So long St. Mediocre

[PastSellByDate]

Well it is an end of an era.

I joined MN in 2010 because we'd had about 6 months of trying to get help from the school with our struggling DD1 (May Y2 - slow reader/ barely able to add to 20/ unable to subtract) and the school had pretty much repeatedly told DH & I our expectations were too high - topping it off with the dreadful HT stating:

'What you need to understand Mrs. PSBD, is your DD1 just isn't that bright'.

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Do I have issues? Oh boy do I ever!

Have I lost faith in state education - totally!

Low brow

Uninspired

Chaotic

doesn't sum it up.

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But here on MN - I have found help. Many teachers & parents have made brilliant suggestions - leading to great websites/ resources/ ideas which have really helped.

DD1 finished Y2 KS1 SATs at NC L1 across the board. She finished Y6 KS2 SATs at NC L5/6. That would never have happened without Mumsnet members answering my questions/ giving their advice to help me help my DD1.

My advice to any who feel in their gut that something is amiss/ the school just isn't doing enough - stick to your guns.

Battling a school isn't easy - and I wouldn't advise it. But know that you can do more at home. The internet hosts a wealth of resources that can really make a difference and MN is brilliant as a place to come and moan/ rant/ scream HELP!!!!!!!!!!! On MN you can vent your anger (which is useful) - and get some positive help.

I know I've had my tiffs with some on PRIMARY TALK over the years - but part of that is that we parents only experience the education system in our small little corners of the UK. What happens in NI/ Wales/ Scotland or England - or even within cities - can be night and day to each other.

I think as parents we need to push for more consistency.

Just as we would expect a medical professional to handle notification of cancer with seriousness and compassion - and would understandably expect information to help us digest the diagnosis and explain our next options...

We need teachers to move toward that kind of professionalism - to be able to tell a parent/ agree with a parent that their child is struggling and provide useful guidance on what to do next.

Leaving a parent to it - is in no way 'professional'.

I take the point that not all parents will take so much interest - but I suspect more parents care about their child's education than teaching professionals give us credit for - and most parents - if wisely directed to useful resources/ methods/ techniques - will follow that guidance and can be a real asset to teachers - putting in those extra hours at home - and may just turn a struggling pupil into a successful one!

Thanks & happy summer everybody!

PSBD

Feeni, the new sat are very difficult specially the grammar one. I will start to do bonds book with her and find a tutor for the writing. I don't trust my dd school ( I am not the only one), this year I have a lot of problems with the English homework, that is quite annoying because my first languaje is not English and I want the school to teach them proper grammar and punctuation.

For example in maths , one day they do one topic and the next week something totally different, there is not consolidation. I like the way the science is teach in the school, but not history.

Pushing for cpd.... Good luck getting any with budgets the way they are.

Oh come on, how was I to know you were SMT grin

People can usually tell by the devil horns!

Spanish there is no time for consolidation any more, lessons have to be about progress.

Teaching maths in secondary is beyond difficult when you can't have a lesson that practices a skill. Instead there has to be a new skill taught, extension activities etc which leaves barely any time for just practising.

Damn that "having to earn a living thing" Beer which prevents you from raising that hopelessly low attainment bar!

Good job our state schools are there for you to perform that useful babysitting function eh? Oh and it's a really good job that our teachers haven't got anything better to do after the official school day ends; means they can stay on for enrichment too. Fab huh!

Good schools (I work in one) simply don't have the money. Priority or not, the money isn't there.

I prioritise new exercise books over cpd, and have to fund equipment for pupils out of my own pocket.

The money just isn't there! We are having to subsidise Gove's "free school meals" this year which has taken a huge chunk out of our "spare" money.

( I'm a school governor too )

Beer there's that generalising thing again. Signing off this thread now as it is impossible to have a 'discussion' with someone who chucks out prejudice as fact in every post, who quotes anecdote as fact.

STATE SCHOOLS ROCK. Every person in my family is a product of one; clever, talented, inspirational people who had an amazing education.

Adios!

PSBD - Well done to you and your daughter! You are such a great contributor on this forum and I hope you don't go away for long!

Feeni, the new sat are very difficult specially the grammar one. I will start to do bonds book with her and find a tutor for the writing.

I disagree - I don't think it's difficult at all. 97% have got level 4 and 50% level 5 this year. I teach in an area which has some extreme economic deprivation.

There is no test for writing - it's teacher assessed.

That money is there somewhere, Penelope. Bad financial management if it's being diverted somewhere else.

It is very easy to shout "bad management" if you don't get what you expect and don't see the big picture. We have a limited budget and many people calling for some funding. We need to support children with a range of complex learning and behavioural issues and the LA does not provide additional money for more than two of those children. No, they haven't got a statement, but they still need support, so we provide it from the main budget. That eats away at the budget, add to that building maintenance, new building project for the school expansion as we go to two form entry (LA only provide for basic classrooms, so extra toilets, group rooms, storage, etc. has to come from us), resourcing the new curriculum, basic consumables like books, pencils, paint, IT resources and maintenance, supply cover before the insurance kicks in, teachers salaries (unless we sack the experienced teachers and replace them all with cheap NQTs?) ... the money we receive from the LA doesn't spread that far.

Feeni, the new sat are very difficult specially the grammar one. I will start to do bonds book with her and find a tutor for the writing.

I disagree - I don't think it's difficult at all. 97% have got level 4 and 50% level 5 this year. I teach in an area which has some extreme economic deprivation.

I think spanish is referring to the samples for the new 2016 SATS papers which ARE pretty horrific!

I know the writing is teacher assessment, but I want she finish primary school with a good standard of English. In Math I don't have problems, I did an A level in my country, and my degree was al about numbers ( derivation, integration, matrix, financial Maths...). My son got a level 6 in maths in year 6 and now in year 7 is level 7c, but his English is not very good (level 4a now, but they did a test at the end of year 7 and he was a level 5c in writing and reading, all his work is marked at level 5). I can not support my son in English, and he is not progressing.

For me I want teachers to be teaching and not doing so much paperwork.

That's why the 7% at private schools get 50% of the best university places, make up 80% of the judiciary andd massively high proportions of the best jobs and why women as teenagers should consider earnings and ability to fund school fees in order to do best for their children. Pick low paid careers at your peril as it means you cannot obtain your child a good private school education.