Classroom Secrets

[Westernisle]

Anyone watching this tonight?
Watching it on BBC News at the moment segment on it.

The classroom walls were far too cluttered - I bet the children couldn't tell you what's on the walls, far less what it's for.

The teaching seemed rather worksheet-based; even the kid who went to the male teacher for extra support was handed a worksheet the moment he entered the room! That teacher sounded as flat and uninspiring as the other school staff, and he put words in the boy's mouth.

Not an impressive programme!

I agree, euphemia. It was 'death by worksheet'.

i feel really depressed after watching this, there didn't seem to be any fun at all :(

I missed this. Was it a one off programme or is there more to come?

It was a one off. Apparently the school insisted that no children were shown being disciplined. This was so they weren't shamed. The school is in an area with less than the national average free school meals so not a poor area. Very sad. If this is what a good school looks like what are the poor ones like?

Having watched this it makes me glad that I home educate.

mumtotwoplustwo

If this is what a good school looks like what are the poor ones like?

I would say that this shows how floored ofsted is. For example I know my dd's school will go from a 'good' school to one which is either satisfactory or special measures. This has nothing to do with the teachers or the school (which is very good) just that the children going into the school don't speak English as a first language so they are below national levels in thier learning.

Well I finally watched this last night, with my judgey pants firmly in place.
Clearly it had been edited to show what the programme malers wanted. However....

What I saw would not have merited an Ofsted judgement of good - it would have been unsatisfactory.

• The teacher did not have good classroom control. Most of the children seemed to be off task / wandering / up to no good most of the time
• The teacher did not appear to teach anything. She was not inspiring, and nor did she seem to be breaking the teaching points down enough to ensure that all the children were following / understanding / on task.
• The teacher did not appear to differentiate the work at all.
• The "intensive reading programme" was just a nice but not highly skilled TA hearing children bark at print. There are many published reading programmes, including free ones produced by the government which could have been used to get the children more focused and develop skills even if a skilled practitioner was not available to deliver them.
• The little boy Corey clearly had some SENs - thankfully at the end of the programme they did say the school was looking into this, but how heart-breaking that the child was able to articulate his difficulties, yet nothing had been pust in place to support him. He needed a completely differentiated plan so that he could experience success and LEARN something.

I could go on.

The families focused on were clearly not doing their best for their children, but at least seemed open to change and trying to improve things. Of course what happens at home has the most effect on a childs future success, but a school cannot just blame home-life and shrug their shoulders and not give 110% to the children.

FWIW, I have been a teacher for 24years and have always worked with children from the lowest socio-economic groups, children with a wide range of SEN's and currently, those with severe social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Sadly, what we saw in this programme is replicated in far too many classes, especially those who have very few / no children from homes where the parents are focused on supporting their childs development, education and therefore, sucess.

I've watched it too and found it really. The school is on the outskirts of Leicester. I'm not sure if it is a county school but if it is Leicestershire is amongst the worst fund LEAs in England. Extra cash would only do so much and it certainly can't make up for poor parenting. I can't imagine what the parents of the well behaved DC must be feeling.

But the main problem for me was the teacher. She wasn't ontop of them enough. She wasn't matching work to their needs. She didn't seem to have a rapport wiht them.

She even said that watching the filming would give her a chance to get to know them

And of course the ethos in the school - clearly the HT must have thought she was at least one of her better teachers or she wouldn't have put her forward.

I agree Tilly. But more money would mean maybe another teacher or at least another TA to go and make breakfast with that little lad. Why did they allow that! They should have called his parents and told them to bring his breakfast in not taken a much needed TA away from the rest of the class.

The teacher just did not look as if she enjoyed her job.

It's no good having another TA unless the teacher is getting them to do something worthwhile

And actually, making breakfast with the little boy could be worthwhile - we have special groups set up in our primary schools to provide a nurturing environment for children who are not coping in the classroom....

MindtheGappp, I totally agree. She didn't even seem to like the children - when watching the films back, she seemed surprised when she said, "oh yes, he's actually quite a nice little boy" It's a teacher's job to get to know the pupils and build a relationship with them. And particularly important with the most needy.

We never really saw if the class was being taught something worthwhile. Let's just hope they were. Another adult in the class would I'm sure stop the low level disruption......She could have hovered over Maisie and her white board for a start. Her parents were prime candidates for compulsary parenting classes. They were laughing at her antics.

Can't agree more with most of your posts. What an uninspiring, terrible teacher! The children's behaviour wasn't bad in terms or how manageable it appeared. They were just bored!
That teacher would not pass her PCGE if that was her observed lesson! She sat often facing away from the majority of the class. She focused her attention on what seemed to be the same group of 4 children, all doing well, rather than going round all 30 in her class. There was no motivation for them to work. I heard barely any praise- when maisy did really good work in a pair all she got was 'that was fantastic girls' in a very flat, tired tone... to pass a PGCE praise should say exactly what was fantastic.
The lessons seemed to be dull. 'Let's write a story'.. (i hope) few schools actually introduce things that way these days- most use role play, props, even questioning or ICT (all of which i saw zero evidence of) to get children excited and engaged. No wonder maisie started writing on her board- yes that was unacceptable- but wouldnt have happened if the teacher was keeping them all engaged and they wanted to join in. The teacher just seemed to murmur on through everything even when half the class wernt listening.
The children started the day with no motiation because as maisy rightly said all that seemed to happen in their school was literacy, writing, reading, being told off, never doing anything right for the teacher. Children should be proud of, enjoy and like going to school...
makes me so angry this is a 'good' school. There seemed little energy or buzz- even assemblies the teacher seemed to be making a speical effort but it came out patronisingly OTT. It was a junior school, not an infant school!

Their attitude seemed to be blame the parents, yes the children came to school tired but they also had no excitement or good feelings of school. The way they allowed 20 minute trips to get food, constant getting up out of seats to get drinks and they told children off often with laughter in their voice or just sounding very annoyed- there were confused boundaries and no wonder the children didn't know what to do to get attention- they didnt seem to get praised for working hard if they were a 'role model'. The way to get attention seemed to be to mess around, be hungry or tired.

You are so right Happymum- how did that school get a good?