Advice on schooling
Apr 28th 2007, 12:06 am
#1
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Advice on schooling
Hi
Just after some advice on schooling for my youngest son.
I have been up all night with this issue and have probably managed to blow it all out of proportion.
When we came over to Australia, I spoke to the Headmaster of the school (before we enrolled the boys). My youngest was an able child in England and I wanted to make sure they could cater for his needs. I was assured by the Headmaster that there would be no problems.
He started school last September and was put into year 3. His teacher was great, we had several meeting to discuss the situation and everything seemed to be going OK.
He was moved up to year 4 at the beginning of the year and everything seems to have gone downhill since. My husband went to the group parent meeting at the beginning of the year and when I came home from work, discussed issues raised. I then sent a slip off to school requesting a meeting as I felt the work she outlined that would be covered would not be challenging enough. By the end of February I hadn't heard back so I phoned her. She wasn't very accomodating and made me feel as if I was just a mother who thought her son was brilliant. The thing is I am a qualified maths teacher and in the UK, I did know what I was talking about. I asked for her to consult with his previous teacher etc etc. She was then going to contact me.
I had a parent meeting for my eldest on 23rd March so went in to see if I could talk to my youngests teacher as well. She was off sick so I spoke to the headmaster. We had a good chat and he promised that I would get an appointment with her by the end of the first week back at school. That has now come and go with a letter being distributed to all parents on this terms work as well as a note saying some parents had not seen her and she had put an extra note in the bag to enable them to make an appointment with her. Guess what? I didn't get one.
One issue is that they are learning to tell the time and are concentrating on O'clock and half past. This is something in England that he learnt when he was 6 and feel that a 9 year old should know more. He knows every time and I have tested him to make sure I am not being paranoid.
Please help.
Debs
Just after some advice on schooling for my youngest son.
I have been up all night with this issue and have probably managed to blow it all out of proportion.
When we came over to Australia, I spoke to the Headmaster of the school (before we enrolled the boys). My youngest was an able child in England and I wanted to make sure they could cater for his needs. I was assured by the Headmaster that there would be no problems.
He started school last September and was put into year 3. His teacher was great, we had several meeting to discuss the situation and everything seemed to be going OK.
He was moved up to year 4 at the beginning of the year and everything seems to have gone downhill since. My husband went to the group parent meeting at the beginning of the year and when I came home from work, discussed issues raised. I then sent a slip off to school requesting a meeting as I felt the work she outlined that would be covered would not be challenging enough. By the end of February I hadn't heard back so I phoned her. She wasn't very accomodating and made me feel as if I was just a mother who thought her son was brilliant. The thing is I am a qualified maths teacher and in the UK, I did know what I was talking about. I asked for her to consult with his previous teacher etc etc. She was then going to contact me.
I had a parent meeting for my eldest on 23rd March so went in to see if I could talk to my youngests teacher as well. She was off sick so I spoke to the headmaster. We had a good chat and he promised that I would get an appointment with her by the end of the first week back at school. That has now come and go with a letter being distributed to all parents on this terms work as well as a note saying some parents had not seen her and she had put an extra note in the bag to enable them to make an appointment with her. Guess what? I didn't get one.
One issue is that they are learning to tell the time and are concentrating on O'clock and half past. This is something in England that he learnt when he was 6 and feel that a 9 year old should know more. He knows every time and I have tested him to make sure I am not being paranoid.
Please help.
Debs
May 3rd 2007, 8:39 pm
#2
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Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Hull, Yorkshire
Posts: 38
Re: Advice on schooling
Hi Debs,
Sorry, but I am only replying to your posting as the part about 9 year olds being taught o'clocks and half pasts made me howl with laughter! I know that's not very supportive to your predicament, but as a reception class teacher in the UK, most of my 5 year old charges had a good grasp of this by the end of the year. During a years teacher exchange programme in SA a few years back I noticed some 'differences' between UK and Aussie ed systems, to be polite, let alone between staff in the same school. Am bearing these 'differences' in mind as we are bringing our 2 young boys out later in the year. Some of the differences I know I'll appreciate, others perhaps not. At least you must feel confident to back up your concerns as a maths teacher yourself. Good luck with it all.
Sorry, but I am only replying to your posting as the part about 9 year olds being taught o'clocks and half pasts made me howl with laughter! I know that's not very supportive to your predicament, but as a reception class teacher in the UK, most of my 5 year old charges had a good grasp of this by the end of the year. During a years teacher exchange programme in SA a few years back I noticed some 'differences' between UK and Aussie ed systems, to be polite, let alone between staff in the same school. Am bearing these 'differences' in mind as we are bringing our 2 young boys out later in the year. Some of the differences I know I'll appreciate, others perhaps not. At least you must feel confident to back up your concerns as a maths teacher yourself. Good luck with it all.
May 4th 2007, 8:44 am
#3
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Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Tasmania!
Posts: 2,414
Re: Advice on schooling
Hi Debs
Sorry to hear of your problems with the school. I'm afraid I can't help in any way other than to offer cyber sympathy. We are still at skills assessment stage and have been researching the education system as much as we can from here in the UK.
There is obviously a problem with this teacher's lack of communication skills, its difficult to know what to do but I would suggest you keep going as otherwise she'll conveniently forget about it. Maybe you'll have to keep on reminding headteacher too.
I too was horrified to know what your son was being taught, my son is 8 and is already onto the 24 hour clock times, so I can understand that this would be really boring for a child from the UK to be learning o'clock and half past!
I know that their system is different but it does really worry me as both of my kids are bright and I don't want them to be bored (which can lead to all sorts of problems).
Hope you get it all sorted soon.
Sammy
Sorry to hear of your problems with the school. I'm afraid I can't help in any way other than to offer cyber sympathy. We are still at skills assessment stage and have been researching the education system as much as we can from here in the UK.
There is obviously a problem with this teacher's lack of communication skills, its difficult to know what to do but I would suggest you keep going as otherwise she'll conveniently forget about it. Maybe you'll have to keep on reminding headteacher too.
I too was horrified to know what your son was being taught, my son is 8 and is already onto the 24 hour clock times, so I can understand that this would be really boring for a child from the UK to be learning o'clock and half past!
I know that their system is different but it does really worry me as both of my kids are bright and I don't want them to be bored (which can lead to all sorts of problems).
Hope you get it all sorted soon.
Sammy
May 5th 2007, 1:07 pm
#4
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: Bunbury, WA
Posts: 541
Re: Advice on schooling
Hi Debs
Sorry to hear of your problems with the school. I'm afraid I can't help in any way other than to offer cyber sympathy. We are still at skills assessment stage and have been researching the education system as much as we can from here in the UK.
There is obviously a problem with this teacher's lack of communication skills, its difficult to know what to do but I would suggest you keep going as otherwise she'll conveniently forget about it. Maybe you'll have to keep on reminding headteacher too.
I too was horrified to know what your son was being taught, my son is 8 and is already onto the 24 hour clock times, so I can understand that this would be really boring for a child from the UK to be learning o'clock and half past!
I know that their system is different but it does really worry me as both of my kids are bright and I don't want them to be bored (which can lead to all sorts of problems).
Hope you get it all sorted soon.
Sammy
Sorry to hear of your problems with the school. I'm afraid I can't help in any way other than to offer cyber sympathy. We are still at skills assessment stage and have been researching the education system as much as we can from here in the UK.
There is obviously a problem with this teacher's lack of communication skills, its difficult to know what to do but I would suggest you keep going as otherwise she'll conveniently forget about it. Maybe you'll have to keep on reminding headteacher too.
I too was horrified to know what your son was being taught, my son is 8 and is already onto the 24 hour clock times, so I can understand that this would be really boring for a child from the UK to be learning o'clock and half past!
I know that their system is different but it does really worry me as both of my kids are bright and I don't want them to be bored (which can lead to all sorts of problems).
Hope you get it all sorted soon.
Sammy
Managed to get in and request an interview last Monday. Also did a lot of reseach and contacted PEAC about the situation. Got the interview on Friday and things went well. Works out that PEAC had phoned the school and have asked to visit.
They basically put my son through a lot of assessments last week. I was really happy with his results. It works out he is working at level 3 already (apparently this is the level that they should b at when they go to high school). The have also had the numeracy co-ordinator in the room this week and the principal has also spent some time in there. Sounds like they are having a bit of a shake up.
I have an appointment to see the ed psych on Tuesday to discuss my son and after that, he will be assessed formally by PEAC to enable the school to get a correct level of his abilities.
I will keep you posted but looks like my persistence has paid off. If anyone else is in a similar position, fight for what you believe is right but make sure you get all the amunition you need first. I did and hopefully things will now get sorted.
Debs
May 5th 2007, 4:11 pm
#5
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Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Tasmania!
Posts: 2,414
Re: Advice on schooling
Well done, sounds like you are half way there. Shame you've got to battle so much but as you say its the only way to get them to sit and take notice of what you are saying.
Let us know how you get n, by the way who are the PEAC and how did you make contact with them (just for future reference you know, in case I have similar probs)
Sammy
Let us know how you get n, by the way who are the PEAC and how did you make contact with them (just for future reference you know, in case I have similar probs)
Sammy
May 31st 2007, 12:44 pm
#6
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: Bunbury, WA
Posts: 541
Re: Advice on schooling
Well done, sounds like you are half way there. Shame you've got to battle so much but as you say its the only way to get them to sit and take notice of what you are saying.
Let us know how you get n, by the way who are the PEAC and how did you make contact with them (just for future reference you know, in case I have similar probs)
Sammy
Let us know how you get n, by the way who are the PEAC and how did you make contact with them (just for future reference you know, in case I have similar probs)
Sammy
PEAC is the association that deals with able and gifted children. If the child falls into this category, they give ongoing help to parents and teachers and also additional lessons. They are due to do a ground level assessment on him in the next couple of weeks but there is a lady coming over from Sydney that does the proper ones with stubborn kids (mine is). She is not going to be over until near the end of the year but we are booked in.
I think I now know where the term whinging pom has come from as I have had to do plenty but it seems to be working.
Debs
