FW: [senco-forum] coursework and a statemented pupil

From: WrayJanice Wray <jwwray14 at hotmail.com>

Dear Janice

Teachers job to sort out coursework - not yours - however

In my last two schools years 10s parents got a handbook for GCSE that
contained details of all the GCSE courses - with coursework requirements -
and the dates when it was to be done - with deadlines - and the rules and
regulations that went with it. All this with a returns slip  to show they
had received it.

PLUS

Each department sent out a letter to parents as coursework started - more or
less saying the same thing again - with a returns slip to say that parents
had seen it.

I - and my LSAs have all had to sit with students who had missed experiments
- fallen behind etc. AND also to give them extra time - if they were allowed
it in exams they got it for coursework too.  Science stuff used to go to and
fro from their filing cabinets - it never went home whereas a Technology
folder went to and fro everywhere because they had such a long time to do it
- I used to want a completed page a week for this - otherwise they did
nothing but plan!

There are also those people who don't get on the geography field trips - so
we used to staff the alternative work that they could do locally.

We have keyed in work - where allowed - scribed for people - whatever was
needed and allowed BUT ALWAYS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE SUBJECT STAFF -
it's their job!

Much worse is English - where they don't choose what they use until the end
of the course - if the English department didn't keep them I used to -
because often their best work might have been done in year 10 - and they
seemed to lose everything.

When I was in the sixth form - many moons ago - I spent a year and two terms
intermittently "doing" The Marriage of Figaro for A level music.  I suspect
that I could still sing more or less every part in it.  After Easter we
found that it was not on that years list and we had to do another piece at a
rate of knots!

I have always got someone else to read my syllabus and check I was teaching
the right thing every year - and I have just thrown out the pieces of paper
I accumulated from every head of department I have ever worked with taking
students for public examinations - a list of what I was doing for what year
- signed and dated by them - and it has stood me in very good stead twice!

Regards

Ruth

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of Gaynor Dunkley
Sent: 14 April 2007 22:58
To: jwwray14 at hotmail.com; senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
Subject: RE: [senco-forum] coursework and a statemented pupil -
who'sresponsible ?

Janice

I would ask why this has only come to light so late on . The teacher should 
have been checking this at key points throughtout the year and if gaps were 
there should have alerted the TAs .

I had a similar situation before the Easter break. We have introduced 
monthly Assertive Mentoring sessions for all year 11 students and teaching 
staff are required to fill in in school information system any concerns they

have about effort/grades/attitude/coursework.

A week before Easter we got the info and suddenly one of the Statement 
students who is severely stressed out already shows as having outstanding 
coursework in two subjects yet the previous months  no concerns. In my 
capacity as SENCO and his Mentor I asked why I was being given this info a 
week before the deadline- response - we have only just collated all the 
pieces together and found bits missing - duh - should this not have been 
done earlier I asked - yes with hindsight but he is not the only one with it

missing. One of teh teachers had forgotton to set the missing piece!

Result one student on the brink now gone over the edge,mad panic as TAs pull

out all teh stops to fill the gaps- did teachers say thanks ? I'll leave you

to fill in the gaps.

Responsibilty for coursework and ensuring it is done is the job of the 
teacher not the TA It is after all the teacher that gets the credit for the 
pass . Unless you are a science teacher and know exactly what the student 
needed to do I dont think you can be held accountable and the TAs take their

direction from you and the class teacher. Were they told that the work 
needed to be done? Were you provided with a copy of the syllabus with dates 
that key elements had to be done by, this would be useful for use as a 
checklist in future.

I had a teacher who told this student that he would lose marks off his 
coursework because the TAs were giving him help with research and 
organisation- yet they were careful not to do the work for him. Useful as he

subsequently refused all help in other subjects.

We keep copies and records of exactly what we have done to assist - just a 
few notes on a student support sheet and any completed work is kept in the 
students file just in case they(or the teacher)lose it. This way we can 
track back to see if the students were told about deadlines etc but again it

depends on the TAs being given a checklist of things to do. If we dont know 
about it we cant help with it.

I would beg for a coursework extension and try and get as much done as is 
possible even if this means pulling her off timetable for a day or two to 
get it done. If she doesnt like the idea of this then suggest a couple of 
morning sessions with the TA but find out first from her science teacher the

most important elements that need to be there and get these done first.

Good Luck.

Gaynor

>From: WrayJanice Wray <jwwray14 at hotmail.com>
>To: senco forum <senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk>
>Subject: [senco-forum] coursework and a statemented pupil - 
>who'sresponsible ?
>Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2007 20:48:51 +0000
>
>Advice gratefully received.Here's the scenario.
>Science teacher e-mailed me today - this girl in Yr 11 has some big gaps in

>her coursework - applied science -  missed some experiments etc and write 
>ups. May be too late to fill in some of the gaps as it's really all due in 
>now.
>She has had full cover - 30 hours (don't ask how I managed that) and a TA 
>in every lesson since year 7 - she has epilepsy and non-verbal learning 
>difficulties ( result of hydrocephalus). Same teachers for her subjects too

>- no changes.
>She's had the same TAs throughout - more or less.
>Now - coursework is supposed to be done by the students I know but she has 
>had loads of help with finding information, organisation etc. So how come 
>there are gaps - well, I'll have to call the TAs together for a meeting 
>next week. We may have to explain to her Mum how this has happened.
>But I want to ask you all - should we have done more, should we have kept a

>fuller record of what she had and hadn't done, kept copes maybe, who is 
>ultimately responsible - the class teacher, the TAs, me ?  What do/would 
>you do in this situation.
>I want to make sure that if possible this won't happen again with pupils 
>lower down the school with statements who are also difficult to support, 
>disorganised etc but none of whom have full cover.
>I'm open to all suggestions and criticisms.
>Cheers
>Janice Janice Wray Secondary SENCO, Herts
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