Teachers

I really, rally dislike the practice of giving detention. being at school is a privilege, and should never be used as a punishment. Also, some children have responsibilities to fulfil after school such as picking up a younger sibling, and should never be prevented from doing so.

As regards your grandson, how is a detention supposed to help? How is this supposed to instil a love of learning?

A most unfair and negative punishment, I agree with you.

Detention for anything under 100% seems ridiculous actually. Outstanding or not, the teacher is being unreasonable in this instance; the pupil was off sick.

Ridiculous, should never happen.

This, I am sorry to say, is how they get 'outstanding'.
Although I have not worked in education, as a specialist Health Visitor, I had a lot to do with schools.

I could predict which ones would be unsympathetic to any child who had any illness, family problems, or similar.
One child had a similar problem to your grandson's when dealing with his sister's death.

Even my own children's school (good, not outstanding, and usually decent) had a couple of years when there were 'disincentives' for taking any time off. This included hospital appointments (arrange them in the school holidays, even if it meant unreasonable, possibly health-threatening delays); and most memorably, my own children getting a 'black mark' for taking a day off for their grandmother's funeral (you do realise this is often an excuse?).
I, and others complained, and the practice was stopped.

Sorry, just realised you asked for teachers' opinions, but having written it, I'm leaving my comment up!

I am a retired teacher and I also think it's excessive.

It reads if you don’t get 100% I need to see your work, no mention of a detention.

He had his work, wasn't asked to show it just straight to detention

Contact the teacher and point out it says 'I will ask to see your work' not 'detention will be given'. That would give your son the opportunity to explain he had missed a lesson. Does seem harsh and I sympathise with you and your son but teachers are overworked and mistakes can happen.

Another retired secondary teacher here. A detention because a pupil doesn't get 100% is abhorrent - that's nothing to do with an overworked teacher making a mistake, that's a departmental or even whole school policy.

The school.is anything but outstanding

This is absolutely unacceptable and should be challenged At the secondary schools my grandchildren attend detention is given for being late to lessons ,forgetting PE kit and not giving homework in on time etc. Never for anything to do with achievements or lack of in school subjects. No wonder they got outstanding if they put the pressure on like that at the price of students’ mental health.

Appalling!

Has anyone talked to the teacher to see what his version of the story is?

No where in that email does he state that the student would get a detention.

I wonder if there is something that is being missed between the email and detention?

I think you need to have a chat with his teacher or Head Teacher, this is a terrible way to treat a child.

I should add that it states he can retake the quiz up to 3 times to improve his score.

That does not sound like a teacher who would give detention for an 80%.

Something is missing from the story you are being told.

Detentions are for poor behaviour, not poor marks.
Detentions are good if the children can do something productive like cleaning the shelves or tidying up.

So did he copy the questions into his book.
Did he redo the test three times to improve his score.
Have you checked that in his work?

I can’t see anything about a detention in the note either.

He should have a written note or email to his parents stating the details of the detention. When, how long and what for.

Have they received that?

imaround says 'Something is missing from the story you are being told.'

as a retired teacher, I think the same. There is a missing link here.

Before seeing the teacher, I would be asking the child whether he had done all the things in the note - copied the questions into his note book, and done the quiz three times to improve his score. If he didn't get 100% after the third time, and was showing the teacher then saw his work, he must have been able to say that he missed that lesson and ask how he could catch up. At year 8 he is old enough to know that he will have to put in a bit of studying to catch up on what he missed.

Don't criticise the teacher until you or his parents know the full facts. If you discover that he was indeed given detention as an immediate reaction to the low (for him) marks, with no chance to explain himself, that will be the time to have a talk with teacher about it.

If the second or third of the "do the quiz up to three times", could be after a spot of revision, it would have given him time to learn what he didn't know - I would have thought that was part of the reason the three shots were permitted!

In my experience, please show me your work means that the teacher wants to be able to go over it with a student to address anything the student might be struggling with. My daughter's school here in the US has this policy. Less than 100%, let's look at the work to see what the student may be missing. Then allowing a retake up to 3 times to get to the 100%.

This is how a good teacher ensures students are mastering a subject and why that teacher's students gets high marks. If this teacher was using fear and punishment as a way to keep scores up for all students, this would not be the first time it would have come up to the school.

Sorry, I don't not think the OP is getting an accurate account of what has transpired.

Did he have three attempts at doing the quiz?
Did he explain to the teacher about missing lessons?
Has the boy received a detention, despite the email making no mention of one?

It would be advisable for his parents to discuss this matter with the teacher before allowing you to post rather personal information concerning your grandson and his school.

LOUISA1523

The school.is anything but outstanding

Agree with that. An outstanding school should provide a happy atmosphere which encourages a love of learning.

I've never heard of a primary school pupil getting detention. As a parent and grandparent I would go to pick up the child at the normal time and refuse to allow them to stay later.

Are primary school pupils streamed? I've never heard of that either.

Who gets 100% as a matter of course? It must be rare.

Is this real?

Less than 100%, let's look at the work to see what the student may be missing

That sounds more like what is meant.