Punishment over spelling test

[Incunabula]

My DD (yr 3) came home from school tonight absolutely inconsolable because she and a few others had been punished for not doing well enough in their weekly spelling test (less than 6/10). They'd been docked 5 minutes golden time and had to stand in the corridor with their faces to the wall in silence. This rule was introduced this week without any warning. My DD is currently being assessed for possible dyslexia due to problems tracking words and holding a point of focus, which the school are aware of, so she struggles with spelling. Poor DD was crying for hours as she's very keen to always make a good impression and tries very hard. Irrespective of her particular situation though, I think it's appalling to humiliate any child like this over their (perceived lack of) academic achievement. I thought the days of 'punishment as motivation' were over and discredited? I'm absolutely incensed about it but need to find a rational way of communicating with the Head about why I think it's so dreadful. Would appreciate any thoughts on whether this is commonplace and/or how to handle it best.

[Dontlikethedailyfail21]

Spelling tests are pretty pointless for dyslexics but they still need to do them it seems.
My twins are dyslexic. They get 10/10 most weeks as they work really hard learning them but if you read their every day written work their spelling is incorrect in so many places it is hard to work out what they are trying to write. Their school books have red pen all over them.
They can learn the words for the test but it doesn't transfer into their other work.
Unfortunately with SATS there is no allowance made for dyslexia other than 10 - 15 mins extra time so maybe the school are working along these lines. They should perhaps consider extra time for your child in her spelling tests. It's a fact of life dyslexics will have to put in a lot more effort than non dyslexics in school and often in the work place. My husband is also dyslexic and has no allowance made for this at work.
It is hard, I feel for your child, I know what it's like.

[PurpleAlerts]

Jesus Christ- this is pure disability discrimination. Like telling my deaf pupils off for not listening! I am 😡 On your behalf.

[Oliversmumsarmy]

Was at primary school in the 60s and spelling tests were a nightmare for me. Spent the week trying to learn 20 spellings only to get some crap mark and then getting the cane because I didn't achieve 16/20. Things became much better when I resigned myself to the fact it didn't matter how hard I worked I still got the cane so I saved myself the stress of trying to learn and just accepted that I got the cane every Friday.

Only when I was putting dd through her dyslexia tests did I realise I couldn't do what she couldn't do and am probably dyslexic as well.

Sometimes punishments to encourage have the complete opposite effect.

[milkysmum]

Dd is in year 2 and since she started in this class there has been the rule that anything below 7/10 on the weekly spelling test r silts in staying in forc5 minutes of break to go over the spellings again. This was never discussed with me by the teacher. Dd told me. I asked for clarity. Had it explained and that was that. Would not agree with the facing the wall but in the corridor though!

[olderthanyouthink]

sigh this is still happening

Give her lots for support and encouragement, it's not the end of the world if she can't spell properly, but please get her checked for dyslexia that "label" can be a help and everybody need not know about it.

This has reminded me of my horiffic spelling tests (and reading aloud) and the subsiquent punishments. Regluarly missing breaks in primary and and dozens of detentitions is secondary because I obviously didn't bother to try to learn the spellings... eventually I bothered to cheat (just enough to keep me out of trouble, not enough to bump me up a spelling level).

I guess I'm dyslexic, but I suppose I was too clever to be assessed... so much from being in top set for english . Doesn't really matter now, just don't ask me to proofread

Spelling mistakes left in on purpose.

[enterthedragon]

Threads like these show how disability discrimination is still alive and kicking.

[TwoLeftSocks]

That's such a horrible thing to happen Seryph!

[BlackeyedSusan]

ds was punished for his disability/not learning enough spellings. it is appalling. bloody senco only did it again.

[Seryph]

Good gods OP, how is your DD today? Doing any better?
My gut reaction would be to change school anyway, this HT clearly can't be trusted to treat the children in any decent way.
I firmly remember been forced to stand up in yr5 and read out what I had written in class (not much) so made up a couple of sentences at the end. The teacher then took my book and showed it to the class and got them to laugh at me, when someone told her a few minutes later that I was crying, I'll never forget what she said, "Oh, she's just been humiliated. Ignore her and she'll stop.". I'm dyslexic and dyspraxic and this was the 90's. It's disgusting.
I suppose what the head could have meant was more that while spelling mistakes happen, dyslexic children can learn to spell. And yes, we can. But it takes a lot of hard work, and more than just memorising a list (which isn't great for anyone!). But this back tracking wouldn't make me feel any more secure with the school.

[mmgirish]

This is disgusting. If I treated students like that at my school, I would be fired for sure!

[Pinkhousealreadyinuse]

I hate hearing stories like this, it makes me very nervous to put my children into school. Surely things like that, if frequent, damage the mental health of the children? And what does it achieve? They can spell "house"? Well done but they'll probably be put off reading or similar for life

[Footle]

I'm glad you are still having the meeting. I know the head can't discuss other children with you , but you can bring up the subject of the other little girl's great distress at the punishment. Her parents may think this is standard procedure, or that she deserved it, as they are probably not familiar with the way schools are supposed to be run here.

[sashh]

And that dyslexic children may misspell in their free writing but are just as capable of learning their spellings.

That has sent chills down my spine, I thought we had moved on from this, this is what I had to put up with in the 1970s. I am back to being a little girl who spent hours learning spellings and still cocked up. It is a form of torture.

The head is breaching anti discrimination laws that are supposed to protect people.

Would he give a blind child a pen and paper and complain that they hadn't written neatly?

[InTheSandPit]

Sounds like the Y3 head expressed their horror at the system, and has got class teacher and head to see sense. (Or is class teacher the head of year)
Hopefully there is now a sensible plan in place. Long may it last. I agree keeping the meeting may be useful.

[InTheSandPit]

Sounds like the Y3 head has had a word and set the record straight. Class teacher, and head see no problem, Y3 head has gone as ballistic as is needed to make them see the error of their ways.

[HeynowHannah]

So have you found out what actually happened yet?

[AngieBolen]

I was going to say look for a different school! But they seem to have realised they may have been unreasonable.

Hope the meeting goes well.

[KindDogsTail]

If you do go ahead and ask for a meeting OP, another thing to ask about, apart from what the school is doing to encourage mutual respect and dignity which is so important, is what they are doing to actually teach spelling before testing it. Something about what happened makes is seem suspiciously as though they are expecting children to rely solely on memorizing spellings without understanding them first.

[mogloveseggs]

Your poor dd that is bloody disgraceful.

[rumblingDMexploitingbstds]

Inappropriate? I hate auto correct. Disproportionate.

[rumblingDMexploitingbstds]

I've met a lot of primary HTs in my time. I can't think of one of them who would allow a member of staff in their school to do this, never mind with seven year olds. Most would be outraged at the thought. Punishment for failure is so inappropriate and out of touch with standard UK teaching approaches its worrying. I would be mentioning this to the school's improvement team at the Local Authority and the Educational Psychology team too, one of whom will have this school on their patch. I would also be writing to the governors. A call to OFSTED would also not be inappropriate, I would love to be a fly on the wall as he explains that 'encouragement' strategy to an inspector. as he shows where in the art cupboard the thumbs screws and rubber hoses are kept

[TwoLeftSocks]

Glad you're still seeing them. It's not just trust, it's having a positive relationship with learning, which is even more important for children who struggle with it and for whom it's all so so much harder. I hope they can quickly fix any harm they've done.

[Incunabula]

Happy, I am still going to go and see him and the Yr 3 head. There's been so much good advice on this thread, and there are points that still need addressing. I took DD out for a milkshake after school to have a chat about it on neutral territory and she still ended up shaking and crying. As you say, lots of trust to be rebuilt there...

[HappyNevertheless]

Can I be honest? I would still ask for the meeting and ask them what THEY are planning to do to 'encourage greater effort'.
And as tinks suggested, I would aslo ask them what they are going to do on a day to day basis to 'build relationshio based on mutual trust' or rather in that case, how are they going to repair the trust that they've jsut detsroyed.

[Incunabula]

So, having sent a email saying I don't accept that the sanction is 'reasonable and proportionate' (his words) and asking for a meeting, I get another response from the HT tonight. Apparently he's spoken to the Head of Yr 3 and they've had a rethink of this method of 'encouraging greater effort to improve spelling' and won't be repeating it, that there are more effective ways of improving spelling and that hopefully this means we won't need to meet now. Obviously I'm delighted to hear this, but eh?! What on earth happened today given his previous bullish defence of the other approach?!