What would parents think about receiving this letter from school?

[kritur]

I teach chemistry in a pretty average mid league table comp and am currently teaching a top set GCSE chemistry. Even though they are a top set they have a real spread of target grades from A*-C (think my collegue messed up the setting this year!). Anyway they are all in Y10 and have discovered drinking and the opposite sex in a big way so generally have heads full of teenage nonsense. This has meant that they don't do their homework or do it in a rush so not reflecting their true ability.

So today I snapped and sent a letter to all the parents of those who didn't get their target grade. It said -

Dear Parent/Carer,

I am writing to inform you that your son/daughter has submitted a piece of homework below the standard expected of them.
Student:
Homework: June 2007 GCSE Chemistry Unit 1 Past Paper
Target Grade:
Grade achieved:

The homework was/was not handed in on time.

I have identified the following reasons for your son/daughter missing their target.
□ Completed in detention due to failure to complete/hand in
□ Homework shows evidence of being rushed
□ Parts of questions have not been attempted
□ Whole questions have not been attempted

This homework is vital preparation for the exams your son/daughter will sit in June. I would appreciate it if you would speak to your son/daughter about this issue and stress the importance of homework. Thankyou for your support in this matter.

So as parents, would you be happy that I'd kept you informed? One of my colleagues thinks that I'm being over the top but I think it's for their own good. Any comments welcome.

I have a lazy Yr 10 DS. Our school does keep us informed, either via a note in their homework diary or if it gets really bad and you get a phone call. Love your letter, woudl welcome it (more info than in a diary note and you don't want to be ringing them all as you say) Agree with the need to balance with good letters/postcards too. Definitely not over the top, shows you are a conscienstious teacher. Unlike your colleague.

Yes, good to be informed and a good letter, but I'm not sure it will be a strong enough incentive iyswim. They already know homework is important - but what will make them do it? That's the problem.

But they are probably telling their parents that they don't have homework.

From conversations that I have had on parent's evening

Coming from the opposite side of this debate so to speak- we get one of these letters every week I also most weeks get the same teacher on the phone (during school hours) telling me that DS3 hasn't given in his coursework.

I Have Words with DS3. He screams at me that he's done it- she doesn't know what she's talking about- we go round and round in circles.

It didn't help that after one of these letters the teacher happened to ring me and said it was a "general buck up" letter and not specific to DS3... after I'd given him a bollocking and had a huge row with him..

He's a lazy little git and I have explained until I'm blue in the face about why it's important for him to do the work but TBH I'd rather they communicated with eachother and left me out of it. He has been so miserable and has been turned right off school. He was a different child during the holidays.

As a one-off a letter it's a good idea, especially in Y10 when there is time to sort it out. In Y11 a letter every week has completely the opposite effect

I suppose there would have been nothing that would have made me do mine. I couldn't motivate myself. Just couldn't. My parents wouldn't have forced it either.
I think I was depressed though.? Maybe that's why I lost the plot with school.
Didn't care about the work, just wanted to find some yoof who would understand me

Still haven't