I need to moan about my doughter's school.

System

jellyhead wrote:

just being nosey, how old is this son who was pinned against a wall?

He was 15. I have made a formal complaint about the teacher, and it was investigated. The teacher admitted grabbing him by the collar, my son said he pinned him up the wall.

bylromarha

There's no point being a shouty teacher. the kids hate it, and you end up with headaches. plus the level of noise rises in the classroom so that normal conversations end up at shouting mode. It's just not worth the hassle. There are far more appropraite ways to get your class to do what you want them to do and praise is so much more effective than negative methods...though I have to say if you aren't a shouty teacher, when you do yell the kids realise how cross you are!

You're right, one governor by themselves can't do anything...however, 1 governor who speaks out against what the head says may mean another governor may also speak out. Your head has to listen to the governors...otherwise what is the point in having them? The head is the educational expert in the group of governors, but surely a reasonable discussion about water vs juice doesn't need the head to have the final word? As a govenor, you can raise issues about the school which you feel need to be addressed.

Like all professions you get people who are good or bad at their job. Just make sure you let the good ones know they're good and why...the teaching profession is losing far too many good teachers who, though love teaching, are fed up to the back teeth with the bureaucracy. A comment from a parent makes all the difference. So go and spread a little happiness in the world when you pick your child up from school today...LOL!

jellyhead

there's always at least one kid in each class who's an absolute horror, i'm not saying teachers have it easy. i was planning a PGCE after graduation but thought better of it after volunteering and taking a course in school, i'm not calm or organised enough for teaching lol! even so if shannon's a well behaved child i don't think she deserves to be yelled at over such a trivial issue even if i thought it was okay to yell at the kids who'd test the patience of a saint. perhaps the teacher was having a bad day, but hopefully in future she'll be more aware of how sensitive some children are, especially if they don't have the kind of parents who regularly scream at them. some children are used to shouting and it doesn't bother them at all but to others it can seem like the end of the world.

rushnowt

I've also had a problem with this once seems like the exact same scenario to me, letter comes home but teacher says if the contents cant be viewed whos to know its juice but kids can be real horrors sometimes and think its their duty to go and "grass" on another kiddy, thankfully the teacher didnt make a scene about it and water is sent in daily now instead of the juice.

However taking about teachers and bullying, when my now 17 yr old daughter was in primary school she was 6 at the time, she came out of school this one evening totally distraught, it took me ages to get out of her what was wrong and eventually she mumbled that she had been made to stand on a table in the middle of class all afternoon.

I immediately went to see her class teacher to investigate what had actually happened, the teacher was very open about it and explained that my daughter had carried on talking when she had asked the class to be quiet, so in her wisdom she gave my daughter a severe telling off and made her stand on the table all afternoon to embarrass her and ensure that the incident didnt occur again.

I was livid, I argued with the teacher who just walked away from me and told me to take my daughter out of the school if i wasnt happy with her motheds, so i immediately went to see the head, again i was met with the same pathetic attitude and she fully backed all her teaching staff and their methods.

I removed her from the school that night and she never returned, I wrote a formal letter of complaint to the education board and after several weeks of waiting I was told that nothing could be done, what a pile of crap, I got her into a new school and thankfully she was never treated in such an appauling way again.

aeuerby

bylromarha wrote:

You're right, one governor by themselves can't do anything...however, 1 governor who speaks out against what the head says may mean another governor may also speak out. Your head has to listen to the governors...otherwise what is the point in having them?

When my husband was a governor he joined with one other lady. It turned out that this year they had changed the constitution and they would only be a governor for a year. This was not explained until his year was up and they were in need of new governors. Because of this and how the new governors were told at the end of their stint "You can reapply if you want" but not given any further encouragements or thanks he declined to do so. That and our very new business taking over most of his spare time!

The attitude of the governors really annoyed my husband. They were forever taking the easy way out and when my husband challenged any of them on anything he was always met with the same response. That being "It's they way it's always been done and it would be too difficult to change" He was never backed up by anyother governor but the lady that joined with him.

For another example. Ofsted were due to visit the school. During one of the discussions about the parents meeting one of the governors asked if they really have to have this meeting because "What if one of the parents complains?" My husband was amazed at this comment and told them so. But they were all too much like lemmings to back him up.

After a year it kind of grinds you down!!

bylromarha

Sounds to me like your governing body isn't running properly. Unless the rules have changed in the past 6 months I've been away from school governors serve a term of 3 years before they have to stand for re-election.

I was the teacher governor on a good governing body who listened to all, brought issues from parents to the attention of the governing body and did a brilliant job...always recognising they weren't educational experts, but knew how to call a spade a spade if something wasn't right. The chair was also excellent at saying thank you to people for being there as she recognised giving up your time for a thankless task needed to have someone saying thank you!

The governors are there to be the critical friend to the head and the school...a vital job which doesn't help if there's sheep tagging along to get a better standing on the local council (which can happen!). Your hubby probably got no thanks because he was doing his job properly!!!!

If you aren't happy with school life, being a governor is about the only way you have a voice to change things.

numberthree

Maybe this teacher hasn't anything better to do with her time!

I think it is great that children are now allowed to have a drink with them in class - it has stopped both my girls coming home with headaches. However, in my daughters primary school some teachers allow juice and others only allow water! The Head simply doesn't want to get involved.

I would be tempted to put a letter together to the Head and copy it to the Chair of Govenors stating your concern at the over reaction of the teacher. At least if this incident is made a bit more official then any future incidents would be treated more seriously.