What should i do?

[newlife4us]

Just spent over an hour again trying to help DD with maths homework. We managed 3 questions out of 15 and to say she had support doing it is a severe understatement - she had no bl**dy idea and couldn't even write the numbers i was giving her!

We are moving within next 6 to 8 weeks; should i just leave it or demand meeting with senco tomorrow? Feel so bad for DD that she's essentially wasted another school year despite my efforts.

Senco has never assessed her or spoken to her so has no real idea what she's like. School said she got 2b in SATS last year, but there is absolutely no way. She doesn't know number bonds to ten and her school report last month said she can now count on in ones!

Do i battle for some help for next few weeks or just leave it?

I would leave it for thsi year.

BUT starting in Sep I would be on the case with the new SENCO immediately.

I disagree with WetAugust.

This happened to us at KS1 with maths and english. While I approached the teacher to ask how son had managed to achieve a level 2 when he couldn't do number bonds to 10, count accurately to 50 etc, she stated that 'he can do it in class' 'tests are externally marked'(pre-2005). We also moved school, new school told us in the Sept that he was an N in maths, but they couldn't tell if english was incorrect as they hadn't got all his records from previous school! However, although we were told N by new school his records weren't altered.

At the end of KS2, though son got an N in his mocks he managed a 3 in the actual test!
Told at start of secondary by SENCO that he couldn't have gained those scores! But again nothing was put in his records. Managed to get hold of his scripts at end of KS3 only to find that EMS scores had all been 'upped' to prove that son has made one level of progress over KS3. Motivational according to the school.

Therefore, I'd suggest you write (not talk) to the head and copy to governing body, asking how your child achieved a level 2, you can also ask for a copy of the scripts, as they are not externally marked (if they still have them).

If your not happy with the response from the school put in a complaint to the LEA and contact the LEA Curriculum Inspector.

While it's a pain to do this when in the middle of packing, it will be easier while your still at the school than retrospectively.

I think Minx is right - you have to bear in mind that the current school will report to the new school re attainment levels etc. So if they get it insanely wrong now, the new school are going to have her pigeonholed incorrectly from the off, and that might make your work harder.

Oh forgot, don't help too much with homework, especially when you know she can't do it. We made that mistake only to find that the work we 'help' with for homework was used for teacher assessments, effectively helping to push the levels up.

Did one piece of homework myself, no help from son other than chosing the title; gained a level 7, work accepted, despite his previous assessed work 'with help' gaining a level 4 - overall level 6B!

Thanks for this - i will write letters tomorrow. I have been concerned at new school having been told she got 2b's last year.

Minx - i am absolutely sure you are right re the progress thing - school keep trying to demonstrate she's achieved her 2/3 progress each year, although they're not hugely convincing. End yr 1 - told DD so far behind that she wouldn't catch up and wasn't working within yr1 expectations. Then yr 2 she had 5 months off as too unwell, went back to school and within a month got 2bs in SATS (although DD came home in tears saying she couldn't do them). Told by LEA 2 weeks ago SENCO said DD made 2/3 progress this year (yr3) but her report sent out the same week said she wasn't meeting yr3 expectations!

I want new school to see real DD and not have some false test results and progress reports on her file - as i don't want new school to think i'm just awkward, over-anxious mother.

DD had a private tutor for maths for a while after her SATS - her self esteem was so low that i wanted to try and get some help to lift her confidence. When i told tutor a few weeks later DD got 2B her jaw dropped and said there was no way she could have done.

OOh hadn't thought of that.

Without thinking of me pushing her grades up, i have to say it is scary how much of her homework i am doing for her. Tonight i stopped at question 3 (she was meant to do 15) and wrote a note on it saying that this had taken an hour with considerable support. Have come to the opinion DD (i)should not be given homework that she has no hope of completing - she's not gaining anything from it and (ii) should be learning something at school - not home taught everything by me.

If you're writing letters - you could put in a request to see her educational and curricular records as well; you might find something interesting there as well.

Link to primary maths framework have a look through see what you think she can/can't do, ask the school for written evidence that she can do enough to achieve a 2b!

nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/19964

We also had a maths tutor straight after Yr2 SAT results - gave her SAT results plus reports from Ed Psych and info re what I saw as his difficulties etc. The first week she said 'we'll have him up to speed in no time, don't worry'. Two weeks later I asked her if she'd thought I'd been exagerrating!

She explained that in some schools teachers are coerced into signing off that a child can do things they can't.

Unfortunately this does have a knock on effect as the next key stage, even when it's a different school; they don't want to say we received this child as a X and she has made no progress since she's been with us, but it's also difficult for them to 'whistleblow' on the previous school; probably as so many do it.

The first secondary my son attended I
was told by the SENCO that the school had 10 children who couldn't have achieved the levels they alledgedly gained at primary - L3/4's, though 2 couldn't even read; the school had to put in an intensive english group for those 10 (one my child), yet she still sat in a meeting immediately after telling me this and didn't say a word, while the head of english was telling me my son doesn't have any probs in english!

Current head has also admitted that they get a number of children each year from certain schools who couldn't have achieved KS2 results - they do nothing.

Schools still trying to deny difficulties - 2 end of module maths tests recently, he sat in the corridor with a TA helping with all the answers! Which according to the head is acceptable if it helps child achieve

You will have a battle on your hands to get them to admit they are wrong, but it's probably better to upset/antagonise the current school rather than have to immediately go head to head with the new one