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Primary education

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Original poster

End of year report - any school staff or parents of YR3.

22 replies

2512BC · 14/07/2015 10:19

Constructive Advice please! - Is it usual that a school report would contain negative information that has not been mentioned previously to parents. Not by any teacher? I was under the impression that schools discuss issues with parents before hand as the problem is occurring. DD received an excellent school report except for this comment - which if you didn't know her you would think she is a problem. I have never been called to the school for any issue or even spoken at the school door when she is going in about anything and she has never received any sanctions either. I know she is not an angel - and she says she was doing it a few months ago. So I am not saying that it shouldn't be written on the report, but shouldn't it have been mentioned to me at the time as it was obviously an issue for the teacher? I just need to get my head round it as at the moment it feels like the teacher was going for good news- bad news-good news. Thank you

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TheReluctantCountess · 14/07/2015 10:23

What was the comment?

CocktailQueen · 14/07/2015 10:24

Yes, reports should not contain any news. Issues should be dealt with at the time. However, I don't believe reports should be all positive but should be realistic and a fair assessment of each child - no pretending a dc is good as gold when they're not. Not that I'm saying that of your dd!

SecretSpy · 14/07/2015 10:26

IMHO school reports should be much like work appraisals and not contain any surprises as any issues should have been flagged up during the year.

I have DCs ending year1 and year3 and both were exactly as expected. one fabulous and one rather challenging

TheWildRumpyPumpus · 14/07/2015 10:34

I think it depends what the comment was really. I have a yr 2 - his comment included some of the typical teacher negative remarks like "DS knows an awful lot about everything and sometimes struggles to let other people share their knowledge" and "DS is a sensitive child who can get emotional when he doesn't get things perfect on the first attempt, or isn't very good at an activity".

She hasn't spoken to me about these before, but they are both things that I know about him as an individual as he is the same at home, so it wasn't a shock.

Had she said that he is prone to punching people then, yes, I'd have expected to hear about it sooner.

Original poster

2512BC · 14/07/2015 10:39

The comment was not major - it's more the process I am querying and I am saying she did it - and she is not any angel - It is the process I am interested in.
I am someone who values an honest assessment and opinion from schools as that's the only way I can constructively support my DD. So I would have liked to have been informed before reading the report. I just feel it was a bit of a mean trick - but don't know if I am taking it too far.

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Original poster

2512BC · 14/07/2015 10:42

Rumpypumpus I see your point. The comment was not at her character it was alluding to low level disruption - that's why I would have wanted to know while it was happening.

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Lurkedforever1 · 14/07/2015 10:51

Depends on what it was, and how likely it is the teacher would assume it was something you already knew. Dds reports always say pretty much the same negative thing, that she can produce beautifully neat, well researched, grammatically correct, excellent vocab, good imagination etc etc pieces of work. When she's actually motivated (either by need or interest). Otherwise she is more than likely to produce written work of a much much lower standard. Only once has this been mentioned at parents evening properly, and maybe a quick 'you know about the writing don't you' one other occasion, and she's finishing y6. I assume because it's not actually an issue that needs resolving, and they could reasonably assume I know. Especially as I do exactly the same myself.

Lurkedforever1 · 14/07/2015 10:55

Cross posted- did it mention in what capacity and what steps they believe will help? i.e when sat next to certain people, seating plan now changed, or when work completed/ struggling to complete work, appropriate work/ support now in place

Original poster

2512BC · 14/07/2015 11:02

Lurkedforever1 - nothing at all! just one sentence! and it was a surprise because there had not even been a whisper. and it was minor so it could have been dealt with. But I hear you that I know how she behaves at home so our reports shouldn't be a shock. I also know that DD is far better behaved at school than at home that's why I am surprised they didn't tell me, and I know they can't mention everything - but in this case they haven't mentioned anything about anything for the whole year!

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jeee · 14/07/2015 11:10

I think it depends on how this was written. If the report had said something like, "X generally works well, but can sometimes be slightly disruptive when she finds a subject challenging" I wouldn't think it's something that would necessarily be raised - it's a minor quibble over a whole year.

If, on the other hand, it read "X has struggled with behaviour on occasion, and can be disruptive at times" I'd think you should have been informed as the teacher is implying that X's behaviour is an ongoing problem.

Original poster

2512BC · 14/07/2015 11:16

Thanks Jeee- it was more along the lines of your 1st option, but without any comment about the situations that it happens in. So the comment would end at disruptive even though that's not the word they used - but my interpretation

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whatdowedowithabouncingbaby · 14/07/2015 11:26

from a teacher pov, I would say if it was occasionally disruptive, and not concerning, I wouldn't have spoken to u. however if it was throughout the year I would have. I would ask the teacher to clarify what was meant, not in an accusing way, but just to clarify.

SophiePendragon · 14/07/2015 11:34

I'm sure if it was really a problem the teacher would have spoken to you already...I understand completely how you feel though.

We had a cracking comment this year - along the lines of 'we have all been subjected to impressed by ds's great knowledge about the world around him'

I read that and thought 'Oh God. I know what you mean'!

Pantone363 · 14/07/2015 11:36

WHAT WAS THE COMMENT?!

ConfusedInBath · 14/07/2015 11:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HSMMaCM · 14/07/2015 11:50

I got told at parents evening that DD chatted too much in class. I hadn't been told before, but wasn't cross with the school. If the comment was DD won't stop punching children in the playground then I would expect to have been told.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 14/07/2015 11:50

I don't think you're wrong , op, but I would let it go. Maybe the teacher had a lot going on at the time it happened and didn't get the chance to speak to you before she forgot or it had ceased to be a problem - not perfect, I know , but it sounds like your dc is doing fine, and year 3 is still very young - it's not like this is a report that will follow her to secondary.

Lurkedforever1 · 14/07/2015 11:55

In that case op I'd assume it's an occasional bit of silliness and nothing that either school are worried about or that they believe you should worry about. My dd is incredibly talkative open and at that age could be relied on by anyone who taught her to share minor incidences such as 'mrs x said if we have finished our work n and I should put our hands up, and not play pushing each other off our chairs' and it could just be they aren't aware if your dd never shuts up shares that type of thing.

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 14/07/2015 12:34

The sounds like a very small quibble which I would not have expected to be told about. It sounds like the teacher was looking for a little balance in an overall very good report. Different if you'd discovered she'd been routinely bullying another child. The teacher probably means she's had to ask her not to chat to her friends a couple of times.

lougle · 14/07/2015 12:36

No I think that's fine. DD3 got 'lacks confidence in class and relies on teacher reassurance'. Whilst I was a little surprised, it's not a character assassination and I'd far rather they noticed than overlooked it.

Meita · 14/07/2015 13:23

Sounds to me that when writing the report, the teacher wondered to herself 'hm is there anything 'negative' I can write? Can't think of anything. Oh wait, there was that time back in January when DC was a bit annoying. I'll put that.'

You could argue (and I would agree with you) that if it was not important enough to talk to you at the time, and has since been resolved, then it does not need mentioning in the report.

So why is it in the report? Maybe because frequently, if you read something that only contains positives, you tend not to believe it. You may only really believe positive remarks when you trust that the deliverer is aware of, and truthful, about all the things that might warrant negative remarks. The inclusion of a negative point (in some cases) helps the reader trust the positive messages more.

In contrast, when I am told 'you're doing fine, everything is going really well' it sounds to me like a zero-information message. Whereas in fact maybe the message is precisely that everything is going really well. I just don't trust it because it might equally be just a phrase by someone who doesn't know me at all.

Original poster

2512BC · 14/07/2015 14:53

Thank you everyone for your insight - as I said DD can be a little * at home so I am surprised that I am not called up at all, and I wouldn't have been surprised to hear the issue at the time. I was just peeved that it was left to the report - as it leads me to believe everything is ok. Thanks for your thoughts

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