Piano / keyboard teachers advice please

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

My DD (9, Yr 4), started school music service lessons in September. It's a group class, 6 of them (mixed yr3/4, all beginners), county teacher, half an hour a week, practice at home.

The first term she did really well, her record book was filled in, the pieces she brought home were appropriate for her level and she completed the scheme Beginner level with gold.

Then at Christmas the teacher changed. She has only had two pieces to learn, both of which have been well beyond her capability. The most recent one is in 3/4 time, it has dotted minims, more than one octave reach in the treble clef (haven't even tried the LH), sharps, flats and naturals and she says she hasn't been taught what any of them are. The teacher has only written in her book once this term and that was just to say "practice X piece of music". None of the achievement criteria at the front have been completed. We are both getting disillusioned. Am I being unreasonable to find this unacceptable? I am trying to think what I can write in the book to make clear that we are trying but don't feel she is ready for this piece.

[Ionacat]

Have you got a contact e.mail for the teacher? E.mail the teacher and explain that your daughter is struggling and the music seems too difficult for her, and please could she have something easier as she is struggling to practise at home. If not ring the music service and ask to leave a message for the teacher to get back to you.
If you do not get any response from that within 4 days then I would ring and ask to speak to someone regarding your DD's lessons as the teacher hasn't responded and outline your concerns. This would almost certainly trigger an observation where I work to investigate further.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

No, all I know is her name (not even her full name, just Mrs X) and the only communication is via the workbooks. Obviously she can only write in them during the class, which is tricky in a group of 6, but the previous teacher managed it really well. I could look at the service website and see if there is a contact email address there. I don't want to go via the school as really it's nothing to do with them and my relationship with them isn't great at the moment because of something unrelated.

[Ionacat]

Ring the music service, there should be a contact e.mail or number on their website for the general admin team, explain that you have some concerns about your DD's piano lessons since the change of teacher, and you would appreciate being able to talk them through with the teacher. The music service where I am, we give parents our work e.mails so that we can deal with queries it seems odd you don't have any contacts at all.
if you don't get a satisfactory response then you ring the general number and ask to speak to someone as you're not happy with the quality of the lessons. Sounds like something has gone wrong with information transfer between the two teachers and the new teacher getting the standard of the group wrong which needs addressing.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Thank you. I'm going to see if I can speak to any of the other parents in the group this week to see if it's just me and then get in touch. It could be embarassing if they have bern taught all these things and DD just hasn't been listening! However I think it's a lot of changes at once and it would be better if the handouts at least named the new concepts, if I hadn't played piano myself as a youngster we would really be struggling.

[Clobbered]

Teaching groups is quite challenging and it's possible that the new teacher is inexperienced in this type of teaching and is struggling to cope, hence not writing in the book etc.

Can you afford private lessons instead?

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

We have to commit to paying for the full academic year, so we are paid up till the end of July. It's also that in order to fit it in outside school she would probably have to drop something else, we have a hectic schedule and it's the logistics of it all, this suits us as it's in school hours. We would consider private longer term, but not this academic year. I did wonder if it was a totally new teacher and in at the deep end (the old one left the service) which is why I have not said anything to anyone so far, but it's fair amount of money (works out about £6 a half hour lesson) to be not achieving much. I also assumed they would be following some sort of programme the same for this age group in all the schools, so that a change of teacher wouldn't be too much problem, but maybe this isn't the case.