Headteacher won't disclose qualifications of TA

[AStreetcarNamedBob]

My son starts reception in January and it's a long story but the "teacher" is actually a TA

I've emailed the head master and asked to know what Mrs Xs qualifications are (ie QTS or NVQ level 3 or whatever)

He has refused to disclose saying that he won't discuss his staff without a good reason. Apparently the fact that my son is going to be entrusted to this women for 6 hours a day is not a good enough reason to be told her qualifications.

Would this surprise you? Does it seem an unreasonable question. The head is acting as shocked as if I were asking something personal like what colour pants she wears.

All I wanted was a response saying Mrs X holds a level X in early years studies or something.

dovina in not talking about playground or assembly - in all the primary schools local to me, there is regular movement between classes.
Timetable is are coordinated so that DCs across the whole of KS1, for instance, receive literacy or numeracy at the same time of day, and the pupils integrate across classes for this, with teachers and TAs taking mixed groups focusing on different things.

People asking about our options - we will move. We would go back to the mainland and find a different school

You say you're certain the teacher isn't qualified, but for some reason you want this confirmed by the HT. It doesn't look like that's going to happen, but luckily you have a fall-back option which is presumably not available to all the other parents.

So what exactly is the problem again?

The OPs child will be in reception so working towards ELGs regardless if previous experience or lack if it.

It makes a big difference as to whether they have had prior opportunity to work towards those goals or not, though.

The EYFS teachers I've spoken to say they can identify not only which DCs have attended or not attended pre-school, but which local pre-school they've been to, within a few days of them starting the school.

It makes no difference whatsoever Pretty the teacher (if there was a teacher) would complete baseline assessment and plan according to the child's needs. Not attending a preschool doesn't mean a child will be behind in fact many children who enter reception having never attended another setting are very able across all prime areas of the curriculum.

I've never come across a school that mixes classes like that Pretty, maybe it's quite specific to your area.

Children attending preschool aren't working towards ELGs they use developmental matters

The teaching and provision in reception is the same as the children on the mainland would in a reception class, although the children won't reach statutory school age until the start of yr 1. As it is in all schools under the same system,

I'd agree with mrz that integration is not that common. The only time it might happen on a daily basis would normally be if the school sets for maths or literacy. Even then the classes would normally both have a qualified teacher for the rest of the day. (Unless it's an academy).

I really don't think most parents would be happy with a teacher that only exists on paper.

Jeez Suburban The problem is that the OP doesn't want her reception child taught by an unqualified person. And she really shouldn't have to move house to avoid this.

The whole academy thing absolutely stinks. Do you really think the Tory gonernment's kids are going to be taught by poorly qualified people? No, but it's okay for us rabble isn't it?

This all smacks to me of a vendetta against the unions. The teachers unions are the last bastion of organised labour in this country. The government is out to break them. We are on the road back to working class people being taught by a random old lady in her front room.

Moving back to the mainland is not really a simple option. And people shouldn't have to to avoid a failing school.

Compulsory school age is the term following the 5th birthday callit.

I really don't think most parents would be happy with a teacher that only exists on paper.

I agree, but it's often the only option in tiny rural schools with single figure admission numbers. Ideally, these "special cases" would be awarded additional funding to achieve equity with larger schools, but they rarely do, so Governors and SLT have to make the best of what they've got. They can't grow a money tree in order to pay an additional teacher!

A good HT would ensure that staffing resources are allocated so that the DCs get the best possible education they can within the budgetary restrictions.

OP - when was the school last inspected? What does the report say about ensuring that all DCs get good quality teaching to ensure good progress?

Sort of. In the OP's case it's the September following the child's 5th birthday. Although, children can be given a place in a reception class if one exists and there is space. In practice, pretty much all children start the September after their fourth birthday, so any child starting at statutory school age will have missed a year of education.

Pretty's description is totally familiar to me, maybe we both live in a pocket of the country where schools work in this way.

Rafals - further to my post earlier I know that when my child was taught by an teacher who wasn't a teacher in reception there weren't any complaints at all, the practitioner was widely recognised as one of the best in the local area and although my child didn't attend that school when she left I'm told parents were very disappointed. Now I think bsck she was overseen by a qualified teacher but in practice I don't think much intervention ever took place.

I've never come across a school that mixes classes like that Pretty, maybe it's quite specific to your area.

Not sure if it's just my area, because the neighbouring authority does it too, but both rural, with lots of smaller schools so maybe it developed through necessity ?

It's essential to develop innovative delivery methods in atypical school models - as demonstrated by Five Island School

The school was last inspected in 2013. It was dire. Attainment, progress, leadership and management, quality teaching, capacity to improve - the whole lot.

It did receive a follow up inspection about 6 months later, although mysteriously there's no record of that. I'm sure it must have been inspected again since then though.

I'm getting confused, Rafals - are you the OP under a different name or has she said which school it is and I've missed it?

I'm not the OP, but I do know the school she's talking about.

She really isn't wrong to be worried.

Suburban yeah really fun trying to sell a house, buy a new one, build a new life etc. Leave all our family as well on both sides. Why should we have to is my point? It's complicated by the fact that we employ a substantial (by this communities terms) amount of people and would hate to walk away from here.

rafals has got the right school. We can skip reception but, again, why should we have to. There also isn't an easy option for something for our child to do for that year when her peer group are all at school.

If the school is acting illegally I can't belief the amount of people who have no problem with that.

Thank you tho to EVERYONE who has commented I've read every post.

iborolass yes rafal has stumbled on the right school - I tried to not be identifying but of course there are limited islands and she obviously recognised it :)

It's actually nice to have someone who knows the school confirm I'm not barking mad

If the school is acting illegally I can't belief the amount of people who have no problem with that.

It's acting within the law (although I'm in England, which I'm guessing is slightly different), although whether it is best practice is a different matter.

If this school has been dire since 2013, then I'm guessing that there has already been a mass exodus of parents from the Island in order to secure good education for their DC's ?
A couple of schools where I am have experienced that - ultimately, they closed - reopening with a completely new identity, staff and GB.

Sorry. It's a bit difficult to not recognise it if you know it IYSWIM.

Where you planning on staying long term anyway? I would be less worried about early years and more about the rest of the school. Even if the school was good, had you considered what you were planning for secondary? It might be that moving sooner rather than later would be a good option anyway.

I am a bit flabbergasted at the number of people dismissing the importance of properly trained people teaching such young children. If I ruled the world, I would pay nursery workers the most and university lecturers the least, as the younger a child is, the more important proper teaching and care are and the more harm can be done to them by a bad teacher/carer.

The law doesn't say Reception can be taught by a NVQ2 qualified TA so long as there is a Year 1 teacher in the classroom next door.