aaaaaaaaagh this school is driving me mad!!

[mystery]

Ah thank you. No I don't think it's anything to do with SATS (not that any school has to do KS1 sats anymore anyhow). If anything it's taking up a chunk of time each day on something that prob does not help towards SATS (unless of course you really needed it).

I didn't go in to ask ........ last thing I would want to do. I was kidnapped!!

[scarlett]

How were you kidnapped ? Are you still there now ? Is that why you don't have any wine ?

Are you the only parent they find difficult ? I'll lend you my severe husband....more effective then the unforgiving coat !!

[tiredmum]

And the bad news is DD's still on the phonics scheme, despite the head sending a letter saying that she was "off the phonics groups". For some reason the last level of the phonics scheme does not count. And how long will she remain on it? "As long as it takes." As long as what takes? "As long as it takes her to be in our professional judgement ready to come off the phonics scheme." So what did she get wrong in the phonics reading assessment? "Nothing. It's about spelling."

But it isn't a spelling test that determines which level you go on in this scheme. "We do it differently at this school. It is here." And what's wrong with her spelling? "She gets them wrong sometimes". I didn't get round to saying, but this isn't a spelling course, it's a phonics course primarily about learning to read, and secondly about learning to spell phonically plausibly. I have of course told them this before, so it would have been a further waste of breath.

.

omg you must feel like you are banging your head against a brick wall!

My dd2 was always - and still is in yr 7 - a dreadful speller! At primary in year 3 she was put on a computer help scheme for her spelling but was still in a high reading group - with some children spelling and reading seem to be separate and you cant hold back their reading until the spelling catches up!

Sending you virtual vodka!

[scarlett]

That's so true, Tiredmum...my boys were terrible spellers until yr 3 or even yr4....they would put random letters on the end or middle of words...ds1 I couldn't even understand what he had written in yr2....but his reading was quite good.....then almost overnight they could suddenly spell quite complex words ! One of lifes little mysteries !!!

[mystery]

Thanks everyone. I'm starting to laugh again about it now. The kidnapping involved three senior people following me into the classroom where I was trying to gather up children's belongings and leave with children. Children were all sent somewhere else to change. I wasn't locked in but felt compelled to remain as they were all quite cross that I did not want to stay.

I'm safe at home now. Yes I suppose they must feel threatened by me now as numbers have gone up from two to three when I am summonsed. I don't know if I am the only problem parent. I will add that to my list of questions!!

[scarlett]

Maybe you should hand the school a questionaire of your own......

[mystery]

Scarlett, I was serious about needing the name of the magic spelling book.

Someone pointed out that you couldn't hold back a child's reading for the spelling .......... well you can if you professionally think that is what is best for the child, clearly. Also I have been told it is important to use basic scheme reading books for comprehension exercises - they learn far more this way. Continually re-reading books from a year ago is excellent too instead of trying something new. I have also been advised not to be in the least interested in what my child does at school, not to help at home, and to accept that she just may or may not have it in her to get level 5s (while it sounds clearly they think she has not) as there's more to reading than "barking at the page" and her comprehension is poor. Just leave her to be independent and whatever will be will be, trust us.

Sorry to bore you all. I'm off to bed.

[pheasantchick]

I can't believe you have been told not to be interested in your child's education!

[scarlett]

Hope you had a good nights sleep and your sore throat is not troubling you.

The more you reveal about the conversations you have with these teachers, the more I think that they are set in their ways of teaching and don't like you suggesting anything different.I' m not a teacher, so don't know if what they say is partly right or not...all I can say is that you know your child and if you feel she is capable of more and you are clearly unhappy with the school situation then you will have to go that step further and ask to discuss it with the governors. I have been told in the past not to do anything at home with my children too and I wish I didn't have to, but when I concentrate on one child the others do noticeably fall behind so it would seem that if I want my children to achieve everything I know they are capable of...then that's exactly what I need to do.

I find the teachers are sometimes cautious in stretching children etc ( not on a rack !) but my children are perfectly normal and we do extra at home !

I think for your peace of mind you will need to take a backseat at least for a while...and see if the teachers change anything if the idea hasn't come from you ?

Remember there are lots of us on here who have similar issues to you and have done our own thing...and the children have flourished later on in school...yr 2 is still young.....ds1 didn't "click " until 6 months before the 11 plus !!!!

Re the spellings...there are lots online with spellings for certain yrs and terms.......thats one good thing about working nights, you tend to have a few hours to trawl through the internet !

If not, I suggest buying an old mini and setting a record for the amount of people squashed inside whilst travelling the world ( counting leaves )

[mystery]

Wise advice I know from you Scarlett. My planning now has to involve avoiding being kidnapped as the last thing I wanted to do was to have to speak to any of them again!!