Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Original poster

Just been hauled into HT office !!!!!! I'm so mad !

215 replies

alisonmc · 15/03/2007 09:29

Hi all,
I hate my DS school! At my DS school I am probably the only parent that actively tries to help DS with his work. We read every night, he likes doing sums and other spelling activities...........so what is the problem - here goes:
a) We as parents "we are working against the school" by showing DS different methods of addition and subtraction, etc (see previous posts);
b) HT is worried about DS socially "does he do any activities outside school, has he got any friends, etc, are we putting too much pressure on him" - felt like saying FO!
c) HT is "very cross that I have obtained past SATs papers and DS has done them - well I might add!"
d) HT had DS in office on Monday for an incident "but was sorted out at the time, so no need to tell you about it" - until today that is !!!!
e) HT wants a meeting with DH & myself "to put us back on the right track!"

How ludicrous can this be ? There are thousands of children that get no help or support with their work, have severe home lives, etc - but a child who has loving and caring parents, great social life and home life is getting all this........

I am absolutely livid !

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

TheWillowTree · 15/03/2007 15:14

So the school are putting the pressure on the babes and you now reap the problems!!!

Simple answer IMHO - carry on doing what you and your ds enjoy out fo school but REMOVE him from the SATS - refuse to let him take them or withdraw him from schoool for that time if they really do put so much pressure on the kids.

My dc's school is very low key about SATS (word never mentioned, do not even know they are doing anything different) otherwise I would do exactly the same - and may well do so in Yr 6 when the time comes as i wholeheratedly disagree with the whole concept.

Twiglett · 15/03/2007 15:18

have I missed the bit where there's talk about pressure being put on this child by the school? please point it out ..

fairyjay · 15/03/2007 15:25

Whether or not the child is having too much pressure on him or not, I would be mightily pissed off that having had an excellent report at parents' night, you were told you were going very wrong the following week.

Could you have perhaps spoken to his teacher about what you were doing at home, and worried her, although clearly she was delighted with him until that point?

If so, I can see how the head came to be involved, although I'm not saying I agree with it!

My way of 'getting back on the right track' would be to survive the next four months, and move smartly on.

Sorry I haven't read the thread thoroughly, if I'm repeating!

Enid · 15/03/2007 15:48

dd1s state primary is at the top of the league tables for our county. I presume they have excellent Sats results.

I also presume she is taking them this year - they are never mentioned. I think they tell the kids that they are going to do some quizzes when the time comes. It is SO not on my radar.

beckybrastraps · 15/03/2007 15:49

I am massively confused. The school is near the top of the league tables. Everyone raves about it. It is in an area of deprivation, and the parents think only of clubbing and palming their children off on others. You are the only parent who supports their child. If all this is true, then the school is doing a fantastic job.

I have to say it.

Enid · 15/03/2007 15:56

yes I was thinking that

ours is at the top and its in a middle class area with lots of high achieving parents

makes sense I guess

Original poster

alisonmc · 15/03/2007 16:15

Just because a school is the best in the area means nothing. The truth of the matter is that DS current school is the best out of a bad bunch. All of the schools key indicators are well below the LEA and National average and the school's last Ofsted report said that they need to improve in the areas of literacy and numeracy at KS1. Just because they are top in my area does not mean that they are automatically a good school.

OP posts:

bozza · 15/03/2007 16:17

Am I a bad mummy? I don't even know where our school is in the league tables.

bozza · 15/03/2007 16:19

But everyone raving about it did suggest that.

bozza · 15/03/2007 16:20

Do they do league tables for KS1 sats? Because we have middle schools so do not do KS2 sats at primary school.

Blu · 15/03/2007 16:21

Why are you so obsessed about his 7 year old SATS? They will not have any effect on your child at all! At DS's school I don't think parents or children are aware of SATS results...and unlike GCSEs, his future progress will not be affected by his 7 year old SATS! Only the teacher / school will be judged on the SATS results.

And actually, even GCSE results need not have an irrevocable effect on long term educational or career achivement.

lulumama · 15/03/2007 17:12

have oyu considered home educating?

Beetrootccio · 15/03/2007 17:25

7 year old sats are now not obligatory - perhaps that is why some schools do not mention them.

dd didn't do sats, but all the boys did.

Ali, I think it is great that you are working with you son - if he enjoys and wants to do it then fabulous

I love the idea of as many extra activities as possible - by the time they are 14 they will have some real choices = rather than standing on street corners hopefully

PrincessPeaHead · 15/03/2007 17:43

bozza I think its a typo. it isn't that everyone is raving about it, just that everyone is raving about. you know, out clubbing all the time

ha ha

coffeepot · 15/03/2007 18:03

AlisonMc,
if makes me sad to see you so up tight about SATS. KS1 SATS are a judgment on the school not the child, I suspect the best way to help your child with them is to forget them and not make a big deal about them. It's wonderful that you do so much with your ds but you would have so much more time to do real things with him - you know - extra time to go to the woods through the year and make a scrap book of the wildlife you see, or to build robots, or to dress up as Romans, or to play chess or whatever he is interested in if you weren't so worried about SATS. It sounds like your son is doing fine. Sit back and relax and enjoy it.

Enid · 15/03/2007 18:04

VeniVidiVickiQV · 15/03/2007 18:08

I used to get told off at primary school for not doing working out sums/multiplications on paper. Used to confuse me - i could never remember the format in which they wanted it. I'd always do it in my head. Much easier.

Its probably why algebra crippled me for years before I got it

I think you are right to be peeved by the way you say he has spoken to you. I do think that the work you do at home, and the work he does at school should compliment each other. It would be far more effective that way.

The comments about your DS and making friends outside of school would concern me the most - tbh. That tells me that he is not bonding well with his classmates, and may even be the subject of bullying. I'd be quite upset about that comment actually.

misdee · 15/03/2007 18:10

dd1 is 7, in yr 2, is it a SATs year? i dont have a clue?

VioletBaudelaire · 15/03/2007 18:11

You can opt out of SATS if you want to.

fennel · 15/03/2007 18:12

misdee, it had passed me by until I read some of the threads on here too.

now I wonder if our school doesn't do them, as Beetroot suggests. that would make explain my and dd1's unawareness of them.

lucky I didn't rush out and buy dd1 the revision papers, that would have been a bit overkeen for possibly non-existent exams

misdee · 15/03/2007 18:16

i have no idea. none of the parents have mentioned SAts at all. blimey. i know sparklygothkats ds did very well in his sats, but he wasnt pushed.

dd1 school is one of the best in this area, definatly the best of 3 in walking distance.

Hideehi · 15/03/2007 18:29

The answer seems obvious to me, you don't like new teaching methods and are concerned about stats, move him to a private school that can teach outside the box.

Tiggatoo · 15/03/2007 20:03

So you "hate" the school, and as a result of this you have even considered briefly removing him despite the fact he's been there for a while, that this is the first incident and that it's the best school in the area.

You also give him SATs papers at home and despite your exhortations to the contrary seem totally focused on his academic excellence.

You also say he's quite competitive. Can't think for a moment where he gets that from.

Lordy, give everyone (including yourself) a break here. He's only 7 FGS.

It's all or nothing with you isn't it.

Parp.

noonar · 15/03/2007 20:16

alison, all i want to say, as a year 5 teacher, is that i assumed that your ds is in year 6. i was a bit to read that he is only 7 .

do you think it might be time to ease up on the home tuition, hon?

harpsichordcarrier · 15/03/2007 20:18

the sooner they abolish SATS the better, imho. it encourages far too much pressure and some parents collude in it too much....
it makes me sad, actually. one friend of mine won't let her dd go to a concert that she really wants to go to "because she has SATS in the morning"
who cares???

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Swipe left for the next trending thread