[senco-forum] how many pupils are disafffected in your school ?

Janice

In the maintained system - I would have rated at least 50% disaffected - and
in some year groups more.

By disaffected - I mean those who find school boring - can't wait to leave -
and more importantly too - were not looking at further education let alone
higher education either.

They were bored, bored - bored - with too much paperwork - always writing -
everlasting preparing for assessments of some kind - not enough practical
work etc etc etc.

However - my students in the independent sector muttered the same complaints
- more or less - but more excitement in what was on offer kept them going -
house stuff - PE - quizzes - outdoor pursuits - trips - decent food - areas
for socialising - nice environment - (I could go on) - together with
parental back up made the difference.

And I would like people in the dfes to do a term of the daily grind in
perhaps the autumn of year 11 - then they could be bored and pressured too -
and do all the coursework.

I would be bored if I went to school now - and disheartened - and have no
time to do the things I did as a teenager - I managed to be in a church
choir - I went to guides - and camped a lot - had a Sunday School class -
helped with cubs - went to youth club - had a Saturday job - played in a
youth orchestra - read a lot of books - heard a lot of music of all kinds -
had boyfriends - belonged to a motor cycle club - and skipped a lot of
homework!  And I watch children give up a lot of that once they hit year 10.
They come home from school knackered too - and brain dead as well!

And holidays - I am helping 4 senior children who find essay writing beyond
them - plus some readers who will forget it all if they don't read a bit
over the holidays - and they are bored too!

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 WrayJanice Wray
Sent: 02 August 2007 14:38
To: senco forum
Subject: [senco-forum] how many pupils are disafffected in your school ?

I've been helping someone out with their Masters and she's doing it about
disaffected pupils. 

Now, it depends how you define this but I wondered how many pupils you
thought were disaffected in your school.

People tend to think of the high profilers I think - those who are a pain,
we do PSPs for and call in behaviour support etc. They're the noisy ones who
won't put up with it.

I think there are many more, just quietly working away, bored and not really
connected with what is going on in school but not making too many waves. I
reckon there could be 15 or so in most years (168 in a year) maybe 10% - and
that's really just a guess.

What do others think ?
How would you measure disaffection ? Is there a questionnaire you could give
kids, like a learning styles questionnaire ?

Just a thought

JaniceJanice Wray Secondary SENCO, Herts
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