Complaint to School

[Pipsqueak]

Do you remember a few weeks ago my eldest was excluded from school trip because his 'effort' grades were not what the school wanted....

well today school have as near as possible apologised to me and admitted in a round about way they were wrong.

the complaints lady (and also the SENCO) admits that the satisfactory grade in school is 3 yet the required average to go on trip is 2.5 - which is a discrepancy (Rob obtained a 2.6 and to this day I have not been notified that there is a 'problem' with my sons grades). robert obtained several 2 and 3's in his report meaning he was at satisfactory levels and above for his school report with one 4.
The senco lady also states that she agrees Rob has a concentration problem it appears from his reports particuarly in certain (non 'doing') lessons and that the teachers should have flagged it up before now so that he can get some help.

I am going in tomorrow morning to speak with the head of house so that he can tell me about the 'effort grade' system - the senco lady admitted SHE didn't know about it either...... and this has NEVER been highlighted to parents or children......

in saying all that they are trying to justify that Rob was not excluded just not invited on the trip.......


wrong wrong parent.........


should I be asking that my son be apologised to?

[angeldelight]

It's terrible and yes I would expect them to apologise to Rob

Let us know how it goes today good luck

Angel xxx

[Mouse]

I hope you manage to get a satisfactory conclusion for you & Rob. I hope you manage to get an apology for him as it shows they accept they were wrong.

I have had a dreadful year with one secondary school teacher and his department heads. I eventually asked for a copy of the school's complaints policy & withdrew my son from this particular teacher's lesson. I didn't make a formal complaint in the end, but the option is always there. I feel your pain!

[charlie potato]

I think he should definately be apologised to. My sons maths, writing and spelling isnt fantastic at 10yr old. He's not been good at concentrating since he was little unless its a computer game or tv. School have now decided this yr that he's a daydreamer! I think theres something amiss but school dismiss it. Good luck with the school. xx

[charleyfarley]

That is the least I would expect from the school.

After all your ds missed out on the trip because of them. It is disgusting that they are now saying he just wasn't invited!!!!!!!

Good luck for tomorrow

Carol xx

[gigglinggoblin]

Surely not inviting him is discrimination? Yes I would expect an apology at the very least.

Have you heard of IPSEA? Their advice line is very good and can tell you where you stand legally. Any time I am told something I am not sure about I say I will check with them, they know disability law (sometimes better than the school) so you know you are right if you choose to argue. It can help school to think especially carefully too if they know you are checking up on their decisions.

[Pipsqueak]

Not heard of IPSEA Goblin - is it only regarding schooling and disabilities and children with SEN?

Rob does not have SEN - although the SENCO is glad he is 'flagged up with her' and she can help the teachers put strategies into place.

ahhhh - just looked - this might actually come in handy with Harry as he has dyslexia .... well a 'specific learning disability' as they don't want to 'label' him.....

[charleyfarley]

Thanks Goblin that could help me too with Mitchell

Carol xxx

[gigglinggoblin]

Glad to pass on the info, the helpline is staffed by volunteers (or rather volunteer last time I used it) but its fantastic to know there is some one independant who can give advice! Parent partnership works too closely with the LEA imo and isnt very useful most of the time. I used the letters on the IPSEA website (assuming they are still there) to get ds a statement when school were useless.

[gigglinggoblin]

this might actually come in handy with Harry as he has dyslexia .... well a 'specific learning disability' as they don't want to 'label' him.....

LEA didnt want to label my son either, I pushed for it anyway. Then when he hit high school it turned out he got about 4 times as much funding for support because of that label. Wonder why they advised me not to go for it?

[The Juggler]

Do you remember a few weeks ago my eldest was excluded from school trip because his 'effort' grades were not what the school wanted....

well today school have as near as possible apologised to me and admitted in a round about way they were wrong.

the complaints lady (and also the SENCO) admits that the satisfactory grade in school is 3 yet the required average to go on trip is 2.5 - which is a discrepancy (Rob obtained a 2.6 and to this day I have not been notified that there is a 'problem' with my sons grades). robert obtained several 2 and 3's in his report meaning he was at satisfactory levels and above for his school report with one 4.
The senco lady also states that she agrees Rob has a concentration problem it appears from his reports particuarly in certain (non 'doing') lessons and that the teachers should have flagged it up before now so that he can get some help.

I am going in tomorrow morning to speak with the head of house so that he can tell me about the 'effort grade' system - the senco lady admitted SHE didn't know about it either...... and this has NEVER been highlighted to parents or children......

in saying all that they are trying to justify that Rob was not excluded just not invited on the trip.......


wrong wrong parent.........


should I be asking that my son be apologised to?

absolutely yes. not only were they wrong in "NOT INVITING!!" him but they even if his grades were below a 2.5 they should have spoken to you earlier and to him making you both fully aware the trip might go as a consequence of this.

In my experience in good schools poor grades are not usually a reason to exclude from trips, it is poor behaviour - I don''t see concentration problems as unwanted behaviour - unless he is deliberately causing a disruption to the whole class rather than just not concentrating themselves.

Honestly, Rob was in need of help. They didn't provide the help, they didn't speak to you about it, they didn't give you/him the chance to improve because they did not tell you nor did they warn you what he'd miss

seriuosly Pip, i'd be going to the Governors (if you have the energy). I'd be asking for the policy on SEN, on school trip exclusions and on effort

sorry - rant over. x

[jumpinjen]

Yes I think he should be apologised to Pip...... children are expected to make apologies to adults when they are in the wrong and it shouldn't be any different when it's the other way around.

And as for 'not inviting' rather than 'excluding'...... this sounds like 'not-telling' instead of 'lying by omission'.... it just muddies the waters. However they word it they didn't include him...

And an apology to you for all the running around you have had to do about this!

jen x

[Pipsqueak]

oh I have found a gem... in scouring the school brochure and policies...

under the heading of grades and expectations...

grades are 'aspirational' and each child is assessed on their 'own merit'

just perfect.....

i have used a WHOLE post it note packet making notes.


And the SENCO pointed out to me that 'effort' grades were based on 1-4 (1 being outstanding 2 good 3 satisfactory and 4 cause for concern)

Robert has maintained for the past year or improved upon 3 upwards.... so has consistently gained a satisfactory for 6 subjects and gained 4 goods....
so where on earth is the fairness and consistency... there is a huge discrepancy between gaining the required (and no where does it state this) the 2.5 average 'effort' grading or even 'aspirational' grading....

WRONG parent school - wrong parent.....


and that is just the start

[The Juggler]

oh I have found a gem... in scouring the school brochure and policies...

under the heading of grades and expectations...

grades are 'aspirational' and each child is assessed on their 'own merit'

just perfect.....

i have used a WHOLE post it note packet making notes.


And the SENCO pointed out to me that 'effort' grades were based on 1-4 (1 being outstanding 2 good 3 satisfactory and 4 cause for concern)

Robert has maintained for the past year or improved upon 3 upwards.... so has consistently gained a satisfactory for 6 subjects and gained 4 goods....
so where on earth is the fairness and consistency... there is a huge discrepancy between gaining the required (and no where does it state this) the 2.5 average 'effort' grading or even 'aspirational' grading....

WRONG parent school - wrong parent.....


and that is just the start

go get 'em

[Trouble]

sort them pip xxxx

[Pipsqueak]

Now that I have calmed down somewhat - I feel like I have failed my son (I know I haven't but I just feel like it a bit)


The Senco/complaints lady I spoke to yesterday on the phone denied what she said and backtracked on other parts.
I honestly believed they were going to listen to me... instead the deputy head decided he needed to talk at and over me and kept telling me that 'no don't say that' whenever I tried to explain how it had affected Robert.

Everytime I tried to refer to my notes - he put his hand over the paper and stopped me from opening it up properly...

all he was interested in was forcing home the 'system' and why they aren't wrong ... because its THE system they choose to implement. He insisted ALL the children had been told of the criteria (Rob insists that he hasn't been).

Mr B explained their own in-house grading system 1-4 (1 outstanding, 2 good 3 satisfactory 4 cause for concern) - when I pointed out that Rob had 6 satisfactory and 4 goods - he explained that the actual school does not accept 'satisfactory' and believes that satisfactory is actually not!!!! He could not see that they were then contradicting themselves and sending mixed messages.

I queried why i had only just received his report - apparently I should have got it back in March!!!

I queried WHY they had not flagged up these 'problems' with me and apparently they like the student to take responsibility and seek help and this serves as a 'lesson' to them..


Basically they were not going to back down. Mr B then threw a last barb at me.... the onus is on me to get back in touch with them in October for a progress update for Robert

He then got up (all this took half an hour) and said - I hope that satisfys you and left.

The only thing they conceeded to was that I should have been contacted when Rob was in pain from his ankle and that they should have had a first aider check it. He barbed another comment 'well some parents just write notes for their children willy nilly'

Actually I cannot write any more I am so fricking angry again....

[The Juggler]

Now that I have calmed down somewhat - I feel like I have failed my son (I know I haven't but I just feel like it a bit)


The Senco/complaints lady I spoke to yesterday on the phone denied what she said and backtracked on other parts.
I honestly believed they were going to listen to me... instead the deputy head decided he needed to talk at and over me and kept telling me that 'no don't say that' whenever I tried to explain how it had affected Robert.

Everytime I tried to refer to my notes - he put his hand over the paper and stopped me from opening it up properly...

all he was interested in was forcing home the 'system' and why they aren't wrong ... because its THE system they choose to implement. He insisted ALL the children had been told of the criteria (Rob insists that he hasn't been).

Mr B explained their own in-house grading system 1-4 (1 outstanding, 2 good 3 satisfactory 4 cause for concern) - when I pointed out that Rob had 6 satisfactory and 4 goods - he explained that the actual school does not accept 'satisfactory' and believes that satisfactory is actually not!!!! He could not see that they were then contradicting themselves and sending mixed messages.

I queried why i had only just received his report - apparently I should have got it back in March!!!

I queried WHY they had not flagged up these 'problems' with me and apparently they like the student to take responsibility and seek help and this serves as a 'lesson' to them..


Basically they were not going to back down. Mr B then threw a last barb at me.... the onus is on me to get back in touch with them in October for a progress update for Robert

He then got up (all this took half an hour) and said - I hope that satisfys you and left.

The only thing they conceeded to was that I should have been contacted when Rob was in pain from his ankle and that they should have had a first aider check it. He barbed another comment 'well some parents just write notes for their children willy nilly'

Actually I cannot write any more I am so fricking angry again....

you write to him. ask him for a meeting where he listens to you properly or it is his choice - chair of Governors or ofsted. so angry on your behalf Pip

[curlycathy]

Oh Pip thats awful hun

Honestly - I wouldn't bother writing to the head for another meeting. I would write to the Governors, Ofsted, LEA (and copy to the head) and make a formal complaint. This is just outrageous - not only for your son but also for potentially other children it could affect. Right now - they can't turn the clock back and change whats happened but the total lack of responsibility is disgusting - point out that they have made a mistake and need to learn from it.

Also - complain about the meeting. The head was downright rude and clearly would benefit from some training in manners (dunking him head first in a muddy pit....!)

I hope you are feeling a bit better now. There is absolutely no way you have failed your son at all. Big hugs xx