10 things you probably would not expect about primary schools

[meredeux]

Come and help me make a list for all those parents out there who are about to send their children to school for the first time. What did know one tell you but you learned through experience?

Here is my first one:
YOU (the parent) will teach your child to read. The school will provide reading books and someone (probably not the teacher) will listen to your child for a few minutes at a time in the first couple of years maybe once a week but your child will learn to read because you will teach them that (using the school's reading books which the teacher will issue).

At the beginning of this thread I don't think anyone thought that this was a thread just for state school parents. Certainly there are a number of us who privately educate our DC who joined in.

Some experiences are just global no?

But the opening post doesn't say anyhting about OFsted or sector!!!! It just talks about primary schools!!!!

I know. And I replied generally qt that point. A few posts in OFSTED was referred to and a few post late ( I think) I tried to clarify.

Well I don't think anyone but you picked up on that seeker.

Anyway don't private schools get inspected by OFSTED? I thought they did. And lots of private schools get their pupils to sit SATs don't they?

I really think you're so defensive about state education across the board that you're seeing things that aren't intentional.

#281 to find out what your child did at school today, either locate the class swot who has made it their business to observe what everyone else has been up to, or (works especially well with 2 or more), turn it into a competition, 'so who had the most fun/interesting/exciting day' (can do with 1 - I bet my day was more fun than yours). Invariably they will be clambouring to explain why their day was so much better than your day shopping, washing and mopping up their little sibling's potty training accidents. You might even find out what they have learnt..

Think what you want.

It just pisses me off when people post bollocks about schools. And there has been huge amounts of bollocks on this thread, ranging from teachers are not allowed to cuddle children to teachers never notice SEN to children learn noting at school and all it is free child care. All posted as pieces of advice for new parents.

Or you might just be pleasantly surprised at how nice the school is, how well they know your child, how they make learning fun in so many different ways and you might even see your child go to school happy

Dd's school is brilliant, her teacher is first class, they do their utmost to ensure that her statement is met and fully include her in every aspect of school life, oh and they dish out liberal hugs when needed too. But I had to move her from her previous school because her health and well being was suffering because they were entirely the opposite.
I think it's quite dangerous to generalise tbh for me I'd wholly recommend dd's current school, I wouldn't shoot the previous one down though because the difficulties arose because of a poor class teacher and an ineffective HT and dd's unique mix of abilities and disability, Dd had thrived in EYFS in that same school.

insanityscratching - are you saying the individual experience very much depends upon the individual teacher? If yes, then i'd agree.

Last year I watched DC1 begin to blossom with a lovely teacher who really seemed to get him whilst DC2 went into hibernation with a kind hearted, but extremely ineffective teacher. Same school but it all depends on the teacher IMO.

"BTW It was supposed to be a light hearted thread"

LOL. Light hearted? Yet you start off with saying parents have to teach their children to read? Please tell me what is light-hearted about that! In fact, I can't see anything lighthearted in at least your first 6 posts.

Hi:

I've found this feed interesting, entertaining and shocking in equal measures.

Interesting that observations by meredeux and friends resonate with my own experiences/ exasperations with school.

Entertaining - many comments/ observations harsh but true and sometimes very funny.

Shocking - admitting I also lost my cool on an on-line maths making a difference feed earlier - but I find these arguments between us unhelpful.

I hope my losing my temper the previous week (for which I feel heartily ashamed) hasn't set a trend - but I do note that a few 'usuals' are wading right in there and would ask them to seriously take stock. I think we all want this to be a productive and beneficial space.

In the meantime rather than get angry that someone is pointing out a problem - and like one poster already suggested - perhaps we should all try and work toward solutions.

I think in many cases better organisation and improved communication can make huge improvements (use of good old fashioned plain English/ e-mail/ twitter & other social media/ moodle/ etc...). Our school has many faults - but a lot of those listed by meredeux have been resolved because of investment in training & systems (moodle) at our school.

I like timetosmile's post. Sums it up well tbh.

Meredeux yes I'd agree it's down to individual experiences with individual teachers but would add that dd is the youngest of five children and for those five children the vast majority of teachers have been great, some exceptional, a handful not so great and only that one teacher appalling (a third of the class were removed from the school and the same happened the last time she taught a class so I think appalling is appropriate) When you consider how many teachers have taught my children then I would say my experience has been hugely positive.

LOL at everyone who says the OP is mistaken/wrong/dangerous because their own experience is different.

I

LOL at everyone who says the OP is mistaken/wrong/dangerous because their own experience is different.

No one has said that the OP is wrong about her own experiences.
What they have said, repeatedly, and quite reasonably, is that the OP's own experiences do not warrant the generalisations that her posts made.

Sunscorch Ahhh but the generalisations are warranted. They aren't uncomon, ledt alone unique to the OP. Lots of people have come onto the thread and said it was the same for them.

So you think it's entirely reasonable to warn a new parent that the school they've agonised over applying to, moved house for, potentially even paid for (since apparently, this isn't a state-bashing thread) wont teach their child any basic literacy skills?

Ludicrous.

And lots of people say that they aren't true of their school.

Your Childs teacher will work incredibly hard to make sure your child fulfils their potential and has fun at school. They will encourage your child to try new things and give them endless opportunities to understand how to be a well rounded adult who is resilient and able to take risks.

Your Childs teacher is definitely not there for financial reasons, but because they like children and want to motivate them to be life long learners.

Are we just talking about London soupdragon ? because many rural schools have very small classes

and teach all children literacy

Yes, of course we are talking just about London. That's exactly what I said.

Anyway, my comment was simply in reply to whoever was complaining about large classes with very disruptive children in.

At my last school, which really was awful, there was one mother who had a particular reason why she wanted the school to be said to be a success.

She was well-educated and had a particular writing style which worked well as quotable sound-bites which was easily recognisable to anyone who had received emails from her (such as I had). So when Ofsted quoted her in their report praising the school (against a sea of criticism from other parents and Ofsted themselves), the school, the school used her sound bites on the school website and added the words " Ofsted - January 2011" at the bottom.

Are the people who say that I have no right to say that you will be required to teach your child to read and to sort out any problems that may crop up, the same as this mother I used to know?

My children's primary is a 3 form intake state school with 30 children per class.

And they also manage to teach literacy.

So this thread is only about London? How odd