Swan meadow preschool

[Concerned1234]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone out there can offer some advice?
I rang up my son's pre school to ask if I could come in for a chat about how he's getting on and the manager told me that as I don't pay the fees ( it's a private preschool and my son lives with his mum) I had no right to any information. I was quite shocked because I do contribute towards the fees...and there's no reason (legal or otherwise) why I shouldn't be allowed to know how my son is doing at preschool. Can anyone please advise?

Do you have a relationship with the preschool as a parent?
Do they know you, do you do drop off or pickup?
Do you have parental responsibility and are you named on the birth certificate?

Look at it from their point of view
They have a legal duty to safeguard children and comply with confidentiality laws. You could have been anyone ringing up and asking for information. They are not going to just give out confidential information to a stranger about a child in their care

If you want to know about your child, then I suggest you speak to his mum and arrange to go in together
Its really not on to involve the preschool if you are having problems in your relationship with your child's mother

Yes, they know me.
I have parental responsibility and am named on the birth certificate.
The mother of my son does not share any information with me.
In this case surely the preschool has a duty to share information with me?

...and I'm not sure how you can state that "it's really not on to involve the preschool.." when all I am asking for is information only son's progress, which, as a parent is something I should be given?
Again, the preschool had seen me on several occasions, knows who I am and supposedly should be neutral and impartial?

In that case, then you do have a right to have information on his progress at preschool
It doesn't matter who pays the bill.
I would send them an email requesting an update by email and ask if they will add your details to their email/text list ( if they have one)

I've just emailed an update to one of the dads at my nursery. I do know him, as the parents got divorced. He emailed asking for updates, so I replied with a short summary of his child's progress and invited him n to make an appointment with their key person. He doesn't pay the fees but he is still their dad and has a right to information

If the preschool brush you off, ask for their complaints procedure and make a written complaint and consider reporting them to ofsted
Its not about the money,bits about what's best for the child, and I think its important that children have both parents international sted and involved in their learning and development
Good luck, be persistent and hopefully you will make some headway.

Thanks.
I asked for their complaints procedure and was told there wasn't one!

Eh?
They have to have one
It's a legal requirement