I think my kid is suffering because of cut-backs in provision in school

[Winterpike]

My son is in year 5 - he is usually quite relaxed and does well at school but recently has been coming home in tears about the work - he says there is too much of it and he struggles to keep up. He feels he is falling behind and there is always the threat of missing playtime if they don't finish their work. He is a sociable boy and is not especially bothered about being 'the best' at academic work - but he does expect to keep up.

I do think the scale of the curriculum is huge and the tone of the material is not appealing to a 9 year old boy. But that is another issue entirely.

His is a newly qualified teacher - they have lots in this school - (4 out of 9 class teacher resigned this year - they were very experienced teachers). They have 2 teaching assistants in the school (across 9 classes). There is no small group focus work. They are no longer put into ability focused groups for help.

If a child has SEN or is falling behind and needs extra help there is no-one to help. Kids are encourage to peer-support i.e. are academically confident kids help out the others - this has so many issues in my opinion if not supported carefully.

I'd probably find this easier to handle if it's the same everywhere but I have a hunch we're getting a raw deal. Whats your experience? What would you do about it? I can't talk to the class teacher any more because she doesn't seem to have any ideas of how to address the lack of one to one time she can offer to kids.

The crazy thing is this school is part of a federation of schools and they have a surplus of £1million - i think because they've been cutting back and pooling resources across 3 schools (1 SENCO across 3 schools etc) for some time.

Of course he is.

As a teacher, I'm feeling more and more dejected because it all just seems impossible. Morning session is 9-10.30.

90 minutes. Take off 20 for settling at the beginning and getting them tided up at the end.

70 minutes. 15-20 minute teaching point. Down to 50 minutes.

When there's 30 children in the class- 1.6 minutes per child.

And that very very crude calculation takes no account of the children who can't help but take up your time.

The whole scenario is rotten.

Education is a mess. Children really are not important in our education system. I feel powerless and could write reams about all that is wrong, but won't begin to bore you. Hideous at the minute.

Yes you're right it's bullshit. Even the money going in to schools isn't going to the right places anymore with academies creaming off the top and paying themselves and their mates 6 figure salaries for 'running schools'. Fucking them up more like.

I'm trying to stretch out my departmental budget for the rest of the year, so we have enough money for pens and glue, but fuck yeah let's pay for some twat in a suit to march around for an hour to tel me what I already know, classes are too big, too noisy, textbooks are old and I'm missing ceiling tiles. Thanks mate.

Yes you're right it's bullshit. Even the money going in to schools isn't going to the right places anymore with academies creaming off the top and paying themselves and their mates 6 figure salaries for 'running schools'. Fucking them up more like.

I'm trying to stretch out my departmental budget for the rest of the year, so we have enough money for pens and glue, but fuck yeah let's pay for some twat in a suit to march around for an hour to tel me what I already know, classes are too big, too noisy, textbooks are old and I'm missing ceiling tiles. Thanks mate.

I teach that age group. It is particularly challenging because although the curriculum was officially introduced in 2014, it takes a year or two to bed in. Upper key stage 2 children didn't cover the earlier part of the curriculum so we are constantly playing catch-up, trying to fill gaps. And a TA is essential if there are any children not working at their current age level as you are expected to teach them the curriculum from the year group they are working at, which can have different objectives.

And yes, I agree that the curriculum is too hard now.

I think intervention will become increasingly rare. We (2 form entry Primary) have had 4 full time intervention (qualified) teachers in recent times but next year we will be going down to 2. I don't think it will be long before we don't have any. The number of TAs is also dropping as those who move on are not replaced.

Things are going to get much harder for kids who need extra help.

I was going to say it's awful, but I suppose there apparently not being enough money to make people's homes fire-safe puts it in perspective.

Absolutely he is, it's happening all over.

They all are, despite what the government tells you. You can't lose that many teachers and cut that much funding without the kids being affected.

Children are being failed up and down the country - you can't cut budgets by that much and lose that many members of staff without it having an impact.

And not only losing staff, in my area schools having to close due to deficit budgets and increasing pressure through Ofsted of being able to continue to improve (without any money!).

The only thing I can do as a parent is join the Fair Funding for School campaign - and make a fuss about this so teachers are not left alone with all this crap. At the moment though we all talk about the funding issues - knowing full well the national curriculum is also an absolute dogs dinner designed to impose knowledge on kids like some kind of iron hat - but how to take this on too?

But my son in the meantime is definitely losing his love of school. it makes me so angry.

I have BIG respect for teachers - always did but now it's tougher for them than ever before. In our school I think senior staff are pretending everything is fine - and that must be infuriating for class teachers.

Where I live various parents talk about pulling kids out to go to private school which also angers me - this is playing into the hands of those who wish to pick off our schools and sell them off - if we walk away from the basic principle of good universal education for all - they win. But its hard watching kids being failed.

Academy chains cherry picking, LA's left with the schools the academy chains don't want. Massive salaries of academy CEO's for far less responsibility than LA staff. Small successful schools in teaching and learning closing (due to lack of funds) whilst larger inadequate schools are kept open due to being financially more attractive. Villages left with no schools, parents having to travel. I could go on.