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Original poster

Academic Competition

72 replies

ScarletTiger · 12/04/2012 17:28

Okay I am just going to come out and say this. I am a competitive mum when it comes to my children's education and I am frustrated that my children's school is so uncompetitive.

I can understand that you want to reward children for participating and embrace the idea of 'its not the winning, it's the taking part' but PLEASE really kids are getting awards for turning up in the correct uniform or for not being late.

Before the holidays, my year 2, 6 year old DS did a phonics test with the juniors and came 2nd and was only beaten by an 11 year old - they didn't want to reward him as it would make the juniors feel bad.

The reason for the post was to find out if any other parents out there know a website or links to academic competitions that are independent of schools. When ever there are local competitions for writing or painting and my children enter they seem to achieve more than things organised by the school.

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LesAnimaux · 12/04/2012 17:40

The juniors doing a phonics test? Confused Was this the juniors who struggle with phonics?

Children being awarded for turning up in the correct uniform or for not being late screams of a a school with issues to me.

Have you spoken to the head about how you feel?

Sorry, I don't know, atm, of any competitive UK websites for Primary pupils.

madwomanintheattic · 12/04/2012 17:48

Lol at it being soooooooooo uncompetitive that they had a phonics competition with the 6yos against the juniors. Grin

Methinks the lady doth protest too much.
Grin

Awards for uniform/lateness are bog standard fare for students who struggle with those areas. You are going to find the state sector a fecking awful place to be if you don't understand that. Your child is lucky that he finds academics, uniform, and being on time so easy. Grin maybe the two of you could work on your social skills together?

I should add, I am in no way suffering from envy. All three of mine are working between two and seven years ahead of their peers in the state sector. But I don't feel the need for them to compete for validation, and I fully understand the different tactics employed by schools to encourage children and parents who have difficulty with what you find so piss easy. It ain't perfect, but trying to come up with motivations for children with sn or who are just not so advanced is a tricksy business.

SchoolsNightmare · 12/04/2012 17:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

madwomanintheattic · 12/04/2012 17:49

As for competitions etc, there are loads listed on the g&t board. Head over there, you know you wanna.

KTk9 · 12/04/2012 17:52

My dd was at a school that never celebrated doing well - unless it was something you had done outside school like a swimming certificate etc.,

On sports day, no one got a ribbon, medal, or even piece of paper, for doing well, even first across the line was not recognised, it was all about the taking part.

My dd never felt she needed to do really well, or achieve in class, because it wasn't recognised. The children who were 'challenging' (schools words not mine), always got the class bear and the stickers, to the point she told me she was going to be naughty, so she could get said bear when she was good again!

At her new school, competition is seen as healthy, spelling tests are boys v girls, as such she HAS to learn her spellings to prevent them winning!, those doing well in any sport and winning against other schools, will get 'colours', and there is a big assembly at the end of the week to acknowledge outside school achievements and inside achievements like 'being helpful', dd got one for positive attitude!

Now she wants to work hard and be the best.

Sorry to get to your question, I don't know of any sites, I would suggest the local boards of sites like these and also your local library.

LeeCoakley · 12/04/2012 17:53

I'm sure they clapped him. What is it exactly you or he wanted? Don't expect schools to be consistent with your interpretation of rewards and you won't be disappointed!

EBDteacher · 12/04/2012 18:18

Channel your DS into something competitive outside of school if you want competition to be part of his life. There are loads of options; sports, music, chess etc. 6 Six would probably be about the right age to start something technical and challenging out of school that you he can get into.

carocaro · 12/04/2012 18:56

Really?! What is the need for such an enormous amount of outside recognition? What sort of reward are you after? Would a parade in yours and his honour been ok?

Did the teacher actually say he was not rewarded as it would make the older pupil feel bad? Why would the school pit older and younget kids against each other then? One of them would win, so the school should teach all the children to deal well with the results, whatever way they go. Disappointment is a skill we all need to master. Seems an odd thing for the school to do in the first place!

Yes he did very well, no one is disputing that, but you seem to have missed the point of his success and being very snooty of others who are rewarded for other things. Academic success is not and never should be the only thing ever rewarded in school, it is not what school is about. He did really well, but you are still not happy, is first place always the only thing that will make you happy/satisfy you? Just curious, what is good enough?

mrsshears · 12/04/2012 19:52

Come to our school,we have a group of uber competetive mum's who would soon change your mind Grin

GrimmaTheNome · 12/04/2012 20:12

Academic success is not and never should be the only thing ever rewarded in school,

True - but the OP seems to feel that in her kids' school its the only thing that isn't rewarded. (Or maybe they don't do competitive sports either).
That's wrong too.

Some schools manage a balance - DDs did. There were rewards for effort and achievement. Sports were done in houses with everyone involved but individuals were also encouraged to excel.

Original poster
ScarletTiger · 12/04/2012 20:25

Thank you so much for all your comments deeply appreciated.

EBDteacher - he is channelled into sporting and music activities
madwomanintheattic - I will go look at G&T board
LeeCoakley - I think what I expected was DS to get a certificate as that was what the other children got I wouldn't have raised it if DS hadn't been disappointed that he didn't get one.
Carocaro - yes a parade would have been lovely with ticket tape too Wink. I think giving him a certificate like the other children would have made his day.

OP posts:
Original poster
ScarletTiger · 12/04/2012 20:27

Grimma - Exactly.

OP posts:
GrimmaTheNome · 12/04/2012 20:33

They let him participate in the competition and then didn't treat him the same as the others? That's plain weird.

mrz · 12/04/2012 20:33

Did the juniors get certificates in the phonics test?

wigglywoowoo · 12/04/2012 20:35

I think it should be balance between the two really. Teacher describes my DD as a more able student but the award she got in assembly was for being a happy, friendly and helpful member of the class. All very important but not quite what I was expecting as I'd not been informed what the award was for! :o

I know my dd who is 5, views the day-to-day rewards as more important, does he get those?

Original poster
ScarletTiger · 12/04/2012 20:43

mrz - the kids who came in the top 10 got certificates in the phonics class, DS got a post it note saying 'you got there and their mixed up'
wiggly - the day-to-day rewards are smiley faces and he is very keen to stay out of the triangle which is where all the naughty children end up

OP posts:
mrz · 12/04/2012 20:50

So the school does reward academic achievement but your son didn't get a certificate with the older children?

LeeCoakley · 12/04/2012 20:57

Sorry, I thought you meant only the winner got something. So the top 10 got certificates except your ds? I don't think that's fair at all!

madwomanintheattic · 12/04/2012 21:20

Just an admin mix up then.

ReallyTired · 12/04/2012 21:31

If you want your kids to do well in life then its better to reward hardwork than academic sucess. Eventually your child will have to work to gain sucess in life however many years ahead they are of their classmates. It takes effort to nuture a talent to the full.

Frankly I think a competition to learn phonics is sad. I can't imagine juniors spending their time doing phonics unless there they have SEN.

ScarletTiger has it not occured to you that the only juniors who are recieving phonics teaching on a regular basis are those who have a reading age of six and are on the SEN register.

I expect that most year 6 children have not touched phonics since year 1 as they have spent the last five years learning comprehension skills like how to infere meaning from text.

I am sure that your six year old has a better knowledge of phonics than most mumsnetters. He is being prepped for the governant's phonics test.

Yellowtip · 12/04/2012 22:54

a) What is phonics? (DC8 is in Y5 and I've never been troubled by phonics).

b) @ madwoman: seven years ahead? !!!!!!!

AGunInMyPetticoat · 12/04/2012 23:04

But not every child struggles in the same areas, do they?

Had there been awards for doing one's homework, arriving on time or wearing the correct uniform at my school, I can guarantee that I would not have managed to get one of those. Ever.

I have always struggled with self-discipline and find such things incredibly hard. As it happened, I was also one of the 'bright' kids at my school and skipped a year twice.

IME the most successful people aren't always the most academically talented ones. Those who are good at managing themselves tend to do as well if not better than people like me - so I actually don't see anything wrong at all with trying to encourage self-discipline. I sure do wish someone had tried that on me.

SchoolsNightmare · 12/04/2012 23:24

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

madwomanintheattic · 12/04/2012 23:29

Lol, yeah. But that's just the way the testing works... It doesn't really mean anything Grin that wasn't across the board though, only in a couple of areas. And it doesn't mean that she was doing y7 work in yrr, just that her test results were those expected of y7s lol. Subtle difference. It kind of means that she could do y7 work, but obv schools don't work like that. And some of the tests top out, so it's all a bit of guess work

They wouldn't move her up because she has cp, and so they are always careful socially not to cause any additional issues with 'difference'.

With that and another with ADHD and asd traits, phobias and anxieties lol (and one gloriously nt) I have zero difficulty understanding that all kids are different, and some of them really do deserve praise to be sung from the rooftops if they manage to get to school on time. Grin I also agree with whoever said that to be marked out as a genius with public acclamation might be counter productive for social congruity. Although the op didn't want public rec, just a certificate in this case.

Am still mildly curious how a school that pits 6yos against 11yos in direct competition can be described as not competitive....

mrz · 13/04/2012 07:43

ReallyTired phonics in the juniors is usually for spelling and many schools do teach it however they may not call it phonics.

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