Third HMIe Report is terrible, am fed up with the school but do I remove the DDs,

[sweetkitty]

Just looking for some advice really. DDs are in P3 & P2, both doing well at school although DD2 had been benchmarked as having a reading age of 12+ and I feel the school is not pushing her on enough.

This is the third time in as many years HMIe has inspected the school and although the school had made improvements they are still way off where they should be.

The HT has been on long term sick leave since last Sept and we have had an actingHT, who is very good but hasn't been in the job long enough to effect real change, she leaves in June and the HT has taken early retirement so a new HT is being recruited.

I have heard from so many people that the children from our school lag behind their peers from other feeder schools when they go to high school, this is what worries me the most really.

The DDs are happy at the school and it has a great community feel, if I were to move them the school I would move them to has had an amazing HMIe report and has a great reputation.

I don't want to move them but don't want them at a failing school which is going to be detrimental to them starting high school. I really don't know what to do plus DD3 will be due to start next August.

What would you do if you were me???

Can I ask if the school is in a fairly deprived area? This might mean that a larger than average number of pupils lag behind when they start secondary - usually for a variety of social reasons. Under these circumstances it does not mean that all children lag behind. There will be a certain amount of overlap of ability with children from more advantaged schools. Your DD sounds if she is ahead, rather than behind, if she already has a reading age of 12. Is there be something specific that you would like the school to do regarding her reading and could you ask them?

When you say that you have heard from 'so many people', who are these people? Are they secondary school teachers from the school for which yours is the feeder? Are they people whose children went to your primary and are now struggling at secondary? In your position, I would try to find out more specific information.

Not that deprived an area but one of the smaller schools in the area.

I have heard mostly from parents that when their DC go to secondary they are far behind the feeder schools, this had also been picked up by HMIe and the secondary school who have started sending teachers to the school to offer extra support to the P7s.

I feel DD2 is not challenged enough at school and is often bored, her teacher said she sometimes will just do enough to get through the lesson.

HMIe identified that if a child is middle of the road average the school was good but if they fell at either end of the spectrum there were not being adequately supported.

HMI are coming back in another year apparently 4 times in 4 years is unheard of

If I were you, I'd keep them there because they have another 4&5 years till secondary and a new head starting in August may make a huge difference.

Be aware, too, that if you move to a different school you're only guaranteed a place in your secondary catchment school - not the one that the new primary feeds into (unless of course, it's the same).

I'm kind of swerving that way but I have another 2 DC still to go. Secondary is the same.

I support them a lot at home but feel I shouldn't have to that the school should be competent enough.

4 times in 4 years is not unheard of! A friend who works at a satisfactory school has just had its 3rd visit. The school has made improvements, however these are not happening fast enough (sounds familiar to your DC school?) it's not the same one though as circumstance with HT are different. Friend's school will have another visit at some point in the next 12 months & so it has a stay of execution .... I mean a hold on becoming an academy...

May I ask why you feel the school is not doing enough for your DD? Yes the situation for the staff at DD's school must be extremely stressful, but a new Head may transform the school into an outstanding one? You would kick yourself if you put your youngest into an alternative school if this happened, plus you could be jumping from the frying pan into a fire. Awful situation for you but there are options. Suggest you speak to your DDs class teachers and address any concerns with them. Dont be led to believe things are all doom & gloom. I've known plenty of very poor schools transformed by a good head teacher & good schools ruined by weak leadership. Your DD's school will have a partner school who will be helping them transform into a better place. The Local authority will also be throwing funds at it as no one wants a school to fail. You'd be sensible to explore your options for alternative schools, but don't jump unless you know what you are jumping to is potentially better.

Good luck!

Thanks im just feeling stressed like I've let my DDs down usual parent guilt. The Parent Council meeting is tonight I can't go unfortunately.

The Depute Head Teacher left in April and isn't being replaced as there's not enough pupils to warrant one apparently.

Also found out today another parent is moving their DC from the school, don't know why yet.

I just feel the whole school had been forgotten about and neglected. The other RC school has had a state if the art new campus, an excellent HMI report and just seems all round better.

Thanks for everyone who gave advice.

Latest update is that the school is overstuffed and are losing 2 teachers, of course the ones they are loosing are really good, not the old ones who have been there for years waiting for retirement.

There's also quite a few patents either moving their children or threatening too. The school roll is set to fall with 2 P7 classes leaving and only one P1 joining. Every other school seems to be growing in numbers apart from ours. The area was rezoned a few years ago as the other RC school was getting to capacity whilst ours is at least 40% under but this hasn't boosted numbers as most people are still choosing to go to the other school, the other school has an Excellent rating, ours had unsatisfactory in 2 areas.

I still don't know what to do DD3 will start next August.

It may not be accpetable to you, but what is your catchment non-deonminational school like? That's always an alternative.

Where I am, the local non-denom school has a far better reputation that than the RC school (which probably has at most 10 catholics in it, with the remainder being Sikh or Muslim ), so quite a few catholic kids go to the non-denom school and then do a placing request to Holyrood for secondary.

Non denom is pretty good but the other RC school is even better. All about the same distance wise so that's not an issue.

I think I'm heading towards leaving it to see what the new HT is like then making a decision in Jan when enrolling DD3.

I actually blame the council, I believe our school had been underfunded and kind of forgotten about whilst the focus is on the other RC school and it's new state of the art campus and it's excellent rating.

With regards DD2 especially I do think she's not being pushed enough I think she's bored at school and doing enough to get by (her teacher agrees). Am going to be seriously tackling this next year although her teacher next year is DD1s current teacher and I don't like her

They will probably go non denom for secondary as 1) the nondenominational is far closer and were in the catchment and 2) it's one of the best secondaries in the county whereas the RC is a bus ride away plus not as good.

I'd be concerned if your dd2 is going to get a teacher you already know you don't like - especially alongside your other concerns, even if a new HT may make changes.

With only one ds, the fact that we didn't like his P3 teacher wasn't too much of an issue as it was just one year and I was also happy to raise my concerns with the school. We also had issues with his P5 teacher - but again, the school were on top of it.

Will your kids be able to get into the non- denom secondary if they're at an RC school? You'd have to do a placing request, as their "catchment" secondary would be the RC one.

Just something to think about when you are juggling options.

I don't know Prettybird am hoping that being in the catchment will be good enough.

The DDs would be devastated to move and that's what's stopping me.

Best check it out: it may be different in your council area, but where I am in, as I understand it, you automatically have a place at your catchment school - but since you are already in the RC system, that would mean the RC secondary and not the non-denom one.

I think you'd be top (or near top) of the list for a placing request to the non-denom school (can't find my letter from GCC which gave the various categories in acknowledgement of my placing request for ds) because you live within the "normal" catchment of the non-denom school (sort of treating you like someone who has moved in to the area).

Of course, if the school usually manages to accept all placing requests, it's a non-issue! :)

Yes I think you are right prettybird. This particular school has it's own criteris for placing requests as there are so many (think people buying flats in the area to get into it) it's very popular but it's also our local school so hopefully that will swing it for us. It's 4 years away yet anyway.

If that's the case and if you decide to move your kids (and I can understand why you don't want to disrupt them) then I think it would make sense to move them to the catchment non-denom primary to make sure you got into the secondary.

Spoke to DH last night and we've decided to keep them there for now. It would be more detrimental to move them we think. Will keep v close eye on the new head.

Spoke to a mum last night who was going to move her 2 boys she even went to visit the other RC school and said her 8yo would be going from a class of 20 to a class of 33, she felt moving would be too much for him.

Moving to a non denom would make them doing their sacraments very difficult. We made the decision to give them a RC education for primary and I think we need to stick with it IYSWIM different in secondary when the religion bit isn't so big an issue.