Detentions

[wasuup3000]

My DD has got a detention for not being able to get the answers right in her online homework. Bearing in mind my daughter has a special teacher for Maths and is at 0.1 percentile (her 4 year old brother is better at Maths than she is, she is aged 11), has anyone got any tips for how to challenge this?

at the teacher! Unless there's some more to this that you're not aware of this is totally inappropriate.

I'd phone the SENCo and ask her to arrange for the two of you to have a meeting with this teacher.

The is so much wrong with that situation I'm not sure I'd know where to start. I would be saying very clearly that your DD is never to be punished for not getting her work right and if necessary tell them you'll complain to the governors if this happens again.

I think this teacher may need some re-training.

Thanks Al1son.
The school seem to have a blanket policy on sanctions of this type so I will try and sort out a meeting.
I've also been told my daughter can't wear her ear defenders as they are not part of the school uniform, so will have my work cut out!

I too am also at that - there seems to have been a total disregard of your DD's needs in respect of both matters. A meeting with the SENCO is definately the order of the day. Good Luck

The school sounds totally unbelievable-are they usually that unhelpful? Yes I agree that you should have a meeting to air all of your issues and if they do not help,then a formal complaint-how does it help your dd to be punished for something that she struggles with?!- good luck-ps my dd's school have the same policy(14 NT)and I have told her that there is no way she is doing a detention as she tries hard and it's probably the quality of the teaching if she's struggling

They have been OK up until recently its still early days as she is year 7 at a mainstream secondary. I am hoping the detention is just an oversight but have booked a meeting for next week and I will update here.

Good luck!

I would really worry about a school with a blanket policy of punishing children for nat achieving academically.

Ear defenders not being uniform is ridiculous! What about plaster casts if they broke their arm or hearing aids, are they on the uniform list or are they banned too?

Make sure you get minutes of this meeting or at least make your own notes. You need to keep some records in case this escalates.

Good luck for next week.

FFS. Detention for getting answers wrong . Thats hardly a strategy to motivate a child to learn.

I would definately speak to the school.

I think this is a huge issue for the school. Giving a child ( sen or not) detention for incorrect answers is not going to help them to get it right next time!!

Definitely complain - appalling

omg thats like giving my ds2 (cp) detention for coming last in a running race.
If hw is late or she just hasn't bothered then maybe thats a different thing but for not getting good marks, a bit harsh.

Blanket policies aren't legal. She's on the SEN register - they have to make any and all adaptations necessary.

So they can't say ear defenders are not part of the uniform. Nor can they say they have to give her a detention.

Go in all guns blazing and be the biggest PITA mum imaginable.

Her homework is on a traffic light system online she has to get a green light to pass her homework, if she doesn't get to green and stays on red or amber it seems she gets a detention. She can't remember how to do a few minutes after being taught.

Try and find out the name of the schools SEN Advisory Teacher (this is different from the SENCO) This teacher will work for the LEA rather than the school. Ours has been most useful.

Ask to see the schools inclusion policy too.

Getting detention for getting the answers wrong is madness. Maybe the teacher thought she did it deliberately?(I'm not suggesting she did btw, I just can't understand how a school can have such Victorian standards)

Best of luck with it.

Thanks Spinkle she has a maths LEA teacher and a social communication teacher. I will try and get them invited for the meeting.
Thanks everyone for your support. Its all this kind of stuff that gets me down, why can't they leave her alone and just let her be happy at school, for once!