15 rated horror film shown to 12/13 year olds without consent or relevance!

[NoSoggyBottoms]

Came home today to find that my 12 year old DS was shown "Insidious" in their Year 8 English lesson.

No parental consent and no relevance (ie not part of their lessons/curriculum).

Now have a scared boy at home who doesn't want to be left alone.

Typically I find out after school has closed and now there's the half term break.

An email will be waiting for the Head after the break.

Fuming!

Blimey, I just googled that as I hadn't heard of it - sounds really scary. I'm not surprised your son is frightened. What were they thinking?!

Are you able to speak to any other parents about it?

I'd be really pissed off.

Its bad enough when this happens on a sleepover never mind in school.

I'm a fan of horror and its a film that scared me...that doesn't happen too often!

Have no idea what they were thinking other than "can't be arsed teaching and the kids will think I'm cool".

Shredme....I don't know any of the parents.

I guess what's done is done, but I'll be taking this further.

i watched this with my 12 year old (shoot me) it's a really stupid film and not at all scary. though i don't think schools should show it

Silly teacher.

we are expected, if showing films outside of age group, to:

1. show relevance in our planning (eg. my year 8s are studying Macbeth, they watch the Polanski film which is a 15; it's embedded in my Scheme of Learning).
2. get parental permission, eg. kids write note in planner saying group will be watching said film, parents sign
3. provide alternative arrangements for anyone whose parents refuse permission OR who doesn't want to watch it.

I'd be emailing teacher in first instance, then HOD if still not happy.

Some teachers really don't help themselves...

Was it the whole film? Yr8 study the horror genre so could it have been the start of that?

Not the whole film (thank God!) as they had run out of time.

This had nothing to do with learning. They aren't doing horror genre. Why start a new topic on last day before half term.

Talk to other parents about what's happened. Do they agree? Also, emailing the head is a very good idea. I thought this wasn't allowed!

I don't think it's that bad. It's a PG-13 in the US, which means even young children can go in, accompanied by a parent.

But they shouldn't really go against the 15 certificate.

Just looked it up, that would have scared DD1 (also Yr8) witless and I would not have been happy.

They have been doing Gothic literature in English, but without resorting to watching films, thank goodness.

If it's a 15 a school has no business showing it to children younger than that without good reason & permission.

It really doesn't feel very complicated to me.

Also undermines the concept of age limits to young children surely? If it's yes it's too old but it is linked to this learning and your parents have given permission well OK. if it's well kids it's a 15 but you know what, you don't really need to be bothered about that then how can you hope to have a leg to stand on with other age-related stuff?

I say this as a child who saw an 80's style frat party type film and a fairly hard-core horror film at a friends house for her 13th birthday and well in teh classic parlance "it never did me any harm"

OMG that would have scared my 12 yo DS witless!

He is quite sensitive and hates scary films. I would never have allowed him to see that film.

On the other hand, DD is quite robust and loves horror flicks, they don't bother her. I would consider letting her see a creepy horror that is not of the gore fest type at that age.

You know your DCs and should have been allowed to make that choice for them. Completely unacceptable for this teacher to take that choice away.

Insidious certainly is scary! Ds , 12, has seen it and didn't find it as scary as Woman in Black, but however much I defend a teacher's right to use quality educational materials as they see fit I don't think they should be showing category 15 films to yr 8.

I'd be pissed off.

We don't always stick to ratings exactly - there are a few exceptions - but it's our decision to make, not the teachers, especially when it's something designed to scare people!