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Primary education

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

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Original poster

Teachers avoiding meetings?

40 replies

User544788275748282947 · 03/02/2019 23:50

So I always read on forums and hear on the mum curcuit that if things are not going well in school, you should work with the school, talk to the teacher etc...

I spoke with my son's teacher twice last year - both times for 10 minutes about subject progress, at parents evening. So I'm not someone that is always trying to have lengthy discussions or take up the teachers time.

This year (year 2) I have some concerns about ds behaviour and about the class (v disruptive). I've tried to talk with the teacher but get palmed off. I have serious concerns that I want to discuss, to the point that I might move my son to another school, but the teachers don't seem to want to know. When I requested to speak to the form teacher, the year head phoned me to ask me not to(?) I emailed the head to say about my worries about DS and that I was thinking of moving him to another school, and he did ..... nothing ....?

This is an ofsted outstanding school??

Is this weird ?

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C0untDucku1a · 03/02/2019 23:56

Poor behaviour, disruptive class, form teacher and head of year for year two?!?!?!

What kind of school is this?

AllPizzasGreatAndSmall · 04/02/2019 00:00

C0untDucku1a why wouldn't there be a head of year for year 2?

Neolara · 04/02/2019 00:01

Yes, that's weird. I'd have imagined the teacher would be delighted to get parents on board to tackle challenging behaviour. Maybe the teacher is struggling and the head of year is trying to protect them?

Comefromaway · 04/02/2019 00:03

Even in large primary schools a head of year is incredibly unusual. Head of Key Stage, yes.

noblegiraffe · 04/02/2019 00:03

Sounds like a very big primary?

It’s possible that there are known problems with the class and teacher and the HOY isn’t willing to allow all the parents in to have a pop. Ask for a meeting with the HOY as a next step.

C0untDucku1a · 04/02/2019 00:05

Why wouldnt there be a head of year for different years in a primary school? Money. Lack there of.

Caticorn · 04/02/2019 00:06

Form teacher and head of year are secondary school terms. Year 2 would generally have a class teacher. Can you not just ask for a word at pick up?
What was the reason for the head of year asking you not to speak to the teacher?

C0untDucku1a · 04/02/2019 00:08

So for year two there is a class teacher, a form teacher and a head of year? I think that is the problem tbh. How big is the school?

Is it your ds behaviour that is concerning you, or the class? Just phrase it about your son. They aren't going to discuss the whole class with you.

BIgBagofJelly · 04/02/2019 10:56

Why wouldnt there be a head of year for different years in a primary school? Money. Lack there of.

I've never heard of a primary school with a head of year. Most primaries have three classes per form at most and the child would go to their form teacher with issues not a head of year.

Hollowvictory · 04/02/2019 12:28

We have head of year it's not a full time job, one of the teachers does it on addition to teaching. 120 in each year group (primary)

NellWilsonsWhiteHair · 04/02/2019 14:00

My son's primary (three form entry) has HoY. As pp says, it's an additional responsibility (so in Y2 it's one of the Y2 class teachers). Effective delegation is one of the points praised in the latest ofsted report so I figured it was an aspect of that.

I assume 'class teacher' 'form teacher' mean the same thing here.

I think it sounds shit and unhelpful op. School should be glad to work with you and that refusal would set off alarm bells for me. I moved mine in Y2 and it's been the best thing for him, I'm so glad I did it. He's thriving with a fresh start, a better class teacher, and a better headteacher.

April2020mom · 04/02/2019 15:26

Alarm bells are going off here. I’d also consider making a complaint with OFSTED about the school. Can you homeschool your children or not?
Why is there no head of year? Is it possible to pull your child out of the school? This is serious. Have a talk with the teacher about your concerns tomorrow.
How big is the school? What type of school is it? Maybe a freshnew start at another school might help both of you.

Flatwhite32 · 04/02/2019 15:37

@User544788275748282947 I'm a primary teacher, and this doesn't sound right to me at all. I'm not always able to meet a parent on the day they phone/approach me, but I'll always try and arrange a day and time ASAP. Also, is your son's school private or an academy? State and local authority primary schools, in my experience, don't have form tutors or heads of year. We have a head of each key stage, but no heads of year (and I'm in a big primary school). The reason I ask is that in a primary school, it's much better to speak directly to the class teacher than the key stage leader (unless they happen to be the same person!), so the fact that they won't let you is ringing alarm bells.

Original poster

User544788275748282947 · 04/02/2019 15:42

Thanks all

It is a 3 form entry school. 3 class teachers and one of them is also the 'head of year'.

I think pp's are right that the Head of year is trying to protect the class teacher who is likely warn out by the class and many parents voicing concerns. However, I have never spoken to her (apart from briefly at parents evening), and given I am considering pulling son out of school, I'd hoped they would at least spare me 5 minutes. They seem to fit everyone else's parents in, but I think as DS is not one of the main difficult kids or one of the 'victims' of one of the difficult kids, they don't think I warrant their time :(

I've seen another school with DS now and was very impressed. I think he'd love it and he's quite keen, but I'm REALLY scared about moving him only to find there are similar problems. I don't think there would be, but the only way to know is to move him and that's quite daunting! Good to know NellWilsonsWhuteHair that you made the leap to move schools, and it turned out ok.

Thanks all, we've got some thinking to do! Thanks for you help, nice to know you think it's a bit weird and unhelpful of the school too!

OP posts:

Original poster

User544788275748282947 · 04/02/2019 16:19

PS. It's just a regular state school (although I think it sometimes would like to think it's a private school) :)

OP posts:

Somethingsmellsnice · 04/02/2019 17:17

If it thought it were a private school they would definitely talk to you.

Ask for a copy of their complaints procedure - the complaint being they are refusing to communicate with you over legitimate concerns. I bet they will be in touch then.

modgepodge · 04/02/2019 21:23

Head of year is common in large primaries, it’ll just be one of the form teachers/class teachers (same thing). It may or may not be a paid position. I used to be one and would deal with parents in the absence of the class teacher (eg urgent concern and teacher off sick), or sit in meetings with the class teacher if we expected the meeting to be difficult. I’d never have told them they couldn’t meet the class teacher though!!

Ofsted outstanding isn’t everything, when were they last inspected? Some outstanding schools haven’t been for 10 years - as long as their data stays good they’re left alone . In middle class areas this could just mean lots of parents psy for tuition, rather than thAt teaching is outstanding.

Definitely push for another meeting, with the head if the CT won’t meet with you, and explain you’re considering leaving. If they still won’t meet, leave!!

admission · 04/02/2019 21:39

I would not be hung up by job titles. You have had a conversation with the head of year and not been satisfied by the response, so your next move as per what I would expect on the complaints procedure is a written complaint to the head teacher / principal concerned at the lack of action about your concerns about the school. If you do not start to get a different response from the head teacher then I think that you can make your own assumptions about the school and whether they are ever going to resolve any of the issues you think there are in the school.

MaisyPops · 04/02/2019 21:46

It sounds like the year head is (rightly) aware of issues and isn't going to subject the class teacher to any more potentially horrible dealings. I'm not saying you would OP, but some parental meetings are essentially people turning up, having a go, not really after a solution etc. On that front I think the year head was right.

They should have been back in touch with you really. Did you just raise concerns and then they've had time to do something or did you explicitly seek a meeting.
Depending on what you said, either try again or move higher

shouldwestayorshouldwego · 04/02/2019 21:48

Even if it is outstanding every school can have a disruptive class. Do they mix the classes up at all? To be honest though he is still young, better to be an early rat jumping ship as once people start to leave it is harder to get into other schools.

Original poster

User544788275748282947 · 05/02/2019 22:35

Thanks all! I asked class teacher for a meeting, she said ok, but then the head of year phoned me to tell me it wasn't necessary (he's nice, so is the class teacher, I understand they don't think there is a problem with my DS, but I do, so I want to talk about it!!)

I emailed the head teacher last week stating my concerns but I didn't request a meeting. No response. I emailed him yesterday specifically requesting a meeting with him. So far I've heard nothing, maybe tomorrow! If no response by end of play Friday maybe I'll go to the governor's(?) I just feel like they couldn't care less about my DS (which is so sad, because I care a lot!)

OP posts:

Whynotnowbaby · 05/02/2019 22:52

I’m pretty shocked that there is such a culture of evasion throughout the school. What right does the HOY have to tell you whether or not a meeting is necessary? If you want to meet concerning your child then they need to facilitate that. If you were to make it about someone else’s child (and I’m not suggesting you are) then they could politely redirect the discussion but even if they feel that you are likely to want to do this, they still have no right to ignore you. As pp have said, ask for a copy of their complaints procedure and follow it through so they don’t think you’ll go away if they just ignore you enough. I think I would be inclined to move him anyway though as it’s unlikely to improve (other than superficially to avoid further complaints) if this attitude is coming from the head.

MaisyPops · 05/02/2019 23:09

why
The HOY absolutely has the authority to shut down team members meeting with parents. It would be like me telling a parent there is no need for them to meet with a class teacher (because I would deal with it).
Some issues it is more appropriate for the meeting/contact to be higher up. And sometimes as a leader we have a duty to protect colleagues and take some of the heat off them.

I've fielded quite a bit for a colleague once because there were difficulties and what would another parent either criticising them (with honest, accurate concerns) or being awful to them going to achieve?

The major difference is that having made the decision to take the pressure from the teacher, the HOY should have spoken to the OP, even just over the phone to hear her concerns and assure her things were being done.

GreenTulips · 05/02/2019 23:14

I moved one child for similar reasons - best thing I did - should’ve done it sooner!

Whynotnowbaby · 05/02/2019 23:17

Maisy, I didn’t suggest that it wasn’t the HOY’s place to take on the meeting for themself rather than leave it with the FT but that isn’t what happened, op has been refused a meeting with anyone. Presumably she would have happily met with HOY had that been offered.

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