Query about starting at secondary school

[piwoodhouse]

Odd query I know, but if anyone could help I'd be grateful.

My daughter has just completed her final year at an independent prep school and is due to begin at our local grammar this September.

Her end of term report was shocking, in that her form teacher wrote a number of quite disparaging things eg her homework was always late and she struggled terribly with an autobiography project. At Parent's Evening, this teacher lavished praise on my daughter and at no point in this academic year (or any other!) did the teacher contact us to say he was worried about her progress. Not only is what he wrote untrue, his comments came totally out of the blue and have completely soured my daughter's memories of what should have been a happy time.

She is now worried that her new school will get a copy of this report - as are we; I mean to say, I can imagine anyone reading a report like hers, about a child who never got their homework in on time, might well ask "Where on earth were the parents in all this?!".

So can anyone tell me what happens when a child joins a new secondary school? Are "references" taken up? Is the last school report forwarded to the new school?

My feeling is that if it is, I want to approach the teacher and ask him to supply an addendum, in which he acknowledges at no point did he contact us (as part of his much vaunted School-Parent-Child triangle and in his capacity as Head of Pastoral Care!)

[hermanmunster]

Hi

I don't think much goes to the grammar school - my DD and DS went from independent prep to GS and we had to get hold of their SATS scores off the prep (for DS that is - they didn't ask for DD - she hadn't done them anyway). I am not aware that their reports were seen by GS.

For DD ( who went to a local prep) - the GS teacher came to visit them at the prep- fairly low key I think - general chat with the girls and maybe the teacher.

[Snowdrops]

Yes, I agree with Herman, nothing much passes from primary to secondary. They seem to want to start with a 'clean slate' so to speak which is good in a lot of ways.

I think from what you've said this is sour grapes that you're taking your dc out from the school, and the teacher has taken it as a reflection upon him/herself. Don't worry about it. Even if they did hand over the report (which is very unlikely to happen!) the new school would soon see for themselves how wrong it was.

[pheasantchick]

Just a thought, was your daughter given the right report? Perhaps she was given someone else's by mistake. It maybe worth checking, especially as the comments you received seemed so out of character for your daughter.

[piwoodhouse]

Thanks everyone - some very comforting & helpful replies. To Snowdrops: it really can't be sour grapes as her prep only went up to age 11 so staying on wasn't an option. It is definitely her report, though interestingly not one of the other teachers said her work was late, so it is only him, sadly. He is one of those teachers that had obvious favourites though my daughter always took that on the chin. Ironically, a few weeks ago I was urged to make a complaint because this chap took my son out of school for an away cricket match and I had deliberately not signed the advance permission slip because we had to take him to Clapham to meet an Asperger Syndrome mentor; as it was I had to dash to the away school and we got to our meeting very late. I decided not to complain because I'm fairly forgiving, but when I saw this teacher in school the following day he didn't even have the grace to apologise. Some people!

[fm]

I don't think grammar school secondary staff, whether teachers or administrators, would bother ploughing through a whole lot of reports even if they were available. They are well aware that secondary education is a whole different ball game.

Indeed, as a tutor, I have no huge interest in how they are doing at primary school vis-a-vis position in year or current Sat level as I don't find either to be particularly reliable indicators of how they are going to do in a grammar school test.


I would forget this 'off' comment from some teacher having an 'off' day as trying to somehow fix it may actually suggest to people there is a problem, remind her of all the good times she had at the school and have a great summer looking forward to an exciting new start for her.

[stevew61]

Indeed, as a tutor, I have no huge interest in how they are doing at primary school vis-a-vis position in year or current Sat level as I don't find either to be particularly reliable indicators of how they are going to do in a grammar school test.

Thanks for sharing that, it has made my day.

[yoyo123]

I don;t know what happens going from inde to state school, but state primaries send school record (which includes copies of all reports) and any SEN files to the secondary school.

I have spent many an hour sorting out files.

The Senco also meets with the secondary senco to passon files, give a quick overview of each child and to pass on any targets for IEP

[Sherbetlemon]

I wouldn't be bothered at all about the secondary school, but if I received a very inaccurate report about one of my children, I don't think I'd be able to resist challenging it for my own and my child's satisfaction.

[jingle]

Same here, I would not be able to stop myself. Would want to know about his concerns in detail, how long it has been 'a problem' and why was this the first you had heard about it?