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Finding school boring and easy

ParentingAutism

Hi, we have come to the root of a problematic behaviour. Teachers (especially her senco) are amazing with my daughter and have found a pattern in behaviour. She is currently going through a phase (which happens regularly) which is constantly being bored and the work being to easy. 

She doesn't want to go to lessons any more (due to work being too easy or just being unmotivated or bored due to this). She likes to sit in the hall and chill out (which gets boring too) and she'll just constantly be wandering. We believe some of the behaviour she is copying from others in her class and in the school. The teachers are trying to see if they can get more challenging maths work in for her to do and earlier she managed to complete 2 GCSE Math Foundation papers in the space of an hour (she's Year 10). They did this to see how she would cope in a real exam and to see how good she is at maths. Unfortunately, her classroom has 3-4 other pupils in (another Year 10, a Year 8 and a Year 9) so they are all in different years so some would struggle more and some would find things easier. 

We don't know what to do because she's getting really bored and is close to walking out of the school grounds again. She is starting to sit on the gate which she can easily climb over and leave. She loves adrenaline so walking out of school and misbehaving (chucking chairs around or whatever) is giving her that adrenaline. But, being bored and not doing anything is starting to annoy her and she is starting to seek that adrenaline. Her brain needs to be stimulated all the time. I don't know what to do. Safety is starting to become an issue. School is trying but she just doesn't help herself. Any advice??? 

Thanks x

Parents

  • I  have a degree in maths, a PhD in applied maths, I can recommend a lot of resources for maths but I'm not sure if she'd be allowed to work through them in class. Can she follow a textbook on her own with out help? And the the exercises?

    You see if the school says they can't find material for her I believe they are being disingenuous. The material already exists in the maths GCSE and A level maths syllabus. In particular she's at GCSE age, if they refuse to give her anything other than foundation level material when she's capable then they just don't want the hassle of teaching higher maths GCSE in the PRU.

    As for non national curriculum material there is some university level maths material that doesn't require much if any background from A level. Mostly abstract algebra and set theory where the definitions are so basic they have to introduce them as new concepts to students. I can recommend textbooks, which I doubt she'd be allowed to just sit and read.

  • in reply to Peter

    Thanks Peter, the PRU probably won't let her read textbooks and I don't think she'll sit down and read for 45 minutes. They are doing GCSE stuff in the classrooms for the year 10's so the other kids are learning it as well, but she's just too smart for what they're doing. It's either too hard or too easy. It's just trying to keep her in the classroom and keeping her mind engaged. She is losing trust with the school including her favourite teachers and is bored so giving them a lot of attitude and not engaging with staff. It is nearly impossible for her to stay in a lesson the whole time. How do we help?

  • in reply to ParentingAutism
    ParentingAutism said:
    but she's just too smart for what they're doing

    It sounds like they are only doing foundation level, It's like being in top set or bottom set at school. There is a simplified GCSE syllabus for most subjects that only lets you get as high as a 5 on the exam. The higher tier content has material the foundation tier doesn't. For example estimating the gradients of graphs and areas under graphs is only in the higher tier syllabus on AQA. If you can get them to switch your daughter to higher tier maths they will have to teacher more advanced material because she'll be sitting a different exam that needs it. Also she'll be able to get a better grade. 5 is equivalent to a C, from what you say sounds like she has a shot at B-A* if given the harder exam.

  • in reply to Peter

    Hiya, she got her marks back and she is a level 4 which is great news. This was only to see how well she is doing and they are now going to give her harder work in the lessons. 

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