Preferential treatment. Should I say something?

[fatfloosie]

DD attends pre-school at a community school. The children are split into three groups, but supposedly do a lot of things all together. One group is led by the teacher and the other two groups have teaching assistants (I think - not teachers anyway!).

Quite early in the school year I noticed that all the children whose parents had some connection to the school (ie parent is a teacher, governor, playground assistant etc) were in the teacher-led group and also all the children who had more than one older sibling at the school and whose parents were therefore better known to the school. I thought this was a bit dodgy but liveable with, but as time has passed it's come to bother me more and more.

The effect of this preferential treatment is that almost all of the most able children are in the teacher-led group and they have progressed even further. DD was originally at the same level but was marooned in one of the other groups with children who were all considerably less able, although they have made good progress too. DD by contrast doesn't appear to have made any progress at all since September. I raised my concerns that DD was getting disengaged from learning with her group leader during the Spring term and was basically told the curriculum is play based etc.

What's really got me going now is that the children have just had a story workshop that we all paid extra for and this was to be followed by them all doing story plans . . . or so I thought. I was looking forward to seeing what DD did and thought she might finally find something a bit stimulating but it turns out only about a quarter of the children were chosen to do them. And not DD. But unsurprisingly most of the children in the teacher-led group. Grrr.

I realise I'm probably making a mountain out of a molehill. Please feel free to tell me I'm being an arse (gently)

BTW when referring to ability I realise it's just the current stage of development and not an indicator for the future

Maybe the connection with the school thing is coincidental and they're actually grouped by ability? It does sound weird that only some kids did the story plans though (what is a story plan?) - especially if you all paid for it. But again, maybe it's an ability thing and they just picked the kids they thought would get the most out of it.

How old is your dd? At preschool I wouldn't worry too much about it, they're there to play.

Thanks very much for replying beansmum.

I don't think it's coincidental as the school connection applies to about 25% of the children and they are all without exception in the teacher-led group. They can't have been grouped by ability as they were grouped before they started. And if they were grouped by ability DD should definitely have been included.

I think a story plan is just a glorified picture really, but it was mentioned at a parent meeting at the start of the year that the children would do them in the Summer term. Hence my surprise that DD hadn?t done one.

DD is 4. I know it?s a bit early to be worrying. I just feel she?s getting a bit of a bum deal at her preschool and if that was due to bad luck rather than design it would be easier to live with.

We have this same problem! Dd attends independent primary and every day at prize giving on the last day of term, only the children with parents in the PTA and/ or on the board of trustees receive awards (of which there are lots)! Often resulting in some children receiving so many multiple shields or trophies they literally cannot carry them all! Every year there is near mutiny from us mere mortal parents but nothing changes!! We're all far too polite to cause a fuss!! Several parents have joined PTA/board of trustees just to be in with a chance of their child reviving an award! Keeping my child off this year on prize giving; really sad to see the disappointment and bewilderment every year when she once again never received anything and the same children who win the in school competitions / are on school council / receive awards!
And I'm paying for this crap?!! ( yes, I've already told me self)!

If you paid extra for the story workshop and DD didn't get it from any source then you are imho entitled to ask for a refund.
In reception they will be grouped acc to ability so this won't go away but you should have more redress/input incl reading at home, emergent writing etc

I would be asking when your dd is going to do the workshop, as you have paid for it and you want her to do it or have a refund. Wrt to the grouping it does seem a little odd, but maybe it is on ability assessed early on, or maybe friendship groups. My dd is in teacher's group, but they do lots of things with other teachers/TAs. I would make an appointment to see the teacher, she is afterall still the overall teacher and will be responsible for many of the assessments still.

Do also be aware that children can seem to make no progress and then suddenly leap ahead. Also I think 2nd and 3rd children are at an advantage in the early years as they and their parents know what to expect more, they may be more focussed, for example dd2 sees her goal as being free reader, whereas dd1 didn't know such a status existed. I'm not saying that these things are true for you, but they were certainly true for us. Or your teacher my just be biased and have her favourites, which hopefully will change with new teacher next year.

Thank you for your replies and janji I love the 'mortal parent' description.

I think my original post wasn't clear enough on two points - firstly we paid for a storyteller to come in and then the story plans were follow up work by the school, so I can't ask for a refund because she did see the storyteller, just hasn't benefited from being able to do the follow up work.

Secondly DD was very able compared to almost all the other children last September (there were three or four others at the same level and they are all in the teacher-led group). This was apparent to the staff as it was remarked upon that her drawing was very advanced. The children do a name card at the start of each term and in September DD copied her name almost perfectly whilst all the other children in her group just made marks (and none of the namecards done in April are even remotely as good as DD?s September one, including her own ). So it?s not that they?ve been streamed on ability and she somehow got missed.

Could it be that the teacher is known to be 'good' and the other key workers less so and the parents that knew the school requested that they be allocated that keyworker?

Most settings I have seen have a mixture of children in each keyworker group. I have seen settings where the younger children are allocated to particular keyworkers, could your child be with younger children who may on average be less able?

I do think that in the pre-school set ups I have seen which key worker you were allocated would make no difference to the activities you do, it may make a difference to how 'cared for' you feel. On the whole I don't actually think that the preschool makes much difference to reading/writing/maths skills, I think different progress at this age is due to parental input and natural ability.

In your position I would not do anything as your DD will be leaving for school very soon. If your DD was staying for another year I would ask for her to be moved.

OP How can you possibly know what ability level - and I use that term VERY loosely as they are 4 - all of the other children in your DD's pre-school are? I wouldn't have the foggiest about the other children in my DD's pre-school; she goes to play!!

3duracellbunnies - totally agree re 2nd and 3rd children and thanks for the leap ahead comment: I will now live in hope!

pinkappleby - thank you for your very helpful post. It didn't occur to me that people might have asked to be allocated the teacher-led group. Makes perfect sense. I would have done it myself if I'd thought it was allowed! Your point about the ages of the children is also interesting - the groups are mixed age but the winter-born children in DD's group actually seem more like they are the youngest ones (one still brings a blankie and another cries every morning). If any of the other winter-born children had been allocated to DD's group instead, it would be a much better mix, so some of the problem has just happened by chance. And you're right: no point in saying anything now (particularly now you've made me realise it's not really the school's fault anyway!).

Thank you everyone I really feel much better now

I've been quite interested in this discussion. The EYFS framework is big on "keyworkers". This is great for babies and younger children, but in our school nursery, I've always felt that parents would be pee-ed off if their children was not put in the "teachers" key group rather than that of one of the TAs. So we rotate the groups, so all the adults get to spend time with all of the children.

But these group are present for a very short time during the day. To do register, to get ready to go home and perhaps for a 15 minute activity. Otherwise all the children are playing together. I can't imagine that your DDs pre-school is much different to this model.

Anyway, like others have said, she's moving on soon, so just enjoy the sunshine!

I agree with those that have said it's pre-school, don't worry. If this was happening in school I would be worried. Is your DD enjoying herself? For me, that was all I was worried about for preschool TBH.

There isn't a teacher in my son's pre-school. The one you describe sounds very structured in comparison to ours.

I'd say it is far more likely that the parents are "encouraginging" their children at home rather than the key-worker having too much influence.
Teacher or not the childrn are not actually being taught anything at this age.
"Introduced" to numbers, days of the week, jolly phonics etc but nothing that is going to make a noticable academic difference.
I think you might be hoping for too much from pre-school education, particulalry if your little one is bright and could already write her name at 3.
Do bits and bobs at home anwith her and view pre-school as pure play.

RiversideMum I really like the idea of rotating the adults, and not just because of the teacher. I also would've liked DD to have a turn with the other TA who is rather old school and quite brisk with her group. I know the mums of the boys in DD's group in particular thought they would've benefited from a dose of her style. It would solve the problem of all the 'pushy' parents asking to be in the teacher-led group too.

RiversideMum & RosemaryandThyme I think the teacher-led group is doing a more advanced activity first thing in the morning whilst DD's group do something like threading giant beads, but you're right that it's probably not going to make that much difference. It's reassuring that you don't think I should expect much progress if she was already doing well.

SoupDragon No she has not been particularly happy. Started very brightly in September but did not want to go back at all after Christmas. For weeks I had to prise every piece of uniform on her while she shrieked 'I don't like school' and then practically carry her there! That was to do with friendship issues I think and she seems to have pretty much resolved them now, although she still asks every morning whether she has school or not, hoping that the answer is no. I take your point though, this is small beer compared to that nightmare.

Why are you sending her if she really isn't enjoying it or getting much from it?

I think age 4 is too early to worry too much. However I have been bemused by this thread. Is it possible [and again at 4 not sure it is that relevant] that the 'PTA and governor parents' are a hothousing their children a bit? May be in their nature!!
I don't know. For us I noticed that in the early years older children predominantly in 'top' groups and also some quick starters. In year 2 there has been some evening out though some of the older ones still 'holding' their advantage. Interesting!