bulby - I Do think RMCW has a point. Although there are many excellent teachers out there, SOME do/did go into teaching because they had nothing better to do, because it's meant to be a stable career and it's quite well paid. That is a fact. I went into teaching having had 2 previous careers (I didn't say it was my 3rd CHOICE) in industry.
I love teaching, I like my students and it suits my work/life balance with a small child at home. I really get on with my colleagues who have a great sense of humour. Some are excellent teachers. Forget the Ofsted ratings, you can spot a good teacher quiet easily were we are, the students like going to their classes !
I don't think the differences are necessarily in the quality of teaching, but no one can deny the fact that at fee paying schools individual children often get more attention which allows them to achieve more quickly. I went to 2 independent schools. My schools were huge, but we had small classes (not more than 15 in a class) and although I was very academic, I could get loads of 121 attention when I needed it. Private schools also tend to have very good commuinication links with parents.
These particular aspects are totally lacking at my ds current state school, were we have zero commuincation and where he gets zero or poor quality 121's when he needs it. That is why he is stuck at the bottom of the pile, not because he isn't clever enough, but because no one actually cares. He left Reception and Year 1 with nothing. I taught him to read and I am sure dh and I will be the ones to teach him Maths. There is little input from the school, I often wonder what he does there for 6 hours a day ! Teachers often get lazy and put all their focus on the high achievers. That is the sign of poor teaching.
I don't think you can put the blame entirely on the child or student. Teaching/learning are and ought to be a 50-50 process. Lazy teachers find it easier to blame the students/parents for everything that goes wrong. The fact is, if you are a poor quality teacher, your students never get motivated and leave school with very little. In my own teaching experience, motivation is often NOT intrinsic (i.e. you ain't born with it !!), the teacher has to help create it.
They may have behaviour problems and all sorts of other things going on in their lives which prevent them from focusing at school, but the sign of a good taecher is one who cares enough to find out WHY the child/studenst isn't achieving as he should.
The current school we are at doesn't say this out loud, but their defence mechanism is clearly in place to put all kinds of blame re. failure to thrive fairly and squarely on the child's/parents' shoulders.
Yes, I am very defensive about my son. I am thoroughly fed up with the school's negativity towards a child who is actually lovely and kind and caring towards other people. He isn't perfect, but he is a child, he needs adults to stand up for him.
I think my son deserves a better childhood experience at school and I am going to make sure he gets it.