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Post by esty (archive) on Oct 10, 2014 17:22:55 GMT
Little Minnow comes out of school today brandishing a letter that says ALL of Year 6 will be doing Transition Lessons to the local brand new secondary academy. There will be 7 sessions over the next 7 months some lasting over half a day. LM is not going to be going to this brand new academy in September. It was made up of three sink schools put into a brand new build with ipads on sticks all over the building, cafeterias, hairdressing facilities, the lot. The reason for not choosing it are many, I would like him to have a new start, the last start he started with a different name and had just been split from his older brother so he was very emotional going in and the kids targetted him for this and still do target him, lots of the kids are already switched off from learning, however LM is still quite enthusiastic, lots of the kids at the school come from families similar to birth family, etc, etc.
We have visited an open morning at a local faith school and that is where I want him to go as there is good pastoral care and more children still switched on than off. At the morning it was suggested he had a good chance of getting in.
LM very happy with this faith school choice at present, however if he visits new academy he will be turned on by all the technology and the naughty kids. My initial feeling is that present school is wrong to present this as an ALL of Year 6 and in LM's understanding he'd have to spend the sessions in Year 5 if he doesn't go, something that he sees as the absolute embarrassment and degradation and what I see as unacceptable.
My options are challenge present school and their plans for the non - goer (99% of his class are going to the sparkling academy) in which case really upsetting him?
Let him go and stand firm later knowing that he will then spend his time stressing over all his suposed mates going and not him and giving him the opportunity to be blinded by the thrills?
Speak to the local LAC education team about speaking to school about their stay in year 5 option and how this is not appropriate?
Any suggestions as to how I can handle this? The letter today caused an attitude of magnitude when I suggested that I needed to speak to school about it. All ideas welcome and viewpoints. Just know this is going to be difficult.
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Post by serrakunda on Oct 10, 2014 22:02:22 GMT
If you are clear he isn't going to the school it seems pointless for him to go to transition lessons there, just wrong on so many levels. Could he not be set some work and sit in the library whilst the rest of the class are out? There must be other alternatives to going into Y5
We have similar problem here as Simba won't be going to the same school as any of his classmates and he is having a hard time accepting that.
No answers I'm afraid, one of those times I think you have to stand your ground.
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Post by moo on Oct 11, 2014 6:58:59 GMT
Hugs esty horrid situation incompetently planned by the current school....
I sooo get this coz boys will be in the same situation when they are in year 6... Ie going to different school to peers...
I like the idea of chucking it back to LAC education dept for their advice....
How about contacting the faith school of choice & explain the dilemma... They may be happy for LM to spend time with them on the appropriate days?.
Failing that it might be a case of tummy bug syndrome !,? Unless of course his current school see sense & find him cool tasks to do rather than the embarrassment for him of having to go into year 5.... That's what I dred so much for mine it will be seen as 'naughty boy measures '
Good Luck... Please keep us posted how it pans out xx
xx. moo. Xx
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2014 7:04:55 GMT
Great suggestions from Moo.
Could he not go and spend the appropriate days at his new school of choice? I'm sure tbey would be happy to oblige as part of his own settling in preparation, that way he would get the message that his new schol, is just as good and important as the other boys school and that way he won't feel so excluded/punished.
I'd contact the new school and ask if this was possible if it were me.
Failing that, 24 hour tummy bugs always work and you and he could do something fun together to take his mind off what he's missing out on.
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Post by esty (archive) on Oct 11, 2014 7:40:36 GMT
We're going to have to fight for a place at faith school. So although the person at faith school said we had a good chance that was at appeal so I don't think they'll be able to take him before. I'm really cross about present school' s lack of forethought and care for my son's feelings. They won't have thought about my son at all as they won't have thought about the children as individuals.
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Post by sooz on Oct 11, 2014 8:04:12 GMT
Pointless exercise sending your ds to a school he won't be attending and purely for current schools convenience.
So, what to do with ds while the rest of his class go?, tell the school sitting him in year 5 is not acceptable so either they arrange for him to spend that time at his preferred school or you'll be taking him out on those days.
Is current school aware you don't intend for your ds to go to shiny happy school?
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Post by pingu on Oct 11, 2014 19:53:05 GMT
Does his primary school have mentors? Our kids primary school got the top class to take turns being mentors to the primary one kids, helping them in class and playground. Perhaps the kids not going to the other school could do this?
i know how you feel. We had the same dilemma, but luckily the school he was moving to has both primary and secondary, so we were able to move him a year before the primary finished, to spare him the secondary school preparation sessions.
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kanga2
Bronze Member
Married Adopter
Posts: 53 
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Post by kanga2 on Oct 12, 2014 18:35:26 GMT
This is probably stupid as I expect you've looked into it, but does the faith school really take ALL its pupils from within the faith criteria?
Being adopted Minnow will come above all other non-faith children (even if sadly they are allowed to put faith children above him).
Can you find out what the situation has been over the last few years?
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Post by esty (archive) on Oct 12, 2014 19:30:49 GMT
They have 12 categories with category 1 a definite and 12 an unlikely. Little Minnow is at 6 so it's dependent on applications. This year they're only doing a 7 form intake so categories taken may stop at 5 whereas last year is was an 8 form intake so categories stopped at 7. Too early to know.
However LM has friend (different primary) who is in FC and has the same dilemma. He is going to visit the sparkly new academy where he lives and is ok with that even though he's not going there so hoping this attitude will rub off on LM if he does do Transition visits. I'm going to talk to the school tomorrow and ask them what the alternative plans are, as if I haven't heard it's going back in to Yr 5, and take it from there. Thanks for all suggestions.
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Post by esty (archive) on Oct 15, 2014 12:53:15 GMT
Have spoken to school. They are selling the trips as treats. Teacher has agreed to state very clearly to whole class that this is not neccessarily the school that children will be going to but that its for them to get to know what a secondary school is like. I have got the two ofsted reports and highlighted the relevant bits to LM. The treat school is improving with a lot of bullying. The applied for school is outstanding with brilliant pastoral care and very little bullying seen. LM has decided himself which school he wants ;-) so I am letting him go as would rather I wasn't seen as evil witch at present as we are just having a slightly more relaxed couple of weeks.
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Post by milly on Oct 16, 2014 19:37:31 GMT
Glad it's sorted. It is fairly common for year 6 to visit secondary schools, though in this case there seem to be a lot of visits. Round here there isn't just one main secondary school near to the primaries, so you wouldn't get the same issue. But I have known undersubscribed schools doing this kind of thing to drum up business.
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