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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

choice of teacher and friends in prepschool reception

66 replies

manychoices · 21/02/2011 14:33

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?

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LessNarkyPuffin · 21/02/2011 15:03

She was sold a good teacher who's been there for years. Not a NQT. No way would I pay for that.

stealthsquiggle · 21/02/2011 15:05

really, Puffin? I think I would want to meet the NQT in question - but even in an independent school you shouldn't be deciding on the basis of one teacher, surely? Otherwise you might end up changing schools every year ?

LIZS · 21/02/2011 15:07

dd had a good motherly teacher in reception , think she'd have got more out of the NQT tbh.

Original poster

manychoices · 21/02/2011 15:12

there was only one form entry when we applied so the teacher factor wasnt there

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Original poster

manychoices · 21/02/2011 15:13

thank you!

i reread letter shes been with them for years and qualifies in a couple of months she will be a teacher.

But yes we were mis-sold
and yes im disappointed in their pandering to silly things for parents who are insecure about their kids
i called they have obviously left for the day so will try again in morning

i didnt want to cause offense but clearly i must stand my ground

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Original poster

manychoices · 21/02/2011 15:13

although think all parents will be asking for same thing

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LIZS · 21/02/2011 15:14

But she could have gone off on long term sick or found another job before your dd started, just like anyone else. You have to be able to trust the school to choose capable staff, if not then it isn't the right one. Ask them for reassurance but state you would prefer the original one if given a choice.

FiveFeetTwo · 21/02/2011 15:16

Ds2's reception teacher is newly qualified. She is amazing - so enthusiastic and keen and full of life (it's exhausting just to watch!) It really rubs off on the children ime and they seem to have a real entusiasm and thirst for learning.

LessNarkyPuffin · 21/02/2011 15:17

I would not pay for a NQT if I'd been sold the school on the basis of the established teacher. If I loved the school, was sure about the rest of the teachers, and had chosen it as being the best overall option then maybe I'd have to think about it.

I don't like TAs in school - unless they're there as support for pupils with additional needs. They're the cheap option - as are NQTs. If you're paying fees then surely they can pay for an experienced teacher.

I'd want to know if the school has committed to having two classes for the next few years. Are they serious about this or is it just a one year patch to cover a swollen intake. It strikes me as odd that they haven't just hired another teacher.

belledechocchipcookie · 21/02/2011 15:18

It's half term many so there will probably not be anyone in until Monday.

Is it the headteacher's school? It sounds like she's trying to pack the children in. I'd be worried, ds's prep school did this, she boosted numbers then sold it.

LessNarkyPuffin · 21/02/2011 15:21

Ah, just seen that the TA has been with them for years. It seems very strange that, when they have obviously had her working there for ages and been training her up, they never mentioned the plan to move to twin intake and move her into a teaching role.

Original poster

manychoices · 21/02/2011 15:23

no the schools owned by the parents in a way its like a building society set-up. they have a board etc

its one form entry all way through but last year six who will leave were two forms so they can afford to do it again (yes increased intake)
im more concerned about parents attitudes i was going to trusts schools decision but felt a pang that deep down i wanted that teacher myself

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Bucharest · 21/02/2011 15:25

Can they even do that? Train a TA up to be a teacher themselves? Surely that's a job for the Dep of Ed???

I wouldn't be that bothered about the friend thing- here that's par for the course, on the enrolment form (for state school as well as private) you specify one friend that your child might like to stay with, just to settle them in I think more than anything.

But the TA thing would have me heading for the hills with my chequebook firmly closed.

Original poster

manychoices · 21/02/2011 15:26

Less- they waited for us all to take up the place and pay deposit before dropping the bombshell!
im happy about the tewo forms in terms of more kids but now would like to escape my current clique forming nursery mums (im sure they are alll the same.
want tyo stand my ground now - ive come full circle

really wanted to say also they shouldnt of given such a ridiculous option !

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LessNarkyPuffin · 21/02/2011 15:26

Just realised my posts sound like I'm slagging off NQTs. There's nothing wrong with NQTs - obviously all teachers are NQTs at the start! It's just that they are the cheapest option financially and I'd want to be sure that they were being chosen as the best option, on the basis of their teaching, not as the most cost effective option.

Original poster

manychoices · 21/02/2011 15:27

shes at uni doing her qualifications will grad this summer

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Original poster

manychoices · 21/02/2011 15:29

less- exactly as we are paying for the privilege of experienced teachers (their words not mine!

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LessNarkyPuffin · 21/02/2011 15:29

"the schools owned by the parents in a way its like a building society set-up. they have a board etc"

Original poster

manychoices · 21/02/2011 15:34

well they are parents from my nursery but they are all of same cultural background so are anyway quite cliquey because of this similarity and they know the other parents from other nurseries through their circles
not that that should matter but gives them a chance to mobilise outside

its a very good school and the set up is better than the ones were the headteacher owns the school i prob didnt explain it properly - parents do not dictate but headteacher has to report to a board of governors

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belledechocchipcookie · 21/02/2011 15:39

Most private school's have cliquey parents. You can choose to ignore them as there will be some that are fairly normal.

LessNarkyPuffin · 21/02/2011 15:44

Fair enough. It was the idea of parents having a say that freaked me out.

Original poster

manychoices · 21/02/2011 15:48

Me too in this case he's given an option he shouldn't have. Heard one parent from ours goes to extreme lengths to get what she wants. Will give away if I say it in here. She's done it before to last nursery. Gosh world of schools!

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belledechocchipcookie · 21/02/2011 15:50

Ohh, some of the tales I could tell! I bet the head's seen it all before, some of the parents are truly bonkers.

chickchickchicken · 21/02/2011 15:54

i really dont understand why you are sending your child to a prep school you already have reservations about.

losing the deposit is a drop in the ocean compared to the termly fees you will be paying for years

also dont understand why you are placing such emphasis on one particular teacher. surely you chose the school on its head, ethos, grades, etc and not on one teacher? presumably your child will be there until age 13 so other considerations are far more important than reception year teacher

Original poster

manychoices · 21/02/2011 16:02

Chick. With regards to prep choice I gave it a mention in op we don't actually have a choice schools here are over subscribed and are terrible. I would prefer not having to pay but I don't feel I have much choice here
Its a good school and I'm not basing on one teacher its just she's great and they emphasised her greatness and length of time in post. My concern was that all the other 29 parents are making a song and dance I'm being overly civilised about it and therefore shortchanged.

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