How much do you trust your childs school...

[lovecheese]

In educating them? What I mean is, apart from reading, spellings and homework, how much do you do "At home" with them?

I try to reinforce topics that have been covered in class and to read around a subject that we know is going to be focused on soon; My DDs are both keen readers and we have always read loads at home, and I try, if they are in the mood, to bake/measure/write stories/visit/watch programmes about historical events/do maths activities etc.

Am I alone? Do you feel that school lays the foundations and it is up to the parents to build on this?

Love it! You wouldn't believe how many 'folks' expect teachers to 'fix' their kids or be their only source of education.

Keep doing what you're doing. Big thumbs up from me!!

We do loads at home which is difficult as we both work long hours.

Nothing so organised. And certainly not because I don't trust the school. But we do stuff with the children at home (and away from home) of course. Otherwise we'd all be really bored I think.

Well we've always done loads with the kids (think amusement parks, books, theatre, cinema, farms, etc) but recently we've had to start "integrating" school work - now that I really really resent. I have no problem, in fact love sitting down with the kids and sharing a nice book, drawing, writing cards and doing all the fun stuff. But I resent having to actually teach maths that hasn't been taught at school or teach my DD punctuation etc as it's not been covered at school. Possibly the problem is that so many parents send their kids to school ill equipped that my kids are just, in reverse, suffering the opposite, ie not being taught adequately. Sad really. I wish I could just be left to be a parent and do fun and supportive stuff at home, instead of worrying about being a teacher in the little time we have at home.

I let school do the teaching, I do the fun stuff.

Of course we read, do craft stuff and look at topics online if DD is interested, but as far as I am concerned, home is not for being taught.

If I'm honest, I find it a bit odd that anyone would want to continue teaching at home.
Surely if you think school isn't doing enough you change schools rather than make your child learn at home too?

Agree with mugglewump.

My DD is only in reception which may make a difference but home is very much about having fun/chilling out. At this age that does involve plenty of learning of course. I'm very much lead by DD and what she wants to do. She likes playing games on the computer, baking, drawing, practicing her writing and trying out some maths. And if something captures her imagination at school she may well ask me about it at home and we'll chat about it/read about it etc. She also asks me questions about the world which I try and answer by looking on the internet/in books and stuff.

BUT I don't make a conscious effort to 'teach' her or enforce what she's learning at school. I sort of see things the other way round to you I think...I've laid the foundations for her to learn and school are building on this.

Nothing to do with whether I trust the school or not: I talk about things that I find exciting because I can't help myself. Ime it doesn't matter much if you are integrating stuff at exactly the right moment that it's being taught at school (my parents never asked once what I had for homework or how a test had gone, but still had an immense influence on my education). If you are the kind of person who is excited by finding things out, that in itself is an education for anyone who happens to be around. And I might add that I was the kind of child who wanted to spend time at home learning, so was very open to any teaching my parents could do.

As for changing schools- that isn't always an option.

I trust DD's school to educate her in academic and nona cademic aspects. However I do not feel that they should do the job alone IT is my jo, and DH;s job, to enhance that learning by supporting school, by following up homewokr and topic areas ifn interest to help if she is struggling, to read with her to offer enrichment activities, etc. To me education is a partnership between school and home.

I work in a Y1 class and it is very obvious to see which children get no help or support at home, when compared to those that do. It does make a difference, a huge difference in some circumstances.

I feel that in a class of 30 children things are going to get missed. I know from school reports and meetings with the teachers that they are only vaguely aware of my child's weakness', strengths, learning style etc. Often they seem to award him with skills I know he does have and refuse to acknowledge skills he does. They can't offer a bespoke education service tailored to my child, so I feel it's up to me to fill in the bits that they have missed.

It's always changing - sometimes literacy, sometimes maths, art etc. Education & learning should not be confined to school, it's a lifelong love and it lives beyond the National Curriclum levels, GCSE, A level and Degree.

Sorry I meant "often they award him with skills he doesn't have".

Agree with lovingmymoped. Your average state school with a class of 30 can't do everything. The community schools where we are not only have classes of 30, but a lot of children coming into the school with little or no English after the foundation stage, and a very high proportion of pupils with SENs, and so they have a lot to deal with. (The neighbouring RC state schools on the other hand are able to take advantage of their VA status to avoid most of these issues, and have smaller classes, very few children joining after Reception etc. But that's another story.)

So even though the schools round here seem to do a pretty good job, it would be very unrealistic to think that they have the time or resources to stretch every child or to identify every weakness.

Anyway, as a parent you are teaching your child things from the day they are born. It would surely be bizarre to just stop doing this once they hit school.

Just change schools, mugglewump? You make it sound like changing your washing powder or something.

I do a lot to support dd, we go over what she has done in class, help with projects, go in trips, read a lot.

I have been unhappy with my dd school for a while and this has been confirmed by its latest ofsted. I could change her school or pay fees but the school needs supportive parents or it is going to go under. I would feel guilty pulling her out knowing that wherever she goes she will do OK as we can fill in the gaps

Changing schools is such a huge thing to do and there's no guarantee that you will move to a school that caters for your child in a richer way.
I would only move my child over something that I couldn't control - like bullying. Maths, reading, spelling etc are easy areas to tackle at home.

Yes sorry I made it sound very negative, but wasn't meant to be. Like other PPs said, my DD is settled at school, has lots of fun, appears stimulated enough, has lots of friends, etc....sadly the school has too many children/problems to do certain one to one teaching with her that she would greatly benefit from, and the teacher has actually suggested we do it at home with her .. So I feel it's my responsibility to teach her these things, until I am able to, but with 4 children and a job I would prefer not to have to (just me being lazy perhaps lol). We have thought of changing schools but apart from all the oversubscription issues etc, even if we did manage to get her in elsewhere, she would loose all her friends and there would be no guarantee that the situation would change. I might then just be swapping one problem with another!!So it might just result in lots of futile disruption!!

I think our school does some things well. And others not so well. I work with DD in the areas where I feel the school is not challenging her to work towards her potential. This is basically maths. She is in year 2. DS is in reception and the thing he loves is books and the school is very good with encouraging reading so I leave it to them, and of course do the things at home which they ask me to do.

Just wanted to say thanks so much for this thread. Just back from a parents evening and felt quite frustrated that DS ( Y1 ) isn't being stretched enough. ( inexperienced teacher, split year, class of 30 )

After reading this thread, I feel much more confident about doing extra stretching work at home. We already do it, but this thread has made me realise its not that an unusual strategy. Thanks all.

My dd is in the exact same situation taffeta. Last year she had an excellent teacher, dd was happy and was being challenged. This year we are having to do more.