we gave it absolutely everything we had, and I am amazed that the school had passed judgement in this way.

That would really piss me off OP.

I haven't even looked at my 2 ds's work because I've been working like a dog myself!!

That would really piss me off OP.

I haven't even looked at my 2 ds's work because I've been working like a dog myself!!

That would really piss me off OP.

I haven't even looked at my 2 ds's work because I've been working like a dog myself!!

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 think posters do know what a formal complaint is and just think you're massively overreacting to a situation that does need raising, but doesn't need a formal complaint.

Going straight to a formal complaint isn't going to make people sit up and think 'wow they mean business'. It will make them think 'that's someone to keep an eye on, doesn't even bother to raise concerns before trying to throw their weight around'.

Ok. Please calm down everyone.

First, do not think that the format or appropriacy of the report is solely down to the individual teacher, so whoever is suggesting that the teacher is an arse needs to take that back.

The teacher will have been required to write the report to a certain format that would have been drawn up by the senior managers and approved by the governors.

Also, when lockdown started (assuming you are a school on England) schools were told by the government that the National Curriculum was suspended and also, the obligation to report and assess work.

Ok. Please calm down everyone

Oh, give over. How patronising.

However, this changed at May half term. Schools were then told they WERE obliged to send reports ho e, with many teachers uncomfortable with this due to the vagaries of home learning.