aaaaaaaaagh this school is driving me mad!!
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Re: aaaaaaaaagh this school is driving me mad!!
Marylou has raised a good point about Ofsted.You said previously that you had always written great things about the school on the questionaires but if you had mentioned ( with others ) the lack of communication then the school does have to address that and further more produce evidence that new procedures are in place ...I only know this by my sneaky viewing at midnight of my dh school emails 
Our health day is going well ! Covered all of ds1 weak maths spots early this morning and he did really well on a maths sats paper ( sorry K ) then we took the rabbit to the vet and when he ( the rabbit ) needed to go out the back for teeth clipping I managed to sweet talk the vet in letting ds to go and watch and he ended up ( the vet, not the rabbit ) in showing us around the little hospital bit and explaining every thing to ds1...the others will be really envious when they come home from school! Ds is now reading a new book we've just bought.
I'm now having a vision of the teachers at school all sitting round a laptop reading this !
Our health day is going well ! Covered all of ds1 weak maths spots early this morning and he did really well on a maths sats paper ( sorry K ) then we took the rabbit to the vet and when he ( the rabbit ) needed to go out the back for teeth clipping I managed to sweet talk the vet in letting ds to go and watch and he ended up ( the vet, not the rabbit ) in showing us around the little hospital bit and explaining every thing to ds1...the others will be really envious when they come home from school! Ds is now reading a new book we've just bought.
I'm now having a vision of the teachers at school all sitting round a laptop reading this !
Re: aaaaaaaaagh this school is driving me mad!!
That sounded like an efficient morning with your son. Brilliant!!
You never know who the anonymous people on this forum are.
You never know who the anonymous people on this forum are.
Re: aaaaaaaaagh this school is driving me mad!!
OFSTED - it was inspected only two terms ago and went from satis to good, so no hope there for a few years!!
Re: aaaaaaaaagh this school is driving me mad!!
Did you see ( not sure if it was on the news) over the weekend that family who have travelled the world in a car....yes, car ( they're very slim) and have had 4 children on the way.The mother teaches them ...you know, counting leaves that sort of thing....but maybe the whole Mystery clan should uproot and then you can send us updates from around the world ! No more school worries then ! 
Oh and I popped into my mothers earlier ....she used to be a yr 1 teacher and said spelling/ reading problems have been going on for donkeys years like the ones we describe! Apparently she would often complain about random spellings, wrong level books etc for me and of course working at the school at the same time ( and presumably not allowed to wear a big coat whilst teaching ) it made for a rather uncomfortable lunch time in the staff room..........
Oh and I popped into my mothers earlier ....she used to be a yr 1 teacher and said spelling/ reading problems have been going on for donkeys years like the ones we describe!
Apparently she would often complain about random spellings, wrong level books etc for me and of course working at the school at the same time ( and presumably not allowed to wear a big coat whilst teaching ) it made for a rather uncomfortable lunch time in the staff room..........Re: aaaaaaaaagh this school is driving me mad!!
Your Mum sounds great. Let's have a trampolining party. It's gone cold again though so don't worry I'll be well wrapped up.
I am sorely tempted to be that family travelling the world right now counting leaves and eating squashed sandwiches in the car.
I am sorely tempted to be that family travelling the world right now counting leaves and eating squashed sandwiches in the car.
Re: aaaaaaaaagh this school is driving me mad!!
You can come over to my trampoline, Mystery.......the dog's a bit possesive so I hope you don't mind sharing....
Well, sorry in advance for boring the pants off everyone...but asked today about dd and the reading scheme and was told she might not be doing it now, but the teacher doing it wasn't in today...so don't know why.I think her reading has really come on ,now she has regained interest so feel quite relaxed.
Also bravely asked for her spelling book and was told that if I didn't want dd to learn yr4/5 spellings then she could learn yr 1 spellings instead ! Really confused now.Anyway, dh was with me for a meeting and he had asked for me not to start going on and on ( his words not mine ) until he had finished his meeting and was safely home again....great support eh ?!! So we all came home and I have gone over the yr 1 spellings which luckily she knows and the yr 4/5 she can spell with just swapping 2 letters sometimes.....just need to learn the yr2/3 now !!! The boys were pretty useless at spelling until at least yr 3...i'd rather she was completely up on phonics and reading etc...surely then the spelling will follow ?
Sorry again....this must be pretty boring now for everyone !
Well, sorry in advance for boring the pants off everyone...but asked today about dd and the reading scheme and was told she might not be doing it now, but the teacher doing it wasn't in today...so don't know why.I think her reading has really come on ,now she has regained interest so feel quite relaxed.
Also bravely asked for her spelling book and was told that if I didn't want dd to learn yr4/5 spellings then she could learn yr 1 spellings instead !
Really confused now.Anyway, dh was with me for a meeting and he had asked for me not to start going on and on ( his words not mine ) until he had finished his meeting and was safely home again....great support eh ?!! So we all came home and I have gone over the yr 1 spellings which luckily she knows and the yr 4/5 she can spell with just swapping 2 letters sometimes.....just need to learn the yr2/3 now !!! The boys were pretty useless at spelling until at least yr 3...i'd rather she was completely up on phonics and reading etc...surely then the spelling will follow ?Sorry again....this must be pretty boring now for everyone !
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Uberyummymummy
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Re: aaaaaaaaagh this school is driving me mad!!
Definitely not boring. Very entertaining - Scarlett, I do love reading your posts
Re: aaaaaaaaagh this school is driving me mad!!
It's difficult not to go on and on when you're a bit anxious ! That's really sweet of you ! Do you recognise any of our school woes ?!
Re: aaaaaaaaagh this school is driving me mad!!
Who needs year 2/3 words when you've got year 4/5 ones? What is this magic spelling book that the school has let you have? I might like it to add to my collection of unused books. I think I have a lending library now, or we could hold county-wide health days here. We do have the space. And the unused books and paper.
I was kidnapped again today at school. Not a good experience. Smack handies for asking a question again. And I know you are going to recommend me some wine, but OH is away, supplies are dry. It's not a good reason for the leaving the kiddies home alone is it?
Anyway, the good news is DD has been jumped several levels on the phonics scheme and at least it brings her back into a group which the majority of her peers are in (not allowed to say this, but that's not because she is any better at anything than before, just because she was in completely the wrong group before - but as the school says, who am I to say. "Just because you've read one book about this doesn't mean you know everything" ------ I didn't like to say that I have consulted with one of the leading synthetic phonics experts in the country ... !!!).
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.
Gobbledegook. Never mind.
So that brings me back round to your spelling book. I need to aim for year 4/5 too.
Sounds like the Reading Recovery scheme is a cracker at your school too Scarlett. One session wasn't it, and she's a free reader and a year 4/5 speller. But who are we to say that this is a little fishy ..........
Send me a virtual glass of wine please.
I was kidnapped again today at school. Not a good experience. Smack handies for asking a question again. And I know you are going to recommend me some wine, but OH is away, supplies are dry. It's not a good reason for the leaving the kiddies home alone is it?
Anyway, the good news is DD has been jumped several levels on the phonics scheme and at least it brings her back into a group which the majority of her peers are in (not allowed to say this, but that's not because she is any better at anything than before, just because she was in completely the wrong group before - but as the school says, who am I to say. "Just because you've read one book about this doesn't mean you know everything" ------ I didn't like to say that I have consulted with one of the leading synthetic phonics experts in the country ... !!!).
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.
Gobbledegook. Never mind.
So that brings me back round to your spelling book. I need to aim for year 4/5 too.
Sounds like the Reading Recovery scheme is a cracker at your school too Scarlett. One session wasn't it, and she's a free reader and a year 4/5 speller. But who are we to say that this is a little fishy ..........
Send me a virtual glass of wine please.
Re: aaaaaaaaagh this school is driving me mad!!
Yes, my dd is taking her english A level next week......
Don't know about a glass of wine, sounds like you need a whole bottle ! Would send you some of mine but i'm afraid there's only a thimbleful left.......
Now, I going to be serious and honest now.I think if you can't move your dd and you can't have a sensible, constructive session with their teachers then you will just have to stop going in and asking what they are doing as they seem to take it as a personal attack...and sound a little threatened by you...meaning you are probably one of their more intelligent parents !! It sounds as if whatever you say they won't agree with you. You sound like you have made some strides already......do you think this phonics etc is anything to do with the work they have to do for the sats ? I'm thinking at my dc school everything is in overdrive for this actually.
I'm sending you some thornton choccies and some lovely tulips...........
Don't know about a glass of wine, sounds like you need a whole bottle ! Would send you some of mine but i'm afraid there's only a thimbleful left.......
Now, I going to be serious and honest now.I think if you can't move your dd and you can't have a sensible, constructive session with their teachers then you will just have to stop going in and asking what they are doing as they seem to take it as a personal attack...and sound a little threatened by you...meaning you are probably one of their more intelligent parents !! It sounds as if whatever you say they won't agree with you. You sound like you have made some strides already......do you think this phonics etc is anything to do with the work they have to do for the sats ? I'm thinking at my dc school everything is in overdrive for this actually.
I'm sending you some thornton choccies and some lovely tulips...........
