I attended an information session for parents of year 5 and 4 pupils to prepare for the transition to secondary school. There the headteacher talked of the importance of being able to walk to secondary school but then went on to say that her experience shows that those who secure a place in a good local school or a grammar are children who have been tutored from year 4.
If this is an accepted school line how was it news to all those who attended?
I am curious to know what others think about this.
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Personally I felt that it was more important for my kids to be able to walk to school, be involved in extra curricular activity and have friends in their locality than finding a school which was at the top of the tables. I've never regretted that decision. My kids attended a school which was about average in terms of results but had a great support network for them - and they've both gone on to do exceptionally well at GCSE and A level. Both are now at University and come home regularly to see the friends they made here. If your kids are bright and they have good home support they will do well. Make life easier for yourself and for them and send them to their local school.
I guess I'm just very disappointed that the head of our primary seems to have so little faith in the ability and the potential of her pupils and was not it seems able to be more reassuring in terms of the thoroughness of the education pupils are getting and in their preparedness for whatever eventuality and for not basically saying what you have said. When parents are not convinced that their child has had the best of opportunities at primary and the head essentially tells them the school is not equipping them with what they need to get to a good school it is little wonder that parents doubt the qualities of what is on offer locally and join the throngs of anxious parents looking elsewhere and employing tutors.
I wonder if the headteacher considered that some parents could not afford years of private tuition or perhaps would not wish to place such stress and anxiety on their child?
Allan, I'm not quite sure what our headteacher considers any more but it is heartening to see that some others out there share my concerns.
Libby, does that mean that if the course is oversubscribed that some children who want help do not get it? I would be against this kind of pressure and stress for any child but it seems odd to only offer help to some.
So who is profiting from the £48 cost? Is this going to the school staff or to the school itself? It seems an entirely inappropriate incentive targeted at solely at the most reactive and financially capable. Is this a state school or private school?
And don't waste money on Sats practice papers. These have no educational value. Your child will have enough of Sats when in year 6 and they blight the last year of primary school. A school which pushes Sats relentlessly isn't benefiting your child - its focus is on its league table position.
A TES article, 9 March 2012*, gave the result of research which showed that physical exercise boosted brain function and recommended that children spend at least an hour a day doing some form of moderate to vigorous physical exercise. It will probably be more beneficial to your child to be running about than poring over exercises. The head of your child's school should know that.
*not available on line.
"School governing bodies and local authorities cannot charge for:
an admission application to any maintained school...
education provided outside school hours if it is part of the National Curriculum#, or part of a syllabus for a prescribed public examination that the pupil is being prepared for at the school, or part of religious education"
downloadable: http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/financialmanagement/...
If your child is at a private school, then it appears to me that the school is trying to profit from parental anxieties. If the school thinks this type of drilling is necessary it should be providing it for no extra cost.
According to the school the charge just covers costs -presumably photocopying etc.
I'm not sure if the course is oversubscribed or not but certainly I am aware of children being tutored anyway and perhaps in this additionally -more in English and Maths actually rather than non verbal and verbal reasoning.
I did ask the head in her experience what were pupils being tutored in from year 4 and she suggested prep for the Wandsworth test and perhaps,depending on the aspiration of the parents, in maths and English too.
Personally I do feel all pupils should be better prepared for the Wandsworth test in school time as it is a test administered in school time and the results of which travel with the pupil from one state school to the next. I did do some preparation with my daughter and a friend of hers for the test and I was rather shocked initially at their performance but with familiarity and practice they improved steadily and most significantly their attention to detail and better grasp of vocabulary became apparent in school work. I felt it was worth some effort as it was effectively a learning opportunity and of course I was able to gauge appropriate times for effective learning and held right back when the time didn't seem right. I actually enjoyed that time with my daughter and her friend and I was able to find the time to do it but I don't feel this should be an expected duty of a parent, nor should they feel obliged or financially burdened to employ a tutor or feel the anxiety or assume guilt at not doing.
I wonder if the school is aware of all the private tutoring that goes on and it actually suits them and perhaps secures them better SATs results. This is of course to the detriment of the school community and effective teaching and learning in school. I would like the school to challenge the parents who explain that their child won't be doing homework for the next while as they have a tutor and are focusing on tests. I would like the school to be able to reassure them that the school day is sufficient experience to equip their child for the next stage and be familiar with local secondary schools to know how best to prepare pupils. Unfortunately this doesn't seem to be happening at my local primary school.
Libby - if the school is state maintained it would appear to be breaking the law. It should not be charging for anything - no photocopying, materials, nothing. The Governing Body should be told.
Janet - the governing body are fully aware of this. I think the introduction of these sessions was prompted by the governors hoping to deliver good news and demonstrate the schools improved listening to parents and being responsive to them at a time when the school community was alerted to some rather awkward developments at school.
I'm confused. Is this Wandsworth test "a prescribed public examination"? I would have thought that term refers to things like SATS and GCSEs. This test doesn't sound like it is part of the National Curriculum or part of a syllabus so charging for these sessions wouldn't be against the law, would it?
I'm not sure of the definition of 'public exam' but the Wandsworth test is taken at school during the school day and every yr 6 child in Wandsworth is obliged to sit it and school places are determined by it.
I'm not familiar with the Wandsworth test, but if the parents have no choice about whether their children sit the test then I would think this comes under the category of a "public examination". If the test is mandatory then the school has no right, moral or legal, to expect parents to pay for coaching for the test.
Given the massive changes going on in education right now there seems to be an assumption by some -those with the most to gain, that those fearful of the loss of something hard to get back should for some inexplicable reason feel obliged to say nothing.
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