Punishment in school

[KatusM]

My child is attending year 2 in England. Yesterday he lost his break because we have not signed his reading record 5 times. He was not able to go out to the garden and was told if he did not tell me to sign his book he would lose his break again.

He is in a required curriculum level so this was not a boost club. This was a punishment because we did not sign his book. He read almost every day. He has no issue with reading. He completed his year 2 spelling target tests. So I believe he is on the right path.

I sent a very upset email to the school, of course they ignored me. I assume they will try to catch me in the school pick up and tell me a story why this is important.

Today morning my child had a breakdown about this and cried because if I did not sign his book he would lose his break again.

I am really considering taking this further because they do the same with numbots. If a child does not manage to complete 5 mins a week they lose their break.

Who shall I go to? Apparently other parents already put concern into the school but they ignore it.

Am I the one who overthinks this?

Why not just sign his book?

While I disagree with your child being punished for something which isn't their fault, why on earth wouldn't you just sign the book? He's upset and it could so easily be fixed. You had time to email the school but not to sign his reading record

Put a regular reminder on your phone and sign his book - or some other routine to remember to sign - you just have to tick put "done" or "read".

There literally weeks left of this year - and it may just be this teacher's approach. Losing breaks not great but honestly I'd save this approach for something serious and less easily solvable by you.

Just sign the book

It’s unfair that your son was punished for your mistake but agree with the others that you should have signed the book even if he didn’t read 5 times.

Yabu to think that the rule should only apply to kids not achieving expected standard

Unfair to punish the children over something they really have no control over but how hard is to scrawl a signature in a diary?
You owe your child an apology.

Yeah this is shit. Plenty of times I’ve not signed the book but we’ve actually read it. You child should be going to school crying because they are worried about punishments.

I don't agree with kids missing break for punishment, but in this case sounds like he's done the reading so why not just sign the book? Our school gives those that are usually good an extra day to mop up those that genuinely just forgot. Same with numbots, assuming you don't have a child like mine who absolutely refuses (she has quite significant SEN), you should be able to find 5 minutes a week.

I do sign his book regulary as per he is reading regulary, last week we forgot. Without a warning to me, the school decided to punish him on the first day of school after a weekend.

I forget all the time. I’m completely overwhelmed with my own business, my kids, house admin, housework.

I feel like my brain has crawled out my ear and scurried off most days.

It’s ridiculous the school are doing this.

I did sign regulary we did not sign it last week. Without a warning to me, he lost his break on Monday. That is why I upset.

I never quoted my child been pulled out because of numbots I did state they gave similar punishment for missing it.

Totally inappropriate at that age to be stopping break times.

You missed it because I imagine your running around like a blue arsed fly trying to stay on top of things, unsurprisingly a reading book signature isn't at top of mind!

How do they treat the kids with parents who don't read with their children at all because they can't be arsed?? Or those that don't get sent in with their reading book etc because their parents aren't bothered? There are many neglected children in this country with feckless parents who won't even have this on their radar. Surely it's unfair to punish children for their parents actions (or rather inaction).

It's not like you have done this on purpose, I 100% believe this is way overkill. I'd be contacting the school as well. It's a joke.

I don't like this, it seems like a way to stir up conflict between the child and parents in order to punish the parents.

This is what is so wrong with the system today. The children most in need are being punished. OP I sympathise. When my kids were in primary dd was similarly punished. The reason her homework had not been done was because we had spent the entire night in A & E with her little brother (her grandparents picked her up from the hospital for us and took her home). The school knew this as ds had been sent home very poorly from the same school.

Last week I signed 3 times during the week with the provided book, and 1 times with the information my child been taken to a trip to a museum and he got a booklet where he had to follow instraction and complete task to get the reward in the end.

So 4 times. He is in the expected level in reading, greather dept at Maths and Writing.

I do finish work quite late every day and I am pushing my children to exceed in everything. Yesterday when he come out of school I was fuming. The first day when finally we have good weather and he was forced to stay in a classroom, with 11 other children.

Of course it is, because it's partly OP's fault for forgetting and partly the child's fault for not reminding them. The school can't really punish OP but this is at least making them feel a consequence so they might change their behaviour.

OP Just set a regular reminder on your phone to sign the book, it's not hard. I expect your child will be more keen to remind you from now on anyway. What is the point of consequences that nobody feels?

I don't think it's a schools place to be punishing parents for something as petty as this.

Well, we still talking about a 7 years old child. The school did not send me letter, email, smoke signal to be aware if I did miss to sign his record he will lose break. He informed my child on the day when he got punished. That is my problem alongside with the issue they punish a 7 years old with losing his 30 mins break because his book was not signed. The school did not get punished because they did not sign his book since 23rd October. They did not let me know my child has any reading issue ( because clearly he did not have any issue ) they decided it is a good idea to make 7 years old worried. They can say their SAT result are good because they push the kids to their limits no matter what.... That is my problem.

Well they're not really because they can't so the child has lost their breaktime which is hardly a big deal in the long run but a little upsetting and memorable for the child so hopefully they will remind the parent more effectively and the parent will remember in future. Seems entirely sensible to me and certainly not something to complain about, how embarrassing that would be!

The child shouldn't be responsible for this, if the parent keeps forgetting to sign the book then reminders from the school would be more appropriate. Obviously as the child gets older they should be given more responsibility for managing their own homework.

A child losing their break is a MASSIVE deal in the little world of a 7 year old.

Imagine that child was having a tough time at home. Imagine they had a parent with a mental health issue or executive dysfunction due to neurodiversity or with a health issue. Or there had been a family emergency, or just a neglectful parent.

That child may NEED their outdoor play time (in the case of an ND parent the child may be ND and even if not children need to let off steam throughout the day. That child now has in their head that school is not a safe place of learning but a place where they are unjustly punished. This can affect their self esteem and their attitude towards education.

I would never have treated such a young child like that.

Well it will be very embarassing because I emailed the school. I am still not agree to gave punishment in this extant to a 7 years old.

I believe to provide awards not punish something which he is out of control. Creating fear to attend in school.

They have all my contact information in file. If I made a mistake they know how to contact me and they can have a conversation with me to discuss why I was a shitty parents. But they choose to punish a 7 years old child. That is totally unacceptable.

If this was a hurrandous mistake why they did not contact me?

This is why there are so many "school refusers".

They probably don't have time to do any of that. Your child isn't the centre of the universe and they have many others they need to think about as well. You are being hysterical when you are the only one who can actually make sure this doesn't happen again. Do you have a problem with admitting when you're in the wrong? You don't want to pass that on to your child.

This is your fault but you're trying to deflect it onto the school which is childish and ridiculous. You owe your child an apology. What are you going to do to ensure you don't forget to sign the book again?

Yes when their parents won't ever let them have a consequence or be upset for even a minute, even when they are in the wrong. No wonder so many pass their anxiety and over reaction and entitlement on to their young children.