Disappointing primary school - wwyd?

[Wizardora83]

My daughter attends a primary school that’s a relatively new academy (6 years) and has been rated Requires Improvement since it opened. They have frequent visits with Ofsted and they’re usually pretty scathing about the school.

My daughter is happy there but three things bug me the most and I’d be grateful if someone could reassure me that she’ll be ok staying there

1. class teachers rarely last beyond one school year. They often come in and leave….one was also sacked recently!

2. the quality of TA’s I feel awful for saying this but there’s usually one applicant per role (they only advertise the jobs on their own FB page and it’s usually a school parent who applies). So the person interviewed gets the job regardless if they’re up to scratch or not. And frequently the children actually end up of correcting the TA’s spellings in their own reading / homework diary. Most TA’s at the school are parents of the children there. So lots of favouritism too.

3. head teachers have so far lasted one or two years max.

I’m just worried that we’re wasting time with this school. She’s happy there but the school is the joke of the city - everyone knows it’s reputation.

I phoned up a local “good” school today, they’re full but there’s currently no waiting list. I told the receptionist where our current school is and she actually laughed down the phone and said “oh dear!!”

What would you do? DD is in Yr3 and I feel like we’ve given the school many chances to improve but it doesn’t.

I used to be a HLTA myself so maybe I just have weird & unrealistic standards,

Thanks!

Oh and one last qualm;

4. they frequently cancel PE because the teacher / TA isn’t feeling “up to it”. And they put on Netflix instead…

Move schools.

I would definitely move schools. There is so much wrong there it will take years to fix, even if they get an outstanding head in.

move schools pronto
so much wrong- too much to fix
do the governors know whats going on because they should and ofsted

Definitely move school - no brainer. She's young enough that she will almost certainly also be happy in a new school in time and she might actually learn something.

I moved my son at the beginning of year four for similar reasons when a new year started and his teacher immediately went on sick leave after never having a consistent teacher the year prior. We never looked back.

It doesn't sound a good school at all.

All you can do is keep trying other local schools, they may get vacancies come up during the year as sometimes people move areas

If somebody else posted this, what advice would you give?

It sounds terrible. I would definitely be looking to move schools.

Yes, move. Too much to fix, and by the time it is she will be leaving. Cut your losses.

It sounds like the teachers are voting with their feet or being subjected to punitive management by headless chickens. These academy chains make appointments, new heads come in, change everything so nobody knows if they’re coming and going and nothing has the chance to be effective. Then they sack them and another takes their place. This school will not improve until an adult with realistic and achievable expectations takes control. I’d move your daughter.

Put your DD down for moving schools.

Start keeping a proper note of when PE is cancelled and why, then report them to OFSTED as soon as your DD has a place at her new school.

Gosh, I think I'd look elsewhere. I work in a school which was in special measures but is now good. I'm not going to lie, the staff turnover was phenomenal at times as the stress of constant HMI/ OFSTED inspections really wears you down. But, once you get a team that works together, they tend to stay. We have got that same staff who were there when we moved out of SM, so as a team we have been there for 6 years or so.
The PE thing is awful, the recruitment is never going to improve the standard of applicant (but it is cheap). I am very much in favour of moving beyond the parents of children in school for TA roles, it can be a minefield.

Why did you give this school a chance in the first place? What you've written is pretty damning but I'm guessing it must have something going for it - are the other schools much harder to get to?

To answer your question I'd put her on the waiting list for other schools. As and when a place comes up at another school you can look round and decide if it is a good fit. There is no obligation to accept the place.

Absolutely move. It’s clearly a miserable place to work if staff turnover is so high. The Academy model is hugely problematic imo. The PE thing is a real red flag too.

I told the receptionist where our current school is and she actually laughed down the phone and said “oh dear!!”

Well, that was pretty unprofessional of them.

You chose the school, if you don’t like it, leave. I’m not sure what the AIBU is.

The Academy model is hugely problematic imo.

Yeah I’m guessing that’s what the actual point of this post is.

Did you ever try and move her? 4 years seems like a long time to give a consistently shit school

I’d move her, but not to the one which was so unprofessional when you spoke to them.

Move. She may be happy enough but is unlikely to hit targets in all areas including PE - which is actually vvv important

I have to agree with everyone else.

I don't hold OFSTED opinions very highly, in general, but all the things you have listed are not good for the children.

If it is realistic, I would get her on waiting lists for other local schools.

You mention your problems with the school and your daughter's happiness, what about her academic achievement? Do you think she is behind where she ought to be?

That being said, I would definitely be looking to move.

Thanks everyone for your input!

I just wanted reassurance that I wasn’t being fussy & over cautious.

DD isn’t behind….yet. But I expect she will be one day. So we’re adding her to all the waiting lists for schools nearby (although I think military children get priority so it might be a while)

I don’t understand how a school can do whatever it wants and employ whoever it wants. Surely there needs to be a structure or a policy to follow!

Yes definitely move.
2 points to consider though ime I moved dd year 1 midway through- be very thorough looking at alternatives don't just jump into first option. Visit the school look at class sizes take dd on a visit to school too. Don't choose the first option.
2nd point be prepared your dd isn't actually behind. My dd was by far top of the class in old school after I moved her I was still expecting to her to be doing well academically but at the newer school she was struggling to keep up with classmates for a good year or so.

Lastly moving my dd was such a good decision she's thriving in school, made some really lovely friends and loves going. Hopefully it's the same for your dd good luck op.

I would definitely move her, but I agree with this:

be very thorough looking at alternatives don't just jump into first option

Because moving once will be disruptive enough for her, given that she's happy where she is. Make sure the new school will suit her, besides being better academically.

@Wizardora83

Thanks everyone for your input!

I just wanted reassurance that I wasn’t being fussy & over cautious.

DD isn’t behind….yet. But I expect she will be one day. So we’re adding her to all the waiting lists for schools nearby (although I think military children get priority so it might be a while)

I don’t understand how a school can do whatever it wants and employ whoever it wants. Surely there needs to be a structure or a policy to follow!

They can do what they want if they are academies - which is why I'm against academies!