choice of teacher and friends in prepschool reception

[manychoices]

Have name-changed here
This is long but trying to cover background.

Im sending my child to prep-school in September (we have dire state schools locally) the problem is the parents of our current nursery who will also be sending the kids to the school have started to get very involved from now. It is very cliquey which i am not.

The school has now put us in a predicament, they have opened a second class they usually have one form entry. I am happy with this because there will be more kids to socialise with, however they did sell us the school on this great reception teacher who is great we have seen her in action twice and she has been with them for years.

The second class will be headed up by their teaching assistant who they have trained etc. This is a slight concern but again I decided to not get involved in the decision of the school.
They put the option at the end of the letter to specify if we wanted to choose any particular friends.
I don?t want to necessarily choose the two children that are in current nursery as they are not particularly close and I don?t really need to choose my DDs friends from this age, she?s confident enough and new start is fine.

Problems is others have started to write to school requesting friends (same nursery children) to stay together (I find that strange) and also requesting original teacher which I think would annoy the school. I realise I am now surrounded by pushy parents demanding their moneys worth and maybe the school is losing control here by giving options.

Deep down I would like the original teacher as I based my decision on her and have offended others by saying please don?t request my child to be with yours as ?I don?t care? and then may be pushed into other class because im not sticking with them and their demands.

But my passiveness and laid back approach means I may be short changed ? what to do with regards to teacher situation?

There are about four things in that post that would make me find a different school.
I wouldn't send my dd there. All sounds weird, cliquey and unprofessional to me.

Honestly, ~I'd find another school. I wouldn't send my child to any school where their class was not headed by a teacher.

Request the etacher of chocie since you are given the option . However I doubt the TA will not be a qualified teacher by then. Why do you feel it is a predicament ?

hahah yep im starting to wonder. Ive paid a hefty deposit already and choices at this stage are limited. It was my favourite. I can block the pressure and cliquey-ness but I?m concerned about the teacher issue "now" , I think its unfair that my pretty normal approach in my opinion will penalise me

So they are giving one of the reception classes an unqualified, unexperienced teacher and expect people to be happy about this? I would run away quickly.

I agree with Pag (nice upper case P btw...)

However, you can never guarantee you'll get a particular teacher (she might have left before your child even started school) so not really a good idea to put too much emphasis on any particular individual when choosing a school. How was the school as a whole? Were you happy with what you saw/experienced of the school as a whole?

theres no choice given on teacher, parents are just going to add that to their choice of friends emails

the other class is going to be headed by their previous teaching assistant who will be a fully qualified teacher by then I would like the first naturally

The thing that would bother me is that this prep will be getting children who know no one.
Instead of mixing all the children in, trying to create social skills and broaden friendships, they are matching up children with those they already know.
Daft and limiting. Usually parents try to wangle this and sensible schools pay lip service just mixing the kids up. This school seems to want to encourage the parental cliques into the classroom.
Very poor.

FFT - No they sold us on their great reception teacher who they have had for years so they did guarantee it.

Hmm, def look elsewhere then. If all they've got to boast about is one decent reception teacher then I'd run a mile.

Pagwatch totlly agree with your last post that bit really upset me. Tbh i want a fresh start, and a new mix of kids, my chid will not be bothered and doesnt need this comfort

most private schools have clique parents in them. I'd be slightly concerned that they have suddenly added an extra class without a qualified teacher though. You have to do the right thing for your child, not put her into a class because of the pressure from other parents.

no because they sell themselves on their teachers and they are good, ots a small school and ive paid deposit rejected other schools i am quite stuck now and cant change at theis stage but wondering how to tackle school from here on the teacher issue.

You could enail and say I'm keen to allow dd the opportunity to mix and therefore would prefer her not to be with x and y, but with teacher z. These things often turn out badly imho, better to have no say. Does school have its own preshcool ?

belle - thats how i feel, but as they will request to be togethr (i dont want) they will also reuest the teacher. meaning i could get shifted into the other class for not stating preference. although i think the school my get offended on stating teacher preference

Offering the option to specify friends is pretty strange, IMHO - even when they have split one class into two (at Y1 or above as numbers rise) DC's (private prep) school has never given parents an option - I know some people have objected to/'appealed' such decisions, but it seems to me this school is positively encouraging the development of cliques, which would make me very .

no preschool
but 3 from our preschool are calling
shall i call

gosh i hate this school cliquey business ans pushy parents!

yes stealth but im stuck now - would love to mention that to them!

Teachers come and go, they really shouldn't be selling the school on the basis of the staff. I'd email as LIZS suggests, just say that you wish for your child to mix with new children as you believe that it's in her best interestes to start afresh and make new friends. The chances are that the class for the teacher you prefer has already been allocated, especially if the others applied after you.

I would seriously look elsewhere.

However, if you are going to stay with the school then you have to say something, particularly since this teacher was so crucial to your decision to choose the school (and they clearly used this teacher to lure you in). I think you'll regret it if you don't say anything.

FFT i will regret it - i think i should call and say can i come in?

Tricky one manychoices but yes I think so. It might just put your mind at rest.

I would not send a child to a school where they're planning on having a class taught by a TA and/or stretching one teacher over two classes. Full stop. The idea of paying for the priviledge is nuts.

I'd get my deposit back on the grounds that you were mis-sold - you were shown a great teacher and now are being offered a TA.

I think you should set up a meeting - and don't say a word to other parents about it - go in and talk about your concerns for your DD - after all, you too are a paying customer. It would be a mistake to keep quiet for risk of causing offence - it doesn't need to be offensive - IME it is very easy to read things into school communications which were not intended, and a meeting might well put your mind at rest (and if not, well, you're no worse off than you are now...)

op has said TA would be a NQT by then - not necessarily a bad thing.