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?

I feel the same way. We cannot really take him out of this school because of my work, i cannot drop him off a further away school. So change is only an option if we move, which again is not something you can do in an instant. They did not react to any parents' email. But I believe we raise awareness.

I don't think it's ok to punish a child for something that they have to rely on an adult to do. There are a significant proportion of parents who won't help their children with school work and those children should not be punished because of it. I also don't think a child's attainment should impact on that, so it should be irrelevant that your ds is meeting expectations.

My first thought was he had to go because he did not meet the required level. Then he told me who was with him and I know 2 of the children are coming from a troubled family and below of the expectation because of the lack of consistency around the kids. But the other kids are his level or above his level. So that was not the option. Then we arrived home and I found out from the sticker in his reading record, they created a "book club" for kids whose parents did not sign 5 times a week. Then I lost it. Next morning I created this post to find out I am the one who is overreacting? Is it normal and just I make a big fuss about it? But apparently most of the commenters agree with me. I feel unfair that my child was punished for my lack of administration in his book. Hence I wrote a letter to the school, along with other parents. Hopefully that was the last time they did something like that.

You sound insane.

@hamsterchump In which behaviour and sanctions policy that you can quote does it say dc can be punished because of some minor mistake by a parent? There are policies in schools and they are there to be followed. It’s vital for everyone that a policy can be trusted. Heads are professional educators and really should understand this basic principle. It IS important and it’s you who, frankly, doesn’t understand how schools should work.

Why?

I can tell you as a teacher there is no educational benefit in this. It’s outrageously bad practice and has no pedagogy anywhere in it.

I don't know, how could I possibly know what school this is in reference to? Do you understand that this is a public, anonymous forum and I don't know you or the OP personally?

The child was punished very mildly for not getting the reading record signed. OP has had a very over the top reaction (probably borne out of guilt and embarrassment) to this and is looking around for someone else to blame when she and her child are the ones to blame for the oversight and they could easily ensure this never happens again and move on with their lives.

Just sign his book for gods sake

@flyinghen She normally did. A decent school does allow the odd error. Have you read a behaviour policy? Do you think dc should be punished for what a parent didn’t do? Totally wrong and sometimes parents aren’t robots.

I would imagine they stayed in at break to do the reading they should have done at home that wasn't signed off. So not a punishment as such.

I just had another read of my post to check I wasn’t going mad because you’ve put a lot of words in my mouth there. But nope, I definitely didn’t say any of that.

Very good suggestion. If you spent time to read the post I usually did. I missed 1.

I made the mistake and the kid got punished.

I did ask you nicely yesterday to stop. Your comments are personal, not even suggest any solution. I don't feel guilt and I did not let down my child. Have you? I feel sorry for you. I am sure you going through something horrible and my tread is the only place you can vent.
I hope you are OK.

After your suggestion, I read all of them. The homework policy, the reading practice, neither specify the child has to got a signature 5 times in his reading record. It only stated they suggest a year 2 student practice reading at home 5 times a week 10 minutes per session. They stated that they expect a child to do homework approx 100 mins per week. We read chapter books which more then 10 minutes per siting usually half an hour per chapter. Including the discussion about what'd we read. The school got a lots of backslash because of the action.
I singed his book for the rest of the year including weekends too. Now they have the required signature.

We read. I just forgot to sign the book. He got punished for 30 mins lost break at age 7. Because I forgot to sign his book. That is why this post been created.

@KatusM What does their behaviour and sanctions policy say? Do they hand out punishments for a parent not signing a book? That would be a strong argument regarding stopping this practice.

Sorry - I meant if the sanctions only relate to pupil behaviour. As they almost certainly will.

I'm fine thanks.

I have suggested several times that you ensure you sign the book by setting up a regular reminder on your phone, it's really incredibly simple and that should be an end to it, no tears, no hand wringing, a problem solved and forgotten.

I just have no idea why you feel entitled to blame the school you chose for your child for your own mistake. It is entitled parents like you who are driving schools into the ground because you have some misguided notion that the rules don't apply to you. They do, follow them or find a different school or teach your child yourself.

Losing a break is really no big deal, you are doing your son such a disservice going nuclear over this. How do you think children learn resilience? Be learning to accept small disappointments, especially as a consequence for yes even something unintended like forgetfulness, that's life, we can't always have our way.

How can a school function if no one will accept any rules, everyone will have some excuse for why they couldn't do it, which should the school accept and how much time should be dedicated to this?

If they got rid of the rules and standards slipped as a consequence you'd go around pointing your finger again and moaning that the school is no longer good enough for you. People want high standards but don't seem to realise that rules and sanctions are what gets you those. Rules aren't just for other people, they must be for everyone or they lose all their power and you end up in the situation we are now with most schools.

It's so true that most don't value anything offered for free. Be careful what you wish for OP it might just come back to bite you with huge classes, unqualified teachers and no effective learning.

Not the child's responsibility to 'remind' his parents. The school should take it up with the parent, not take it out on the child.

Totally agree that children should follow rules, and be disciplined for breaking rules, but in this particular case, it wasn't the child that broke the rules. It was the parent that didn't sign the book. So punish the parent, but not the child.

If he's read to you then I really don't get how difficult it is to remember to sign the book - keep the reading book and the reading record in the same place?
You know he has read but the teacher has no evidence of this!
It has only happened once and it sounds as if your DC is getting anxious about this (reading 3 times in one evening?)
Just put it down as one mistake and move on (your DC can also help remind you re: signing!)

Yea, but the teacher didn't kniw he'd read because the book wasn't signed

Stupid policy by the school. I’d just forward sign the book now until the end of the year. Small Children shouldn’t miss their break because of something that is not their fault.