What three things would you change about schools in general / your child's school?

[Racingsnake]

Everyone seems to like to moan about teachers / school / education, but no-one ever says how they would do it better. What 3 things would you change?

Here are mine:

1. Start formal education at 6 not 4
2. Halve class sizes. Whatever the gov't says about class sizes having no effect on chn, I am sure I would teach 16 better than 32
3. Reliable ICT that works, so that the teacher can use it to open up the world to the classroom, entertain and inspire

1. smaller class sizes (who decided 30 was a good number?)
2. more sports (hour a day)
3. nursery till 7 years old

Parents have said before that they would like the term to be a week shorter and have no videos, Christmas parties, pantomime trips, etc. Two problems:

1. The 'end of term' feeling would then just start a week earlier
2. I was totally against the waste of time of having Christmas parties/decorations etc at school until a much more experienced teacher pointed out that some children have never been to a party and will never get invited to one. Generally they come from the sort of familiy with which the other parents don't want to associate. (Contrary to popular belief, teachers don't particularly enjoy such events. And as for the PTA a few years ago at our school who complained that the teachers were taking the children's food from the party and resented providing £1 a head for the whole of the party ... Am I really going to be so desesperate for a few value crisps and Iceland's own sausage rolls that I would subject myself to a whole afternoon of musical chairs and pass the parcel????)

Ds's school finishes a week and a half before the other schools and it does just bring forward the videos etc.

However he also had full on nativity services, carol concerts, prize giving, swimming sports etc (end of academic year here).

I was in awe of the teachers for doing all this extra stuff.

Litchick - I think this is not the first time you have made me laugh on MN!

You are talking extra-curricular stuff, surely? I am intrigued!

Racingsnake: an interesting perspective. But what is our teachers' excuse? I think they must really enjoy the whole experience (though the sausage rolls are from Waitrose, so maybe that's it ...)

The end of term is fun! School is about a lot more than academic subjects.

Dot - school hours for year four to six are 8.20-4.15. But choristers go in at 8am and there are gazillions of after school clubs.
Tis one of the resons why I will not sell my delapidated, mice infested house. It's ten mins away.

Litchick - interesting! Mine are indeed let off very lightly...
Choir schools are lovely!

I do actually think the end of term stuff is important as building the community of the class/school. I read somewhere that the ideal size for a human community is 25. Hence my ideal class size of 24 (which is just so good for group work!)

Sorry, can't remember who said that Nurture groups are very rare and very important. My school had them but new assistant head stopped them as the children were missing lessons especially before sats. and rather

Love the idea of hand-carved wooden pigeon holes in pastel colours.

1. Definately start school later - no earlier than 6 yrs and preferably at 7 years old.

2. Reduce the school day - its too long and children spend too long waiting for other children to finish lunch to then get pushed about on the playground - where often there is no where for quiet space / reflection. Ideally school should start earlier in the morning (say 730 or so) and be over at lunchtime.

3. Cut down the NC - don't do away with it entirely but scale it down. Currently it prescribes everything to the last dot and cross. I suggest a looser NC that simply states that children should be able to acheive certain things (ie read, and add up etc) by the time they leave. How the school delivers that should be up to them

Later starting- 6.

Agree about the NC- more flexibility- children develop at different speds and no allowence is made for this- they plateau and shoot ahead.

classes no larger that 20-25.

more creative stuff- really creative I mean- not just coloured in photo copies tacked onto the end of a course subject. Some schoos do this, but at our kids school they were always "missing"art in favour of something else, because the teacher thought it was "too messy"

more music, singing, drama.

I haven't read entire thread but will probably go against the grain with my three:

1. More formal methods of teaching, more learning by rote and repetition, more focus on maths, English and science.

2. More, not less homework. DD (Yr 3) has two worksheets to do for the entire week (in addition to reading). I'd prefer homework on a daily basis, which would be corrected properly by teachers.

3. Competitive sports for all, and a wider variety than is currently provided.

4. Smaller class sizes, streaming of children throughout the school for key subjects and more respect for teachers. When I went to school, we had to stand up and acknowledge the teacher when he/she entered the room.

1. Flexible start - as mum to two August dcs, I have a BIG, GIANT axe to grind here. I have spent some years seething about this. I was recently told that ds's place is no. 4 in his year group. The three above him are all born in September. It's just NOT FAIR!

1. More singing. Not just occasional 'singing assemblies', but hearty singing every single day.

1. Higher standards for teachers. 'A' Levels at least should be compulsory for all teachers. Preferably a degree in this day and age.

4, (one extra, please) Less idiotic bureaucracy and red tape - I fear that some young teachers have been indoctrinated that their primary role is to leave a 'perfect paper trail'.

Fircone-
"Higher standards for teachers. 'A' Levels at least should be compulsory for all teachers. Preferably a degree in this day and age."
Have I missed something- you mean teachers don't have to have A-levels?

Teachers need a degree and a PGCE or a teaching degree (which is 4 years).

Yes- that's what I thought.
Although some alternative/private schools don't need any qualifications apart from their own training.

oh, sorry, times have changed. I know teachers who have only O Levels (dinosaur emoticon)

Although a clutch of old O Levels prob worth more than a degree these days!

1. 5 term year
2. gifted children should be able to move up a year
3. homework suited to the ability of the child

In the past (about 25 years ago?) teachers did a teacher training qualification in the same way that nurses did a nursing qualification before nurses did degrees. Both just as valid.

1. the school year starting in September
2. foreign langs from day 1
3. the practical skills thing, to include a wide spread of subjects eg budgeting at sec.school, writing a cv, basic electrics, plumbing, basic economics all the things as a grounding for everyday life

1. I would have education policy researched based and the teachers having input rather than politicians.

2. I would have far more intensive help for any child who cannot read by the age of seven for as long as needed.

3. Have more flexiblity about which year group a child is in.

Can I have more than three things.

4. Get rid of inclusion for children with really severe behavioural problems. There needs to be more special schools/ units to cater for severely emotionally disturbed children.

5)Better in country provision for children who are bright and have dyslexia. There needs to be state funded units for secondary school children with dyslexia, seperate from school for children with more general learning difficulitesd.

"1. Flexible start - as mum to two August dcs, I have a BIG, GIANT axe to grind here. I have spent some years seething about this. I was recently told that ds's place is no. 4 in his year group. The three above him are all born in September. It's just NOT FAIR! "

Are you suggesting fircone that parents expressing concern about their children's August birthdays are merely concerned about relative academic ranking? let me know as if so I'd like to say a bit more. thanks.

lingle - I so agree.

I am one that wants flexible start but not so that my ds can be top of his year (which he would be if he was in his correct year BTW)
I have no clue where he or dd are in their classes and frankly do not need / want to know - actually I did not think teachers told parents that any more?

I think every parent should have the opportunity to choose what they know is right for their dc - whether it is a deffered start for a summer born child or the opposite - a child in the 'year above' becasue it meets thier needs socially, emotionally and academically.
I am lucky that my ds is at a fab independent school that recognise his needs (or more specifically forget his age) and have him in the right group for him. I was so pleased when the Head said to me in a surprised way "ds is very young isn't he" becasue it meant he did not generally think about it.

Everyone should be able to have that choice, not it be a luxury or 'postcode lottery' - will all parents of summer borns move to Bradford / Scotland

Yes, it shouldn't be a luxury. You will be sad to hear that Bradford is considering discontinuing its policy.

I'm not sure if Fircone's post came across as she intended.....

well, my post did come across as a bit neurotic, I admit. I was a bit when the teacher showed me the year list, and I couldn't help pointing out that the ones at the top were not only all a year older than ds but a foot taller than him too!

With dd (August 30th) my concern was maturity. She was just not ready for school at all, and I just sent her mornings-only all year. Her teacher completely supported this and said she should have been able to do another year at playschool. Dd had no interest in reading etc and was completely bemused by everything. This year (year one) she is fine, so it is obvious that she would have been so much better off not having to go to school at 4 and 3 days.

My chief concern with ds is maturity versus peers too. He is going to secondary school in September - he is still a baby! He likes Lego and superheroes! Although he is academically very bright, I know that he would be better off with another year of primary school behind him.