Would this be a sensible or a stupid thing to do?

[BertrandRussell]

DS is in year 10. Last year he had a fantastic English teacher who really enthused the class and got some fantastic work out of them. DS loved it and made excellent progress. This year, however, the teaching is very -"pedestrian"- for want of a better word (you can tell by the homework set, it's not just what DS says)- and DS is just gloomily getting on with it. He's conscientious, so is doing what he has to do and getting good marks, but he is bored and there is a lot of year left. He tells me that the others in his group feel the same. I am sorely tempted to send a tactful email to last years' teacher asking for her advice. But that would be really daft, wouldn't it? Particularly as this year's teacher is the HoD?

I'm an English HoD and I know that lessons in Y10 this year in my department have become far more dull than in previous years. This is due to the new exams, which are more prescriptive and don't seem to lend themselves to being quite as interesting / flexible as our previous syllabus. I can see a lot of my Y10s losing their English spark this year, which upsets me greatly, so I can see how that combined with a less zazzy teaching style can lead to attitudes like your DS's, OP.

A note is unlikely to help, I'm afraid.

^" an English teacher who is providing good feedback regularly is hardworking and conscientious"

Of course. Teachers are.^

OP if you accept from the above that the teacher is hardworking and conscientious and furthermore is experienced enough to be HoD then your best action is not to undermine but trust this teacher's professionalism within the limits of the curriculum as Caleb describes it.

Bertrand - you may not wish to say but which texts is he studying?

Ah - haven't asked you whether it is Eng Lang or Lit - sorry - my mistake. Sorry. so ignore text question if not relevant.

It's Lit- they are doing An Inspector Calls and the Love and Relationships bit of the AQA anthology. Both of which he really likes. So it's not the texts

Well at least he enjoys those. though it is he is less enthused, I think given she seems to be a good teacher I agree with others ( and with your son by the sounds of it) now is probably the time for a bit of pragmatism. If he is really enjoying the texts I am sure it won't put him off studying it beyond GCSE if that is what he wants to do, and her thoroughness is probably setting him up well to be in a position to so, again if he wants to.

Not sure that is helpful, but it sounds like it could be a very great deal worse.
He could be doing bits of The Prelude

He's just told something I think's outrageous- can anyone tell me if he's right? He says that under the new criteria you don't have to write essays with introductions and conclusions- you don't get any credit at all for a properly constructed essay. That can't be right, surely?

Caleb will be able to give you a better answer but (just in case you haven't seen it ) there is are some sample answers and marking here which seem to show what they are looking for. I promise I am not over invested in your son but it I had a peek at the syllabus because I was just curious as to what poems they were reading .
Hope I've linked the right bit.

filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/english/AQA-8702-EX-COMMENTARY.PDF

I feel for him. For English A Level (many years ago) our group had two teachers who split the books between them. One was absolutely inspired, and the other (also the HoD) was excruciatingly boring.

Thank you, hocus- that's really interesting and seems to support what he says. They are doing the Love and Relationships bit of the AqA anthology. Some lovely poems- they got that bit right at least.

Parents evening on Wednesday- as usual the teachers will be bracing themselves for their meetings with MiniRussell's mum............

The problem is that nobody knows for sure what is going on with English GCSE.

Why would your child's teachers be braced for a meeting with you?

It was a sort of joke, iguana. But it's not a school where there is a lot of parental involvement. So teachers are simultaneously delighted and disconcerted when they come across a parent who says "yes, but........"

We don't have a huge amount of parental involvement - I'm neither disconcerted nor delighted when parents have questions. I don't really see why anyone would be. Parents have every right to ask questions - the whole point of a parent consultation is that there is a two-way conversation between two interested adults.

The way you worded it made me think that you were psyching yourself up for some kind of aggressive verbal attack. I would hope that's not the case!

bertrand IIRC my DD was told to do very brief intro/conclusion lady year as there were no marks in it.

She applied them merely for tidiness.

Students who always found themselves running out of time were advised to skip 'em.

So I'm thinking that bit hasn't changed too much? DS never mentioned this. But he did IGCSE so could have been a different marking scheme?

Iguana perhaps Bertrand is simply one of that league of parents who go massively over their allotted five minute slot? THESE PARENTS ARE VERY ANNOYING. (Apologies if you're not guilty Bertrand, but I'm limbering up for my 50th secondary school parents' meeting on Thursday and have wasted hours of my life....).

"The way you worded it made me think that you were psyching yourself up for some kind of aggressive verbal attack. I would hope that's not the case!"

Molio- nope, but I am very good at using my 7 minutes.(there is talk of cutting it down to 5 as more parents come -but so far it's still 7)

She's-thank you. Seems a shame to me they aren't learning proper essay writing, as well as the "stuff"- but I accept that my time has passed!

bertrand I suspect the teacher will cover how to top and tail an essay, but will also advise them that these are the bits that attract least marks so better to skate quickly over.

Why the confused face after my quotation, Bertrand? Is something not clear?

Just a little........surprised.........that anything I have posted might lead you to believe I was remotely likely to "launch and aggressive verbal attack"

Molio
With one of DSs teachers the only way to stay within the time limit is to cut across them constantly to get to the point.
Last time I watched about 4 parents do it to the same teacher - and on they witter

Oh I see. It was the word "braced" that made me think that, as it means to prepare yourself for something difficult or unpleasant. When you said that your child's teachers would be "braced" and said "as usual" it gave me the impression that you were planning on being difficult or unpleasant and that this happened normally. Obviously though you then said it was a little joke.

I have to say I have never felt "disconcerted yet delighted" at the same time? Maybe the split second when I have a chocolate in my mouth and realise it's the last one?

I think openings and conclusions have been off the table (so to speak) as far as marks are concerned for years...right up to degree level.

I don't think you're supposed to tell them what you're going to tell them before you tell them, you're just supposed to tell them! (But you can use the opening to tell examiner you understand context - whereas in my - your? - day, you never referred to context: it was all about close reading of the text.)

Wow, iguana. Just wow. A whole thread- then one word and I'm planning to be difficult and unpleasant. Another is called for I think.

Ralph- I think my previous GCSE child had a much more old fashioned education- and it was only 5 years ago!

Rather than speaking to the previous teacher could you raise the concerns with the current teacher or HOD. I don't think there's anything worng with a tactful discussion.

You sya there's not much parental involvement so maybe you'll be the only one raising concerns but you still might be lucky and someone may take your comments on board.

And FWIW I knew you were joking about the bracing, it's the kind of comment I might make about myself too

(I know what was meant.)

By the way there are zero marks available for the intro and conclusion - it only needs to be there to set up the argument and to make it cogent.