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!

Could he go back to the brilliant prep school he was at before or did you move areas?

We have been very lucky with prep schools even the girls' which did go through to 18 but with very competitive exams at 11+. All schools of all kinds will tend sometimes to have one or two classes that are not great. I do not think there is any justification for the teacher being at their screen all lesson though if that is true and tbe beauty of 12 in a class in a school like this is that the brigher children can be given very challenging work.

12 in a class is really small, too small IMO. Is it a small school that doesn’t have many DC and therefore has poor resources?

If so I wouldn’t pay for it.

Surely, 12 per class ought to be great to have enough ability spread to teach the curriculum and enough time to support the weaker and stretch the more able?

My DS was in a Pre Prep and Prep until he was in Yr 5. The maths in the local Primary he joined afterwards was way way way above the independent school. We had suspected this but had become more concerned about how little time spent on core subjects in general. Y4 was a shambles and the main aim of it seemed 2fold. Firstly, finding out who was very sporty and would represent school. Secondly, preparing children to be independent enough to find their way to lessons secondary school style but from Yr 5.