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?

Mine didn’t get that.

They all just wore it. They were meant to wear black shoes/ trainers but the school didn’t bother.

This thread is showing me everything that’s wrong in education at the moment and why l’m glad l left teaching. It makes me sad.

Kids being kept in because of parental slip ups. Theres no fun or joy in education anymore. And people seem to think this is OK and talk about ‘punishing’ 7 year olds.

No wonder we have a huge attendance issue.

The point is being missed that the best learning takes place in fun education. Not punitive behaviour.

I think it interesting that you both know, and clearly value, the fact that the school is in the top 3% of schools.

They have given you an indication of how they have achieved this - an approach that demands a specific measurable input from parents, that values uniformity, that frankly discriminates against those with difficult or more chaotic home backgrounds and makes such children and families feel unwelcome. It’s how they got where they are, and what you bought into by looking at ‘the best on the league tables’ rather than ‘a welcoming community school with a real focus on children’.

OP clearly stated she signed it 4 times last week, she just forgot the 5th.

And even if she didn't sign it EVER the child should not be punished.

There’s some losing sight of the big picture here.

The school is there to educate and make learning fun.

And people are getting obsessed about and supporting punishments for planner signing,

What’s the important thing here? A signature? Really? Is it that important? It only proves that the parent has signed. Nothing else.

The school is out of order here. I would be fuming too.

Exactly, something is wrong.

I did not state this. This is our catchment school. We leave here in the past 10 years. My elder is in year 7. The school get their after my older were in. With him we never had this type of punishment for missing signature.

Outstanding school or not, it’s shit pedagogy,

Delivered by a thick teacher with no understanding of motivation, how to teach or how to engage. As l said it’s shit damaging practice.

This. 100%. Children have no authority over their parents (and not should they have).. School is not in charge of parents and should not be making rules for parents. They should also not be punishing children for things their parents don't do. Completely unfair.

Some people just love to fight with an OP.

It is an OUTRAGEOUS policy.

Honestly there are hills to die on but this isn't one. Put a reminder in your phone and sign the damn book .

I actually think this IS a hill to die on.

I’d fucking fight this to the level
of Ofsted if it was my dc.

It’s appaling educational
practice. And has no educational value. It’s petty jobs worth stuff.

@KatusM I would complain. Schools cannot punish for the minuscule shortcoming of a parent! Read your behaviour policy. It will be 100%!based on praising good behaviour and 100% based on children. Not their parents. It will list sanctions but these will never be based on parents not doing something. So read it and put in a complaint. If parents were punished in some schools, many dc would be interred forever!

I also agree that the school sounds miserable. 4 more years there wouldn’t fill me with pleasure. I’ve experienced similar when my DD was accused, in front of the whole school in assembly , of forging my signature on a permission form. She didn’t. My signature was a bit wonky due to signing in the car! DD said she didn’t do it and cried. My DD was never a child to do anything wrong and the teachers never checked with me first. They just named and shamed my child and upset her. Even her friends couldn’t believe what was said about her. I asked for her to receive an apology in front of the whole school. She didn’t of course. So as it wax end of y6, no leaving present from us. We moved DD2 to another school. Poor behaviour from teachers is a deal breaker for me. DD is now a barrister. We don’t like unfairness in our family. Don’t put up with it.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow Me too. The behaviour policy is clearly worthless and that’s indicative of a very poor school. It’s just plain nasty and should be called out.

Oh your poor daughter TizerorFizz

What a horrible thing for the school to do.

However they will say this punishment works because now parents will sign the book. Punish the kids and you can get the parent to do what you ask. Who cares if the child is distressed - pity the poor child from a home where there's too much going on to get the book signed.

Horrible pedagogy.

@Natsku It’s still a horror story we remember. My DD had not given school 1 second of a behaviour issue - ever. When DD came out of school, she had a huge gaggle of friends around her and she was very upset. No teacher in sight. One of the boys said “we all know Tizer DD would never do this - I would though”. Thats the thing really. The school didn’t care. Didn’t know DC and basically didn’t ask me first. That’s why I do think some things are a deal breaker when trust completely vanishes. DDs class teacher never said a word about it. No apology. Nothing.

Absolutely horrible, especially as no apology. Glad her friends didn't believe it.

I was actually pleased she tried to advocate for herself and was told to be quiet because she was lying. In some ways it was the making of her. She advocates for others for her job: started young!

I made a complaint in an email, along with 19 other parents ( 11 kids were pulled into a so-called "bookclub").

Yesterday one of the Mum shared the email and the photo she sent to the school. Her 6 years old signed her own record just to be sure she is not get into trouble. ( she was not part of the "bookclub" on Monday but she was so scared she wanted to be sure she never will ).

Yesterday was a huge argument at the gate on pick up between another parent and the other class teacher. The child was in hospital for 2 days and she did not read and been put into the "bookclub" as a result of only 3 signature in her reading record. The Mum wes polite and calm, did not raise her voice or being argumentative, she asked the teacher and the teacher became very aggravated and started to tell her they had enough complain regarding this for last the rest of the year. It is not her decision, it is the head of English's decision and they are already overwhelmed with the complaints. They will have a meeting and discuss, but what is done, done. It was not her decision so we should not bother her with it. She told the teacher that she will send another official complaint against the consequences.

I found out they have a booster club for kids whose reading is not at the required level and parents have been informed. My child has never been invited to any booster club related to his reading. I assume because he is at the required level. I feel terrible because my mistake caused anxiety to my child. He read 3 times last night just to be sure he will not be in trouble. I signed his book for the rest of the year so they cannot say he missed the signature.

They actually disciplined a child for not reading whilst they were in hospital. That is barbaric.

They did the discipline because Mum did not sign the book. They don't really care about the level the child is on or about the reading. They only care about the signature in a book. It is wrong on so many levels. My biggest problem is I do love his teacher. We had her for 2 years for my elder and then for 2 years for the little one. I am sure she would never put a child in isolation because of a missed signature. We have especially had a lot under our belt in the past few months which the school and her are aware of. The head of English was one who forced the SAT for year 2. I believe the school has made a big negative impact on the relationship between the parents and the teachers. Now only a few weeks left. I am going to just be sure I sign everything that needs to be done and will let my child know he will don`t need to worry about it.

@KatusM I would still be familiar with the behaviour policy and sanctions policy.This isn’t reasonable and the staff really can back off! Who is checking whether they punish or not? No one. It’s far more important to have harmonious relationships with the parents. Who wants to argue over signing a book - or not. Previously reliable and supportive parents should be valued. Teachers ought to know it’s a blip. They could always ask the parent if they were ok? Gather some evidence before punishing. My first comment still stands though - schools cannot punish dc for what their parents have done or not done. It’s not their fault.

A 7 year old child losing their break?! That's absolutely shameful. This type of cruel, deeply unhealthy nonsense is one of the reasons why I opted out of the state system for my DS. So many schools just seem to be hell on wheels with the one and only aim of increasing SATS scores, to the detriment of children's health and wellbeing. We have some of the fattest, most unhealthy, miserable, anxious kids on the planet in the UK and our education system is clearly playing a big role in this tragedy.