Year 1 issue

[Foreverweeding]

DS just started in year 1 with new teacher to the school. His reception teacher was very gentle and all the kids and parents loved her. However, all now appears to have changed and a lot of the kids are hating it.

The school is pretty strict by nature, but even for them their tactics appear way too hard on those so young. A friend's dd was told to stand against the fence (facing it) for 5 mins because she hadn't stood immediately still and quiet when the bell rang. My DS was sent to the dept. head because he apparently hadn't sat down immediately on the floor in the classroom. He told me that he'd been trying to find a spot to sit (the room is very cramped and there are 30 children), and another boy had grabbed his leg and pulled him so he lost his balance. Both the other boy and my son were shouted at and sent to the dept. head (a tall, male teacher) to reinforce the class rules (how the teacher told me).

My son has just turned 5, is the youngest in the class and has always been impeccably behaved). His last teacher always praised his ability to be so attentive and well behaved.

I phoned the teacher to ask for more details as my DS couldn't stop crying. The teacher had kindly given me a brief note in his contact book (interestingly the first thing she has bothered to write in it). I voiced my concern at the seemingly heavy handed tactics for those so young, and especially when I am trying my best to even get him into school every day as he doesn't like it. She told me they are having a real focus on sitting very still and quiet on the carpet. I gently pointed out that perhaps this would have been quite frightening for 5 year olds and in my opinion, unnecessary. I also said that it was a pity that the one comment written in his book had been so negative.

We ended the conversation on a light note, but I am really unhappy at what I am sending him into. A lot of the other children have been saying how much she shouts and there is no playing anymore. It seems to sad. However, she is new and maybe finding things difficult (she wasn't in on Friday). Also I know how different year 1 is to reception, but the transition has been absolutely dire.

What does anyone else think as I am dreading tomorrow.

Thanks!

If it was my little boy coming home in tears I would be just as unhappy as you are. Only you can know how much this is impacting your son. Do you think that given another week things might all settle down? I am sure the last thing you want is for him to be starting the new school year dreading going in to school. If you are in any doubt I would be inclined to talk it through with the head.

Have already discussed it with the Head. The Head was quite sympathetic and said he obviously needs more TLC and she would speak with class teacher. I happened to mention that many of the children were upset going in and it was a shame that there was no-one there to greet them. The Head said this shouldn't be the case and someone should always be at the door and she said she would sort that out too.

Since then things have become worse. I would like to think that it isn't because of my chat with the Head (sure she isn't being vindictive), but I feel absolutely at a loss as to what to do and am desperate. All other schools in the area are full and my only other option is to home ed.

My DS and some of his classmates seem to be having exactly the same problem in Yr 1. The discipline seems to have gone from lovely and nurturing in reception to bordering on draconian in yr 1. My DS loved school and now he's saying it's not fun. He's been saying his teacher is angry and shouts all the time. Most of them are 5 years old, for gods sake!I know they have to work harder now but surely there should be some transition period. Is this usual in year 1? What do you do to get them used to it?

I don't think this is usual in year 1 - I imagine it is usual in a year 1 class with a teacher who can't keep discipline without resorting to shouting.

Dd has started a new school for year 1, it is much stricter than her old school but there is no shouting, only firm voices and the potential loss of a house point.

There are DCs with shouty parents that may be desensitised to a shouty teacher, equally there are sensitive souls that feel upset overhearing another child being shouted at, let alone if it's them.

If I was you I'd want to know the extent of the problem, which is easy enough if you know other mums at school or feel comfortable asking about to really understand how shouty and how often. If there is a TA then a quiet chat, with a direct question can be highly informative - you don't need a direct answer, just whether she looks away, body language etc can speak volumes (though not if she's comfortable with the level of shouting of course).

Once you have a handle on the extent of the problem then you can decide how to tackle it, from a letter signed by all affected parents to the head & then escalting it to the govenors if necessary to putting your dcs name on all the waiting lists of other schools, to speaking firmly and in no uncertain terms to the teacher to doing nothing except supporting your dc with how to manage feelings in relation to shouting, home ed or going private. You know which options are feasible and sit best with you. None are easy, none are what you want to be spending your time sorting out because as a parent you just want your child to be coming home full of the joys of learning and having fun with their friends.

for you & the fact that things seem to be getting worse at the moment too, & hoping that things start improving soon.

Thank you. There is another year 1 class and they seem to be fine. I believe there are many parents who have complained about things although I think it's a mixture of this grim faced, shouty teacher and the strict regime with very little, if any, play which means many of the children are very distressed. Interestingly, two or three boys who have been a little aggressive but which behaviour had been handled excellently by their previous teacher, they have worsened enormously under this teacher to such a degree that they are lashing out at everyone, which tells you that the situation is not being handled well.

The teacher is still off, and I saw two girls squeal with delight and skip in holding hands this morning when they realised they had another day without said teacher! All the children seem a lot happier with just the TA.

When/if she comes back (please God she won't), we shall have to see what happens, and if the issues remain unresolved then as agamesafoot said, we shall have to take necessary action as we simply can't put up with this for a whole year. I really feel for him as he has only just turned 5, is a well behaved and quiet little boy and this is really affecting him.

Sorry fancyanother, I meant to say so sorry your child is also suffering. It's awful isn't it? I really hope you too manage to sort things out.

If it was my child, I would take holiday from my workplace. I would go to the school with my child and I would tell the head and the teacher that my son was crying at home, because of his class teacher was shouting, so I think my son is not safe emotionally in the school and because I did not get a clear answer from the school (not from the head or from the teacher) and I think shouting is not acceptable I will stay in the school for the next week to inspect the situation.

I feel so sorry for you and your son, and this behaviour from the teacher not normal at all. Shouting is not acceptable not in Year1 but also not in Year6.

There is a big jump in expectations from yr R to yr 1. Many children struggle with it as there won't be much playing anymore! even with the kindest teacher you may find the transition takes a while to get used to.
However this does seem a bit harsh and I would have expected more leeway for the kids especially so early on in the term.
Shouting is a tactic that should be very rarely used. It's good that the head seems to be a little more sympathetic.

I completely realise that year 1 is much more structured (although personally don't agree with it), however how that transition is handled makes a huge difference IMO. The children will inevitably take time to settle into the new class etc., but this is much more than that and the fact that many children are very distressed speaks volumes that whatever has been put into place isn't working.

No-one learns when stressed or frightened, and I would have thought that creating a safe and happy atmosphere for the children would be the top priority. If the children arrive in school relatively happy, and are welcomed into class with a cheery face, if poor behaviour is dealt with with firmness balanced with kindness, then this would build an ideal atmosphere where children are happy and able to learn. The children are scared and they're only 5! No-one should be scared at school - it is completely at odds with the ability to learn and has a detrimental effect on their emotional and physical well being (and it's crappy for the parents too!!)

Thanks forever. It is horrible, and you feel so powerless, as you feel you are only getting half the story. There have been other issues today with a child in the class that I came on here to post about. I feel like it's turned into a nightmare! I was so pleased with the school last year, and now I feel like I want to take him out and home educate (although god knows how I would do that- I can hardly get him to do his reading book of a night!!) I don't want to alienate the teacher, but apparently other parents have been in there with issues. I would have said my DS was a good boy, quite a sensitive soul, but now I don't even feel that I know him! Maybe he is really chatty and noisy and I'm just one of those parents who refuses to thing anything bad of my child, I dont know anymore I hope you get the issues sorted (or a new teacher!!)

Sometimes you just get a "fussy" class that can't seem to get to grips with sitting quietly on the carpet without there being some sort of issue.

Last year's class was dreadful for this. This year's are a lot better.

It is very frustrating for the class teacher when they are trying to give input. Shouting all the time is not the right,but an occasional sharp retort is the way to show you mean business. Certainly children shouldn't be scared.
Are they (staff) all under pressure,and/or due an OFSTED? I know that (our school having just come out of special measures), this could explain the teacher's behaviour, although that does not help you.

I think you should see what happens when (if) she comes back,and talk to the head again if things don't seem right.

No Ofsted due at present so that wouldn't be a reason and they're known to be a "good" school. Things are a lot calmer since she's been off though, and I do realise that with a class of 30 it must be difficult to keep some sense of order, and quite accept that a teacher would need to use a sharper voice under certain circumstances, but as the majority of the children are scared of her and dislike her, something must be wrong.

I don't envy the job of a teacher, however my child is of course of paramount importance to me and I believe at 5 he is far too young to be dreading school and to be scared of his teacher, and his schooling has only just begun!

We shall see how things go when/if she comes back, but I know that there are many parents who have phoned the school to complain to the Head about this specific teacher, so the Head is obviously aware that there is a problem which needs dealing with.

The joys of school eh?