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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

All classes ripping out work from exercise books...

62 replies

EllenJaneisnotmyname · 03/02/2012 18:47

...and having to rewrite them more neatly. Headteacher told the whole school in assembly that their work was too untidy. They spent 3 days rewriting literacy and maths. 'Outstanding' school hasn't had an Ofsted for ages...

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exoticfruits · 03/02/2012 21:55

Of course Ofsted haven't asked them! However there must be a worry that Ofsted will see the books.
I can see that a few DCs are untidy but you are saying that every DC in 7 classes had to redo, if I understand rightly? Some of those must have lovely work!

Original poster

EllenJaneisnotmyname · 03/02/2012 22:01

Exactly, exotic. (Great alliteration)

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plusonemore · 03/02/2012 22:04

This sounds awful and I cant think of any worthwhile reason for doing it. Hope they get found out

exoticfruits · 03/02/2012 22:19

Even if the DCs have got into sloppy habits, there will be DCs who have beautifully presented work.
The only reason that I can think of is that they don't like the teacher's marking and they want to a consistent scheme which means getting rid of the first lot.
It seems weird though as if they are busy re doing they will have 3 days with no work.

Hulababy · 03/02/2012 22:25

Even if a child does produce a piece of work that is untidy and not up to their usual standard it should not be torn out of their books! The marking should reflect this and their wish/target could be to have improved writing.presentation next time, or even to rewrite it on the next page. But not to tear it out.

The only reason I can see for a whole school having to do this to this extent is to cover up something amiss. What that is I am nnot sure as I have never known this to happen ever.

exoticfruits · 03/02/2012 22:28

I think that I would go in and ask why it was done.

Original poster

EllenJaneisnotmyname · 03/02/2012 22:30

It's really not on, is it? Some of the girls, (sexist) have beautifully presented work. I'm sure there's some ulterior motive rather than just improving untidy work. And, yes, there will be a strange, 3 day gap in their books...

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Original poster

EllenJaneisnotmyname · 03/02/2012 22:31

I have a teacher friend who is going to ask. I'll update if I hear next week.

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exoticfruits · 03/02/2012 22:38

Let us know. I have stopped supply teaching now, but schools have strict marking plans these days-you can't just bung a tick at the bottom. There is marking criteria, peer marking, areas that are good, areas that need improvement etc etc etc. They are all supposed to use it, including supply teachers, and I would bet they want to use a consistent marking plan -but it still seems weird-why not start from now? Why do a few days work make a difference?

MrsShrekTheThird · 03/02/2012 22:49

somewhere I worked (vague) there was a member of staff whose marking wasn't up to scratch, to put it mildly - pages weren't torn out, but books were suddenly no longer and work was turned into "folders" and the shoddy marking removed. that particular teacher was dismissed soon after for misconduct. It happens.

Original poster

EllenJaneisnotmyname · 03/02/2012 22:51

That's what I would have done. Starting from today, use marking scheme consistently. They can't have rewritten much more than a couple of weeks worth, surely?

My school do peer marking, tickled pink highlighting, green for growth highlighting, comments from the teacher on work must be answered by the child, etc. All seems to work well.

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exoticfruits · 04/02/2012 07:20

That is the bit that I don't understand-they can't be rewriting that much and it must be making the books a lot thinner!
I also don't know why they have waited so long to get a marking scheme-I stopped teaching 18months ago and most schools were marking the way you say-and had been for some time..
It just doesn't add up.

Hulababy · 04/02/2012 08:40

There is also no need for this even if the marking is not good enough.

The school simply changes the policy and starts the new marking system now, ensuring everyone follows it from every piece of work from now on in.

OFSTED would be ore favourable to seeing this change, with the accompanying new policy and the HTs comments on this, than to have torn out pages from books anyway. It shows the school have looked at their current systems, made improvements and changed.

exoticfruits · 04/02/2012 08:59

Hulababy is right-I think it is peculiar. Do let us know what you find out.
Maybe just a mad HT!!

IndigoBell · 04/02/2012 09:03

18 months to go.....

Sounds like a very mad HT :(

mumblesmum · 04/02/2012 14:02

The children are sure to dob them in.

mrz · 04/02/2012 14:11

As Hulababy says there is no reason why they need to tear pages out and rewrite them if the marking wasn't good enough ... Ofsted only look at a sample of books when they visit so personally I don't think it has anything whatsoever to do with an expected visit. In addition the new focus is on watching teaching in the classroom ... whatever the reason is I very much doubt it is connected to Ofsted.

c0rnsilllkrunninglikealaydee · 04/02/2012 14:15

sounds like the HT was having a tantrum

mrz · 04/02/2012 14:21

Possibly the advisor has criticised and the HT has over reacted

jamdonut · 04/02/2012 14:38

I didn't think OFSTED asked them to do it...just the fact that they are having LA support and an inspection that is actually imminent says to me that that is WHY they are sorting out their books. We actually had to ditch all our old books, not long after the beginning of the school year, and have new ones, standard across the school( for literacy and numeracy) with the same,new, labels on the front and the date and learning objectives written in a particular way in the new ones! Such a waste of paper!

exoticfruits · 04/02/2012 14:44

Ofsted won't have asked them! They are focussing on it because they know the books will be seen. Ditching old books is a waste-they can change over gradually as they fill a book-if they were using common sense!

mrz · 04/02/2012 14:44

IMHE Ofsted won't care less

exoticfruits · 04/02/2012 14:45

It is certainly an over reaction to something. You pity the DCs who had wonderfully neat work in the first place.

exoticfruits · 04/02/2012 14:46

Ofsted is interested in the content and the marking system-not whether they are all the same and neatly labelled!

mrz · 04/02/2012 15:35

What I was trying to says is
Ofsted will only look at a very small sample of books
Ofsted won't be unduly interested in every child's book being beautifully presented
Ofsted will ask questions about tracking and challenge but these don't need to be recorded in children's books if schools use different systems

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