Nice people thread part 7 - a thread in its prime

michaels

lostinrates wrote: »

Oh nikkster....you are too lovely to resign yourself to cats INsTeAd of a man yet.

I would have said the same for PN :rotfl:

lostinrates

michaels wrote: »

I would have said the same for PN :rotfl:

I would include almost all the nice people, but I didn't see pn say it! Only nikkster.

lostinrates

Nikkster wrote: »

We shall see! One thing is for sure, I would rather be a cat lady than in a bad relationship

Indubitably.

LydiaJ

I've been having an interesting email correspondence with the senco at DS's school. It's bringing home to me the differences between the state and independent sectors in a way that I haven't seen before. (When he was in primary school I couldn't make a direct comparison because I've never taught in a primary school so I didn't know what to expect.)

At the independent school where I teach, kids can have extra help sessions for learning difficulties (dyslexia, dyspraxia, poor study skills, English not first language etc) if their parents pay for the sessions. So there's no limit on how many kids can be provided with help, and anyone is offered help if their difficulties are impeding their access to the rest of the curriculum.

At DS's state school, however, the budget for extra help is finite, so help can only be offered to those who are significantly worse than the "normal range" of performance. DS's perception is that he is by far the worst reader in his tutor group (and among the worst in the school), but it turns out that this isn't at all accurate, and that as far as the school are concerned, he's within the normal range and doesn't qualify for any help, although there are other children who do. (He may qualify for spelling help when that happens next term, though.)

Of course, it's encouraging in a way to find that he's doing better than he thinks he is, and I'll be asking the senco what can be done to give him a more positive view of the extent to which he's meeting expectations, so that he can stop feeling that he's failing or not good enough.

However, it's also a bit worrying. It's obvious to me (and to him) that his difficulties with reading, writing and spelling are causing him difficulty (and some distress) in engaging with the rest of the curriculum. He has ideas and can't get them down on paper properly; he tries to research things and can't comfortably read and understand what he's looking at.

So I've talked it over with DS, and also with my dad, who's turned into my regular person for bouncing ideas off when it comes to making educational decisions about my kids now that LNE's not about. We've agreed that I should arrange for DS to be privately tested, and then take advice as to what sort of help would make most difference to him.

But this evening I am mulling over my dad's initial instinctive response when I told him what the senco had said: "If he's not bad enough to get help, then there are an enormous number of children who really can't read, write and spell well enough to cope properly."

CKhalvashi

I've never taught in a Primary either, and I've been fighting to get DD2 (9 now) statemented for the last 18 months.

I've already spoken to the SENCO at the school DD1 is at, and she's saying that the primary school are being ridiculous, however I did teach at that school, so she does know me well.

It will be interesting to see if she's feeling the same way in 18 months time, when the school will be taking her on!

CK

ETA: Zag, are you on MSE 24/7?

zagubov

PasturesNew wrote: »

That chopper ... that's the flats my friend lives in, where I was planning on moving to 3 years ago.

It's an incredibly handy place to live, Vauxhall, because you can reach giant chunks of London dead quickly and easily. Not exactly tons to do there.
There was one big supermarket and a few pubs and not much else. I was apart-time student and part-time lecturer at the time and found it incredibly convenient.

You could walk to the West End if you wanted. I used to walk from to Kensington where I studied; it took 70 minutes. Actually fellt I was in London.

Now I could be on the verge of any big city. London's far away and sadly getting a bit irrelevent to me.

CK most of my work involves the computer being on all the time. This time of year is when i renew loads of insurances, etc. so yup I'm studying the site intensely.

However, unlike some of the posters on other threads I will have to stack up some zeds!;)

CKhalvashi

zagubov wrote: »

It's an incredibly handy place to live, Vauxhall, because you can reach giant chunks of London dead quickly and easily. Not exactly tons to do there.

Even where we are is quite good in terms of accessing London. I haven't done it on the train for years, however as most NP know, I work largely in London and drive, purely because where we are is nowhere near anywhere I can access easily.

Twice an hour to Liverpool Street in the day can't be moaned at, though!

CK most of my work involves the computer being on all the time. This time of year is when i renew loads of insurances, etc. so yup I'm studying the site intensely.

However, unlike some of the posters on other threads I will have to stack up some zeds!;)

I'd love to sleep, but unfortunately I have to get on with some more work before I go home (on lates this week)

I don't blame you re the insurances; we've just renewed the Public Liability for the office, and after being given a renewal of just over £48k, we've managed to find one that goes down to £30k :eek:

Still expensive, but at the same time, we work with kids in an environment that is dangerous to an extent, so it really is worth it. Only downside is that one of the contracts states a minimum of €25m cover, and that's how it gets so stupid price-wise

Night guys, as I'm doing one more email, popping into Studio 2 to speak with someone and disappearing for the night!

CK

misskool

It's a nightmare this public transport lark. I wanted to get a weekly season ticket ti work to reduce my costs and they wanted a photograph!

I am going to scrap the car as it has taken me twice as long and twice as much to get to work this week. I wouldn't mind if the trains were reasonable but they arent.

Gah, sorry for venting.

BertieUK

misskool wrote: »

It's a nightmare this public transport lark. I wanted to get a weekly season ticket ti work to reduce my costs and they wanted a photograph!

I am going to scrap the car as it has taken me twice as long and twice as much to get to work this week. I wouldn't mind if the trains were reasonable but they arent.

Gah, sorry for venting.

For some of us running a car is becoming a nightmare in costs, ok it gives us our independence but at a cost. I am retired and there is just the two of us left in the house and we are thinking of scrapping our car and travelling by train and now I have a free bus pass it does make sense.

As you say travelling by train is for some, more convenient than being stuck in the ever increasing lanesw of traffic traffic.

My grunt for the day over;)

LydiaJ

There are advantages to being provincial! The actual driving bit of the journey's still no problem here, although parking is getting ever increasingly nightmarish.