To want to hear positive stories about your primary schools!!

[PollyPeep]

Hello!
I've been reading the recent thread about behaviour in schools in absolute horror as I have a little one starting reception in September (inner city school with not such a great reputation, but we had no choice as all others completely oversubscribed). I've now got myself in a right state about the whole thing. Please, please give me your stories about your happy, thriving and learning primary school kids. I need to know it's not going to be all terrible 😭

I'm assuming this is England. All teachers here must be fully registered. Unqualified teachers are not employed here and we don't have TAs taking classes either. We don't have very many assistants and they are spread over several classes to support the work of the class teacher. They can take small groups but the work is always planned and set by the class teacher. It's a very different system. All teachers are direct employees of the local council (unless private school).
The situation in the secondaries sounds unsustainable. I would be talking to my MP.

My two boys are in y2 and reception. DS in y2 had a lot of disruption early on because of covid. He is doing brilliantly. His reading is amazing, he loves school and is really happy there. His teachers have all been lovely and he has easily reached the expected level in y2 despite the huge disruption he had in nursery and reception. DS in reception has also had a brilliant year. His reading has come on amazingly as well and he is happy and loves school. I have nothing to complain about at all.

My DD is at a different school due to her needs. Still mainstream but she is there on a special needs places, they have several children with learning disabilities alongside the mainstream children. They are equally brilliant with her. They have worked really hard on her speech and language therapy with her and it shows. She is also really happy going to school and she is really valued there and included as part of the school community.

@UsernameAlreadyTaken101

So you’re not even from England but you had the audacity to preach about your school and the way it’s run on the other thread? The other thread was talking about schools in England. As is this one I presume so why are you here talking about how schools recruit etc, when it isn’t even relevant.

My MP never responds lol.

The OP of the other thread made no mention of being in England. Neither has this one. There is more to the UK than England you know. I thought you were a teacher! 😂(even though you have also claimed to be other professions in other posts). Whatever you are, I would suggest you keep away from vulnerable children as you will do more harm than good with your outlook.
Anyway, as this OP has mentioned, she doesn't want or need your negativity. Off you pop. X

@UsernameAlreadyTaken101

I don’t need to pop anywhere. If you were a teacher you would know that schools in England are in crisis. That’s if you were interested in educational matters and how things could potentially turn out if your area decided to adopt our rather awful policies.

A thread which repeatedly states how educational standards have gone down the pan in terms of behaviour and then cites reasons such as unqualified staff etc etc is quite obviously going to be in England (where it’s all a bit of a shit show right now if you didn’t know).

What we don’t need is teachers with no awareness about our educational system coming on to threads and telling us how things should be done, best practice etc etc etc. One of the reasons behaviour and standards have slipped is the usage of unqualified staff.

Come on now.

Do you want my GTC registration number? 😜
Whether you are the teacher in the leafy middle class area you moaned about or the clinical psychologist you claimed to be last week I don't know and don't actually care but it proves you are indeed bat shit crazy! Hopefully you don't do either of those jobs for real as you could be adversely affecting so many people's lives.

OP I'm so sorry you have to put up with this nonsense. Don't believe her prophecies of doom. My nephews go to school in England in a large city (not much foliage around 😂) and are thriving. Your child will too because they have a supportive parent who values education. X

My youngest is about to leave primary, it's been awesome, the teachers have been wonderful. They went absolutely above and beyond during covid. It all flows down from a fabulous head teacher who really genuinely seems to care about her students and their families, shes often at the school gate chatting to parents always available for an appt. I dont recognise any of the behaviour in that thread in our primary, However....my eldest is in the middle of secondary and I do recognise all the negative behaviour from there, sad times.

😂 some people love a race to the bottom. No matter how silly they sound!!

OP, I work in a a primary school office (infants only) and for many years before that worked in a boys' secondary. I don't think you need to worry about the moment, at Reception stage. My infant school is lovely. We're going through a wobbly time at the moment due to the head retiring and some other retirements coming up in SLT so lots of changes and upheaval. It's a stressful period for staff but the children still seem to have a lovely time and we are still oversubscribed, with mostly very supportive parents.

SEND is very poorly resourced in schools and it takes sooooo long to get a diagnosis for some things (and the bar seems to be getting higher in terms of getting financial support for some children). So if your child is in a class with children with needs and the teacher doesn't have adequate TA/one to one support you may be a bit taken aback.

My own children (uni and 6th form age now) went to a great primary and then a fab grammar (which is superb despite only getting a Good on their recent Ofsted, partly because they apparently been given Reading the important it deserves 🙄). My kids started to tell me of more annoying behavioural issues in class around Year 5 when the kids start to feel a bit older and more cocky. They were glad to leave Year 6 behind and go to a secondary where they were with likeminded hard working engaged peers.

My experience of working at a challenging boys' secondary was an eye opener and there was a real decline in behaviour over the 12 years I was there (multiple reasons). There were some lovely lovely kids in that school who did suffer with the rowdy atmosphere. Some great teachers who were very frustrated by the poor behaviour of the children and lack of support by SLT.

So to sum up, please stop worrying about your child about starting school, they'll only pick up on any anxiety you have. I'm sure they'll have a great time. It's as they get older into Year 5/6 that the bad schools will start to show, I think.

2 kids at a bog std infant state school and then the bog standard juniors.

They've had a fantastic time! hard working, well educated teachers. The younger ones have tons of energy an enthusiasm, the older ones have experience and a good sense of humour.
Behaviours are managed well, and no, primary school kids aren't coming in armed with shivs, drugs and a bag full of foul language! Because they are little kids. Little kids who are there to learn. And parents want their children to learn and have a good experience.

Do they need more money? Yes, because this Tory government doesn't give a damn about state schools. They've cut budget after budget, making teachers jobs even harder.

Are they cesspits of violence etc - no of course not. But it makes good headline fodder for the middle-class journos from the Daily Fail who feel they need to justify sending little Cosmo and Clemmie to private prep

The only unqualified teachers you'll find in schools here are in private schools! They don't need a teaching qualification AT All.

I was approach for a fairly senior teaching role ( think dept head) at a private school - I am not, nor have I ever been a teacher, although I do work in Education.
I was surprised, but told that my 'life experience' was more important. I could teach a class and control a class of children about as much as I could a cage full of tigers...

I love our primary school. Reception teacher was wonderful, year one teacher also fab. All the staff seem happy and dedicated. There's a really good vibe, lots going on, and loads of outdoor space that is utilised wonderfully including forest school. It's brilliant.

I think the horror stories are mainly about secondaries

This sounds like our school. It’s got a great vibe

Our experience of the local state primary school has been absolutely wonderful. My son only has one year left there and I'm already feeling sad about him leaving! I can't praise it enough. The teachers have been excellent. We had some issues in the early years as my son had selective mutism but we got so much support and sensitivity from the school. They allowed him to grow in confidence at his own pace and he's now overcome the condition.
They had so many great experiences at the school - learning has always been stimulating and fun. We made new friends with some of the parents (despite me being shy) and it's been great to have a support network. Our families live far away but now we have plenty of people we can call on in an emergency.
My daughter's now at high school but still wears her primary school hoodie because she has such find memories of being there.
Honestly, primary school was the best time of MY life and I think it might be the same for my children when they look back.

My child went to a nursery attached to a primary school and then moved up through reception and just finishing year one. In that time he has had speech therapy arranged through the nursery, and then support and referrals through the school senco. I'm so impressed with how things have progressed since I was at primary school in the 90's, being yelled at for not paying attention, and seeing the understanding and support my child is being given now. (He is like me!)

I'm honestly so grateful for his school.

My eldest DD's school was such a warm, loving place that I went out on a limb and changed careers to teaching so I could work there. It is really challenging at times, but we provide some really disadvantaged children with a lot of care and opportunity. The people I work with are kind and we have fun every day.

It doesn’t just depend on the teachers, parent and peer attitude is also a factor. If the teachers are supported and have parents who recognise their little Tyron (watching Coronation Street at the moment) may have been a pain that day and work together with the teachers rather than deny and fight against it it makes for a better school experience for all and the children learn and thrive.

If the parents don’t support the learning, everyone has to work together.

I am SO happy with our local primary school. My daughter went right through from reception to yr 6 without any issues at all. My son is in yr 4 and has always been happy and settled. There are sometimes kids with behaviour issues but the school handles it in a balanced and appropriate way. It’s a huge city centre school (4 class entry, so over 800 children across 2 sites), but it never feels too big, and it has the advantage of a lot of resources available for children with additional needs.

If a school has a good Ofsted rating, it will be a good school. I know people like to bash Ofsted but at the end of the day, they serve an important purpose.

I've worked in 3 schools in my career and my kids have both been through the primary system. They've all been good in their own way. Also, most teachers love their jobs and that's the most important thing.

My kids state school in inner London is absolutely amazing. Has been turned around in recent years by a new headteacher and SLT and is now welcoming and buzzing with activity. Behaviour is good and my children actively enjoy going in every day.

If you’re anxious I would suggest getting involved with the PTA or similar organisation as this gives you a sense of being part of the school community.

My children’s primary school is absolutely amazing. All of my children are very happy there.
And my 10 year old DS in particular, they’ve made him who he is today. I mean we have at home too of course, but he has thrived sooo much and I put it down to their outstanding SEN support. One of his support teachers is leaving this July and by gosh are we going to miss her from September. 😭

I had sleepless nights before DS started school. He was very quiet, timid, innocent, I thought the other kids would just walk all over him and he wouldn’t make any friends. Fast forward to the end of Year 2 and he’s a very happy, sporty, popular, lovely kid who loves school and is loved my his many, many friends. This is absolutely the best case scenario that I never dreamed would happen.

This is a direct result of the nurturing care from his fantastic Reception teacher, the firmness of his Year 1 teacher who did not allow the loud extrovert kids to overshadow the quieter kids, and his incredible Year 2 teacher who has brought out his confidence. Teachers are absolute superheroes who should have their pay tripled. My boy is thriving.

DD started school this year and loves it so much. Socially and academically she is flying.

Teachers are under-appreciated and underpaid, but there are still some excellent ones who have stuck around. They deserve better.