I've read all of these sad stories and in each case I'm well aware that they are driven by government (of all parties) initiatives. The constant pressure on 'achievement' as measured by 'measurable outcomes' has led to these counter productive measures. I'll give some examples:
Walk to school - this was a commendable idea which was part of the Healthy Schools programme. But the government won't trust the teachers, so there had to be stickers and strict criteria to measure who did and who didn't. It all had to be entered on a data base and submitted each term. There were wall charts and endless stuff to be done. In my school I delegated it to a TA who had to waste valuable time on this nonsense. I told her to make guesses and give out stickers to children who wanted one.
Attendance and lateness: the school's Ofsted report has to use both of these as part of their judgement. If either fall below a certain percentage the school will be unable to get an outstanding or good grade and then all hell is let loose and head teachers are dismissed and the school is turned into an academy.
Uniform: this is a fetish of academies in many cases. They obsess over minor infringements and children loose teaching time.
Reading: if children don't make a steady three points of progress each year the school improvement officer will put the staff under terrible pressure to 'improve'. Doesn't matter how challenging the backgrounds of the pupils or how many special needs, it makes no difference.
So - heads and teachers are under this constant pressure and the consequence is that children are too. It takes a very strong head and staff to resist this, and if results dip for a year or one class fails to make the 'expected' progress, the pressure, which is really bullying, from the LA or government is horrendous.
No wonder there are so many unhappy children and teachers. And no wonder there is teacher recruitment crisis.
However, having said all this, GJ's example is one of the most insupportable that I have heard and if enough parents make their case calmly and rationally, I'm pretty sure it won't happen again.
Walk to school - this was a commendable idea which was part of the Healthy Schools programme. But the government won't trust the teachers, so there had to be stickers and strict criteria to measure who did and who didn't. It all had to be entered on a data base and submitted each term. There were wall charts and endless stuff to be done. In my school I delegated it to a TA who had to waste valuable time on this nonsense. I told her to make guesses and give out stickers to children who wanted one.
Attendance and lateness: the school's Ofsted report has to use both of these as part of their judgement. If either fall below a certain percentage the school will be unable to get an outstanding or good grade and then all hell is let loose and head teachers are dismissed and the school is turned into an academy.
Uniform: this is a fetish of academies in many cases. They obsess over minor infringements and children loose teaching time.
Reading: if children don't make a steady three points of progress each year the school improvement officer will put the staff under terrible pressure to 'improve'. Doesn't matter how challenging the backgrounds of the pupils or how many special needs, it makes no difference.
So - heads and teachers are under this constant pressure and the consequence is that children are too. It takes a very strong head and staff to resist this, and if results dip for a year or one class fails to make the 'expected' progress, the pressure, which is really bullying, from the LA or government is horrendous.
No wonder there are so many unhappy children and teachers. And no wonder there is teacher recruitment crisis.
However, having said all this, GJ's example is one of the most insupportable that I have heard and if enough parents make their case calmly and rationally, I'm pretty sure it won't happen again.
. On my report that year Rev Mother had written " A..... does not appear to have an affinity with Languages and I have excused her from Irish " ............ she had sent me to the study hall when she saw me in the corridor , so I took myself off there every time 
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