To have spoken to school or not?

[LifeInPieces23]

I’m feeling really anxious as I feel I’ve done something wrong (often feel like this due to my upbringing but that’s a different issue!).

My primary aged child has had no teacher for 2 academic years years due to covid for 1st year (totally understandable) and this year due to many reasons. Everyone in class has complained and been fobbed off by headteacher. Report has come in recently and almost everyone in the class I’ve spoken to my has failed the assessments. My child has also failed the assessments.

So what I feel anxious about is I spoke to deputy headteacher today as I feel I get along with him better than the head but I feel anxious that I might have made him feel uncomfortable. But surely they must have seen the reports sent out and could have made parents feel less stressed by telling us that some kind of intervention would take place to help the kids who have failed? And let us know what is going on about lack of teacher,

It’s not just our class I was speaking to a friend in another class who also has issues with child not learning but does have an experienced teacher there unlike us. Lots of parents pulling their kids out. I just feel a mix of the school has let us down plus anxiety that I shouldn’t have said anything.

Sounds like you have two issues here: the lack of consistent teacher for your child and your mum's rather odd behaviour towards you/your child.

I think you have got far more sense than your mother credits you with; you should listen to and rely on your own feelings and not your mum's (frankly bizarre) opinion. You have your child's best interests at heart and your mum does not. Whatever the reason behind her attitude, you are doing the right thing by advocating for your child, please ignore your mum if she cannot be supportive.

You did the right thing taking to the school.

They will know that children are being failed by the lack of a permanent teacher for two years. They will also not be surprised at the complaints they are getting.

@girlmom21

If your children are missing out on a proper education because the school can't get their act together of course you should be talking to the school.

It is a massive assumption that "the school can't get their act together" you have no idea of what is going on in the background.

LifeInPieces23

You are quite right in going to the school with your concerns. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

But there maybe issues in the school that do not allow for the school to get either a long term cover or a replacement teacher.

Do you mean they’ve had two years of supply teachers? I don’t understand why they haven’t had a teacher across two academic years since schools returned following the first lockdown. This means two school years within the school don’t have a teacher? That’s ludicrous. Of course YANBU to complain, I’d be moving schools personally.

You're absolutely doing right thing. I had very poor primary schooling with a revolving door of supply teachers my parents and others just accepted it. But I think today we have much higher expectations and rightly so. You shouldn't feel anxious - you should be causing a fuss and I'm surprised groups of parents aren't up in arms and sharing this on local news - no continuing of teacher for 2 years is ridiculous and is failing your children. I doubt the deputy head can do much about it