How transparent is your school?

[NorhamGardens]

In terms of setting, streaming, changes to the curriculum etc?

I find that ours often introduce changes without telling us up front. They will provide explanations when challenged but this can be frustrating. It's as if they hope to introduce changes by stealth in the hope they won't be noticed and potentially the then limiting consequences to some children will go unrealised.

Is this widespread? Just curious.

changes to the curriculum have rather more to do with Mr Gove than the schools
and TBH how streaming works NEEDS to be a tad opaque to stop pushy parents trying to game the system

Does it re: streaming? Surely if they had transparent & fair criteria then few can argue? Some will always find a way to game the system.

For every child who goes up, another has to go down.
Would you like yours clearly identified as the one who went down? I would not, so I support a bit of discreet work on sets and streams - so long as the statistics as reviewed by the SMT and the governing body show that the movements are for the best.

Pushy parents who kick up a fuss about streaming are a nightmare tbh, and are undermining teachers' professional judgment. As a teacher it really doesn't matter to me if I am teaching set 4 or 5 or whatever, I will still do my utmost to ensure each child makes progress. Parents who complain about it take up time which would be better spent elsewhere.

I think the way decisions are made and judgements passed should be transparent. Whether it's a test or ongoing teacher assessment.

Do you find lots of parents complain Loulou?

although not their child?s ability relative to the rest of the class
and that is the WHOLE POINT of setting.
You may think your child is the brightest in the world, but the teacher has the data on ALL the children so sets them relative to each other.
That is their job.
And frankly the vast majority of parents should just but out.

When I was warned that DS would NOT be in the expected sets, I did not hassle the teacher, I kicked him up the backside, upped his work and he produced the results the teacher needed.
I do not know which child got bumped down instead. None of anybody's business except the teachers.

I never know what's happening in school
I was told at end of last year that both dds are in the top 5 % of their class

My dd1 has since been "encouraged" to join homework club (even tho I always ensure she does it on same nite, and hands it in!, I also check it first)
I've found out tonite via dd1 that dd2 is missing assembly for extra reading. She reads at home every other nite, and I fill in her reading record

The teachers have said NOTHING

Parents evening thurs........

bright but painfully quiet child
This is where parents seem to forget that teachers are QUALIFIED - as part of their PGCE and BEd they do theories of learning and mind, ways to recognise comprehension
and - heaven forfend - actually TEST the kids to find out what they know.

At secondary schools, sets are little to do with "reading age" and rather more to do with the transition from concrete to formal thinking and grasping abstract concepts of added value to work

(I'm not a teacher BTW, married to a qualified teacher)

No way am I butting out of setting decisions made by one particularly brain dead department. (Yes science you know who you are.)

Because they are Wrong

They have also moved the goal posts, changed who they are entering for which exams and they certainly kept quiet.

Had I known I'd have kicked up a massive fuss last year.

Yes I'm a pushy parent, but I was also pretty much the best scientist in my year. I've spent a lot of time explaining stuff to friends and class mates and DD1 gets things way quicker than most.

Dyslexia does not mean thick and giving her less to learn for double award will not improve her grade.

She has no trouble learning or understanding only in writing it down.

Tiggy I completely agree with you. There's an awful lack of communication in this area. And while I respect a teacher's authority in the classroom, it's perfectly valid (and necessary) to let a teacher know if there's a huge disparity between what a child is capable of at home and what they're achieving at school.

Talking I don't know why you're being so defensive. You said yourself you kicked your DC's butt when you were warned he wouldn't be in expected sets.
Unfortunately, many parents never have that kind of conversation with a teacher. I would welcome that kind of frank discussion, but it's not forthcoming unless you ask specifically.

I was told it at parents evening - in front of other parents and his class mates
I did not start the conversation

I defend the professional judgement of teachers because too many parents make too many assumptions about their children without remembering that all things are relative - and ONLY the teachers have the full set of performance data.

I think the way decisions are made and judgements passed should be transparent. Whether it's a test or ongoing teacher assessment.

Maybe it depends how that's implemented, but on face of it, sounds like a nightmare. If you want actual flexibility in ability groupings & teachers to concentrate on their jobs, you don't want them to be caught up with paperwork and having to justify micro-decisions. Sets are supposed to overlap, anyway, teachers need room to experiment, adjust for personality conflicts, etc.

Talkin I think you're taking anti-teacher-bashing to the extreme of teacher worship. Yes they are professionals and the vast majority do a fantastic job. Some aren't very good. But even the excellent teachers are also human, like any other professional. And humans make mistakes. Doesn't make them bad people, or bad teachers. It makes them human.

And teachers, like doctors or lawyers , shouldn't be above explaining why they have reached a decision.

lljkk - this is a serious question. Why would a more transparency create more paperwork? Why not a quick word?

I think what the OP wants, and certainly what I want is a bit more communication about how DC's are doing. I don't need a written report - a quick 1-2 minute chat can identify a problem that needs addressing or can reassure that DC is getting along fine.