To raise this with headteacher?

[primaryworries]

DS(4) has started in reception and seems happy. Part of me thinks that’s the main thing.

His teacher is an NQT. Her literacy levels are to be blunt here probably the poorest I’ve come across in an adult. We’ve had “defanately” “alot” “were/where” “redding” and “lissening skills”.

I don’t want to be that parent but I can’t pretend I’m not concerned.

Is she hand writing these notes or are they typed? Either way it is bad and I agree you should ping the Head a polite email raising it.

The notes are typed - not sure why that makes a difference.

Raise it with the head. I had to do this in Y5 as my daughter was bringing home a list of spellings which were spelled wrong.
I didn't want her to get a rubbish mark in spelling just because her teacher or maybe TA couldn't spell.
Anyway after I raised it the spellings came home right so it's worth mentioning.

@primaryworries

The notes are typed - not sure why that makes a difference.

Because if they're typed then I agree with PP's that there are no excuses as she could've used a spell checker. It's bad she's not proof reading things that are being printed and sent home.

@DetectiveRandySomething

She will have had to take a literacy test to be accepted on her course.

Not anymore sta.education.gov.uk/

It’s even worse it’s typed. There are three examples in your OP that aren’t even words, so would either have the red squiggle or be autocorrected. How do you ignore either?

I would raise with the head yes. I think that’s really really poor.

I would raise this directly with the headteacher. It has potential impact to the teacher's reputation and needs clearing up quickly. The head will know how to raise it with the teacher.

I work in Education and I think the headteacher is the right person to raise it with. You are doing it for all the right reasons.

@ineedaholidaynow

I sit on teacher/support staff interview panels, we often get them to do a written task

I suspect my current place had made their mind up about me before I even came to interview on the basis of my writing. The task consisted of 'Look at the timetable provided. What lesson does Fred have next?' with a picture of a clockface and a combined comprehension and creative writing exercise to write a reply to an angry parent.

Ten minutes before I had the face-to-face meeting/interview, I was being introduced as 'Mitz, she's joining us in September'.

I'd definitely contact the Head about this with the spelling and grammatical errors highlighted.

How is it even possible to have such poor spelling on a typed note?

Oh. That's not great. Thank you.

Sorry - that was to @FatGirlShrinking re the skills tests.
I've got a feeling that they may have removed the A-C science GCSE too.

I wouldn't be able to not bring this up!
YANBU.

Is it the NQT corresponding with you, not a TA for example?

I'm a TA, with better spelling and grammar than most of the teachers I know.

YANBU.

Oh reception is such an important year. The phonics seed is planted and this is the year when kids properly embark on reading and writing&

As far as I am aware countries with early start systems have higher rates of dyslexia as we push children before they are ready. Even in the UK, a child would not be expected to do this in Scotland. School doesn't start to p1 and it is a play based year now.

She would also need a Grade A-C in GCSE English, Maths and a Science subject&

A C grade in English is a pretty low standard though, isn't it?

TBH this thread is making me think that the reason our kids do so badly educationally, is not just our ridiculous early start, high pressure system, but also the fact that our teachers are just not as well trained or high quality as in some other countries. Finland is often given as a example of excellence - excellent performance, shorter school week ( I think about 20 hours), later start age, hardly any homework - totally different philosophy about the purpose of education ( to learn what makes you happy), no standardised tests, instead the government sees its job as giving schools research evidence that they can use to improve performance. But they also have very high quality teachers, they train for very many years, its very hard to get on a training course to be a teacher, its a high status profession and only a small percentage of applicants are accepted. They have a better system but they also have better teachers.

@eatsleepread

Is it the NQT corresponding with you, not a TA for example?

I'm a TA, with better spelling and grammar than most of the teachers I know.

I was a primary TA for 12 years prior to qualifying. I have an MA in English literature.

@primaryworries Go to the Phase Leader - I am one funnily enough and we are the first step before the head. We are also the person who would be dealing with the said teacher after a complaint such as this. The teacher may have dyslexia so try not to be too derogatory as schools have to have equal opportunities policies too. However, her Phase Leader should be checking her correspondence if this is the case.

@greyblackred

Oh reception is such an important year. The phonics seed is planted and this is the year when kids properly embark on reading and writing&

As far as I am aware countries with early start systems have higher rates of dyslexia as we push children before they are ready. Even in the UK, a child would not be expected to do this in Scotland. School doesn't start to p1 and it is a play based year now.

She would also need a Grade A-C in GCSE English, Maths and a Science subject&

A C grade in English is a pretty low standard though, isn't it?

TBH this thread is making me think that the reason our kids do so badly educationally, is not just our ridiculous early start, high pressure system, but also the fact that our teachers are just not as well trained or high quality as in some other countries. Finland is often given as a example of excellence - excellent performance, shorter school week ( I think about 20 hours), later start age, hardly any homework - totally different philosophy about the purpose of education ( to learn what makes you happy), no standardised tests, instead the government sees its job as giving schools research evidence that they can use to improve performance. But they also have very high quality teachers, they train for very many years, its very hard to get on a training course to be a teacher, its a high status profession and only a small percentage of applicants are accepted. They have a better system but they also have better teachers.

I completely agree with you. We need to have high quality teachers, and to get that, we need improve their pay and increase the recognition we give them. It baffles me why more money isn't put into education - a simplistic view, but surely better educated children surely makes for a better workforce which makes for a better economy and therefore a better county?

@GroupSects

I work in a school and some of the support staff’s literacy skills are shocking. Mistakes along the lines of- Would of, should of etc, alot, random apostrophes in plurals, alway’s. One is training to be a teacher, I don’t understand how she got on the course. I think all school staff should have to have a basic maths and English test before they’re given the job.

I haven't been retired that long, but I was the 'Go To' for the use of the apostrophe and general grammar for many of the teachers.

I never understand how anyone can make spelling mistakes these days when typing out letters, dyslexia or otherwise. Pretty much every program that allows you to compose a letter also has a spell check function. Even the phone I'm typing this post on has autocorrect enabled.

Use of the wrong homophone like too/to, there/their etc I can understand being missed occasionally - the wrong word is still a word so wouldnt flag on a spell check and everyone misses the odd typo now and again. Blatantly wrong spellings are less forgivable as even the most basic spell check should pick them up.

Additionally, when I taught in a school any letters that were to be sent out on the school letter head had to be signed off by your line manager at the very least, then it was sent to the office to be printed by the admin staff (who would also proof read it before printing the required amount of copies).

It certainly needs to be addressed. It takes me back to a time where my stepson was upset because his spelling of 'definitely' had been marked wrong, and corrected with 'definately', and he had been threatened with detention for questioning the mark.

Nobody can spell every word right every time, but double checking in the context of letters home and children's work is essential!

@LindaEllen Absolutely! If I’m marking work and there’s a word I know is spelt wrong but I’m not 100% sure of the spelling myself I look it up in the dictionary. Nothing more mortifying than correcting it and then also spelling it wrong!

Thank you, will have a read

Oops wrong thread

As a current NQT, definitely raise this with the Headteacher. If they're an NQT now they would have been in the last year to do the skills tests for Maths and English. Also I think it's worth noting that teacher training courses were massively disrupted by COVID 19. It obviously depends on the provider but I lost my main placement which was Easter to July full time. Whilst we did have to plan hypothetical lessons and did a lot more work on the theory over Zoom it was only about 8 hours a week compared to what would have been 12 hour days on placement. I thankfully teach the same year I had on my first placement but I had a 7 month gap in teaching from February-September.