To think secondary schools could scrap the tutor period?

[padthehallways]

I think most schools are like the one I work in, with a twenty / thirty minute tutor period either in the middle of the day or first thing. Once a week assembly.

Ours is currently first thing, and once a week we don’t have it and finish twenty minutes early.

Do we need it at all? Once a week assembly for each year group, so once a week in a bit earlier.

Maybe in my naive utopia I’m thinking it would reduce school traffic a bit with staggered starts, give teachers a bit more time (yes teacher bashers, we do need it) and reduce another layer of stress.

Perhaps I’m being naive.

That’s great - but I don’t think a discussion about it warrants capability! ( don’t think this was you.)

No, of course it doesn't. It's always good to question whether what everyone is used to doing is still actually happening for a good reason!

Yes be careful what you wish for or some kind of Kahn Academy will be the online school of the future.😂

I don’t want to restart an argument; the thread is taking a pleasanter note. I will say though that disliking something doesn’t equate to being bad at it, and considering the worth of something doesn’t mean that you need an improvement plan.

As I frequently say to my GCSE class, you don’t have to love it, you just have to get on with it!

@KrispyKale

Yes be careful what you wish for or some kind of Kahn Academy will be the online school of the future.😂

If classes aren’t responding to tutor time

From an SEND, child protection and safeguarding perspective it’s really important

I work with 16-19 year olds and many won’t even see a text with a room change on or a timetable change for college. They just won’t turn up or go to the wrong room etc

Sending emails home doesn’t work - at least 30% ish of parents I deal with don’t reliably check emails or even have them set up properly.

During lockdown we resorted to having to turn up on people’s doorsteps to tell them basic information about colleges reopening. Some didn’t know even the day before despite voicemails, texts and emails.

This is why form time is important. Information doesn’t get through for some people without the gift of technology

@padthehallways

I think it is pointless to a lot of kids I’m afraid, but happy to agree to disagree.

It might be pointless to a lot of kids, but it’s exceptionally valuable to some. Losing that would be the loss of a solid reliable and trusted person that should know children in their form well.

Given the increase in domestic violence in homes and mental health issues in teens during lockdown it’s really surprising to hear someone in education value it as pointless.

As I frequently say to my GCSE class, you don’t have to love it, you just have to get on with it and please don't stab yourself with the compass again.
I'm taking it as you teach in a naice school and don't have to encounter Y10 bottom set maths.

@padthehallways

None of the examples have proved that it’s essential, *@crochetmonkey74*. You think it is: that’s fine, I don’t. I genuinely have no idea why you’ve been such an arse on this thread. It’s interesting hearing how different schools do things even if we all still don’t agree.

Wow that’s rude.

I’m sorry if you feel it’s rude. I don’t think I’ve been rude at all, to be honest.

I think our catchment is very mixed, although we don’t set, so I don’t have those difficulties to contend with.

I think it’s pointless because it’s highly unlikely someone would confide in tutor time about domestic violence. They might confide in their form tutor if they feel they have a good relationship but this isn’t a given and as I’ve said, I’ve had children in my form confide in different members of staff and I’ve had children not in my form talk to me. It just depends.

Next week, ask your form what time periods they think they should study. You might have to put effort into making a time line but that should be outweighed by having a fall back subject on days you feel purposeless.
Once the house keeping is done, form time is as exciting as your imagination.

Plus you get to discover that the super quiet one actually has views that make Genghis Khan look like a pussy cat.

I think form time is really important. It is a space to focus on pastoral, on notices, it is a constant in your week.

Kids are under so much pressure in school and if you remove this, then they will have no support for those little things that crop up.

I think this will just increase mental health problems and make kids less happy.

Plus all the subject teachers will get asked random questions and have to deal with all the notices etc.

Plus the pastoral responsibilities will have to be assigend somehow.

So all in all, YABU.

I’m not quite as convinced as you are about the effectiveness of this suggestion!

Haven't been an arse at all. Just suggested that lots of your points arent supported by our professional training and standards and DfE guidelines.

The ‘arsey’ comment related to the post you quoted, @crochetmonkey74, where you agree that I should be put on an improvement plan. I’m not sure that privately holding an opinion that something isn’t useful or productive is worthy of dismissal.

And while I agree safeguarding is important, I don’t think that it should only be done in tutor time - it’s an ongoing thing, as you know.

What would you do about school buses with a staggered start/finish?

I’ve agreed that staggered starts are not a good suggestion

I think you may have to accept that you will never see the point of tutor time and that you and your tutees will never have more than a satisfactory experience from it.
Lots of teachers try and embed some critical thinking skills into the time, just a suggestion.

Oh, absolutely. We all like different things.

So do you suggest that kids literally just do lessons at school with maybe 1 assembly per week?

My sons college do similar, you attend for lessons only but with one coaching/tutor session per week but obviously he is older. Even he has said, there’s not much sense of belonging. He hasn’t got to know the kids in his tutor group very well god he hardly sees them. He’s with different kids for each A level subject (much like my daughter is with different children for different lessons at school) so he very much feel likes he goes their to learn but there’s no ‘community’. He’s ok with it cos he’s older but younger kids really need that sense of belonging somewhere.

Well, yes. It’s not so surprising really - they do five hours of lessons a day in most schools, with a twenty or thirty minute tutor period.

I think it's helpful for kids to start the day in the same place every day. As long as it's only 10 or 15 minutes then it's not a huge part of the day.

Also it stops any latecomers or stragglers from missing the first 5 minutes of a lesson.

Some pastoral tutors are terrible though. I had an absolute dragon for a tutor when I was in year 8 and 9. We had to spend that time sat in silence reading and there was no way I ever would have approached her with any personal issues.

Some schools don’t have it at the start of the day, though. It was always the period before lunch at my last school, although it’s first thing now.

At my daughters school they have 3 x 20 min & a PHSE lesson every other week with tutor. The tutor time is split between topics and even spelling tests. Or just general free chat for all to be involved in.

Maybe it’s more helpful in yr7/8? As it’s one constant with that transition from primary to have one teacher that could be trusted?

It’s a point of initial contact for us to engage with the school. The year group is huge so it helps!

My eldest has left school now but she had a very good relationship with her tutor they listened and when she needed that support during y10 & y11 just being there if needed was enough. As the teachers often changed in subjects or if the child moved sets they try to keep the same tutor for the duration of that cohort (in my daughters case it was the same from y9-y11) it was invaluable for her especially during exam time. She left 3 years ago and still talks of her tutor teacher in a positive way!

That’s lovely