What matters most to you about schools? Views needed for a conference on Saturday Nov 27th.

[carriemumsnet]

We've been invited to take part in a TUC conference aimed at everyone involved in schools ? parents, teachers, headteachers, governors, unions and local authorities. We're there to give the parents' perspective on what matters most to parents about schools.

It would be great to represent as many views/parents as possible so do please add your thoughts here before Saturday and we'll try to pass on as many of them as possible.

Thanks

MNHQ

Sorry, I meant "too many tests kill good teaching".

Too many tests is like pulling up a plant to see how it is growing!

Ofsted also need to get into the real world.

Their obsession with "averages" is ridiculous. If you have an average, there will always be as many schools above as below. It's like measuring all children's height and berating all schools where the height is "below average"!

I am very pleased that so many people want small class sizes, despite continually being told that it isn't important. I would put it first-everything else is so much easier if you are dealing with a smaller number.

gramercy - I disagree.

This thread shows that there are some common themes among the majority of parents.

Small class sizes.
Strong anti-bullying policies and action.
More sport.

These are coming through very strongly indeed, I'd say.

I'd go the opposite way actually, and have bigger classes. Bear with me...

I'd have bigger classes, as in the part of school that is basically childcare with benefits. The children would be able to work through worksheets, do projects and so on, in a large group with children of all different ages and abilities, and loads of teachers and TAs, as well as people from the general community and parents, so the children would mix with lots of people.

I would then have small groups going off for specific lessons for their stage on that topic in that subject. So, no age groups (except in extreme circumstances) and no subject setting. I would use computers and teacher skill to put children into the right group (of maybe 5 children) for that topic. I was excellent at algebra, for example, but rubbish at mental maths - I ended up in top set but couldn't follow the mental maths work, where I would have benefitted from going back to basics.

I would hope that, by high school, children would be able to manage their own learning inbetween the group times, but they would have full access to equipment, and targets for the day and week. If they weren't getting the work done, they would then have more intensive support.

Weekly one to one time with a personal mentor.

Lots of outdoor time, competitive sports for those who like them, but alternatives for dyspraxic daydreamers like me, so that instead of standing freezing my bum off fielding at cricket, I could have been on a lovely vigourous hill walk or gardening.

Lots of involvement with the community - so the old peoples home could come in and work on/watch the children working on the garden, or maybe the older children could read stories and play at the playgroup.

The school would be open late into the night so that adults could catch up with thier learning in evening classes, not just for qualifications but also for life. Lots of public lectures. Space for kids to do homework. A public library (don't scoff- these are seriously under threat)

No faith schools. No private schools. (I know, but it is the only way of getting the rich to care about and invest in the community. I would be seriously considering private if I could afford it, but the fact remains that it is not fair) I don't know what I would do about HE- hopefully the new schools system would be flexable enough so that HE kids could come in for an evening or two to use the facilities, satisfying the box tickers and the children who like more freedom.

Sigh. As if. But I can dream!

Some sort of grading / training / development / assessment of head teachers

There are some really shite headteachers, and they are the reason a school is shite.

I want to have faith that my DCs' schools are going to teach the fundamentals of education. I am very happy to deal with the bells and whistles myself!

-Make sure schools have enough funds for their children to be taught by properly qualified staff when their class teachers have their planning time.

-Get rid of ten page risk assessments that need to be submitted three weeks in advance and signed by the head and local authority, that scare teacher into not taking their children on trips or out for walks to local areas. Stop mollycoddling children and allow them to take measured risks

-Offer proper support from properly qualified specialist teachers for SEN children in mainstream and make SEN a bigger priority in initial teacdher training.

-Secular state schools- none of this broadly christian worship every day in non-faith schools- if that is what parents want, let them take them to church and send them to a faith school.

• More emphasis on the arts- music, art etc.

-Proper "getting puffed out" PE on a daily basis.

State schools to be secular.

Agree with the many suggesting the option of allowing deferring for a year of summer born babies. It really does work very well in Scotland.

More TAs.

Teachers to be compelled to not just attend CPD, but to actively engage with what they learn from it every year, and not just 30 years ago when they went to college.

Teachers to move to a different career when they are stale, and not be allowed sit it out till retiral, especially in promoted positions. There are plenty new (and not just young) teachers desperate for jobs which they actually want to do.

All children, not just those with pushy parents, to be given opportunity to thrive.

Adequate provision for Special Needs.

Hi, hope these suggestions are of interest and relate to primary school.
Deferring summer born children by a year.
Starting actual school at age 6 (like the rest of the developed world)
School actively listening to parents - if I am asked for my views then I have assumed you want to hear them
Ensuring all children join in all activities noot just those children who volunteer themselves
Healthy school dinners

Oh yes. Genuine choice as to which school your kids go to. For instance, we currently are in the catchment area for one school, so in fact, we have no choice at all. Furthermore, it is not a particularly academic school and our dd is an academic child, wants to go to university, wants to be an egyptologist. She has had her peers taking the micky out of her throughout primary because she is interested in the lessons. Less than 1% of children from this school get to university, and talking to parents most of them don't want to anyway.

Consequently, we have sent her to another school. It is 100 yards over the county border. Neither council is remotely interested in any children from our area who go to that school (about 30 children). Our council say the school's out of their area, the school's council says the kids are out of their area.

Children from our area have been going to that school for over 30 years. It is a reasonable alternative to the non-academic school with which we are provided. Mind you, it's got a new head now and may improve, but it didn't last time it got a new head.

This is not choice. Remove all the barriers.

Totally disagree re the anti-faith school comments on here.

As I said above, I send my dcs to a faith school, because it gives them the spiritual core and focus on values that I felt they just couldn't get anywhere like so well in a secular school. They are taught respect for all faiths, not just their own - that was of paramount importance to me - teaching respect for self AND others go hand in hand.

All faith schools are not the same. They need not be divisive - maybe bad ones are. But at their best they offer something very valuable that non-faith schools can/do not tend to offer as well.

Boys are thought to do better educationally when they start at age 6.

Also I have heard that the ideal gender mix involves separation during lessons, but mixed recreational times.

I would like to see both these recommendations given a proper try.

Also teachers' admin should be cut dramatically. But they should be able to write proper school reports, not the half-baked drop-down menu versions we see nowadays. Report-writing serves a very important purpose: it focuses the teacher's mind on each student and enables them to assess precisely how far they've come and what they need to complete the course successfully.

I would like the opportunity to have a secular state school...IMO all are faith schools to a greater or lesser extent.

I want teachers to have high expectations of behaviour and achievement.

I want an interesting and diverse curriculum not just one focused around narrow tests.

I want my daughters to love education and school.

(I would also like a secondary school for them to go to. As it stands at the moment where we live there will be no places available when they reach 11 because of poor planning and the cancellation of the BSF programme).

Above all, social interaction.
Yes, the three rs are very important, but more than that I want my children to feel comfortable and confident with their peers.

Secular state schools - teach RE, but no 'collective worship'

Abolish SATs and league tables

Make Ofsted inspections actually mean something rather than being box-ticking exercises

Smaller classes in primaries

Stop selling off playing fields and give all children regular opportunities to play outside in woods and fields

Specialist maths, science and MFL teachers in the upper years of primaries (or move to a primary/middle/highschool system)

Smaller secondary schools

More setting or streaming in secondaries

Stop the emphasis on getting as many people as possible into university for what often turn out to be expensive and worthless degrees, and instead improve the system of vocational qualifications and training, to improve their prestige (Germany does pretty well at this - there is a lot we could learn from other countries if we took a good look)

Once you've done all this, leave the education system alone for a few years to give it a chance to work properly, rather than giving teachers different targets and methods and qualifications to deal with every year.

Teaching that will inspire my children to learn.
Bulling is dealt will properly .The bullies are punished not the victims
Children's work is at an appropriate level to them not just suitable for the whole class.
There is more time for PE,Music and art.
Every child is able to achieve good qualification and skills for adulthood.
Children start school at 6 not 4.5

I agree with piscesmoon we as parents along with the school should decide if our children are ready for school at the age of 4.

I feel that each child should be looked at an individual basis not assessed on when the birthday is.

I want a school that accepts my child as an individual. Who will work with me as a parent. My favourite education establishments are those who will accept the parent also knows the child.

I'm an LSA as well as a mother.

I find the whole healthy/ unhealthy lunchbox thing a big mess. I have actually experienced lately a school saying that sandwich, crisps and fruit is unhealthy as crisps are unhealthy food and would be better swapped for a healthy item. They then tld the pupils that the crisps could be eaten at home - as a snack. I think this could ultimatly be encouraging the obesity epedemic as its actually advirtising unheathy snacks as oppossed to everything inmoderation and a balanced diet.

I would also like to see more teachers trained on ASD, what to look for. I find many education professionals have a stereotypical idea of these children and don't realise that not all children with ASD will 'stand out a mile' but there are traits to look for. And just sometimes the way you phrase things is enough for these children to cope.

Oooh, can I have one more teeny, tiny, extra special request for the twat Minister with the Education Magic Wand...?

NITTY NORA must come back. NOW.

Children only progress to secondary school when they can read, write and do basic maths, (except SN).

No state funded religious schools.

Proper healthy hot school dinners for all children, not run for profit. (paid in advance & free for the poor).

Secondary school teachers must have 2.1 degree or better in their subject.

Provision for gifted students - grammar school/ high level school, 1 in each town.

Provision for non academic students to learn a trade at 14.

To me it matters that they have a project and they stick to it. No matter what the pressure from parents is.

One of my child is in a local school that has a very nice project, tries to be loyal to the children instead of the parents, and tries hard to make everybody understand that learning is not a climbing ladder. However, it is also obvious they make concessions to those parents who feel there is not enough homework, there is not enough pushing them to be successful, etc.

It has taken a while for me to understand. I have not been happy all the way through but it is fantastic to know the school delivers what it promises. In my case, respect for the children.

Seconding the nit nurse!

A small but useful change, please.