One Thing That Your DCs School Does That Should Be Done By Every School?

[blinkblink]

What one thing does your DCs school do that really works for the students?

Me: lots of high quality music, drama, sport, trips

They take bullying seriously and encourage the children to care for one another.

Junior school: Buddy system. 2 of the yr 6's get to be 'buddies' with one child in reception. (All the reception kids have 2 buddies each). They make sure they are not alone, sit with them at lunch, keep a lookout for them at playtime and generally be friends with them. It's a brilliant scheme, and I'm sure my son will miss them very much next year (yr 1).

Has the best SEN team I have ever seen in a mainstream school. If every Secondary school had this, all DC's would get at least 3 'C' grades at GCSE, and would be functionally literate and numerate.

Make sure all the years do things together (infants and juniors) so there is a really collegiate atmosphere in the school eg Circle time, juniors reading to infants, buddy seats in playground.

It's bloody brilliant though I feel sometimes DC's are in a lovely bubble and will get a short, sharp shock when they get to secondary school.

The head of year moves up with the year group. It's simple, but we are feeling really appreciative of it as it makes us feel that dd has an advocate as she moves up into the next year.

Two things. They put all the INSET days together so you can get a week's holiday in June and non-school holiday prices, and have Buddy scheme that Today talked about.

Gives them toast at break time. Keeps them going until lunch much better than a tomato or one chunk of pineapple that the children I work with get under the fruit scheme.

Dcs secondary school

Consistency of teachers, especially form teachers who they keep from yr7 through to yr11 as long as the teacher doesn't leave.

Lots of clubs lunchtime. Year 7s are encouraged to join at least 2 when they start.

Having a zero tolerance of bullying

Having a wonderful headmaster who obviously likes children.

state secondary: everyone sings, singing in lessons, incl cross curricular, singing in assemblies, singing competitions, several choirs, including high quality auditioned chamber choir.

ds - Boys', state, secondary - make you feel they are really, really glad to hear from you / that you got in touch, if ever you need to

dd - Girls', state, secondary -er, can't think of anything, so I'll use their's up on ds's school

ds's (again ) - LOADS of opportunities for outdoor Ed things, throughout the school.

Any pupil guilty of poor behaviour will not represent the school - at sport, music, drama etc.

New head implemented this on his appointment 18 months ago. Previously the sports teacher would move heaven an earth to make sure her "stars" were always able to play and the "stars" behaved appallingl, lording it over other pupils and generally acting like they were untouchable. It had knock on effect on the behaviour throughout the school.

Now when ever auditions/trials etc are held, the head meets all those successful to congratulate them and makes it very clear what standards of behaviour are required if they are play. It's very fair, there are no surprises if someone is banned from going and the rest of the school don't see that it one rule for us and another for them.

Or are most schools like that anyway?

Agree with Bruffin about a head who loves children. This new head takes every opportunity to go on a trip, teach a class! meet parents, have a cup of tea with a group of kids. Too many heads are teachers who couldn't wait to get out of the classroom IMO.

Yes, DCs' headmaster does all of the that Energy
He also writes lovely letters to the dcs he has been on trips with saying how much he enjoyed the trip and their company.

Mixed state secondary:
Communicate via email including msgs telling us when DDs have tests they should be revising for!
Welcoming emails from parents & promptly replying. publishing all teachers email addresses on website.
Teaching all pupils how to play a keyboard in yr 7.
Expecting good manners from pupils.

Senior school - high expectations of behaviour and modelled by all staff - saw Head picking up litter the other day. In spite of over 1000 pupils in school, the Head seems to know them all by name.

Strict uniform code, that is enforced. Anyone flouting it is sent to Student Services to put on spare uniform. They also hold a nice line of £3 Primark plimsolls for anyone wearing banned footwear.

The school was failing a while back and the SLT say that cracking down on low level bad behaviour and discipline have been fundamental in changing the school.
.

This is one of the best threads I have read here, thank you Blink for starting it.

As a secondary teacher I am looking very carefully at the responses.

The enrichment programme my DS's school runs when GCSE's have finished. It includes a day each of personal finance, basic cooking, interview and presentation skills plus a day out and other days of helping with events in the lower school such as marshalling at cross country and helping on sports day.
Must remember to email my thanks to the teachers whose hard work makes this possible.

They have the best maths department in our area. Head of maths takes set 4 (DDs set) so each child has the best teacher possible.

Just wish they were as good with bullying

every school dc have currently attended: a firm and well thought through anti-bullying policy that engages the whole school

dc's current school: an excellent pastoral support programme

Excellent Pastroral care, zero tolerance towards bullying - DD's Head of House told DD that she might not be able to wipe out bullying completely but she could most certainly make life difficult for the bullies.

Yr6 come for two weeks instead of a day - this is made possible by the fact new time table starts in July.

Love having all the inset days together - what a fab idea!

Comp school with house common rooms that the teachers also use during breaks etc which ensures no bullying and constant dialogue between pupils and staff. Although allocated a form teacher, if you get on better with another teacher, they are happy to give pastoral care.

See, I think 'keeping the same form teacher' has been a nightmare for ds. They just don't get on, and it's had a really negative affect on him over the last 2 - 3 years . (Also spilling into her subject area, which he's just given up trying in).
Generally my advice is that you aren't going to get on with everybody wherever you go in life, so you have to 'tolerate it' and not let it get to you, but I think it's the fact it's been such a long term thing that has ground him down. There will always be some teachers that "get" certain types of pupils and others that "get" other types of pupils - seems only fair to me to share the leurve. It really doesn't take that long to get to know a new class, when you are seeing them 3 times a day.

Both primary and secondary are very welcoming. Staff always speak in the corridors as you pass and seem to know all the children well.

Secondary school - Vertical tutoring sceptical at first, but it has really worked. Both my DSes had friends from Yr7 to Yr11, and when DS1 was in year 11 the younger children in his form would seek him out if they had a problem or issue, to ask for help,or advice before going to a teacher. It really works IMVHO.

Those of you who say the school deals with bullying well, can you expand on what they do please?