Does this justify a detention?

[dibbleanddobble]

Hello, I'm a teacher, my school
Has just brought in some new rules to improve performance ahead of an expected ofsted early next year. Just wondering what you think of them? I'm feeling massively uncomfortable and looking for perspective.

Times tables will be set as homework on a Thursday, every Monday there will be a times table test. Scores will be logged and failure to improve over 3 or more weeks will result in weekly lunchtime detentions until improvement is shown.

Cursive handwriting will be discretely taught twice a week. One a particular letter has been taught, failure to form it the way it has been taught, in any lesson will result in children missing break times in order to re write the whole piece of writing.

There will be no more exclusively practical lessons, each lesson must contain a written element and writing should be "extended" wherever possible.

This applies to the youngest pupils- 5 year olds upwards.

We have many Children with difficulties too including moderate learning difficulties, Eal, ASC and Spld.

Oh god no.

So so so harsh. They know that kids practicing and having the time to learn and having the equipment etc is all beyond the children's control in.primary right?

How on earth will detention help the kids struggling?

I’m fighting this now. My DS kept all the time because he can sometimes write neat so he is capable so must do it all the time.

As a parent with a school like this I hate it! The naturally gifted kids are fine but the ones like mine where I’m struggling to get dyslexia assessment is a nightmare. Ive got a DS that’s totally low in self confidence / worth/ esteem that just cries and hates school work.
No fun enjoyment anymore. ( not that School should be a barrel of laughs but I’m sure you get what I mean )

Agree if it was spun on the help rather than punishment it would help me as a parent get DS engaged in school again but he just sees it as detention/stay behind as he’s not as fast. I’m happy to work with School if he’s needs extra help at home/revision but School needs to help me keep him engaged in the work

It really is no bloody wonder we have such appalling mental health levels in children when school is so bloody miserable and torturous for so many.

Keeping children in for extra work can be OK if it is called "intervention/extra help" or whatever and is approached in that kind of way.

Calling it a detention and going at it with a punitive attitude is inexcusable.

I would probably have been kept in several lunchtime a week under your regime.
It is awful awful awful.

It is not okay whatever you call it. Children need time to run and play and this is why they have breaks.

Does your behaviour policy already support such actions?

Has the behaviour policy been updated to reflect it, if not?

Does the new behaviour policy match the principles the governors have laid down?

The behaviour policy and loss of privileges can be used for not doing homework etc. but I think failing in a test would be a difficult way to genuinely identify that as not doing work, as opposed to some other reason why the test was failed. Specifically how the policy was in line with the obligations of the school to not discriminate on many of the prescribed grounds, since those with many SEN would also be poor performing in the test.

As a parent, I would very much challenge the behaviour policy, but as a teacher it's obviously much harder for you to challenge depending on your SLT. I would still have a close read of your behaviour policy and I would still ask for guidance on how you manage to avoid discriminating against anyone with any sort of performance SEN, or health problems making homework difficult, or even religious obligations (if the weekend matched a religious festival)

As everyone has said, punishment for performance is inappropriate, but I might aswell repeat!

Good advice George thanks, I'll have a look!!
It's unlikely to fit in with policy tbh as slt have form for panicking and introducing random stuff!!

Sounds ghastly. If times tables are to be learned, then teachers should take responsibility for teaching them. Punish the teachers if the children don’t learn!!!!

Need to reframe ‘detention’ as intervention.

I would be furious about the failure to form the letter the way it has been taught. DD(9) is kept in and made to re-do work if it isn't neat enough, I am fine with that, but there is more than one correct way to form most letters and for example I have to really think about it when I'm teaching handwriting because although my writing is beautiful, its not the same style of cursive that we teach at my school, so if this is a new thing there will be children who have already learned to write a different way, or who were taught at home/changed schools, who might have the same problem.

As for times tables, I can remember this when I was a child, I missed a lot of break times, it really damaged my confidence, pretty sure its why I had no friends because by the time i got out everyone was already playing and wouldn't let me join in. And do you know what I eventually found out? I can do times tables perfectly well if I looked at it as a sum rather than trying to remember the damn rhyme, but my teacher was so busy giving me detentions that they never thought to suggest looking at it a different way and I got so worked up about it that every time the poor TA tried I burst into tears because I thought I was just thick.