How to ask for more challenging work?

[dalziel1]

DS is in year 7 at an outstanding comprehensive. He says he isn't really being challenged in any of subjects like English, maths, science, MFL, geography, history, ICT etc but the ones which are streamed (or is it setted?) are better than those where he's in a mixed ability class.

The teachers do differentiate but DS rarely has to put much effort in even for the most challenging objectives.

Other parents tell me that their children are averaging three hours homework per night, whereas DS maybe does an hour per week (but he still does everything - I check).

The problem is that he's getting bored in class and it makes him feel frustrated when things get repeated over and over. Out of school, he's not bothered at all if there is no challenging work for him as it just means more time doing the things he enjoys. So, the answer is not to leave him to decide whether he fancies doing a bit of extra work at home on one of the websites for which the school has bought licences.

I know I should bring this up with the school, but my question is how do I do this without sounding a) critical that they aren't challenging him and b) like the pushy mother from hell.

DS1 is Y7, working at lvl7/8 borderline in Maths. He extends himself by watching tutorials on YouTube. He's currently liking Khan Academy vids. He taught himself trigonometry yesterday, and completed the trig homework in a higher GCSE Maths textbook for fun. Strange young man... Buy GCSE textbooks to do with them, extend them yourself at home. I've discovered that for Y7 at least, it seems to be the best way of doing it.

We then covered quartiles, interquartile ranges and box plots last night.

They pitch the work in his top set in Maths at the middle of level 6. Realistically, 3/4 of the class are high level 5's, to mid level 6's. So it's only 1/4 of the top set that are working above mid level 6.

I don't want him to get bored of Maths, so I find ways to extend his knowledge at home.

Lottie - studying Shakespeare without reding a word of it DOES happen - even in my DD's bottom set Y11 class. There isn't a person in her class who could read the complex language in a Shakespeare play, when they have enough trouble reading written English of today. They watch it on DVD...

It is IME very rare that none of the text is read- I have read about it happening on MN but despite working in a wide range of schools never seen it for myself.

I find it inconceivable that any secondary class couldn't be scaffolded through reading short extracts at the very very least.

Hell I've read extracts of Shakespeare with EAL kids who've been in the country less than a year.

If it is happening, then the class is being sold short.

My child in a mixed ability class had seen a couple of extracts of a Shakespeare play on screen. I'll ask later if they read any text out loud in class. My impression was it was underwhelming. As was the learning about similes via the works of the latest pop princess.

I have to say that in our school academic queries are always with Head of Department or SMT. Our HOY are pastoral leaders.

As a member of SMT I meet with parents on a weekly basis about issues they want to raise. This would be an issue we would look at very seriously,but all schools have different systems. Btw I only work four days a week - I am not on Mumsnet at work!

I would be very concerned if the class is taught to the weakest child, not a policy that leads to outstanding progress.

But as I say we set at entry and our top Year 7 sets on both sides of the timetable only have pupils with 5b and above in so the work can be challenging. Our texts are chosen very carefully to stretch pupils and, like Emma's DD's school, within the central focus of a text we do all sorts of different work. Last half term the pupils created a soundscape of a tempest and then used for a mime based on Leonardo da Vinci's 'How to represent a Tempest' so it is not all hard slog.

I hope you get it sorted soon.

OP - I will be surprised if he is alone- has he looked around the class for like minds?

Don't leave it. My suggestion is that you email his form tutor, saying basically what you said in your first post-and asking for a meeting. That will give her a chance to talk to his other teachers. Then go and talk to her and see if they come up with a plan. My ds, for example, always has extension questions for all homework and is given the criteria for the next level up, and is expected to have a good go at achieving it.

If they really studied a Shakespeare play without looking at the text at all, then that's pretty poor. They used extracts from Macbeth in yr 4 at ds's primary school, which I thought was normal.

In year 7, he studied two whole Shakespeare plays, one in English and one in drama. As well as, in English, two novels, some short stories, two different poets and an anthology of autobiographies. That's top set in a non-selective independent. So far in year 8, they've done a modern play, two more poets and are currently studying Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

There are a few other top set children in DS's form, but even the lower ability children are saying that they'd have read a bit of Shakespeare, rather than just study about the play.

I had a look through DS's homework folder last night for English. This is exactly what he's had ALL YEAR(!)

• Design a poster
• Write a book review
• Correct some (simple) spellings, with the optional extension of read a newspaper and pick 5 words you don't know, then look up their meanings and write a sample sentence.

That's rubbish, isn't it??

Yep- that's crap. Unless the school has a policy (some do) of minimal homework. Or unless there's loads of homework he hasn't done?

I really suggest emailing his form tutor, then arranging a meeting when she's had a chance to talk to his other teachers.

My ds is (sorry, not boasting, honest) one of the few very bright boys in his year. One thing I have done is a bit of social engineering-encouraging him to be friends with the other bright boys. They tend now to work together when it's group work, and the teacher can't help but notice that they need more! Don't know whether this might help yours?

OP, contact school!

Don't feel bad about it. Remember that the law says quite clearly that you have responibility for your DC's education . Not the school. Not the governors. You!

Explain to them exactly what's happening and how it is adversly affecting your son and his education.

I can absolutely believe that a Shakespeare play was "studied" but not read.

My DS had always been in the top set for English but was put down in Year 10. I'd assumed that his SATS results hadn't been good enough to stay so didn't say anything at first but when I did, I was told by his new teacher that it had been a mistake but she'd dissuaded the Head of Department from putting him back in the top group as he was "doing so well" in that he'd already reached his target in the new group and was helping the others meet their's! As you can imagine, I wasn't impressed and DS did return to his original class!

Whilst DS was in that lower group, he was taught Romeo and Juliet without reading the text. They watched the Baz Luhrmann film, learnt a few quotes and discussed some themes. All apparently without reading in class any of the actual text. The only homework he was given was to finish off work that he had already completed in class with plenty of time to spare (which was when he alone actually read the book). They were given copies of the book that were absolutely ancient, falling apart with annotations right at the back of the book. The top set had nice modern editions with illustrations and annotations alongside the text. They read and analysed the text all the way through.

For what it's worth, though (English graduate and ex teacher- although from a time before many of you were born!) if there weren't other issues, I wouldn't worry about not actually reading the text in year 7. Shakespeare is very hard to read and doing so might well put a lot of kids off for life. I can see how watching some extracts on DVD, maybe listening to a bit being read, and working on the story and the themes would make brilliant lessons. People forget how very difficult the language is, and (dare I say it?) forget how they probably felt about it at the age of 11!

But the OP had other serious concerns and should take them up urgently with the school. Sorry to sidetrack!

Oh, sorry- just a bit mor side tracking. My ds had to make an advertising leaflet for a production of Romeo and Juliet in Shakespeare's time for homework last year. I was a bit - but they were expected to research contemporary actors, price of tickets, what sorts of fast food were available- all sorts of stuff. It was really interesting- and challenging to get a good mark.

Does your ds bring home his school book with class work in it? DD's English teacher is very anti homework, & sets very little beyond completing any class work that has been missed / not finished. But I can see from a scan through her books that they are doing plenty of things in class.

As a sideline, back in the dim and distant past when I was at school, we didn't read / study Shakespeare until we started the O level course in 4th year. I'm quite surprised that it is the norm to study the plays at age 11.

In fact though it is a long time to think back, I'm sure most of the 1st year (yr 7 equivalent) work was english language (grammar / spelling / letter construction / writing poems to a set form etc).

The thing with Shakespeare is that once you've got past the language, he tells really fascinating stories!

I didn't read any of his work until I was 15 and I found it hard going when I did. I can easily see why 11 -12 year olds would find it daunting. But then the question is why study it all in year 7? Why not just wait until they are a little older and pick another well-written, content appropriate play that they can actually read? Or if you really want to do Shakespeare, but you feel the children won't cope with a whole book, why not look at the plot, watch a DVD and study a couple of soliloquies??

I spoke to DH about what he remembered the teaching saying on parent's night and there was something relevant I had forgotten. He said that if DS is finding it too easy, then he should raise his hand in class and ask for more difficult work.

I'd forgotten about it because knowing DS, he'd never do that. Its not that he wouldn't like harder work, its more the implicit declarations that he's clever and that the teacher didn't get it right first time.

I remember now suggesting that perhaps DS might wait behind at the end and speak quietly with the teacher, but the teacher re-iterated that he should do it during the lesson.

Yes, he keeps all his work at home and just packs his bag with the relevant books each night. He doesn't have a separate book for homework but the he has a homework diary (which i have to sign) and also the teacher emails him any homework (and then DS emails it back). All of which is done on the PC I am using right now (and I now the passwords so i had a good check to see if I was missing something).

OP frankly I think that is terrible advice to give a young lad!

And I'd say the teacher advised that simply to pass the buck to your son. Shit thing to do.

I'd advise a meeting at school. Is there someone who has overall responsibility for your son? A tutor? Head of house? Someone who can consider your son's education in the round?

The head of year, I suppose?? But she's an art teacher and more generally she seems to deal with behavioural and settling in difficulties. Or does that not make any difference?

Form tutor is the place to start. Email outlining the issue and asking for a meeting. She can then talk to his other teachers and come to the meeting prepared.

How did you get on?

I spoke to DS about it last night. He said the form tutor and English teacher are both off sick at the moment (there is a bug going around), so there is no point until they are both back at work.

DS said that the replacement English teacher yesterday was much better and they even saw a few lines the play(!). However, DS really doesn't want me to speak to the school because he likes the teacher. So, I will need to try to talk DS round too.

It's a difficult one, isn't it? My ds, too, was full of complaints about English but pleaded with me practically on bended knee not to say anything to the school for fear of his card being marked.

The pupils were set for GCSE years, but prior to that ds was so frustrated with the level of discussion in the class.

I did actually have a word with Head of English on an open day, and she waffled on about the brightest bringing up the level of the weakest students. I did not identify myself, but said rather coldly that my child was not at school to perform charity work. at my own daring! Normally I am the meekest of the meek.

Can I just say that, frankly, it's not up to an 11 year old whether you talk to the school or not. You don't have to talk him round- if you are unhappy with the level of work he's getting, then something needs to be done about it. You don't even have to tell him you're doing it. But honestly, do it sooner rather than later. There needs to be some sort of plan in place for him as soon as possible.

One tiny warning, though,from a very experienced mother and aunt. When a child begs you not to talk to the teacher about something they are complaining about at home, sometimes there is more going on than meets the eye.