Anyone else watching Educating Essex?

[Greensleeves]

I am addicted to it! Partly because I am in week 3 of a PGCE and am school-obsessed, but it really is compulsive viewing

Does anyone know anything about the school it's set in? Is it a fairly well-t-do area? Does anyone have personal knowledge it? I find Mr Drew fascinating!

A huge amount of my time is dealing with low level disruption, chatting, shouting out, throwing paper etc. It causes most issues.

The small stuff is definitely important in a school like mine! I think it's really important that kids are taught to look well presented, take pride in their uniform, not show kinship with gangs/groups or demographic through makeup/hair dye etc. They also need to be taught that in the real world certain things that might seem little or petty would be frowned upon/judged in the real world ie looking like a hooker. I also believe that if kids look like they mean business then they are more willing to learn. I know that sounds crazy but it's true.

I work in a school with good behaviour and the students are largely compliant, while it is not a tough inner city area it is a comprehensive intake and we do have students who have challenging backgrounds. The behaviour happens because we ensure it does and we are very strict even on the small things. The students know that we are in control. Having worked in very different schools in the past it took some getting used to. It is not an environment that suits all children or teachers but it works well for us and I think we turn out very well rounded young people.

In fact whilst one of my classes was working the other day I remembered a quote from mumsnet recently in which someone said that you can always tell an independently educated student by their confidence and a "gloss". I looked around my class very proudly and am certain they could hold their own with any student from any background.

Bigtilly this is exactly what concerns me about the programme, as I said I have one class who are difficult. They wouldn't throw paper but they will ca;; out and chat. But in the rest of my classes we just get on with the learning and there is no disruption that stops learning. There is certainly not throwing paper and if required they work in silence. At this time of year new classes are still being trained and therefore there may be a little more chatting than I would like in some groups but it will be sorted. All schools vary,you can't make sweeping judgements about schools regardless of sector or ofsted rating.

I have worked in schools in which I had to constantly battle low level disruptions, paper throwing, shouting etc.

I agree aramass, school is a place of work and you should behave and dress as if you are at work. I dress, make myself up and behave very differently at work than in my own time.

Some of us do get to work in very creative or relaxed environments where outlandish make up and clothes are allowed but most of us have to learn there are times when conformity is needed.

I loathe teaching on non school uniform days as I think it affects their behaviour. Of course it could be said that perhaps our students struggle with the "freedom" as they are under such tight control for the rest of the time. But I can also remember as a child truanting every non school uniform day as all my clothes were second hand and old fashioned.

I'm not saying small stuff isn't important. It isn't always as easy as that though. We have great leadership, but still struggle with uniform and phones.