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.

I work with a dyslexic colleague (primary school teacher) and her dyslexia means she does not know which word to choose when spellcheck suggests alternatives.

Which is why you use software that reads homonyms, or a dictionary (online or electronic spelling dictionary).

@DalzielandPaxo

Am I an arsehole? I don’t think dyslexia is a defence. If you cannot spell and your professional responsibility is teaching kids literacy, surely you’re in the wrong job? Or at the very least, you should have a level of support that means your dyslexia is masked and does not make it into official school correspondence.

My brother pulled his kids out of a school because the teacher’s literacy was an embarrassment and he couldn’t trust them to effectively teach what they didn’t appear to know.

I agree with you here. I'm all for equality and making reasonable adaptations, but there are some jobs you simply cannot do properly with certain disabilities. DH is dyslexic so I'm aware of the condition and how it has affected his working life. In any job it's a challenge, but a job where it was his responsibility to teach others how to spell and use proper grammar would be impossible for him. Technology helps to a degree, but not really for spelling as he simply wouldn't know which correction to select in a spellcheck scenario. I expect our children's teachers to have an excellent standard of literacy to be able to teach them SPaG correctly, as would DH. In fact, one if the reasons I removed my children from their previous primary school was because most teachers, including the head, made frequent spelling and grammar mistakes in communication home and also in notes made in my children's workbooks. OP - yes, you do need to raise this.

@LolaSmiles

How do you know they're an NQT? It's not information that any of my schools have shared with parents.

If you know for sure they're an NQT then you could leave a message at the office to be passed onto their NQT mentor. That's what I would do rather than going to senior leadership as it gives them a way to make corrections without getting the big guys in.

If there's a phase lead then that would be my personal choice, but then my overall approach is to pass concerns to the first appropriate port of call and work upwards if there's no resolution.

Why do people make you justify every single word on here?

Because in one of the pieces of correspondence we got, she tells us “I am very excited to be in my first year teaching. I qualified at XXX and ...”

Why do people make you justify every single word on here?
It's not a case of making you justify everything.
Just in many situations the NQT status isn't shared and often people can assume someone is an NQT when they're not and whether someone is an NQT or not can affect the advice given (hence why I gave 2 suggestions based on whether the NQT status was confirmed or not).

Heaven forbid anyone ever asked for clarification to give useful advice.

I would suspect she is dyslexic. I wouldn't worry, especially at four. They're only learning to write their own names.... not learning the English dictionary.

Probably worth pointing out that 'proofreading' is all one word . . .

@FOKKYFC,
Quite. There are many many more too, but that would be churlish...

I was also curious OP as to the relevance of the NQT comment tbh. Especially as it's so often used on here (and has been for years) as a prelude to what a terrible teacher the OP's child has unfortunately been given.

Well, the point is that the NQT year can be tough and I have no desire to make it tougher.

@madcow88

I would suspect she is dyslexic. I wouldn't worry, especially at four. They're only learning to write their own names.... not learning the English dictionary.

Simply not true. By the end of Reception the expectation is that some children at least will be writing sentences. It is vitally important that these first steps into literacy be secure and properly taught.

I would be straight up at the head’s office first thing this morning.

I would definitely raise it. My school has a policy that any letters home have to be sent to be approved (mainly for proof reading purposes). I exchange emails with parents regularly but will always meticulously check them before pressing send, I would have thought it would be standard procedure for most people.

I have voted yabu not because I think it is acceptable for letters to go out with spelling mistakes. I have voted YABU for 2 reasons 1 you are adamant they are written by her. Unless she has specially written i have written this on each note you can not know this. They might be signed by her but could be written by others. (She should proof read yes)
However my biggest YABU is you are reluctant to speak with her. Why? You don't need to go in all guns ablazing simply say. I have noticed a few spelling mistakes in the communication home and feel I wish to bring it to your attention so it doesn't continue.

Then she can deal with it. If you go directly to head you are not giving her a chance yo correct the issue and IMO are damaging the relationship you have with her

also yes the NQT year is tough I have a dd who is currently going through her NQT year she arrived home in tears last night as she felt so overwhelmed. Thia is with good support in the school.

So why make it harder by taking it to her boss? Can you imagine how she will feel?

Just to stick up for NQT's. My youngest had one in his Reception year two years ago and she was absolutely incredible. So passionate, warm, empathetic and did her absolute best at all times. I couldn't have asked for a better first teacher for him and told her on many occasions.

FGS nothing to do with NQTs.

It's to do with people who are not up to scratch. And what you describe very much isn't.

Yes I would be going to the head, with the correspondence, and ask who is going to be teaching the kids literacy because she isn't capable of doing so.

FGS nothing to do with NQTs
I disagree.

If I knew for certain that my child had an NQT and I had an issue like this then I'd call school and ask to talk to their mentor in confidence. The mentor can then raise it in the mentor meetings and if the NQT has dyslexia then they can discuss appropriate strategies to ensure literacy is to a good standard (including parental communications), if the NQT is lazy or slapdash then their mentor can deal with it as part of their induction, and if the NQT is making mistakes in parental communications because they're feeling really overwhelmed at the start of the year (remember NQTs this year didn't have a full year of placements) then their mentor can help them prioritise and manage workload so they aren't sending things out that are sloppy and full of errors.

If they aren't an NQT then I wouldn't take that approach as they don't have a mentor, but I would speak to the key stage leader.

Then again, I don't like the 'go straight to the head' approach that is frequently advocated on Mumsnet as most of the time the head isn't the most appropriate person to speak to.

It really depends on the size of the school. At smaller rural schools, it would be just teachers and headteacher.
At larger schools, there may well be another level in between to coordinate several classes of the same ages/year groups.
In a way, being an NQT is important, as it could help her before she qualifies and gets into bad habits.
I definitely wouldn't bring it up directly with her as it could be embarrassing or cause problems with their relationship with your child or you. Leave it to their superior to address it in an appropriate fashion and to offer the correct support needed.

*also yes the NQT year is tough I have a dd who is currently going through her NQT year she arrived home in tears last night as she felt so overwhelmed. Thia is with good support in the school.

So why make it harder by taking it to her boss? Can you imagine how she will feel?*

I'm sorry for your daughter but this is about the basics that NQTs are employed to teach. Feeling overwhelmed shouldn't impact basic skills

I would raise it but in an envelope marked for the attention of her KS leader without your name on it and I wouldn’t ever speak of it with other parents. If it persists or you find other teaching staff with poor levels of literacy, move schools.

I speak from bitter experience. Don’t draw attention to yourself, only the issue.

The safest of safe pairs of hands should be in EY, Reception and Y6 really.

Enko I have said at least three times now it is written by her

It says things like “I am Miss X. I have ... I am ...” I am not a fucking imbecile.

What is the point of talking to someone? I don’t imagine she is making these mistakes on purpose. Therefore I can only assume she doesn’t know. I am not the right person to have that discussion with her.

@bakedtomato
You can feel there is a lot of weight on your shoulders without it impacts your ability to teach in dd1s case her experienced ta said she had no idea dd had a wobbly day.

In op case this is her child's teacher and instead of communicating with her op wants to go over her head. That will make it much harder. So talk to teacher nqt or not and then. See if it changes only if it doesn't change is it the time to take it to the head.

@primaryworries

Why are you so against having that simple conversation? I have noticed there are some spelling mistakes in the communication going home. Can I suggest they get proof read before going out in the future..

I suspect your reasoning is you will feel embarrassed to tackle it head on so taking it to her boss seems easier for you. Sadly it will not make for an easier communication with teacher l. However go ahead and do it your way as that clearly is what you want to be told.

I agree that your relationship would become more strained with the teacher if you go strident above their head to their top boss.

Mention it politely to teacher, if it continues then reassess.

[quote Enko]@primaryworries

Why are you so against having that simple conversation? I have noticed there are some spelling mistakes in the communication going home. Can I suggest they get proof read before going out in the future..

I suspect your reasoning is you will feel embarrassed to tackle it head on so taking it to her boss seems easier for you. Sadly it will not make for an easier communication with teacher l. However go ahead and do it your way as that clearly is what you want to be told.[/quote]
That is a conversation for the teacher and their superior, not a teacher and parent. It is not her place to suggest anything! Imagine if you worked in a shop, and a customer told you that your maths needed work and to use a calculator in future. (Just an example!) it is not the customer's place - they would speak to management about any issues.

I wanted advice on whether to bother raising it at all, not who to raise it with. You can get shirty all you want but that’s clearly what my AIBU is.