Would you be upset if..........

[bonkerz]

My DS is 5 and when he started back at school in September he was not the best behaved little boy. I went in lots to talk with his teacher and for the past 6 weeks he has been really good, even getting awards for his improved behaviour! Thought we had turned a corner at last!
Dh picked DS up from school last night and was asked if he could go in to talk about DS which he did. APPRENTLY DS hadnt been great yesterday, when the teacher went off to get something DH noticed a small red book in DS folder so he had a look and its 5 pages long of all the bad things DS has been doing dating back to October this year! When DH asked the teacher about it she said DS was the only one to have this book and that he shouldnt have seen it!!
Dh and i spoke last night and agreed that we should be able to see this book and that really it should be sent home every night as a communication record. That way school and home will be able to communicate about DS behaviour and hopefully help sort it together.
Must add here that DS teacher is a nightmare to catch. She rushes off every day and doesnt like you talking to her in the morning.
I went in today and asked her if i could see this book and was told flatly that i could not! I then asked if she could make a point of talking to me in the evenings about how DS has been and she said she didnt have the time! HOW am i ever going to find out what my DS has been like at school if im not told!??
Im so upset by all this and getting angrier by the minute!

Presumably any permanent record concerning your child forms part of their school record and, as such, you are entitled to see it. My understanding is that parents are entitled to see anything written about their child. This includes notes made about them, minutes of any meetings held about the child and the formal school record.

I would speak to the head and try to get this sorted.

Yes you should see the book. Schools can't keep written records secret- there must be a web site somewhere detailing the phrasing you need to use to see your records under the data protection act.

I needed the school to tell me about ds1's behaviour when he was mainstream so I sent in a tick chart for them. I have it- but on another computer. Grrr. Basically it had a list of behaviours including things like concentration - and then bad baheviours as well- and a tick chart from good (smily face) to average to not good- it was for me not my son (he wouldn't have understood it anyway). Would take the teacher 2 seconds to fill in- but meant I knew whne I had to ask them what had been going on.

Totally gobsmacked by this

I can tell you right now that everything and anything that is written about your child in school is legally yours to see. The DPA does indeed just cover computer held record but the FIA does not.

Anyway none of that should be needed. They have a professional responsibility to show you this book and to discuss your child's progress with you. Call them back. DEMAND a prompt meeting. Contact your LEA and ask for a rep at the meeting or perhaps have your parent governor in there. Tell the LEA you want this dealt with now or you will be contacting OFSTED about the school and their (LEA)refusal to intervene.

I am appauled and disgusted at the 'no time after school' and the 'can't see you til January'. All teachers are required to stay on school property for at least 15mins after school.

This is so out of order and I'm getting more and more as I type.

Please don't leave this. Phone back now! Makes me ashamed!

thanks for the posts everyone. As it is i turned up at midwife with high blood pressure and she made me see that i cant get stressed at the moment!
When i picked DS up his teacher sent him out with a badge saying he had been good, that was it, no verbal communication at all and before i had a chance to go to her she had closed the door!!

Dha nd i have chatted tonight and we have started a behaviour chart for DS, we have told him what happens if he is rude or doesnt do as he is told and have decided that we will send in a book on monday and request the teacher writes how he has been in it. Will give that a try for a week adn if she wont do it we will be going to the head.

Blimey at this thread!
I have a behaviour book for a child in my class and of course it goes home every day. I wouldnt consider it not to! The behaviour book I have is for good and not so good behaviour. I have told all staff that if the child isnt being naughty then he is being good and they must write in it to say so.

Not much to add to other posts about how shocking this all is. But on a factual point, Data Protection Act does indeed cover written records as well as those kept on computer. I used to work in a company where we got DPA requests and we had to check our written records.

How has this week gone, bonkerz?

Bonkerz, my ds was badly behaved at school in the last months of my pregnancy and after I had the baby. It does affect them, sometimes badly. And I know how stressfull it is.
In your situation, I would personally make it very clear to the teacher and the school that you are more than willing to cooperate with them and do what it takes to improve your ds's behaviour - and leave it at that. After all, they are dealing with his behaviour at school, and if they are not complaining, what's the problem? You want less stress, not more, right?