Detention/request off school

[AbreathofFrenchair]

DC has been given detention for incomplete homework. Was large A3 sheet with 15 question and answer boxes. Left 1 empty. Homework was set last Friday, due in Monday and after school Friday, he had 1 hour after school before leaving to go on cub camp till Sunday.

Anyway, he did the detention (30 mins) Monday and has another detention tonight (30 mins) as he didn't finish the last box as they wouldn't allow it in class or detention. I agree, he could have found time.

Today I've received a phone call from his head of year, requesting that for his best interests, that he is withdrawn from all of his outside school activities as they are hindering his school work and as he is going into year 10, incomplete homework is unacceptable.

I've refused and the school have said they will allow me time to reconsider and withdraw before they take it further as matter of concern. Not sure how they will take it further?

For reference, this is his 3rd detention in 3 years for incomplete homework, including 1 where homework wasnt handed in as he was off school with covid.

Definitely put in writing.

“Dear Hoy, just to confirm my understanding is that you have asked me to remove X from all extracurricular activities including volunteering with a community organisation, because he has failed to complete homework three times in as many years, including once when he was isolating with covid. I just wish to have this completely unreasonable request in writing before I take this further as a matter of concern…”

Absolutely. This must be all about league tables and exam results. I wonder how they react with the kids who really struggle with homework and are not too good academically.
This school sounds like a miserable place to be.

I would ask what the school policy is in terms of encouraging a healthy approach to work, leisure, social responsibility and personal well-being.

Agree. The first thing I thought was how are they encouraging a healthy lifestyle if there's no school clubs.

My ds is a swimmer. High level. He's always been supported to attend meets and given extensions if needed on weekends he's competing away all weekend.

They should be encouraging an all round student not just teaching students to study against all else.

Yes. Agree with your reply above about paper trail and this is the way to go about it.

Is this an academy school by any chance?

^^ that should 100% be your response. Bloody idiot HOY.

Teacher here. In your shoes, I would clarify via email (paper trail) whether there were any crossed wires.

If the situation were indeed what you had understood, then I would go absolutely fucking nuclear.

How bloody dare they?!

The school is being ridiculous. 3 homework incidents in 3 years is fine, probably better than the average. He's probably learning better work/life balance skills and how to manage his time due to the hobbies and it will certainly be good for his mental health and life skills to have the Scouting. My Yr 9 plays sport for the county, is an Explorer Scout and has just finished his Bronze D of E, he's busy but he learns to manage his time, prioritise and plan his workload and it means he spends a good chunk of his downtime outdoors and being active, which is all good and will be more useful to the future him than 30 mins extra on Geography (and I'm very pro-education, DH and I both have postgrad degrees and a professional qualification, but life outside the classroom matters too).

Absolutely back your child on this.

No new Head Teacher. She has been there at least 10 years but it's so hard to get to her. There are about 30 people in the chain of command!

It is an Academy but has been for quite a while. It is known for its outstanding grades and has multiple schools under its umbrella.

I feel I've done the school a disservice as I've just looked (properly) at the online prospectus and extra curricular activities are encouraged in year 11 through to 13 so another year and his activities will be allowed....

Yepp what they said! Schools are batshit.

It seems overkill on the part of the school. Most schools encourage extra curricular activities, and if he is doing well with his studies, I can't imagine that what he does in his spare time is impacting his schoolwork.
I would just ignore on this occasion. (although I am usually firmly in the school camp). The school can't do anything about it.

School sounds very unreasonable. Being a young leader is type of thing schools usually encourage. If school do Duke of Edinburgh they’ll need a community activity. I’d email school escalating further and stating dc will not be giving up volunteer role as it has many benefits for his development and cv. Confirm late homework is not usually an issue and on this occasion he’d done 14 out of 15 questions despite homework only being set fri for Monday being on volunteer activity all weekend.

You are right to continue the conversation via email.
How utterly ridiculous. Fair enough if your son is missing almost all homework deadlines and not paying attention in class but to ask him to give up something that he is a) clearly passionate about and b) will be teaching him leadership skills is insane!

Personally I would seriously be thinking about moving schools pre GCSE's if it were my son.

I agree with communicating in writing. Email and ask him to confirm if your understanding of his request from your phone conversation is correct.
I am almost certain he won’t put that in writing.

not sure how he would escalate it anyhow. Where would it even be escalated too, especially after something so minor.

I meant escalate up chain. DD’s school was teacher, head of year then assistant head then deputy head then head from memory.

School sound mental if they think Y11 is a good time to start extra commitments having never done them before? I’d say actually starting them younger when the demands of school are fewer is better so kids get used to balancing their priorities at a lower stakes time than their GCSE year (at which point some of them will be wanting to swap youth clubs or whatever for a job anyway).

Wow - congrats to your son on the South Korea thing. I've got a friend whose (much younger) son has been selected for that and I know it's a massive deal.

As for the school, polite letter to the head of year, head of school and the governors saying that:
(1) you agree all homework need to be done, will be re-emphasising that at home and do not dispute detentions if it's not completed.
(2) your some has only failed to complete homework 3 times in 3 years, once when he was off sick with covid. His academic performance is fine.
(3) his extra-curricular activities are scouts, including giving up his free time to support younger children. He is getting outdoor activities, charity, volunteering, exercise, etc. As well as being very important for his work life balance, physical and mental health, it will also be very important for job applications (and maybe uni as well?) when he leaves school and is a core part of his CV.

Against this backdrop, you were extremely surprised to be told that he should quit all this worthwhile extracurricular activities. You assume there has been a misunderstanding and the school has no such policy, or that now that you have set out the facts, the request will be withdrawn.

Take it further? I would have laughed in his face!

I want to see what happens when you say no, he won't be giving up Scouting.

I can't believe that they don't care he's going to the jambore either. I'm a scout leader and some of the kids teachers came along to a fundraising event they held. Sad that they don't see the value in these things.

For some schools it's all about academic results and who cares about anything else.

Absolutely crazy…walnut with sledgehammer springs to mind!!
So are there absolutely no after school clubs at all ? No football,rugby,swimming,cricket !
If so ,I would be surprised that OFSTED wouldn’t have something to say !
FWIW my eldest son was in regular detention at his Grammar school for lack of homework…I genuinely cannot remember having a conversation with his form teachers ever !
Am all for discipline but your sons school sounds like a boot camp!

Just read all your posts and the HOY sounds unreasonable. Usually schools would celebrate a pupil doing things like your son it’s the type of story local paper picks up X School student ‘Tommy’ wins coveted place at Korean Scout Jamboree. Reflects well on school.

What school is this? Only this is proper fucking bullshit.

And congrats on his place to the jamboree! I know someone who has been before and whose husband is going to this one.

The only scenario I can see it appropriate for HOY to speak to you would be if a regular activity was always impinging on school or homework eg falling asleep in class as swim training from 5am etc.

Absolutely batshit. No extra advice but agree get it in writing and ask for clarification on what 'taking it further as a matter of concern' would entail? Sounds like a very heavy handed and poorly masked threat. If there are no crossed wires I would definitely be escalating to HT, or if you can't to them, the governors.

Wow never have I come across anything so ridiculous, have taught for a number of years and often we encourage additional interests. I even taught a child who was in a west end show and we adjusted work around him so he could maintain his acting role and achieved well at school too, working with the show who employed teachers to work with the child actors. Have always celebrated childrens achievements outside of school at school as well. As long as he ant away every weekend/ on a very regular basis and falling behind then have no idea what there issue is.

I've heard some daft stuff from school's in my time but wow

So he got detention for affectively not wanting to break Covid isolation rules?

As for one question not answered, they'd have a field day with my DC.

It seems like they feel kids should be at school or learning at home. Stuff that!

I would ask for clarification on what they mean by taking it further, because I can guess the social services would laugh at them and quite right too

I would email formally saying you will judge his after school activity level and remind them that after school hours are his time and this nothing to do with them. I would reiterate 3 detentions, one of which was due to him not breaking the law is nothing of great issue and and that consider the matter closed.

Personally I would've have allowed my DC to take part in the one due to Covid.

And very well done to him on the WSJ selection.