Families Education
What to Do if School is Not Working By Claire Winter
When your child is having trouble at school it can be really challenging for the whole family. The first thing you need to do is to try to establish if the problem is with another pupil, their teacher or the school itself. Common problems include falling out with friends, finding schoolwork too hard and being bullied. Talking to your Child
The first thing you need to do is talk to your child to get to the bottom of the issue. Let them know that you care and want to help. Ask them if there is anything you could do to make their situation easier and explain you are going to help them work through their problems. Explore whether you can come up with a solution without involving your child’s school but, if you can’t resolve the problem as a family, the next step is to arrange a meeting with your child’s class teacher. If you find out the issue is bullying, you should always speak to the school. Don't leave your child to sort it out by himself. You can get some good advice about dealing with bullying from the charity the Anti-Bullying Alliance or the NSPCC. Whilst you are working towards resolving the issue, emphasise the importance of afterschool clubs or activities away from school. Having friends and hobbies outside of school will distract them and give them something to look forward to.
Talking to their Teacher
During the meeting, explain the situation and ask the teacher what they can do to help. It’s good to ask when they will update you on the steps they have taken to resolve the
problem. Remember though that some issues
may take time to resolve; extra support or help with schoolwork may need to be organised or a friendship issue sorted out. Some schools
use planners and diaries to update parents and you could suggest communicating this way so you can get regular updates
Talk to the Head Teacher If your child’s class teacher is unable to
resolve your issue, you can request a formal meeting with the Head Teacher. It’s helpful to keep a record of your dialogue; if you
write a letter or email, keep a copy of your
correspondence. If you phone or speak face to face, make a note of the date and write down what you both say during the conversation.
Your information may help if you need to get in touch with the school again.
Making a Formal Complaint In the unlikely event that you are still not happy that your child’s issue is being resolved, you can check out the school’s complaints procedure on its website and make a formal written complaint to your child’s Head Teacher and then to the school’s governors or academy trustees. For further information, visit www. gov.uk/complain-about-school
Changing Schools Whilst no parent wants to disrupt their child’s education by moving them to another school, it is a fact that sometimes your child and a particular school is just not a good fit. If your child still has a number of years ahead at their school, it may not be worth struggling along if their unhappiness is affecting their wellbeing and you are confident that everything possible has been done to try to make things better. If you are considering moving your child to another school, do discuss it with your child’s current Head Teacher first. Bear in mind that the least disruptive time to make a change is at the end of the school year and make sure you allow time to research alternative school options. It’s not advisable to withdraw your child from a school before you have formally been offered a place at an alternative setting. Take heart though. Schools are generally expert at working with parents to resolve a wide range of issues and concerns and their overriding priority is the wellbeing of their students. So don’t be afraid to talk to them – and talk some more, if necessary!
It’s very likely that whatever issues your child has can and will be resolved. familiesonline.co.uk
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