What exactly does Ofsted mean by "satisfactory": good enough or not good enough?
Bizarrely, it could be either - or even both. Take, for example, this Alice in Wonderland sentence from Ofsted's recent report on Toynbee School in Eastleigh, Hants: "There is too much satisfactory teaching, which has resulted in students making satisfactory progress overall." The curriculum, the report adds, is "satisfactory" as are achievement and standards and leadership and management; the school also offers "satisfactory" value for money. In which sense (if any), though, it is impossible to tell. Not even Ofsted can make words mean what it wants them to.
My nine-year-old grandson is bright and well-behaved but can't read and write properly. He struggles with all his subjects except art and design and is bottom of his class. His teacher has told his mother that she must accept this is how it will always be because there's a limit to how much help the school can give. What should we do?
I think your grandson has a specific learning difficulty - "specific" rather than general because he is intelligent, not learning disabled. My guess is that the difficulty is dyslexia and that it is probably quite severe. That the school has not identified it or taken steps to remedy it is a scandal - as is his teacher's fatalism. His mother's first task is to have him independently tested, either by the British Dyslexia Association (www.bdadyslexia.org.uk) or the Dyslexia Institute (www.dyslexia-inst.org.uk).
If his condition is severe, she should apply for an official statement of his special educational needs (see www.ipsea.org.uk) specifying which school specialising in dyslexia (see www.crested.org.uk) he should attend and what proportion of the cost should be borne by the local authority. If his condition is not severe, either the BDA or the Dyslexia Institute will advise on the best way to deal with it. If dyslexia is not the principal problem, your grandson needs to be seen by an independent educational psychologist. The British Psychological Society (www.bps.org.uk) keeps a register of them. Above all, he should not be left in limbo any longer.
Please would you tell your readers about the courses in drawing, painting and etching that we at the Prince's Drawing School will be running again this summer? It's an opportunity for GCSE and A-level art students to develop their skills and portfolio of work. All our tutors are distinguished artists.
The summer school, which emphasises a traditional approach to art teaching, has proved a big hit with readers. This year's courses include "Painting a clothed figure", "Drawing at London Zoo" and, for pupils aged 13 and upwards, "Thinking about art school?" They run from July 3 to Aug 18 in a converted warehouse in Shoreditch, east London. A one-week course costs £200; a small number of bursaries are available. See www.princesdrawingschool.org or phone 020 7613 8500.
Source: The Telegraph
Also see: Any questions? Dyslexia, student loans and grade predictions
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