How to say no to extra learning support?

[ggmom87]

My year 1 son has been placed in a phonics support group that takes place for an extra half hour after school 3 days a week. It’s meant to last all term. Last year he was told to attend sessions before school, which was a pain but we made it work. But we can’t make this work. We have prior commitments after school that prevent me from letting him stay at school longer. I’m frustrated because I’m happy for him to receive extra support, but not when it’s offered outside school hours. In the email I received they said they “expect him to attend every session”. It’s a little intimidating, and I’m trying to find the best way to approach it with the school. I don’t want to appear disinterested in his education, but we simply cannot commit to this. Has anyone dealt with this before?

Not that it’s entirely relevant, but while my son isn’t a really strong reader, he is reading on level so it’s not like he’s massively struggling. So there’s that too.

Haven't read the whole thread but what a load of nonsense that the school can force your child to stay 😂

Your child is 6. Take them home after a long day of school. Let. Them. Play.

@PennyRa

Primary school teacher here.

That is the biggestt load of codswallop I've ever heard in my life

Teacher here... Did you tag the wrong person 😅🤦

I must admit I’m a bit of tiger parent, coming from an immigrant background but this would piss me off. I would expect support sessions/interventions to be done in school time like most schools manage unless I have chosen myself for my dc to attend after school sessions. Schools normally take out the children during normal class time in a small group. The school sound like they want to bump up their results to impress ofsted. I would ask them for the resources and do the extra work at home at a time convenient for you as a family or insist they do this during school time. You can buy cheap phonics flash cards online if the school won’t help you but you don’t want your dc missing out.

Blimey poor little kids I’m sure they get there in their own time. Let them be children

My school is in a very poor area and they very kindly offer free extra curricular activities after school for every pupil in the school but I've had to pull my DS (6) from it. He is completely exhausted by the time he gets home. He's an excellent reader but very on socially at school all day and overstimulated. He often just sits and reads for 30 minutes on his own afterschool to chill out. There is no way I would commit to afterschool lessons 3 x a week and no world in which I think that is necessary for a 5 yo. Surely he would get more from an extra 10 minutes reading at home 1:1 rather that 30 mins of phonics.

@PennyRa

Defo correct person!

Phonics intervention would be offered after ongoing assessments, not suspected sen or lack of parental involvement, which were the two main reasons you've given.

And certainly not after school at five years old.

I can't believe a teacher would be suggesting an extra half an hour phonics learning at the end of a school day would be a good idea for a 5 year old.

And I say this as a year six teacher who is an old hat at providing after school interventions. For ten and eleven year olds. With parental permission only!

Being honest, it's primarily for the school and not the pupils.

I'm sorry your school only helps after crisis point.

😂@PennyRa

Where did you get that from?

You aren't worth engaging with anymore, load of old tosh every time you comment on this thread.

My last post stands and most agree that what the op has outlined is totally inappropriate for a 5 year old ...

5 year olds are people too who deserve as much help and respect as everyone else

What a shame this cannot take place during the school day. Our year 1s have small group phonics intervention 3x30 mins during the day. They’ll be too tired by 3.30.

Honestly I can’t believe this. If you’re offered help, take it. My son was in a mainstream school but could never take sats, went to SEN secondary. They knew how hard it would be to engage my son in homework activities and never questioned it. You either say,we have our own agenda and expectations and don’t engage or do? Totally up to you. I would never complain about being offered additional help!

(Sorry didn’t make it clear that when there were additional expectations placed on him, we said no that would make his life unbearable and his time at home is his and his alone)

Bonkers at 6 years old. I loathe what education has become in this country. Tick box and meaningless. The phonics screen has some uses but if it’s now becoming a stick to beat schools & kids with it will lose that usefulness.

I would ask for materials & do the same at home. You’ll get it done in 10 mins at home as you’re not managing multiple young, exhausted children.

My youngest hated RWI & would definitely have seen being kept behind in year 1 for extra phonics as punishment. Think it would have put him off school & reading for life tbh. He did have some reading problems, couldn’t read anything (literally nothing) at the start of year 1. We used an online programme at home which sorted his reading out very quickly & he went from unable to read to chapter books in one term (not necessarily usual, but also not stonkingly unusual in year 1 - have friends whose kids were similar at that age). He remained an avid reader for years.

We would have really struggled to suddenly alter school pick up times for one child with no notice. It sounds a very unrealistic expectation from the school.

"I can't make the after school sessions work. Is there any chance that you could share the materials they would have learnt from in this group so that we can do it with them at home? Or is there any possibility of intervention during the school day? If not, we can practise at home but would love some guidance on what to work on."

@ggmom87 he won't fall behind he's a young child. They learn at different rates, and via different styles. A child could be struggling reading, but all of a sudden it all clicks into place and be at the top.

And in Scandinavia a child this age is learning through play, and doesn’t start formal education until 7.

Yet here 5 year olds are forced to do extra work when they are working at the expected level. It’s disgusting what education in the U.K. has become.

He’s 5 years old.

You are lucky to have a school that cares.

You need to complain about the curriculum and the expectations of this government in regards to the teaching of primary children.

The primary curriculum is now just the same as secondary, history , geography, RS etc. The issue is it becomes more and more difficult to withdraw children from these lessons to give extra support with reading etc due to government expectations and Ofsted. Therefore, after and before Scholl catch ups become the norm.

Ask the school what there concerns are and see what extra you can do at home.

I'm a retired teacher and you absolutely can say no to extra lessons after school. I would question whether extra time banging on about phonics would help if it hasn't helped so far.

My grandson was supposed to do extra classes for SATs in year 6 but DD (also a teacher) said no. She wanted him to play football and have fun after school and SATs were not important. He's in top group for everything at secondary now.

100% agree.

I teach KS1. It's perfectly fine for you to decline. Maybe ask if the school has some suggestions of anything else you can do at home.

Another teacher here.
This is all to do with the school wanting good phonic results, not what is best for your son.
It is not in a year 1 child's best interests to add another half an hour of learning to the school day, even if send is suspected.
Much more important to take to the park, or a playdate and read a bed time story. Read his book at home for 10 minutes daily and encourage a love of reading. If he starts falling behind his peers in the next year, you can revisit with the school but if he is broadly in line with age expectations then no way would I let my child stay after school. It's hot housing for school results.