What would you improve at your primary school?

[Ifonlyoneday]

We have a new head and she has sent a questionnaire home asking for parents views? So if you had a questionnaire back what would you fill in? Before it came I would have said music lessons at school, but the ne head has just brought these in. So if you could suggest anything, what would you? What worked well at your primary schools?

[catkind]

For our school: A decent, modern reading scheme that doesn't abandon them at stage 5ish or the end of reception, whichever comes first. Or an effort made to send home appropriate non-scheme books would be fine too, not just one box for the class to pick their own from.

If I'm allowed complete pie in the sky, more than one class set of laptops, and class sets that are 30 not 15 so they can all work not just half of them work and the rest spectate. The school with an aggressive PTA and unaffordable catchment area locally has i-pads for all.
A bit more language teaching from reception. Nominally French is on the curriculum but doesn't seem to actually happen, and my DC would love it.

A head that says yes to things rather than blanket no to all new ideas.

Things I like about our school: simple and flexible uniform. Only basic colours required, easily available from supermarkets, logoed versions available if you want. Polo shirts and jumpers, not shirts and ties. No fussy rules about shoes or anything.
Regular but not too often opportunities to go in and see class assemblies and productions. Sensible low-pressure approach to SATs (or "puzzle books" as they called them for year 2s). Good school-home information on the whole - information events for maths and phonics and school life generally, cute resources sent home in reception. Minimal homework policy. They're not slack, academic results are excellent on a local or national scale; but kids are protected from any pressure as much as possible.

[user789653241]

Sorry, completely off topic, but catkind, have you tried duolingo with your ds? It's great.

[catkind]

Yes that was one of our summer holiday things Irvine :)

[Ifonlyoneday]

Still catching up on all your responses.
Thanks all for your thoughts and ideas. We get a newsletter fortnightly so that is ok. Can talk to the teachers in the morning or afternoon before/after school. Wrap around could be better, small rural village primary.

Languages are very limited, learning a few words in several languages, so thanks to whoever suggested that.

I just remembered as a working mum, one thing that annoys me is the last minute letters for thinks like coffee mornings, harvest festival. May ask them to send a termly list of activities, so can plan around them.

To all the people who said being able to get updates and know how your child is getting on at school, thanks, I think this is one area they can improve on.

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

Our school gives an event timetable for whole year at the beginning of the year/end of last year

[littlepinkmouseofsugar]

lljkk - I agree - our school started lining up as well with the new head, very outdated victorian/military and pointless thing to do imo. No ties and no grey uniforms - again very victorian/military.

Improvements for our local school would be:
fewer assemblies (they are so dull), more art, more music, more languages, bigger and better library, some lunch time staff who are on the ball and not incompetent (hard to get I know on minimum wage in the middle of the day for 2 hours), no homework. And the courage to go off the curriculum once in a while and teach things in a better way (e.g. times tables by rote as in 4x5=20, 5x5-25 etc rather than counting by 5s and calling that tables and then wondering why children can't do tables out of orderas they haven't learnt the whole number sentence).

[leccybill]

I've done lots of supply teaching in many primaries and I swear in some schools, the entire day is about 30% lining up for things.

[GreenGoth89]

Less constant demands on the parents - every week they are asking for contributions to visitors coming in/trips/charity events/non uniform days etc. It's endless! I'd ask for there to be an online portal for all notes/letters to be on so I can talk to the teachers without having to grab them before or after school. Including the reception children in the rest of schools activities - they're pretty much been segregated with a separate building, playground, separate activities, no access to the rest of the school's after school clubs etc. Healthier food too!!

[Deliaskis]

Generally communication and planning. DD's primary have many communication tools at their disposal (text, email, newsletter, website, letters home in bags, etc.) but use them incredibly poorly and even stupidly at times. 7 text messages in one day about non-uniform day for comic relief, messages to all parents saying reports in bookbags for all children when in fact it was only for years 3+ (and they do have functionality to text only certain classes), 1 week's notice for a mid-morning sports day so most parents who work couldn't go (and could have with some notice to arrange leave), messages about stranger danger 'someone has been spotted in a blue car' but nothing to say what parents should do if they see 'someone in a blue car', text messages saying parents are welcome to attend today's celebration assembly at 3.00, sent at 2.40, etc. etc. I could go on and on ad nauseum.

It seems they never sit down with a piece of information and think...what do I need parents to do as a result of reading this communication...we can get long letters about a school fair but no information about whether they need us to do anything/donate anything etc. then panicked text messages the day before.

On the communication theme but more specifically, more infomation about plans for the class and for learning and what support would be helpful at home.

Finally, more consideration of families with working parents. We recently had a parents evening with appointments available from 13.00 until 17.00. They should really call it something else...

[catkind]

Willingness to communicate by email is another one that really makes life easier. Is there a reason primary school teachers aren't allowed direct emails? Secondary school teachers seem to manage it. It's so much easier and less likely to get lost or read by the wrong person than notes and answer phone messages which seems to be how they currently communicate. Basically it all seems set up on the assumption all parents drop and pick up every day and can see the teacher in person.

[mrz]

"Is there a reason primary school teachers aren't allowed direct emails? Secondary school teachers seem to manage it."
Primary school teachers are allowed direct emails but unlike our secondary colleagues primary teachers usually have full teaching commitments with no free periods so can only check emails in our own time not during the school day. I confess I rarely use /check my school email account

[Deliaskis]

DD primary teachers encourage us to email them directly. That's the bit of communication with school that actually works really well!

[Ifonlyoneday]

Thanks all. Have filled in questionnaire, will be interesting to see if any of the parents suggestions make it. I think they will. New head teacher seems great so far. So hopefully HT will pick out the best of the suggestions.

[Cuppaand2biscuits]

The lining up comments have made me smile. A friend of mine home educates her children. A mutual friend appeared gob smacked when she found out and asked me "But how will.they learn to queue?"
There was no sarcasm, she seemed genuinely concerned!

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

The kids at ours don't queue. The door opens and they go in. Unfortunately though if you get in the way at the reception door you may be mowed down.

[catkind]

I think free periods is a bit of a red herring. Whether you're dealing with an email or a note or a phone message, it'll still have to be done outside teaching time. I would have thought going to the office to make a phone call in response to a note would take longer than typing a quick email response. And presumably you then have to keep some kind of record of this interaction, whereas email is conveniently all in one place and stored already. I'm old enough to remember memos and it was such a faff!

[leccybill]

All teachers are entitled to the same amount of time out of the classroom for planning and marking (and meetings, phone calls, emails, displays, chasing things up etc).
I'm secondary and I teach 21 periods a week out of 25.

[BackforGood]

Well leccy, that's quite a bit more than 10%. 10% PPA time would surely be 2.5 frees (presumably 5 a fortnight!)

[leccybill]

I have 3 PPAs a week and one period supervising in the inclusion room.

[mrz]

Leccy I'm primary teacher and SENCO and INCo and Designated Child Protection Officer and Literacy Coordinator and I get 10% PPA per week.

[mrz]

No Catkind if I'm returning a phone call I make it from the school office (assembly time, lunchtime or after children leave) much quicker than logging into my email and wading through dozens of messages. I prefer if possible to speak face to face if there is a serious issue and simple things like missing PE kit can be dealt with immediately by private message on Class Dojo.

[DoItTooJulia]

Get rid of attendance week and rewards for 100% attendance. It's pretty shit that a child can be poorly and miss out on the rewards.

My ds was never late in the whole of his primary school career, but did have to have some time off because he was very poorly and it happened to be in attendance week. So he felt like he was punished for being poorly

[TheNumberfaker]

Communication and consistency

[catkind]

"Private message on class Dojo" mrz? I don't know what that is, but it sounds like its private messaging function is doing exactly what I wanted email for. Anything where I could send a private message at my convenience and teacher could respond at their convenience would be fab. I just said email as I'm low tech and don't know any other ways!

I'm sure if you did have cause to regularly check email and had a decent spam filter and foldering system, it wouldn't take any longer to check than Class Dojo private messaging. But one electronic messaging system is fine and great, more than one might just add confusion. Our school have none.