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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To expect DS's scholl report to be written in english?

150 replies

Clumsymum · 09/07/2010 17:01

I mean correct english, with proper sentences, paragraphs that are all in the same tense, and an approximately correct use of puntuation.

One section(knowledge of the world) doesn't make sense at all.

These are all supposed to be checked by the headteacher before they come out to us too!!

I'm a school governor, and having just read the report, I'm inches away from writing a complaint.

OP posts:

DeFluffy · 09/07/2010 19:49

i'm also interested to know why there is should a strange attitude to teachers on here?

if i get something wrong in my job then i would get into trouble. i thought that was the same for everyone. but when teachers do something wrong everyone (on here) seems to get really arsey about anyone pulling them up on it. why? surely teachers have standards too? several of my friends are teachers and would be horrified if they sent reports out with typos/random crap in.

DeFluffy · 09/07/2010 19:51

should such, good job im arsing around on the internet not working

Needaname · 09/07/2010 19:52

Agreed the software is rubbish but that doesn't mean the teacher isn't at fault. However it sounds like the head has okayed the reports and I'd guess this isn't the only teacher who has been instructed to send the reports out like this. I'd only let my reports go out like that if I'd been specifically instructed to ( I would be embarrassed to though).

I would love to 'tell parents straight' facts about their children but the majority of parents really don't want to hear it and it would make pretty depressing reading for parents of below average children across the curriculum.

The problem with your post is that you sound like you actively dislike teachers which is shame because they probably spend the whole year trying to ensure that your DC is happy, settled and learning.

onebadbaby · 09/07/2010 19:53

I have just received my child's report, and either the head hasn't read it or he is very lenient with the teachers. It is obviously a comment bank enhanced report, but that doesn't excuse poor grammar and it should still be re read to make sure it makes sense, is in the correct tense etc etc. It wouldn't have got past any of the heads I have worked for!!!!

cupofteaplease · 09/07/2010 19:56

'"C has a real sense of the wider world and their place in it as well as how they can continue to do so as they move through life" which doesn't make any sense at all, does it ??"

Yes it does, grammatically. You may not like the jargon, and that's something which you may usefully pass on (politely).

----

FEENIE - Sorry i dont understand why that makes sense? 'as well as how they can continue to do so as they move through life', can continue to do what?? I don't think it makes sense'

I think it means, 'C has a real sense of the wider world and their place in it as well as (having a real sense of) how they can continue to do so (have a real sense ofthe* wider world*) as they move through life.

Hope that made sense, probably not!

cupofteaplease · 09/07/2010 20:00

Bloody stars and bolding, I knew that wouldn't work!!

Basically, I was trying to say, of the report statement in question:

'C has a real sense of the wider world and their place in it as well as how they can continue to do so as they move through life.'

means

C has a real sense of the wider world and their place in the wider world, as well as how they can continue to have this sense of awareness as they move through life.

Hth

gingernutlover · 09/07/2010 20:01

I am a primary teacher teaching 2 seperate classes over the week so I have just written 50 odd reports. Every single one was checked by me, then my TA then the head.

YANBU, if you were complaining about 1 missed typo error then fair enough but it doesnt seem like any real effort has been put into some of these reports.

primarymum · 09/07/2010 20:07

I typed a £ on one of my reports instead of a 3 and, whilst checking the 35,000 words I had to write ( no word/comment banks used in MY school!) didn't notice Luckily the parent concerned thought that this wasn't too important in the whole scheme of things

harpsichordcarrier · 09/07/2010 20:08

I think everyone deserves respect for the job they do - their whole job - and that includes people who make mistakes.
which, actually, is everyone.
OP you made one mistake in your thread title, and two mistakes in your OP.
I still have respect for you .

Feenie · 09/07/2010 20:09

""C has a real sense of the wider world and their place in it as well as how they can continue to do so as they move through life" which doesn't make any sense at all, does it ??"

FEENIE - Sorry i dont understand why that makes sense? 'as well as how they can continue to do so as they move through life', can continue to do what?? I don't think it makes sense "

Continue to have a real sense of the wider world and their place in it! S'obvious, innit.

Quattrocento · 09/07/2010 20:12

Why are you engaged in reconstructing a meaningless sentence?

I mean, even if it were grammatically correct, it's still nonsense, isn't it? How can any self-respecting teacher write such appalling guff?

Feenie · 09/07/2010 20:14

She didn't. She plucked it from said report writing application, selected by staff and op!

ShellingPeas · 09/07/2010 20:17

Goodness but report writing has changed since I was primary age. In my day [old gimmer emoticon] you got a rating of Excellent, Very Good, Good and Fair, with a one line comment against the topic. Mine was always 'tries very hard'. Then it was always finished off with 'Shellingpeas is a conscientious and quiet pupil who tries very hard'. (I obviously tried VERY hard )

Now reports are 3 or 4 pages of cut and paste, fairly meaningless drivel. I had one for my DS which had another child's name in it commenting about how well he was singing in tune. Definitely WASN'T my DS.

I take them with a pinch of salt - and skim through them for interesting outtakes. Best way of finding out how your child is doing is to have good communication with your teacher and not rely on once yearly school report.

Goblinchild · 09/07/2010 20:21

That's IT applications for you. Must be better because it's new and shiny and cutting edge and IT for God's sake.
Only elderly Dinosaur teachers need to be able to spell and use correct grammar because they don't understand how to use all the wonderful applications available using the 40,000 statement bank.

mumbar · 09/07/2010 20:26

OP do what I did and take it all with a pinch of salt

I only read the personal and social bit as its the only bit NOT copied and pasted.

Last year ds (aug baby) got three 6's and one 7 for Literacy and all 7's for maths bit of EYFS and report said working near to age expectations. This is conflicting.

This years said in line with for literacy and towards above for maths (national expectations) and teacher said 1B for writing and 1A for Maths and reading.(I asked)
Rest was all copied and pasted (Iknow as have access to these!) except to reference to specific things he'd made etc.
Also says he doesn't concentrate behaviors poor doesn't do as expected.

Its like 4 different reports into 2!!!

How one child can score average but be below (yr R)then not work for a year and suddenly become above average is slightly beyond me!!

As for the 'jargon' as you call it thats just the way its worded and it does make sense.

Teachers have A LOT to do this time of year (actually all year) and although I don't excuse a badly written report I do think some empathy wouldn't go a miss.

lecce · 09/07/2010 20:38

OP - so you cannot excuse a few typos and the use of software that the board on which you sit approved, yet you think it acceptable that teachers should write children off as 'a bit dim' and blame any lack of progress on parents.

You seem very hostile towards teachers and very old-fashioned.

Tanga · 09/07/2010 20:48

I cannot believe nobody has picked up on the deliberate use of 'fora' as the plural form two pages back! Hmm do I sense ishoos about grammar that are causing a bit of an over-reaction?

Goblinchild · 09/07/2010 20:55

Because it's unremarkable that someone used the correct plural.

StableButDeluded · 09/07/2010 20:59

I saw it but thought it was a typo

StableButDeluded · 09/07/2010 21:01

My grammar is not very good, obviously

Goblinchild · 09/07/2010 21:02

OH is a philologist, that sort of talk is perfectly normal in my home. As is the use of whom, which startled DD's Y2 teacher.

DeFluffy · 09/07/2010 21:08

feenie and cup - i know what the sentence was supposed to mean, I was trying to point out that in the way it was written it DIDN'T make sense and it doesn't!

Tanga · 09/07/2010 21:09

'Fora' as a plural if you speak latin, fair enough, but a wee bit pretentious? Forums would be the assimilated version, surely. And perhaps an interesting addition to the debate about the fluidity of langauge and the important thing being the communication of ideas...just a thought.

Goblinchild · 09/07/2010 21:13

'but a wee bit pretentious? '

Nope, just correct. It's when you start correcting others for their grammar and competence that Pedants' Corner awaits.
I find the use of contemporary to mean modern offensive, and the confusion between affect and effect, disinterested to mean uninterested...
Even my close friends don't know this.

Goblinchild · 09/07/2010 21:15

Oh, and we do speak and read Latin.

Perhaps the other poster was raised with a model of correct grammar as well.

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