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Educating the East End

341 replies

Lilka · 04/09/2014 21:01

Anyone?

OP posts:
fizzly · 25/09/2014 21:48

I love the way this programme busts stereotypes about teenagers. Yes some of them can be challenging, but even the most challenging are capable of absolutely brilliant things.

I live in a part of london with a similar demographic. Almost anyone remotely middle class pays for schooling or hot foots it out of the city before 2ndry school because they're convinced that their children will end up in a crack den if they go to a school like FB.

Jeb and his Shakespeare or Summer and her poem are really powerful IMO.

HighwayDragon · 25/09/2014 21:49

This is why I couldn't be a teacher 'you cant make me' Angry

lilypoppet · 25/09/2014 21:49

Oh I know one of the posters on here and wanted to say hi never mind.

OttilieKnackered · 25/09/2014 21:52

It's just sad that the really well behaved, quiet lad last week was totally anonymous. None of the staff knew him. He's probably done great things too, but because he never behaves badly they're not in such obvious relief.

FuzzyWizard · 25/09/2014 21:55

I'm really shocked by the way he is speaking to the Head. Our ahead is really lovely, she's friendly and spends a lot of time with the kids and they love her. But they also know she means business... They'd never dream of speaking to her like that. But then she would only get involved in an incident if it was really really serious. The member of SLT in charge of behaviour would deal with 99.99% of behaviour incidents. I think when heads are over-involved in this sort of thing the "headteacher effect" wears off.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 25/09/2014 21:58

My experience of ds going to a London school wasn't the kids at all, huge mix of kids , there were 22 different nationalities, it was the low standard of teaching and care, it was God awful.

FuzzyWizard · 25/09/2014 21:59

Wow- A PRU is extreme for a boy like that. She's bloody right they have failed! Feel really angry actually. These kids are desperate for some firm boundaries and yet they get appeased, "hunned", pleaded with, given lits of sympathetic attention when they act up and then BAM! Off to a PRU with you because you keep acting up. No shit Sherlock!

OttilieKnackered · 25/09/2014 21:59

There is, undoubtedly, bad teaching in some schools. But do you see Jebb's behaviour as a result of bad teaching?

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 25/09/2014 22:00

God outcome for Jeb, that's positiveSmile

HighwayDragon · 25/09/2014 22:02

I don't think it was, he needed something they didn't have the capacity to give him, it was theright decision

LilMissSunshine9 · 25/09/2014 22:03

FuzzyWizard - I think the school did alot for him actually. The parents should of been setting the boundaries at home with the school simply reinforcing that. Only so much the school can do

OttilieKnackered · 25/09/2014 22:04

No, neither do I. Bad teaching should absolutely be addressed, but the best (mainstream) teacher (with the level of resources that involves) in the world can't solve every problem.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 25/09/2014 22:07

My post was in response to fizly's. From what was shown and I accept it was heavily edited etc etc yes,I think he was crying out for boundaries and the whole friendly matey matey business just doesn't work imo and ime.

FuzzyWizard · 25/09/2014 22:08

I think his behaviour was a result of a combination of things but could have been dealt with much much better. It's not a teaching issue but a management one. The school seems to have a very ad-hoc approach to behaviour and no fixed consequence tree. I'm a believer in fixed sanctions so doing X always results in Y sanction. In this series we've seen violence punished with litter picking, swearing at staff all but ignored and then suddenly they find themselves excluded for crossing the invisible line of tolerance.

lilypoppet · 25/09/2014 22:10

Watching tonight has made me feel sad.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 25/09/2014 22:10

Fuzzy-that's a really good point.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 25/09/2014 22:16

My DD watches this so I was watching on the periphery.
The bit in the intro , where one pupil leaps onto the back of another , lands on their shoulders and they fall face down.

WTF 1 Shock
What makes them think that was a good idea?

redskybynight · 26/09/2014 13:58

The 2 things that really struck me were:

  • what the rest of the class were doing when so much individual time was directed at one child
  • how pleased the HT was to see Jeb when he came back for his visit i.e. wasn't actually a child at the school and yet she had absolutely no idea who some of the children standing for head girl and head boy were.

Does make you wonder how a quiet, just getting on with it child at that school feels.

Icimoi · 26/09/2014 19:56

Fuzzy, I don't think the exclusion was sudden. It's reasonably clear that there has been a long build-up towards it - apart from all the pastoral support, they've used sending him to the detention room and fixed term exclusions, he had been warned more than once that he was looking at permanent exclusion if things didn't improve, he must have known that he'd had his last chance.

NeedaDiscoNap · 27/09/2014 22:12

I think you need to keep in mind how the programme has been edited. I agree a PRU does seem fairly extreme based on what we saw on screen of Jebb, but that'll be just a tiny snapshot of his behaviour.

I'm surprised too by how many behaviour incidents the HT gets involved with - in my school/previous schools it's DHTs who deal with behaviour unless it's extremely serious. I wonder if that's the reality, or if she's really that involved in dealing with day to day behaviour.

NanaNina · 27/09/2014 22:54

Yes I agree NeedaDiscoNap I'm surprised how many situations the head gets involved in and I strongly suspect this is for the benefit of the programme. I actually think the head is out of her depth - she doesn't come across as someone who is credible and has authority as far as I'm concerned. I'm surprised you think a PRU sounded extreme for Jebb - I certainly didn't and I was irritated by how the head kept trying to "reach out" to Jebb and he was having none of it. Thing is it's all edited isn't it so we only see the bits that they consider to be good tele.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 03/10/2014 08:29

Anyone watch last night?Smile

What a huge risk to take pushing Charlie to perform, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the approach they took tbh as it was such a huge gamble, it could've gone so badly wrong for him. So relived he managed it!

PartyFops · 03/10/2014 08:36

I watched it, and from someone who suffers with anxiety and panic attacks I think you do have to be pushed sometimes. It did him the world of good.

( I realise from your name you probably suffer too)

NeedaDiscoNap · 03/10/2014 11:25

NanaNina sorry, I didn't express that very well - I meant that a PRU might seem extreme from what we saw - I absolutely think it was the best choice for him and he seemed to thrive there.

I'm just watching last night's episode now. Louie is extremely cute!

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 03/10/2014 15:10

No, not me but I know if I push my ds too much when he's feeling anxious it back fires massively. I do think it's good to push yourself but not be pushed by others. If he hadn't managed to play the knock on effect could've affected his exams.
Anyway, ultimately he was ok which was brilliant,I just think it was a huge gamble.