Supporting DC to excel

[Fuzzyduck31]

Looking for some experienced advice please!

I’m currently on a career break to raise my two children DD (3.5y) and DS (20m). Before this I worked as EYFS lead in an outstanding infant school for 9 years.

The school DD attends is our most local Catholic school and she is happy at the nursery there. However I have a few issues there. Their outside area is not developed enough I think for the children that are attending. They are only starting phonics and number work next term when my daughter knows all her single sounds and numerals and counting up to 10 already. The teacher is new and the teaching assistants don’t seem to know enough about her. The school grounds are shabby and they have a puddle so big in the playground that ducks have now moved in.

I feel like all the academic side of her learning I have taught her. My husband is leaning toward sending her to a private school, however I do feel that I am able to support her academically and the fees could be spent on something more useful.

What would you do in this situation to support your child to excel? I am tempted to ask for a meeting with the head of department to ask about how they are challenging my daughter and helping her to make accelerated progress but is this too strong?

Any advice welcomed!

When you say that they aren't teaching phonics and number until next term, do you mean in your daughter's nursery or have you found out that they aren't teaching them until then in Foundation (Reception)?

If it's the former, then I'd relax.

My daughter didn't do much in the way of number or phonics at nursery. I just did those at home instead. I used Jolly Phonics to make sure she could read cvc words and knew to use phonics rather than guessing from pictures before she started school (she's 20 so this was before all schools used good synthetic phonic strategies).

It sounds like you can do this as well. What I couldn't do at home was replicate the personal and social part of EYFS. That's why I wanted her to go to nursery.

If it's the latter, and the school are late to start these, that's more of a worry. In that case, if it was me, I'd be looking to see what other state primaries were within a reasonable distance.

Btw, wanting her to excel sounds a bit OTT. Apart from the fact that not all children will excel (just as not every child can be above average), it seems a lot of pressure to put on a toddler.

PS Why would you want her to make accelerated progress rather than to make progress?

In my experience, teachers are asked to try and ensure children with SEN, below Are, vulnerable children etc make accelerated progress in order to try and catch them up to where they should be.

I thought outstanding leaders in EYFS were all about supporting the development of the whole child at the child’s pace, instead of hothousing them in maths and phonics? What about the play-based curriculum? Or is your child different? Step back. She’s 3 and a half!! The word ‘academic’ shouldn’t be used anywhere near children of that age.

The best thing you can do for your kid is to chill out and stop hothousing her. Let her be a kid. No point her knowing all her phonics and numbers early if her social and emotional skills end up being behind.

Sorry think my OP sounded a bit pushy, which I hope I’m not. My DD has just been interested in sounds and numbers since she was 2, and enjoys activities around these. In both her previous nurseries she was doing phonics and number activities from September.
She does have lots of activities as well as academic - cooking, playdough, ballet, swimming. However I guess my main issue is the difference between state and private resources. DH likes the looK of private schools but I think it could be a bit of a waste of money especially as I have the expertise to do a lot at home.