in thinking our primary school should not bring back a teacher who went off ill in November for three weeks to admister the SATs and then go off again...

[Strix]

DD's year 2 teacher went off ill in November. They have had one single supply teacher since then who has worked out very well and provided continuity and the kids and the parents like her. It has just been announced that ill teacher is coming back part time for 4 weeks (half time with returning teacher and 1/2 with the temp cover teacher). Then returning teacher will teach the class full time for three weeks (when I believe the KS1 SATs will be given), and then she will begin her maternity leave and the temp teacher will resume full time for the rest of the year.

Several parent are unhappy about the dispruption to the kids.

Now, of course, the teacher has every right to come back to work. But, we feel she does not need to replace the teacher who has now settled with the year 2 class. I am especially unhappy about all this disruption being just in time for SATs.

The vast majority of the Yr2 SATs markings are based on teacher assessment, rather than based on the actual test results - and the assessments are spread over a long period. I think it's safe to assume the returning teacher and the supply will be working together for those - you can confirm this with the Head. And the children will be largely unaware that anything strange is going on - I wouldn't be too concerned in your shoes.

Anway, to get back to the original question: AYBU to think the school should not bring back a teacher to administer SATs and then go off again on maternity leave?

Yes.

The thing is, it's not all about you and your DD. The school has to look at the bigger picture (maternity/sickness rights aside) and there may well be issues they've factored in that you're unaware of. For instance, it may be that the parents are happy with the cover teacher, but who knows what the Head thinks? Not saying this is the case, but it could be. If the original teacher is good, then presumably the Head thinks it will be beneficial to use her to support the administration of SATs. And as she's in charge of running the school, yes, you will have to suck it up.

Strix the year 2 SATS are marked by the teacher, unlike the year 6 SATS which are marked by an outside body.

The Supply teacher may well have no experience in marking SATS. Personally I would prefer it if the more experienced teacher marked them.

Is it possible that the supply teacher isn't allowed to conduct SATs?

Incidentally, this was brought to my attention because there is a growing group of parents at the gate who are very unhappy about this. It has to go some way to get from the school gate to my desk.

Actually, as I think more about it, I think there are some children who will not like the change. But, my DD actually is pretty resilient and very happy about the return of teacher 1 (also very much likes teacher 2). So, I am probably getting too worked up about this. It will probably have no impact on DD. And life is about change. Maybe it's good for her to experience change and get used to it. Then it will be more of a routine and less of a stress next time she experiences it.

The school is not perfect, but it's not bad as far as state schools go. It's greatest weakness in my opinion is math. But it does other things well.

I speak American. I don't pretend to be something I am not. And I stand by math.

Only certain trained teachers are allowed to administer SATS. It is possible / probable that the supply teacher is not qualified.
DS's Yr 2 teacher went on maternity leave for much of the year, or had numerous pg-related days off, all of which were covered by different bloody supply teachers. But the f/t teacher came back for SATS because she was the one qualified to do it.

-It sounds as if collective parental anxiety is getting a bit out of hand:
-Thay have had a regular supply, and know the teacher who is coming back - they will be fine.
-Schools drill them repetitively before SATS - they won't be covering any new grond, just routining SATS style papers
-SATS is to judge the school, not the individual student, I am sure that any aberration by a chuld in SATS would be compensated for by other classroom work and performance in grading her group for next year - it isn't in the school's interests to mis-grade children.
-ALL the children have had the same degree of disruption, so she won't be at a disadvantage competitively.
-as for 'life in the state sector' - well of course teachers are sterilised on signing of contract in the private sector. And believe it or not, as it is on the interests of the school to have children do wel in SATS, they will have considered this and the best way to support the children to do their best.

You do sound over-wrought and agressive for the scale of the issue.

I think it's a really interesting question about natural ability vs hard work. I think some studies into asian achievements concluded that they weren't more naturally able, but they worked harder. I suspect that especially with maths, doing more when you are young does tend to lead to more facility when you are older as long as it doesn't put you off entirely. But there do seem to be very naturally able children around as well.

Anyway, if it's done without pressure and not to excess I see no harm in extra maths at home - it's completely standard in some cultures and so I don't think we should be so critical. Best wishes to your dd strix, I'm sure she'll do fine.

Sorry - missed your post in which you are feeling a bit calmer about it .

It seems you are taking all this very seriously Strix. If you are putting this much pressure on your child this young, what kind of pressure will you put them under when the exam results actually matter (and if you think KS1 SATs matter, they certainly don't in the long term).
I would be asking whether the children in the class are happy and settled, rather than worrying about exam results at age 7! As previous posters have said, the KS1 results are based on teacher assessment over the year anyway. YABU, and rather aggressive - talking about test scores as 'ammunition'. I feel sorry for your child and her teachers!

Actually, Blu, your post was very informative and comforting. I think I am in part getting a bit would up by all the other parents who are already a bit wound up about this. Perhaps all of our children are more resilient than we give them credit for.

And, yes, they are all experiencing the same change so level playing field... for this class, but not the other year 2 class.

Children are definitely resilient. Of my 3 DCs, 2 have teachers leaving at Easter, and the eldest is in a class that's about to merge with the other class in the year group, but she'll be in a different year group altogether for English & Maths till the end of the summer term. I know that she'll be fine, because she's experienced a lot of change in her 9 years of life, and I intend to encourage and support her the whole way. I also expect my two boys to adapt quickly to their new teachers.

However, I heard a parent tell the headteacher yesterday that her Y4 child wanted her parents to find her a new school, as she has 'no confidence' in the school. If that is how the child feels, I have no doubt it's because that is what she has been told she should feel. There is a lot of unhappy talk in the playground about all the changes, but it's a school in special measures and change is what it actually needs.

Sorry for the huge tangent. DS1 will have a new teacher for his Y2 SATS, and I'm confident he'll be fine. I really wanted to reassure you that in these cases the parents do seem to be much more upset than the children on the whole. Change happens. We have a responsibility to help them handle it.

As usual haven't read whole thread - It's just too long. But does the teacher actually get a choice in where she's put? She might not want to disrupt the children. When I went back off maternity leave, i had to go where I was put whether I l;iked it or not. Rules after sick leave might mean she has to go back in to her class..

I'm sorry, but you ABU. Stop and reread your opening post. You are fretting because for 15 half days your child will be taught by a teacher she has not seen for a few months, that's what, 45 hours? Relax, breathe, it will be fine. It's easy to let yourself get wound up by schoolgate panic but this is not going to affect your dd at all. She will still have the temp teacher you are happy with for half the time.

Performance in sats is not driven by the last three weeks before the exams. Sats are making you stressed, worry about them (well actually don't) but not about the teacher.

workingitoutasigo, the SATS will be in the three weeks when the old teacher is there full time and current teacher not there at all.

But, I've already been persuaded to chill out. Plenty of other parents getting upset about this -- in RL not on here. I've come round to the thinking that learning to adapt to change is good for DD.

gorgeous, I have no idea if the teacher has a choice in the matter. Probably not. But that was never the issue. I started this thread complaining about the school's decision. Not the teacher personally.

All this just makes me so glad that Scotland doesn't have SATS at all, just teacher assessment as and when the individual pupil is ready!

There could be all sorts of reasons for the change.

Supply teacher may have a holiday booked,which was organised before she took on the class. Not all that unusual for supply teachers.

Original teacher could be much more confident/experienced in administering SATs, so the school may be trying to give the children the best chance at doing well.

I can't help but think that your DD is under too much pressure to do well.

And I think that you need to address the other issues with the school- sounds like they are extremely lazy in setting if what you say is true, and not catering for individual needs.

OP - sorry I misunderstood. I get a bit defensive about teachers being blamed for things out of their control . Can you just ask the school?

no problem

I'm interested in that you szeem to accept that the teacher has a right to come back, you'd just prefer her not to disrupt YOUR child's class and HER education. Nice.

Strix - sorry I got confused..it was a long thread and i was reading it at work ! glad you are more relaxed - definitely the best thing to be. And it may well be as puzzled said that the full-time teacher is better at this bit and actually it's a good thing.

Can I give you some other food for thought? I know this isn't what you were asking on this thread but reading it made me think about this...please excuse me being a bit cheeky here in offering unsolicited advice.

I have older DCs, two of whom are at two of the most academic schools in the country, but who went to non-selective (though private) primary schools. In my experience I have really seen, time and time again, that tutoring and pressurising children makes no difference to outcomes - children seem to end up at the school they would have ended up anyway, without all that pain and stress. I am not saying that odd bits of help on specific challenges and lots of encouragement don't go a long way - they do -but I really believe, having seen lots of people pour lots of time and money in tutoring etc that it doesnt make a jot of difference. So do cut yourself some slack, and get involved in your DDs education where it's fun for both of you and trust to the process and your DD to succeed as she should.

My approach to supporting/furthering my children's education was never intended to be up for debate on this thread. I appreciate you offering some advice. But, I don't really see how one can say "my kids went private" and "you shouldn't tutor" in one post. I can only assume that you chose to go private because you too felt the state offering was not good enough. Why else would one fork out all that money on private tuition? I would too, if I could afford it.

Oh how a winning lottery ticket would solve so many problems. But since I don't play I won't count on it.

Beleive it or not strix some of us don;t go private for those reasons. I went private so that my children could avoid SATS at all