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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Comment on PE report

70 replies

ASpoolofBlueThread · 13/07/2021 15:16

DS (year7) has just got his school report. It's a very good report and is "working beyond" in almost all areas.

However, he's been given "Limited Progress Towards" in PE. It's not a big surprise as DS has an IEP in relation to motor skills (gross and fine) and core strength.

What has annoyed me is the comment on the report. It says under development points
"Participate in competitive sports and extra curricular activities". Due to the motor skills issues there are exceedingly slim opportunities for competitive sports, in fact, I couldn't find suitable, competitive football provision at all locally. I also don't think competitive sports are a necessary part of physical education and it's a rather old fashioned attitude. He does participate in dodgeball outside of school as the dodgeball club is very inclusive. He also runs a bit, but doesn't enjoy it and other opportunities have been quite limited due to the pandemic.

I have a highly driven DS who is quite hard on himself and will be more disappointed by the low PE score than he will be pleased with his success across core GCSE subjects.

WIBU to flag this to the school or should I just let it go?

OP posts:
FindingMeno · 13/07/2021 15:20

I would speak to the school, not in a combative way, but to explain his upset and ask if future comments could be as encouraging as possible to help his self confidence in that area.
Bless him. Hope he's OK Flowers

CarrieBlue · 13/07/2021 15:22

Let it go

Comedycook · 13/07/2021 15:22

I wouldn't give it more than a moment's thought. It's just a suggestion of something that you have already tried. I doubt they would have known that and I doubt they'll be following up to check on you. Just ignore it

Hankunamatata · 13/07/2021 15:23

It's probably just a stock phrase and its teacher advice not law

Tippexy · 13/07/2021 15:24

How would he even know about the comment?

Reports are for parents, not children.

Hankunamatata · 13/07/2021 15:24

On side note my dc adore disability yoga and have really improved core strength. Swimmjng iv found quite inclusive

TotorosCatBus · 13/07/2021 15:25

Let it go.
He can't have done much PE this year and it sounds like he's excelled in other subjects. Hardly anyone will have top grades for everything.

Hockeyboysmum · 13/07/2021 15:26

Id ignore. My ds is at primary school and a couple of years ago his report criticised him for not taking part in any of the after school sports clubs that occasionally ran - said he needed to take part in more extra curricular activities. He plays for a football team and trains 2/3 times a week, plays for an ice hockey team similarly and was also at the time doing swim lessons and drum lessons. Not sure how we'd have fit more in. I just laughed.

Dixiechickonhols · 13/07/2021 15:27

I'd flag to SENCO as it would irritate me - the PE teacher dosn't seem aware of his IEP or if he is be aware of the implications.
My DC has a physical disability. They seem to just leave her alone in PE.

Fiddliestofsticks · 13/07/2021 15:27

They could simple have said that he could try to find suitable sports to try outside of school, do something to increase physical activity etc.

My kid goes paddleboarding and surfing most weekends from april to october. His teachers dont see this. He also plays a contact sport in a team three times a week, but they dont do that sport in PE at school so the teacher's have not seen him play. In school they do football and hockey and basketball; the only one of those he enjoys is basketball so really, he doesnt enjoy PE too much but gets involved. His teacher's comment was that he really should try and join some sporting teams and gave some local football clubs as examples. I think they sometimes dont really think through what they're saying. My kid is very sporty, but he does not love football and the teacher seems to act as though boys bad at football must be bad at all sport and therefore, dont do sport outside of school. They just dont think.

Notimeforaname · 13/07/2021 15:28

It seems insensitive yes. But I imagine they have to fill in something. I would let it go.

Original poster
ASpoolofBlueThread · 13/07/2021 15:30

@Hankunamatata

On side note my dc adore disability yoga and have really improved core strength. Swimmjng iv found quite inclusive
Yoga is an interesting one - I might look into that. Swimming was a bust as he made so little progress he got disenchanted (although I did make him do it until the end of year 5 so he can swim).
OP posts:
knittingaddict · 13/07/2021 15:31

@Tippexy

How would he even know about the comment?

Reports are for parents, not children.

Your children never get to see their school reports? Personally I think that is very odd and you must be in a minority. I had to read my school reports to my parents and my children certainly read their own. That's completely normal, isn't it?
Fiddliestofsticks · 13/07/2021 15:33

@Tippexy

On the reports my kids get, there are two empty boxes on a sheet at the end. One is titled, "Comments/questions/concerns from parent/guardian" and the second is titled, "comments/questions/concerned from pupil".

We need to send that sheet back in. The kids are expected the read the report and give their comments on it.

VickyEadieofThigh · 13/07/2021 15:35

@Hockeyboysmum

Id ignore. My ds is at primary school and a couple of years ago his report criticised him for not taking part in any of the after school sports clubs that occasionally ran - said he needed to take part in more extra curricular activities. He plays for a football team and trains 2/3 times a week, plays for an ice hockey team similarly and was also at the time doing swim lessons and drum lessons. Not sure how we'd have fit more in. I just laughed.
I also suffered, as a child, from the PE teacher at secondary 'I don't really know this child' report. It similarly said I needed to do extra-curricular sport in my end of Y10 report.

I was in the school netball team for my first 3 years, before switching to the first 11 hockey team in Years 10 and 11. I also played for the school at basketball in Y11 (I was captain of that team) and tennis every summer for my first 5 years.

My mother found it hilarious - I was never indoors because I was always off playing sport!

GreenWhiteViolet · 13/07/2021 15:42

Let it go, and tell him it's just a generic comment and not personal.

I have a physical disability and used to get 'attend one of the after school sports clubs' as a target on my report every year. I did go, once in my first year, and discovered that the clubs were really for all the talented sporty girls who wanted to play on the school teams - that's how the teams were picked. Nothing wrong with that, but definitely not the place for me! I suspect they put that line on the report of everyone who didn't participate in any clubs, regardless of the reason.

thing47 · 13/07/2021 16:58

I would say the report was overstepping a bit, not all children want or are able to participate in competitive sport (my two did so no axe to grind here).

Probably not worth flagging tbh, but my reaction would be similar to yours, that competitive sport isn't a necessary part of physical education.

Ukholidaysaregreat · 13/07/2021 17:06

I would comment back on the report and highlight the physical issues your child has as the PE teacher should be aware of them. I would also add that you are looking for an inclusive sporty club to join and can the PE teacher run one after school?

Alonelonelyloner · 13/07/2021 17:10

Let it go. They had to write something. My DD is dyspraxic and is bloody awful at sports, but she still needs to do it and doesn't do great, but can see it as an 'only way out is through' scenario.

superduster · 13/07/2021 17:12

If its a secondary school report, particularly something with big groups like PE, they will be picking the most appropriate comment from a comment bank. I wouldn't worry about it.

Birkie248 · 13/07/2021 17:13

I would let it go, just shrug snd forget it. PE isn’t a core subject and I don’t understand why they should give you an objective to participate in extra curricular activities ... as let’s face it it’s actioning you as a parent to facilitate this isn’t it.

Birkie248 · 13/07/2021 17:15

@Birkie248

I would let it go, just shrug snd forget it. PE isn’t a core subject and I don’t understand why they should give you an objective to participate in extra curricular activities ... as let’s face it it’s actioning you as a parent to facilitate this isn’t it.
Should have added my DD is dyspraxic snd I CBA having the same conversation every year. She does what she can and that good enough for me.
sirfredfredgeorge · 13/07/2021 17:16

I would say the report was overstepping a bit, not all children want or are able to participate in competitive sport

But not all children want or are able to participate in maths, but a report still gives the expectations, PE has expectations the same, and it doesn't sound like the pupil is meeting them, of course it's harder for some people to meet expectations, but then it's harder for people to meet expectations in all sorts of place.

Whilst the OP doesn't feel that competitive sport is necessary, but it is part of the national curriculum, so a report should report against it.

Hercisback · 13/07/2021 17:18

It will be a generic target, move on.

TeenMinusTests · 13/07/2021 17:18

As a parent of 2 DDs with bottom 1% motor skills, as long as the effort mark was OK, we didn't care what PE grades they got. (Though our reports didn't have comments). Ditto Art. Ditto Music. It's not worth the headspace on the whole.

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