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.

[TwoLeftSocks]

That's appalling! I would very much want to know if that's whole school policy or just this teacher's method. Neither is acceptable in my view but it might be useful in deciding what to do next or if you take it further to governors. Dyslexia Action or the BDA might be able to advise if you need to challenge it.

[TheoriginalLEM]

Governors and ofsted. what a vile ht your dd has.

i would actually consider changing schools if you can. If this is an example of ow she is to be penalised for her disability. This has revealed that they don't know what they are doing in terms of teaching children with dyslexia.

[prh47bridge]

Agree with others that this is appalling. Kick up a fuss. Take it to the governors. Complain to Ofsted. And get your daughter out of that school. She needs to be as far away as possible from teachers who apparently believe that dyslexics getting things wrong in a spelling test shows a lack of application.

[InTheSandPit]

WTF???
No, dyslexia doesn't mean you can put the effort in and get 10/10 in your spelling tests. Judging from personal experience, your daughter is likely to have put in ten times the effort of the natural spellers, and did as good a job as possible given the way her brain works.

My Mum put in hours and hours of spelling practice (practise?? Spell check doesn't help with everything) and it scraped me through most weeks. Means fcuk all now. My spelling is as shitte as always. Stuff my 2 degrees up your arse Miss Smith. I know you never believed I'd go anywhere, and you made it clear I wasn't worth your time. Doubt you remember me, but I sure remember your crap attitude to me. Incuna please tell your daughter she is amazing from me. Work hard, and ignore those that don't understand you. Your special brain means you are more likely than most to go onto great things.

[Incunabula]

InTheSandPit your message just made me cry, but thank you, I needed to hear that. I think this is why I'm so distraught about this, I have to do positive reinforcement with her all the time otherwise she starts to feel really low and angry with herself. When I go in to see the Head I'll take her spelling sheet in with me where she practiced over and over again, repeating the same mistakes even though each time it was pointed out what the problem was. But I'm trying to make it not too much about her in a sense, I just want him to see that this is bad practice for any child.**

[Lancelottie]

Well, you could mention to him that this is such bad practice that most other adults were not prepared to believe it could have happened in a school from this century.

[MadameChauchat]

Wow. Did he make any spelling errors in his email by any chance? That would be marvellous wouldn't it...

My ds had a teacher last year who suddenly started to threaten the kids with sanctions if they wouldn't get 10/10 in their spelling tests. I went to complain to the ht straight away, and so did several other parents. The ht was very surprised and quickly solved the issue and it never happened again.

[KindDogsTail]

I am very, very sorry, Incunabula, I somehow missed that your child is dyslexic.

That makes what this teacher did virtually criminal.

I also doubt the actual teaching is up to much there at the school. They may be relying for home to coach the children for tests.

[Catmuffin]

I was at primary in the 70s. It may have been old fashioned in some ways eg. Corporal punishment by the head, but no way would someone have been punished in that way over a spelling test. Even then it'd have been seen as unacceptable

[MrsJoeyMaynard]

It's unbelievable that the HT actually thinks this is a good way to incentivise the children.
And it's even more unbelievable that he's suggesting it's not meant to embarrass the children. How could being singling out children and making them stand facing the wall be anything but embarrassing and demoralizing for a child who's tried their best in a test?

There's got to be better - and more effective - ways to incentivise children than that.

[rumblingDMexploitingbstds]

Bloody hell.

You may want to let your HT know - my GF was at school in the 1920s and told me once (still upset about it and he was in his 90s at the time) every child who made a verbal or written mistake in their work or answered a question wrongly was told to stand up and hold out their hand and the teacher would circle the room with a ruler. One stroke for every mistake. How does the HT feel that strategy might jump his results? Because he's replaced the ruler with the wall, but it's pretty much the same shame, fear and punish tactics.

If I was teaching in that school I'd be incandescent. If I was a parent I would (seriously) remove my child from the school. This kind of thinking went out with Queen Victoria.

[rumblingDMexploitingbstds]

Plus I'd also be asking the HT his opinion on teaching young children that 'wrong answer/making a mistake' is the same thing as 'naughty' (deserving of punishment.

[corythatwas]

Just read the update; that is seriously shocking!!! Definitely complain, complain, complain. Governors and Ofsted. Keep all correspondence from the HT and show them. And look out for another school for your child: she doesn't want to be round people with that attitude.

[kesstrel]

What are they actually doing to teach spelling at your school? Is it just "memorise this list" or are they showing the children how to break spellings into syllables, say the sounds as they spell them, etc?

[HappyNevertheless]

Apart from what has been already said, I round ask what THEY are doing at school to help the children who have had a lower score.
Do they have any special help etc??

Remind them it's theyr responsibility to find the right way to teach the children.
And that punishment has never been found helpful for children who are serious and already try their best.

Have you had your dd assessed?
Around where I live, primary schools are known to be rubbish at pushing fur a diagnosis fur dyslexia and for secondary to try and pick up the pieces.
Your dd will do much better with a diagnosis and the right support.

[Cagliostro]

Wow all guns blazing time

[tinks269]

As a teacher I am shocked and disgusted by the way your child has been treated.
This is an interesting read and might give you some sources of views that will hopefully silence the school. The most important thing to remember is that every teacher has a set of standards they have to meet at all times. One of these is to treat all children with dignity and build relationships based upon mutual respect. I would suggest that this has not happened in this instance and I would be demanding to know what the head was going to do about this. Good luck.
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/08/14/is-it-right-for-schools-to-humiliate-children-as-punishment_n_7363392.html

[pointythings]

That is appalling!

But at least you have the email directly from him. I think OFSTED might be very interested in seeing it.

Complain, complain, complain.

[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?!

[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]

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...

[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.

[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

[rumblingDMexploitingbstds]

Inappropriate? I hate auto correct. Disproportionate.

[mogloveseggs]

Your poor dd that is bloody disgraceful.