YEAR 8 YEAR 8 YEAR 8 !!

[MaryAnnSingleton]

here we are, all ready for the new term !!

Roisin, they will drop subjects at the end of Yr8. I know of a couple of other schools around here that are now doing a 2 year KS3.

Grrr@the weather. Yesterday we were texted at 8.20 saying school wouldn't open at 8.30am but would open at 9.30am. At 9.05am school texted to say shut. School is now shut again today along with most schools in the LEA due to the fact the council is/has run out of grit and black ice is a problem. Yesterday a colleague walked/slid past a gritter which was wrapped around a tree!! Gritterman was uninjured.

Dd's school will be open today but yesterday there were only 15 who made in from her form and they had the most of any form! - and were sent home early though the worst was over by then... They are doing very little at school - suppose the teachers can't really go ahead with teaching as so many are missing.

Think they are running low on grit here too - B roads were not done yesterday though they are main routes into town

Magentadreamer - I find that quite disturbing actually, and I would be very concerned as a parent. ds1 is a summer birthday, so at the end of yr8 he will not even be 13! It seems very very early to be making decisions about dropping subjects.

He's never going to be a dancer or a musician but I really value the fact that he is able to continue with these subjects as part of his general education for another year.

I might start another thread on this actually....

I'm not exactly ecstatic about the idea of Dd having to make choices aged 12 either or having to sit GCSE exams when she's 13 - Dd is an August baby. Her core subjects will be: Maths and Statisitics,English and Lit, Triple Science, MFL, ICT, PE, RE and PSCHE. She is thinking of doing Geog, Geology and for a third option either History,Drama or Psychology -this might change once we actually get the options booklet. Dd will also be able to change her mind in later years as they actually have to hand in an option form every year so really she is only having to choose what she is doing in yr9. Yes it will be a shame that Dd won't be doing Design Tech, Art or Drama but she currently goes to Drama club twice a week - they're doing Macbeth, she goes to a sewing club plus a craft club and she's in the school production of Bugsy Malone. The situation isn't ideal - far from it but having spoken to the admissions dept moving her isn't an option.

hello everyone - happy belated new year too - am so sorry for abandonning this thread for so long, just caught up in other stuff...hope you are all well

Can I ask how everyone feels about their dc's school now that they are almost halfway through the second year? (I used to be GFM for the benefit of anyone who can't keep up with my namechanges!)

My dd's school has a reputation of being quite academic, setting lots of homework, getting great results for a non-selective school. However I am not convinced so far - dd seems to be coasting along, gets above-average to excellent grades with no discernible effort . She has far less homework than I got (but I didn't go to school in the UK so shouldn't compare I suppose). And in quite a few subjects her marks indicate little progress in a year (though the actual mark is good iyswim)

I almost get the impression that because she is on-target to do reasonably well, no effort is being made to ensure she is doing her best or stretch her in any way.

Anyone else a little disappointed with their dc's school so far?

Hmm, well, I did not have very high expectations of DD's school and it has, in some areas, proved to be much better than I expected. The school itself is very much a bogstandard comprehensive, with slightly below average results and rather complacent about its successes - it used to be very below average. OTOH, there are many good teachers there and where DD is taught by a good teacher in a relatively non-disruptive teaching group then things are going very well indeed. Pastorally, it is a good school and bullying is much less of a problem than it was a couple of years ago. She is set for Maths, Science and MFL and doing well in all of them. In some other subjects the higher-ability children do not get stretched anything like as much as they ought to be - she is bored witless in English and RE for example.
Difficult to tell progress from her school reports as grades are given 1-5 for achievement A-E for effort. She gets 1A in all her academic subjects, but what does that tell about objective standards reached in NC terms?
There are good opportunities for extra-curricular activites in PE and Music (thanks to one exceptionally dedicated music teacher) and none in any other area, which I think is rather poor.
But overall I am happy enough - and more importantly, so is she.
(Am LGP btw)

I'm a bit different in my expectations of DSs school in that I already had two DDs there when he started. In fact it is interesting to see how the school has developed over time - DD1 is in her first year of university now so its just over seven years since she started in year 7. Even though its always been a good school it was positively sleepy then compared to now.

DS gets a mix of homework ranging from quick posters to end of unit assessments that take ages. He always has something and a high standard is expected. He does Latin off timetable as an extra subject and is starting Mandarin next week as another extra. He attends a science club and is making a film about a topic of his choice for a competition (which he is very excited about). In fact he's always doing something extra whether its within the class - he gets a lot of extension work in french and german, or outside it. In fact I am surprised at how well he is doing - he did well in year 7 but seems to be positively flying now. Certainly the school has managed to bring out the best in him and he won an award at the end of last term for "working beyond expectations". Doing well doesn't seem to have any social consequences either as DS is popular and well liked. Fingers crossed that it all carries on

Imo part of the problem is that they are only set for Maths.... and she is doing well and making progress at that.

They way they are graded is in accordance with Sats grades I think? EG year 8 are expected to be somewhere between a 4c and a 6a from memory. They get graded for effort 1-4 (she gets 1s or 2s).

We are still thrilled with ds1's school. He's simply flying academically and is in "high aptitude" sets for most subjects. But even within these "top sets" there is clear differentiation going on, and sometimes he is set particular tasks or homeworks, which are only given to a small number of students, or sometimes even just him. He is certainly being challenged.

In Music they are not set, as they have decided to do single sex classes for music and he does find that quite frustrating as there are some students who are not motivated and try to disrupt the lessons.

In MFL he's also in a mixed group* and he doesn't agree with that system and thinks he would be making faster progress in a high ap group. But having said that he still names Spanish and German as some of his favourite subjects.

He doesn't get a large number of homeworks, but when he does they tend to be quite big/time-consuming (essays and projects), but quite meaningful too. I'm happy with the amount of homework.

Not looked in for a while.

Year 8 is proving a bit tough for us. Basically, all dd's problems seem suddenly to have hit her on the head: she is depressed and tired and has been school refusing and even cutting herself to get out of going to school.

Nothing to do with the actual school, everything to do with her disability/poor health and bad experiences at junior school. It will be a long time before she really starts trusting school staff.

Big meeting last week with dd and school and CAHMS drawing up strategies, seemed to work really well and then after a day back at school she put her back out so couldn't go in anyway. SO by the time she is well enough, she'll have lost all confidence again.

School are wonderful but I just want to run.

To answer the question about am I happy about DDs school the answer has to be a big fat no. Yes there are many good points - wonderful range of after schools clubs - DD is doing something practically every night. From an academic side DD is doing well and in most subjects she is above or on target to reach her end of KS3 tagets. Has some will be aware Dd's school does KS3 in two years the targets were set originally for a 3 year KS3. Unfortunately the spanner in the works is the KS4 arrangements. I spoke again to her Head of House (- lovely woman btw) as I needed clarification on a couple of things. I think Roisin summed it up perfectly about it not being about the children but about the school. We got DD's options booklet and official notification of her banding and I rang to ask if DD could be moved to the middle band as I felt with her English levels at present being in this band would mean more English lessons etc. DD I thought would be able to do Double Science at the higher level so not rule out doing A levels but I was told that DD if in this band would be only offered BTEC Science or Double Science most likely at Foundation level. DD is currently working at a level 7 in Science. I found out from DD that her best friend who is also getting level 7's but is struggling in Maths and English will be in the middle band. This to me is madness as all the school is looking at in DD's BF case is getting the precious Maths and English GCSE. The school would still be able to boast they get a high % getting two Science GCSE's as we all know that a BTEC is worth 4 GCSE's don't we? The fact they have written off many children after only 4 terms is worrying. The fact I'm looking at how courses are assessed to see if DD could cope with that course next year and actually get a pass in it is just making me want to take her and run. DD was in tears last night as she is scared she will mess up her whole life in yr9.

Apologies for the rant.

I'm not sure I fully understand Magenta! But it sort of reminds me of my friend who was good at science and maths but not at English & MFL. She was put in a lower stream and not allowed to do higher level maths (this was not in the UK so a different system) for the equivalent of GCSEs and then this restricted what she could do for the equivalent of A Levels.

Because of this she struggled to get a place on the BSc course she wanted but scraped in - she then flourished, went on to do an MSc and is the only person from our year at school to have a PhD. She surpassed everyone there from an academic POV and I am so proud of her given that school was so unsupportive...

Decorhate bascially because DD's friend hasn't fit the criteria ie she is struggling in Maths and English for being in the top band this means that the chances of her progressing anyhere in Science is limited. I spoke to an old family friend who is a Head of Science in a school with a very similar make up as DD's and he was horrified that the options were so very limited. I have today rang and made appointments to look around 2 other schools who have vacancies and DD is on the waiting list for another school - where most of her Primary School went to. I'm not optimistic and I'm not too sure if I'd even have grounds to appeal a place for DD. But on a more postive note DD has made some very nice cookies in Food Tech {grin}

This is just wrong Magentadreamer. It's not about the students, it's about the school.

Way back when... schools regularly used to put students in 'streams'. ie right across the year/across the subject you had a lower ability stream, middle stream and top stream. This makes timetabling much easier. And you can tailor your curriculum offer appropriately to each stream.

But the problem is, students don't fit neatly into 'streams'. All have strengths and talents in different areas, and being in a fixed place in a stream is too rigid. It's the same argument, as the one about grammar and other selective schools really.

A student may have phenomenal abilities in Maths and Science, but require extra help and support because they're struggling with English.

Also students' abilities do move around a bit and change. So if your curriculum provision in yr7/8 depends on what 'stream/band' you're in; what happens if you need to change to a different band?

Surely, you have to set within each subject - especially the major ones - and cater for individual talents.

It is all about results. Schools need to max their 5 A*-Cs including English/Maths figure.

Hi everyone. How are all your DC getting on this term? We are off to the school this afternoon (shameless boast) for a Governor's Tea, because DD is being presented with a badge for having acccumulated 500 merits. We are v proud and all that.

DS has just finished year 8 exams which he took very very seriously. School did the full works of exam timetable, desks in the hall and clear pencil cases required.

Hey that's fab FirstLady. Well done her!

How is everybody?

ds1 is getting along wonderfully. Amazing results academically and having fun too. He went to Spain on a trip at half term and had a brilliant time.

They've just appointed a new Head, and it's not the Deputy Head (currently Acting Head) that all staff, students and parents were expecting. So, change may be afoot.

Oh and the other good news is that ds2 got in as a sibling (none of his mates did this year), so will be joining ds2 in Sep.

Great news about DS2, Roisin and great to hear DS1 is having such a fab time too.
Webwiz, that sounds interesting. DD's school don't do any formal exams until GCSEs AFAIK. Did your DS enjoy the experience?
I'm even prouder of DD this evening because there were very few Yr8's at this thing - most of the people getting the certificates were years 9-11, so she must be doing something right!

That's brilliant TheFirstLady.

At my school we have a new electronic points/merits system, called Vivos, which seems to be working really well.

ds1 was very keen on merits in yr7 and kept track of them, applied for his Head Teacher's certificates to be presented in assembly, etc.

But this year, apparently it's not the 'cool' thing to do. So although he racks them up, which means he gets good 'commitment' grades on his reports, there isn't any other reward.

Roisin, at DD's school the merit system is paper-based - they hand them into their tutor every week and the tutor logs them on the system, so when they have reached their total they are automatically put in for the next awards ceremony. Apparently it used not to be cool to do it but it is becoming more so; they get a badge at 100 merits, 250 and every additional 250 after that and you see a lot of children around the school now with an assortment of badges pinned on (they can also earn half and full house colour badges and DD informs me she is now two points off her full house colours so she is definitely a bit of a pot-hunter).

FirstLady DS's school do exams every year. Last year he was hopeless at revising so I was quite surprised to see how organised he was this year. I think its a good idea to get them used to the exam situation when the outcome isn't hugely important.

My dd is getting on great too - had a parents evening recently and it was the usual sickening glowing reports! Don't know why I bother going!

I never did hear back from the Form Tutor when I raised concerns that she hadn't seemed to make much progress in several subjects when I got her interim report before Christmas (can't remember if I posted on this thread or a separate one). However all the teachers for those subjects had been made aware of my concerns and are keeping an eye on it which is good to know.

Good to hear your ds2 got in to the sae school Roisin. Unfortunately dd goes to an all-girls school (the nearest mixed school is so over-subscribed we hadn't a hope of getting in) so I will have to start all over again with the ds's. The all-boys school which we should have no problem getting a place in still has very mixed reports. I can accept the fact that it is not as good academically but I am worried that bullying is still not being dealt with properly

Having a proud moment- DD's report has straight A's for effort on every subject. Considering all the disruption she has had in her teaching group from 8 girls (3 of whom have been moved)- I am so pleased that she has managed to work hard and rise above it.
She will now be exoecting a Hollister tshirt!

That's great deaddei. Well done her!