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Primary education

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Original poster

Moved down a zone on behaviour board for low mark

15 replies

posie77 · 08/02/2011 21:14

Hi, my daughter is in year 4, and has been struggling with her maths the last few weeks, which I have had a quick chat with the teacher about last week.

Yesterday she was quite upset at hometime, as they had been given a timed times table test, and anyone who didn't get a certain mark had to move down on the zone board (behaviour board).

She came home upset again today, as the same thing has happened again, and the teacher has said the same will happen each day this week, and anyone who doesn't get this certain mark will have to move down a zone.

My daughter is really anxious about maths tomorrow now, as she doesn't think she will be able to achieve this mark in the time they are given to complete the questions, she needs to get a mark of 90 and and she has been getting 60/70. She is always well behaved at school and works hard, and has never been moved down a zone before.

The school have used this zone board since she was in reception, and this is the first time I have heard of it being used in this way, only for behaviour. As far as I am concerned as long as she works hard, and tries her best she shouldn't be penalised for not achieving a certain score. I am worried that this approach will further knock her confidence in maths.

Has anyone else come across this, or have any advice?

Thank you.

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3littlefrogs · 08/02/2011 21:17

This sounds awful. I think the teacher is being extremely unreasonable. How is this supposed to help your dd with her maths?

crazygracieuk · 08/02/2011 21:22

I wouldn't be happy. Behaviour and achievement is totally different.

My dd is not confident at maths and in Y3. She has a weekly times table test and her marks and time to complete the test has slowly improved. Apparently the teacher has not commented on her improvement but I have told dd how well she is doing. We do 5 minutes of tables daily and I remember how hard it was to memorise them. I'm really pleased that her effort means that her marks have improved. It will probably take a few more months to know them all but I am pleased with her perseverance. I really wish the teacher would say this to dd because she'd appreciate it!

FreudianSlippery · 08/02/2011 21:24

Utterly ridiculous. Why is it called a behaviour board if it's used for attainment?

Original poster

posie77 · 08/02/2011 21:28

Knowing my dd as I do 3littlefrogs, it won't help her at all and she is so worried about the test tomorrow.

Crazygracie - that is what I don't understand, as long as you are doing your best that is what matters surely? Could you have a quick chat with the teacher and ask her to mention to dd how well she is doing to boost her confidence?

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pointythings · 08/02/2011 21:30

Posie77,

If the board is for behaviour it should only be used for behaviour. Talk to the teacher, and if you get nowhere, take it further. This is completely counterproductive and inappropriate.

tethersend · 08/02/2011 21:32

Have a quick word to the head- this is really bad practice and the head should recognise it as such and have a word with the teacher.

Not only is it demoralising, it renders the behavioural intervention strategy- the board- completely useless.

Original poster

posie77 · 08/02/2011 21:33

It is called a zone board, but although children have been moved up zones for doing a good piece of work or behaving well, I have never know children to be moved down zones for attainment, only for behaviour. If she has been not putting any effort in, or messing around during the test I could understand it but she is so anxious to please the teachers I know she would have been doing her best.

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tethersend · 08/02/2011 21:46

To humiliate children in front of their peers is bad practice, regardless of what the board is for.

How does this affect children with SEN?

BelligerentGhoul · 08/02/2011 21:49

Please see the teacher or the head. This is so bad an idea and seems like a young or inexperienced teacher misunderstanding the way the behaviour board should work.

dearprudence · 08/02/2011 21:51

My DS is year 4 and I've had some issues with the behaviour management scheme and its use. Main issues were it being used too strictly, sanctions being doled out without warnings, sanctioning the wrong kind of thing - and that there were four separate behaviour management schemes going on at the same time . So in short, there was far too much focus on behaviour, which was creating a negative atmosphere in the classroom. There are no real behaviour problems in the school.

I went to see the teacher and told her my concerns and asked to see a copy of the school's behaviour policy. A week later, an obviously just-written policy was sent home. I could then clearly see that she wasn't following it.

As soon as the head realised we weren't happy, she invited me for a meeting and she was great. She agreed that the teacher wasn't following the behaviour policy and that she needed some coaching.

I'd advise that you raise with the teacher and then, if not resolved, go to the head. I'd be careful to stress that you support good behaviour standards of the school. Where possible, focus on the inappropriate use of the behaviour policy (there should be one). And on the effect it's having on your daughter.

Good luck.

pointythings · 08/02/2011 21:51

Posie77,

Boards like this should never be used to compare attainment.With children working at so many different levels in one group, this is a recipe for trouble. The teacher needs to be pulled up on this, sharpish.

Original poster

posie77 · 08/02/2011 21:56

She did feel very embarrassed at having to move down. They are separated by ability for maths, so I don't think there are any children with SEN in her group they would be with the other year 4 teacher.

But I think my daughter is maybe at the lower end of ability in her group and is demoralised as some of the others are brilliant at maths and grasp things really quickly, she takes a bit longer to get there.

I will have a word with the teacher, she seems very nice and my dd really likes her so hopefully she will undestand how this is affecting her.

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Original poster

posie77 · 08/02/2011 21:59

Thanks all for your advice and thoughts, I have managed to get to year 4 with never having to speak to the school about anything like this and didn't want to seem unreasonable so glad you are of the same opinion.

BelligerentGhoul - she is a very young teacher, she does seem lovely and is very popular with the children so maybe it is inexperience.

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littlebylittle · 08/02/2011 22:35

Until every teacher can guarantee that they will be allocated fairly, I don't think any incentive scheme should be publicly displayed. In other words I really dislike incentive charts of any kind in school unless perhaps they are for teams not individuals. In an ideal world there would be a culture in a classroom where these would be rendered irrelevant because the teacher would show by words and actions that each child's efforts were appreciated, but until utopia arrives please no public displays. Can't bear them. They always go wrong. Marbles in a jar to reward the whole class for individual good behaviour, table teams even. But not singling out individuals for poor efforts please.

shanothan · 23/02/2011 20:34

Thats really really bad practice. I work in a school and use zone boards, they are meant to be used very positively to promote positive behaviour, with a focus on making choices with regards to behaviour which then affect whether you go up or down...its almost always used to reward appropriate behaviour - NEVER to 'punish' and NEVER in relation to schoolwork!!! Don't let this drop, go and see the Head and explain. This is definitely NOT how zone boards are meant to be used. They are a behavioural aid not an academic teaching aid.

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