Advice please for how to handle this

[CocktailQueen]

Asking for advice for a friend - thank you.

In Scotland. My dd is in Primary 5. Class teacher has been off for several weeks and we have had several supply teachers. Result - only one piece of homework in 2 months. I feel that dd is not learning much this year so asked the teacher if she could take home her maths book so we could do some maths at home. The HT, who rang me in response to my note to teacher, said a flat no and didn't suggest what else I could do to help.

Also, my dd is being bullied by another girl - this has been going on for over a year with several reported incidents at school - being pushed to the ground, strangled, etc. When I spoke to the HT on Friday she was dismissive, didn't suggest any measures she could put in place to help my dd, and just sounded defensive. Said she couldn't discuss other dc with me.

DD has had nightmares about this other girl, and cried last night as she is so worried about what she might do at school today.

The other girl is very disruptive in class (and in out of school hobbies) but school has no money for TA/one to one support (says the HT). What can my friend do from here? her dd has the right to go to school and be safe too!

Re bullying, that's not ok to be fobbed off. Ask to see the school's anti - bullying policy, or it may be on their website. Put concerns in writing to HT, including dates (if available) when incidents have happened. Keep putting everything in writing, it makes it far harder for HT to not deal with it. If it continues to not be dealt with, school should have an Education Officer (may be a different title in your area) who oversees primary schools in your area. Contact them (through education department). That should galvanise the HT. If it doesn't, go straight to the top, that will be Director of Education. Give the school one more chance to address this though.

Re maths, I also wouldn't let a pupil take the maths textbook home, for the simple reason that I would be using it with the whole class and wouldn't want a child to be doing the same thing twice. For basic reinforcement, there are plenty of maths practice books in supermarkets etc, for that age you'd needing a KS2 book. They're usually quite a good mix of maths activities

For maths, there are good free websites.

www.khanacademy.org/

mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/category/22/most_popular

www.maths-games.org/

www.mathgames.com/skills/

nrich.maths.org/primary-upper