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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

English teacher refused to say what level my year 10 child is at!

36 replies

Tiff23 · 07/01/2018 09:56

Morning all!!!
Parent's eve did not go well for my year 10DS!
As parents we have finally peiced the puzzle together and realised DS has dyslexia.
The school have never brought this to our attention, DS has been a master at hiding his struggles.
Recently I requested to see his English book to see if it matched the same low standard of writing in his other work. Clearly his English teacher didn't like this!!!!
At Parents evening, she talked about the class as a whole and how great she is at teaching English! With only 5 mins to chat we were not interested in hearing any of that! My husband and I asked what level our DS is currently at? Her reply and I quote " that wouldn't be fair on you or him to tell you that!" What!!!!!! Of course, I lost it! Most unlike me but after years of teachers failing to detect why DS has a lack of focus and low self esteem, couldn't help it! I said i'd take it up with the head and accused her of covering her own arse! Oops not the best choice of words I admit. So am I write to complain with reagrds to her attitude? Rarely one to complain but can't help my strong sense of fairness! Thanks in advance for any help. Please note DS was not at this appointment as sadly he only went to the first one, think this is because at parent's evening he has had too many negatives over the years! Bless him, at least I have figured out why.

OP posts:
WildIrishRose1 · 07/01/2018 10:27

Is there an SEN coordinator / guidance counsellor in the school you can contact, to assess your DC? Tbh, the teacher sounds as if she didn't know your child and was bluffing. IME teachers who have to tell others how good they are, are generally not. 🙄

BubblesBuddy · 07/01/2018 10:43

All teachers assess children and know what their capabilities are in y10 and their targets. I am surprised you have not worred about his progress before now and I am not sure how you cover up dyslexia. Most children with this have signs much earlier that something is wrong. They are often good at practical subjects and have a good IQ. So is he bright at everything that does not include writing? I think blaming the school is a bit off at this stage. However do contact the SEND department at the school and his head of year to get any assessments started. Do you not see his homework? You must have had some idea there was a problem!

strugglingthroughlife · 07/01/2018 10:53

I do wonder how you've got this far without realising? I'm homeschooling and am now considering ds to be dyslexic and dyscalculia! He's 6!!! I can not fathom how you've got this far! But with regards to the teacher, yes complain.

ladyvimes · 07/01/2018 10:58

A lot of people aren’t diagnosed dyslexic until adulthood so I’m not surprised you’re only realising this now! It’s good you know now as he will be entitled to extra time, etc in his gcse’s.
Totally unacceptable that the teacher refused to share your son’s grade - they sound useless. I would definitely ask to speak to slthe sendco to find out how your son is currently doing and what steps the school is going to put into place to support him.
Unfortunately a lot of people (including teachers) are clueless about dyslexia and you are going to have to be pushy!

PostNotInHaste · 07/01/2018 10:59

We would have got to Year 10 without realising DS has dyslexia as he has strategies that mask it well. It’s only because of our family history that we suspected. His cousin got to her final year dissertation.

Also DS in year 9 is provided with a report every term detailing where he is now and where he is expected to be do not unreasonable to ask.

However I think at this point you’d do much better to contact school and do a ‘what can we all do to give DS the best possible chance with his GCSE’s ‘ and get a plan of action put in place whilst there is still time.

TeenTimesTwo · 07/01/2018 11:00

OP. I disagree with Bubbles . My DD's difficulties got more and more obvious during secondary but because we as parents were the only ones with oversight we were the ones who noticed and triggered an assessment (which only then happened in y11). It took so long because when we first raised things in y6 we were fobbed off, and we thought they were the experts ...

I would contact head of English re not getting useful info at parents evening. They should be telling you levels / predications (and you should also be able to see his books). At parents evening teacher seemed unwilling/unable to give us clear information on DS. Please could you find out and let us know X,Y,Z ...

I would also contact SENCO outlining why you think he has dyslexia and asking for an assessment to be expedited.

ladyvimes · 07/01/2018 11:01

Also pp’s are misinformed. Dyslexia affects children of all abilities and has different levels of severity like many conditions. Often an able child with less severe dyslexia will be diagnosed later as they are able to develop their own strategies to overcome threat dyslexia, which become less effective as work and life becomes more difficult!

PostNotInHaste · 07/01/2018 11:07

DS said the other day that he spells most words using muscle memory which I thought was interesting. He is academically very able but can’t tell the time, do the alphabet and doesn’t know the order of the months or the numbers that equate to them . His sister who has dyspraxia and Dyscalculia was much more obvious from a younger age.

SandLand · 07/01/2018 11:21

It is very easy for an able person to hide dyslexia. It's bloody hard work, but if you have never known anything else, its just how life is. You dont realise how easy it is for some people who can just do things, while you have to work really hard for it.

Tiff I think a polite note initially to teacher and HoD, escalating if you don't get any joy.

I don't know what grade your son might get, but I was predicted "a pair of Cs if I was lucky" in English. Which thanfully I did get. Life got much easier at A level, and I've got a first class degree, and a distinction at Master level. Hoping you can get the support you need from school, and the extra help and guidance to help your son reach his full potential.

Original poster
Tiff23 · 07/01/2018 11:34

Thank you so much for all of the support.
I have been in tears somedays wishing I had gone with my gut feeling and not been fobbed off so easy.

Now being well read on dyslexia I will know if my other children show signs. And yes, its not unheard of for children and some adults to go undiagnosed until later on in life. Perhaps I'm not such a bad parent after all.

OP posts:
Fineganbeginagain · 07/01/2018 11:39

It sounds like you were very rude.
Was this in front of your DS as well? If so, incredibly undermining.

Do you not have a report saying what level he is?

You need to raise concerns privately and professionally, not accuse teachers, in front of your child (I assume), that they are “covering their arse”.

LemonysSnicket · 07/01/2018 11:39

Have you taken him to be formally assessed ?

Fineganbeginagain · 07/01/2018 11:40

Also, predicting the grade your son might get at the end of next year, when there has only been one cohort of students who have done the exam, is really hard.

pieceofpurplesky · 07/01/2018 11:42

Children mask dyslexia in a number of ways - the most common by appearing lazy and doing the minimum work so that they don't make mistakes iyswim. As an English teacher I would pick up in this very quickly and refer to SENCO. It could be that the pupil has slow processing skills, dyslexia or any number of learning difficulties.
I am amazed in this climate of targets and exam results that your son is not fully aware of targets and that you have not been informed of them - most schools report termly. I am also amazed that nobody has picked up on dyslexia - how have you worked this out? Genuine question not being goady!

defineme · 07/01/2018 11:44

I am a secondary school English teacher and I would be mortified if I couldn't tell a parent what grade their Y10 child is achieving.

Original poster
Tiff23 · 07/01/2018 13:13

Have had DS screened by school. SEND agreed that everything I mentioned is typical of a dyslexic child.
DS will be having a full assessment, privately.

OP posts:
Original poster
Tiff23 · 07/01/2018 13:19

Thank you, many of my friends are teachers (two headteadchers!)and all said the same. Disappointed in myself for losing it, very unlike me and not acceptable! Just so cross that the teacher did not answer my questions or offer any support, she practically dismissed what I was saying. My husband and I were very calm during the meeting, unfortunatley fustrations built when questions were left unanswered.
Year 10!!!

OP posts:
Original poster
Tiff23 · 07/01/2018 13:33

Thank you for this comment, much appreciated.

OP posts:
Fineganbeginagain · 07/01/2018 14:08

Thank you for your private message, OP, telling me not to make any more comments on your thread and not to “rant” at you.

That’s not how this site works.

Saying to a teacher that they are “covering their arse” is, in my opinion, rude.

Clavinova · 07/01/2018 14:52

Perhaps the op was trying to save you some embarrassment as well Fineganbeginagain?

Some of your earlier comments were pointless - the op had already highlighted in her opening post that her ds was not present at the meeting.

Fineganbeginagain · 07/01/2018 14:55

Nope. Nobody has the right to tell someone not to post. The comment that she made to the teacher was rude, in my opinion.

PerspicaciaTick · 07/01/2018 15:01

What is the point of parents' evening at which the teacher refuses to discuss progress with parents. Was the teacher expecting to have a nice chat about what she did in the holiday? Or the weather?

Original poster
Tiff23 · 07/01/2018 15:06

Thank you Clavinova, I was indeed trying to save embarassing Fineganbeginagain!

Fineganbeginagain - I know what I said was rude and certainly not proud of it in fact totally unacceptable. Perhaps you need to consider how you conduct yourself in a thread.
Firstly, you need to read the post properly, you seem to have missed the point I was making. Perhaps you are someone that just enjoys posting on here!!!!
Looking for advice on how to deal with a teacher that can't tell me what level my son is CURRENTLY at!

Last time I will post.
Thank you to everyone who has given me constructive comments. Have a great Sunday.

OP posts:
crunchtime · 07/01/2018 15:12

In my experience by year 10 teachers are constantly telling kids what level they are. Every piece of work is given a level and mine are usually given pointers on how to increase their levels.
It's very very odd to not be told their level at parents evening.

Whinesalot · 07/01/2018 15:45

I did go to one parents evening once without my ds. Without him there, one teacher obviously had no idea who he was and was obviously talking randomly about said child but at least he could tell me what grade he was working at from his sheets. When they teach quite a few classes I suppose it is hard to distinguish every child if they are average and don't stand out. Not that that makes it any better. I wasn't impressed. I like to think that if he had actually been there, he would have known him rather better and that it was only his memory for names that was bad.