Parents Evening

We went to Sam's parents evening yesterday. We have been very lucky with the schools we have chosen for the children, during their school years they have all come across some exceptionally good teachers, and I have been happy with all the schools except Sam's present school. It is hard to put my finger on what bothers me about it and many people would think that I was absolutely mad to have misgivings. It is a single sex (allegedly) comprehensive foundation school, with amazing facilities and very good exam results and it is massively oversubscribed. It is hard to explain what bothers me, it just likes itself too much, it is elitist and there is an arrogance about it. They don't ask what can we do for your son, it is all about what the boy can do for the school. In many ways it is the best place for Sam, there is good discipline, an expectation of achievement and there is an extremely rigid routine. He needs those things, but I worry that he is too 'managed' and there is no scope for him to develop personal responsibility.

Laura's school is also single sex and in my opinion it is the best school in the town because it has a dynamic and inspiring head teacher, it is genuinely comprehensive and it develops the individual girls to achieve their potential; it encourages personal responsibility and personal development. It also expects excellence, but it teaches students to value each other and to recognise the wide range of skills and abilities that they have. They achieve very good examination results but they also recognise and praise achievement in sport, music, performing arts, community involvement etc. They have been sensible in their choice of uniform and sixth form dress code, it is sensible, practical and there is nothing much to rebel against, so students accept it and it really isn't a problem. Sam's school on the other hand plans and manages everything including uniform with an abundance of rules and sanctions, but all that control just gives so much more to rebel against, and the end result is much less pleasing.

Anyway back to Sam's parents evening, I was very pleased with the feedback and I think that he has done well this year. He is a bright lad, but he is not always as motivated or organised as I would like. I was interested in Sam's reason for arranging for me to see certain teachers but not others, and being Sam the reasons were fairly original. He had chosen one teacher because he liked her and he likes the subject, he had chosen another because she had a rather eye catching cleavage, another was chosen because he had a funny accent and the last because he looks like someone from Sean of the Dead. In addition I was told to look out for 'the walking wedgie' he was easily spotted as his trousers were pulled up to his chest, the 'living sofa' who is wider than she is tall, and 'Mr Liberal' who wears the loudest yellow shirts imaginable. Boys are so cruel! I think Sam has some good teachers, but the 'Sean of the Dead' lookalike was horrible, arrogant, disinterested and ill mannered, I wouldn't willingly leave a lump of concrete in his care, he should not be working with children.