What would make your school better?

[whendidyoulast]

I am a teacher but this is purely for interest. Your suggestions have to be realistic simple things that don't involve millions of pounds or hours e.g. do you think more frequent contact about progress via email or meetings about how you can support your child in specific subjects would be useful? Parents online chat?

Well, I agree that if you are subjected to rude and entitled parents then running a club must be a thankless task.

Actually I was thinking more of the Christmas productions. Dd was so disappointed that they haven't had one for the last two years. I just think they have a particularly bolshie collection of teachers atm.

I agree it is a shame about Christmas Plays, but three thoughts come to mind;

1. Does the school expect the performance to be rehearsed as an after school club (an intolerable burden at an already hectic time of year for teachers organising school Christmas and family Christmas commitments) or is it rehearsed in school time (still additional workload with writing scripts, organising casting, costumes, etc. but more manageable - we do this way)?
2. If it is bolshie teachers what made them bolshie?
3. It may be a headteacher who won't allow curriculum time to be used as it will impact attainment and progress levels.

Oh and a fourth - a few schools find Christmas plays too much of a politically correctness mine field so won't do them! Then it is the HT/Governors/LA and some parents that have forced that decision, not teachers.

omg our primary does a christmas play

its a nightmare it takes up WEEKS

I'd be more than happy not to have one

Bolshie

This is a minor point, because I am very happy with the school:

I would like them to update the information available on Moodle/VLE. Most of it is at least two or three years out of date and no longer relevant.

For example, there is not much point having revision materials for a syllabus they no longer follow, for which the last candidates finished the course in 2010.

Decent behaviour trailing system so year leaders and SLT actually had a clue what was going on.

If money was no object, then a bigger canteen for both primary and secondary. Each can only seat about 15% of the pupils at one time.

Smaller classes, assembly once a week (waste of listening time) more room in and outside for group work, a creative approach to study, longer school day with more art, PE and music but no divisive homework ( it's for the children to do independently) more money for visits, consistency by head teacher and consequently all staff, so children understand expectations and a head that instils a caring attitude, with mutual respect, good manners, a strong work ethic and desire to support everyone. That's for starters! Oh and an Ofsted system that motivates and leads to improvement for all; adults and children, unlike the current one that instils fear and stress and leads to a test obsessed culture.

And schools that cater from age 3-18 so so transition ceases to cause. Problem and specialist teachers can gradually be introduced and resources shared.

And change the way they are run by governors. Poor heads they are already so busy and governor meetings take so much time. Better to have experienced heads running groups of schools as area managers .

Lizz
That simply doesn't work in rural areas as rising 5s would have to do 10 mile plus bus trips.

Although having helped in a middle school where specialist maths and PE staff had input in Y5 and 6 it has it's merits.

A pro active sports coach who is inclusive, maybe?

Better hospitality towards visiting schools teams/fixtures. A Kitkat and packet of crisps is cringingly embarrassing - especially when our school plays away games they are offered a hot meal afterwards with cake and teas and coffees for parents too. It's a shame our school falls short of this excellent opportunity to further showcase how otherwise good we are.

LOVE Craggys post - yes yes to that (tho this doesn't apply to my year group thankfully) ??.

A little less homework.

Smaller timetables for teachers, setting across the board instead of mixed ability, 40 min lessons instead of 1hr, less being a slave to the data, send Ofsted to the moon, send Gove to Mars. I think that about covers it... I'm leaving at Easter though, and am thinking of quitting teaching altogether...

Starwars we have the same shaming teas

But I doubt we'll get much sympathy for them :-)

Communication and action. Last week had first parents evening of the academic year for dd. Was told she is too shy to ask questions and so wastes lots of time doing nothing. Bit late to tell me this. No strategy to help her either, I asked what the teacher was doing to help dd and received a blank look in return and a quick change of subject.

And proper commitment to pe lessons, every week, all classes, at the dcs school several teachers opt out of pe frequently. Too few opportunities to exercise.

Introduce inter school sports, fgs my primary school in the 1970s had inter school football for boys and netball for girls. Why can't this be managed in 2014?

Employ teachers who can do maths and give my kids sums and questions at the correct level for them. There are only 2 teachers at dcs school at present who can do this, luckily DS has one of them this year.

Oh dear I will stop, I am ranting as have had too much cider, on the whole I like the dcs school. It's a good place. But nowhere is perfect.

1. Scrap Ofsted and replace it with some kind of self evaluation that involves teachers, parents and pupils.
2. Scrap league tables so that schools are more inclined to work together for the good of all rather than behaving like education is a cheaper (much) version of the football league
3. Scrap the obsession with examination grades/ assessment and focus of developing good character traits in our children rather than treating them like an industrial product
4. Stop successive education secretaries from using education to further their own careers/personal agendas
5. Bring back a curriculum that matches the needs of a school's local community
6. Stop blaming schools for the ills of society and start giving them the credit they deserve for trying to care for young people in an increasingly hostile world
7. Let children develop naturally and give them the education that they need and want.
8. Provide some job opportunities for young people so they can see the point in school

I was so fed up with lack of info and not regularly updated and non specific school website, created a class website via weebly inspired by an enthusiastic Y5 teacher. ( I'm no techno but it's easy)Head told me teachers wouldn't help so it's totally parent run with the help of 2 keen year 7s. It's really helped create a community.
As schools cut back on sending out written info it's unrealistic expecting kids to remember school notices / assignments
verbatim.

Inter school sport is one of the best things about my dds private school

Teaches manners, politeness, confidence, good for them to get out of school and see other schools,

And in the case of dd1s hockey team it teaches grace in defeat

Toilets that work.
Classrooms that don't leak.
A school hall big enough to seat the whole school.

Children wearing wellies at break time so that the whole school grounds can be used and children have more space to play and exercise.
End if government initiatives which are politically aimed and mean teachers spend hours preparing stuff that then gets axed. More solid 3 R's would be better.
PPA run by specialist games and music teachers who work in a group of schools giving children quality teaching in those subjects. Maybe this could mean a longer school day with more sport and arts activities.

State High School/Academy here
The Government/Gove need to stop constantly changing the curriculum/goalposts/exams.
They need to stop interfering and let the school get on with teaching.

Our secondary academy sends out far too many things in the post

The send postcards out rewarding hard work, termly reports, attendance letters every half term and a few other bits and pieces that could be emailed or given to the child to bring home

But then they have reward activities that the pupils 'earn' through good behaviour but the parents have to pay for them

Cut out the postage and make the rewards free!

Smaller classes, quiet space for break times, a class teacher who believes what I tell her about my ds's ASD.

I tried to get involved in making my kids' primary school better, but got so fed up with being brushed off that it was a big part of the motivation for me to set up a blog and website about how parents in Scotland can get schools and councils to listen. Most of it should be relevant to parents elsewhere too.

www.takingparentsseriously.wordpress.com.

I've just recently started it, and the first post is about powerlessness. Here's a bit that's similar to what a few have said here:

"I’ve never been told how I can reach my children’s teachers. When I’ve had to tell them something it’s been by the note-in-the-bag routine, which, as communication methods go, is only one degree less risky than using carrier pigeons in occupied France."

It seems to me that lots of school are lucky enough to have engaged, informed parents who want to get involved, but the attitude of the teaching profession in general is that we should butt out.

Updated, easy-to-use school website. Parents to be given email addresses for teachers and pref other parents at start of year, to enable easy communication. Personalised reports. More parents' evenings at secondary school - once a year not enough.

More vegi options on school dinners - dd has just turned vegi and there's only 1 thing she can eat!

No homework at primary apart from times tables, reading and learning lines for plays etc.

Suggestion box (anonymous) at every school for parents to suggest improvements. And for suggestions to be taken seriously!

More time to be spent teaching study skills eg how to learn rather than assuming pupils know this.