Sometimes the middle ground is vacated…..

I think lack of sleep does something to my psyche. Normally I’m pretty much good at compromising. Finding the middle ground. NOT TODAY.

School has a weekly extra 90 minutes of schooling. As our beloved and apparently never corrupt Government imposes it’s esteemed will on schools, headteachers have very limited scope to vary the teaching. To add new stuff. So our school brought in a longer school day once a week. This would allow for dedicated non-curriculum learning. Pupils get to choose from a range of options. It’s all about learning different skills, building confidence, developing interests. Completely behind the principle here. Especially when the options are varied enough to allow each child to find something that interests them.

Although Hawklad is not in school at present school want him to take part in the scheme. Which he has done so far. So it’s time to pick this terms option. The pupils got to pick options in the classroom, then a couple of weeks later Hawklad was approached for his selection. Sometimes (and understandably) he is forgotten about in a process. So the best options have filled up and are fully booked. So what’s left?

Dance

Everyone can create music

Everyone can create video

Everyone can create drawing….

“Just NO Dad. I would rather do French than those. I’d rather wash your car than do those. The animal management course would have been ace. As would Astronomy. As would the archeological dig option. Those last 4 options are still not fully booked for a good reason…..”

I phoned school to see if we could find another option. Could he be fitted into one of the full options. NO….. THOSE ARE THE ONLY AVAILABLE OPTIONS.

Ok normally I would try to work with school to find some middle ground. Today NO. Just told school that he isn’t doing any of those, so TOUGH…You will just have to mark him absent for that part of the day.

I think he is much happier with the new range of home based options. Xbox, football in the garden, table tennis, watching The Simpsons…..

60 thoughts on “Middle ground”

      1. I tried to. It was slow going. I felt like I had run 15 after 3. It is going to take some work to make 3 feel okay – I just don’t want to do too much anymore. A solid 3 would be fine.

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  8. Wow… school is tough. So stringent and unbending. I think I’d be the same as you on this one. They goofed by forgetting about him and not giving him a chance to choose something he’ll enjoy. There’s no point forcing him to do something that’s supposed to be a fun option for him when it’s not going to be fun….

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  12. Yes, dance is not everybody’s first choice… as it obviously seems. I am sorry, he was forgotten. My sons (actually both) were on the unlucky side when it came to picking special projects. Either their favorites were already taken when they could make their choice or they got the last of three options they had to pick.

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      1. But they learned to step out of their comfort zones… my youngest one, unfortunately often picks the butt card… But he learned to deal with life a lot through that.

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  13. Well… I think Hawklad would do well BEHIND the video camera. I’d like to see the antics of the pets, or maybe Superdad rocking out, playing air guitar😘😂😂
    Big Pants to school and their uncompromising stupidity! You done good! Have a chocolate or three💌💌💌💌

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      1. Systems are so inflexible. A paediatrician came to talk to our team the other week. She said something that really struck me … “If systems are broken then you will break the people trying to navigate them”. How often do we see this happening? Flex in systems is essential. I’m sorry he can’t take part because of stupid ‘rules’ xx

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  17. You did right there. Hawklad should not have been treated like that. He wasn’t given the same opportunities at the same time as anyone else.
    He should have been allowed one of his choices.
    So too right, you said no.

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  18. Well, as long as he’s happy, who cares, I mean, if the school wouldn’t fit him in to another of the subjects, make allowances, then I say fuck them! Dont work with them! Who cares! Just do what your doing for hawklad…you’ve got the right idea!

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