Private school & rubbish teaching, or AIBU?

[smilingtiger]

My son moved schools in September as we moved area. He went from an incredible 'all singing and dancing' prep school (where he was doing exceptionally well & was very happy) to another prep which we thought would also be good. We specifically chose it as it is not known for its academic results, instead it gave a much more relaxed & happy impression and supposedly broad curriculum.
There are numerous small niggles with the new school, I was never expecting it to live up to the previous one, however an issue I'm losing sleep over is their teaching of maths.
For clarification, I'm a teacher in a state school (UKS2 mainly although a couple of years in Y2) and my son is in Y1. Maths is taught through a set scheme which has an answer booklet that they work through. There is no evidence of any work deviating from this booklet and my son, who is usually quite reliable, tells me they all do the same work on the same page. Apparently the teacher 'always works on her computer' during lessons and the TA works with X and Y child. He tells me the adults don't do group work, no adult ever works with him and he doesn't ever use equipment/resources. He says maths is 'really easy' for him and that he finds it boring. His workbook is literally full of ticks, there is nothing challenging him in it. I have gleaned this information carefully, over time so as not to alert him to any potential issues I might be seeing. He has not been pumped for information and is quite happy, he doesn't see anything as being wrong.
So, bearing in mind that he is 6, and it's more than possible he's not observing/recognising group work or the hard work that goes on behind the scenes but also more than possible that he's absolutely accurate and they do just spend each session working their way though a work book independently, what do I do?
If it's true, it's not good enough. There are 12 kids in the class. I know that the children at the state school where I teach receive a much more exciting and just generally 'better' experience. I'd happily move him to my school apart from the fact that it is oversubscribed (as are all state schools in our area) and he has had a fair amount of change over the past years, I want to provide him with stability and this school was supposed to be part of that.
I have no idea what teaching is like in other subjects, although notice a distinct lack of trips/curriculum days/outside learning/anything engaging. Things that make it into the newsletter include things like 'the day we used the iPads' and other absolutely standard stuff.
He has made no progress that I can see in phonics, writing or maths since September. Perhaps this is a Y1 thing? Do they make amazing progress in Reception and then it levels out in Y1?
My other child is doing very well in Reception and I'm happy with the experience there. I don't really know any other Y1 parents, although all of the other parents I know in other year groups are happy with the school.

What would you do:

1. ride it out, it's nearly the end of the year after all and things may well be much better next year (although I have another child who might end up in this teacher's class next year)
2. talk to the teacher (she doesn't really like me, not that it matters, but I'm worried about the impact it would have on my son if he became 'labelled' as having a difficult mother)
3. talk to the head of prep
4. talk to friends who teach there (although I'm reluctant to do this and put them in an awkward position and don't know them well enough that it wouldn't possibly damage the relationship)
5. nothing, I'm being ridiculous
6. some other option you're willing to suggest

Sorry for the essay!

I think there would be no harm in asking of there is any chance of extension work being available. Also is there a parents evening before the end of summer her where you can ask how they are taught in year 3. It is very unusual for there to be no opportunity to do harder work than less able pupils.

I hate my phone autocorrecting actual words to other actual words that do not make sense!!! I hope you get the gist

IME teaching in prep schools is often mediocre especially on the core subjects and lower down the school where there is no pressure to sit entrance exams etc. There is a shortage of math teachers many pros cant afford to be fussy.
Where are the children gong when they leave? Are they regularly sending pupils to senior schools that you are interested in sending your DS? Is he otherwise happy at the school? If yes I thing as he's only in yr 1 Id leave it but just keep an eye on it.

Preps not pros another one struggling with autocorrect!

Hi, thanks for the response! I guess maybe you're right in that I should focus on the lack of challenge for my own son rather than how she chooses to spend her time in the classroom...

@happygardening thanks, I'm worried it is indeed a bit 'mediocre' and it's making my heart a bit sad as the idea was to move him to this school for stability as it's a through to sixth form school. Will keep an eye on it as suggested.

It does sound very bad practice that this teacher is on the computer all the time. But make sure your DS isn't exaggerating! His last school did sound much better and I see he changed schools because of a house move. Maybe there are other maths sessions and it's just one session they do workbooks which would be OK. But still it doesn't sound great if you're paying a lot of money in fees.

He's six, I'd give it a bit more time.

You should mention your concerns to the teacher. Give her an opportunity to rectify it. If she doesn't do anything then talk to the head of prep. If he has recently moved she may just be waiting for his next review to put him into the advanced extension program. Most prep schools will take the more able pupils out for extension work so that may be why she does not do any extension with him herself.

Thanks all! There is definitely no extension group, they stream them from Y4 but until that point they are with their class teacher. Guess I'm just hoping it's one bad year for him and not a school-wide approach- time will tell!

Move him to your state school if you want that type of education.
A school that isn't known for its academic results probably doesn't see them as important as schools that are pushing them to within the realms of insanity.

OP The teacher isn't teaching maths and the children aren't learning. If there's no practical work or discussion they are simply doing repetitive practice of concepts they've already understood. Where's the challenge?
Maybe in chat with your friends who teach there you can find out whether the problem is that teacher or the school. You shouldn't be paying for your child to be unstretched, unstimulated and producing 'make work'. Is the teacher permanent?

The super-expensive private school near us is the same. Lovely uniform, call their break time snack something daft like “lemonade time”, range rovers a plenty. When we considered it for dc1 in Y4 it was clear, when I looked around, that for all the resident poet and string quartet, the maths and English provision just weren’t very good, and the children were behind the state school class that dc1 was currently in.

Things even out a bit later on in the school, as classes stay small and the kids do get more attention than in state, but they don’t get stellar exam results for all those fees: the top sets at the outstanding comp do better.

So it might be worth putting your dc on a waiting list for the local state schools, or looking elsewhere.

You're a teacher, so you should know the right and wrong way to handle this.

Approach the school with a couple of queries - don't accuse and criticise, just ask for information and how they are approaching the teaching of maths and how your son is doing, what his targets are and what school and you can do to help him. Be positive and cheerful. It could help to approach it from the fact you teach in a state school and are keen to understand if what they are doing is similar or different - you could lay out what you do in terms of content and approach and ask if their approach is similar or different - a lot could be revealed that way.

Prep schools expect parents to ask lots of questions - they pay to be able to ask easily and get quick answers - it's one of the advantages. However, especially when a parent is a teacher, other teachers can feel a bit defensive, especially if you sound like you know more about the latest methods than they do.

You're a teacher - so you know that teachers don't respond to tricky questions by taking it out on the children. It might feel a bit awkward, but it's good to ask if you feel uncomfortable.

Personally, I would ask any first question of the teacher themselves and if things didn't then improve, include others further up the chain in correspondence.

And you do have to expect things to differ to sate schools in some ways. One of the benefits of independence is the freedom to ignore some diktats which are deemed not useful. This teacher might not do things exactly as you would. As a teacher, you also know that children do t always report entirely accurately or as you say, fully understand what is happening in the classroom or behind the scenes,nwhich is why it's always worth approaching with a query rather than a complaint.

However, you could be right and he is not being taught and just working through a booklet. That's not good enough. The teacher or later school might be willing to acknowledge this and adjust....or they might fob you off. You'll have to decide what to do then if they do.

Could you ask about the school policy towards the teaching of maths? Is there a Head of Maths (most Preps will use specialist maths teachers certainly from Yr 3, rather than just the form teacher) you can speak to - you need to ascertain if it's just this teacher or a school wide problem.

Prep schools aren't always better than state schools and in all schools there are better and less good teachers. When things are unacceptable or possibly unacceptable, you should ask questions in either sector.

Best of luck.

I echo what ChocolateWombat said.

You know as a teacher how to approach this. Call for a chat with the teacher. Keep an open mind. Have a chat.

Do not go straight to head of prep.
Do not go gossiping with people you know who work there

Having seen the amount of differentiation my mother had to provide ina. Large state school class I think independent primaries often give themselves a really easy ride. Our pre prep just didn’t do it at all - everyone is taught the same and does the same, all aimed at the middle of the cohort. Weak ones are told to get tutors, bright ones coast. If one asked for extension or tweaking, the child was just given another sheet I’d the same stuff - ds2 isnt stupid - why finish a sheet of sums quickly if you are just going to be given exactly the same again. Our solution was to move him to a selective school where, to be fair, much the same was true but now the standard work was at his level.

I suspect this could well be true. (Ie what your son is reporting).

There are also dynamics about exit points. At our pre prep I was always suspicious as to whether their timings for tackling things was geared to not being ready for 8+ so that child’s ten didn’t leave (eg oddly not starting like g multiplication until December of year 2 etc). Could this be an issue.

Slightly off topic but I really would t get too caught up in the through school to sixth form idea. I think it very hard to keep interest and patience with a school past 7 years or so and can’t imagine nothing more stultifying than being in one environment and cohort all that time. It can also make schools very very lazy

And year one in my experience is a great year for progress, really getting on with reading and sustained. Writing and nuking times tables and getting away from all the colouring in and learning to sit sill tedium if reception. Year 2 is usually the plateau one

State school teachers who send their dcs private are incomprehensible to me.

Why incomprehensible Snowjoker? I have taught in state schools for 20+ years but chose to send my DCs to private schools. Equally, i teach the children of teachers in private schools. I chose each of the schools on how they would best suit each of my DC. Is that so unusual?

Good for you Olivo! You chose your career/job and you are entitled to choose the best school for your DC. Two separate choices!

Smiling tiger, definitely speak to the teacher; in a friendly and evidence gathering type of way. If your instincts are telling you that something isn’t right then start looking for another school.

I'd certainly enquire about getting your son on a waiting list for your school. I would also talk to his teacher about your concerns.
Personally I'd be less willing to tolerate "coasting" in a school I paid for.
Not all private schools are the same.

Its a vote of no confidence in the system you work in, so I feel it is hypocritical.
I don’t know why OP is surprised. It’s not as if you put your dcs in a private school for the superior teaching, it’s for a load of other reasons. But this thread is not really the place to debate that, (sorry!) I just always think a bit less of teachers who use private unless due to a disability or being a music prodigy etc.

I have loads of confidence in the state system in general, snow, but our local state primary is crap! No brainer!

Its a vote of no confidence in the system you work in, so I feel it is hypocritical
No it's not.

I personally feel very uncomfortable with the idea of buying privilege and some elements of private education don't sit well with me.

I'd happily send my kids to my current school.
I'd send them private over sending them to some schools I've worked in.
I'm not going to sacrifice my child's future on the altar of ideological preference (but i do think state education would improve and be properly funded if MPs actually haf to send their kids through the system)

So agree. As a state secondary teacher i would happily send my kids to the school I work in, the students there get a fantastic deal.
However it is massively oversubscribed and we live a long way away so no chance of them getting in there. We are constrained on where we live due to DHs job so like hell am I sacrificing my dcs education at the consistently ri school with basically no extra curricular which would be our only choice in the rural area in which we live.