How to avoid the same teacher again

[KisstheTeapot14]

Previous to this school year DS was taught by someone that neither he pr I got on with. He has SEN and she was impossible to work with (and I do cut teachers a certain amount of slack, but she was the worst ever).

He has a great teacher this year who takes time to understand and work with us to support DS.

Teacher from last year has now changed years and is teaching the year DS will go into (Y5). I know I am not alone in this, as other mums have commented that she was difficult and that their children has bloomed under new teacher this year. The other one was felt to be dogmatic and punitive,

WWYD? Talk to the head? Its a 50/50 chance he will get the 'bad' apple again. I guess they will decide in about March time?

When teachers move years like this, they usually get the class they've not had before.

Not always, but if say it's more 70/30 than 50/50 chance.

Might be worth writing really polite letter to the Head teacher in January expressing your preference. You don't have to spell out your reasons.

Do the forms get mixed up?

Probably worth writing an informal letter. I would give reasons, but without making out that it's the teacher. "Didn't perform his best" "Feel he does well with a stricter/less strict teacher" or even "he didn't have a good year that year and I'd prefer him to feel he has a fresh start rather than have the potential of him slipping backwards into the behaviour pattern he had that year."

If you don't give any reasons it sounds like probably 101 other letters they'll get saying "my dc want this teacher"-and they will get those letters.

But it depends on whether you have a head that will listen, or whether they will deliberately go against you. We have a local (several form entry) school that used to be so determined that they wouldn't do any requests that anyone (including the primary schools) I know who'd put in a request, often with very good reasons, the opposite happened. That meant that typically bullies ended up with the victims.
About the time people twigged on and realise they could use this, they got a new head and changed the policy.

I would speak to the head yes. Be calm and pragmatic. Stick to the facts DS didn't flourish under old teacher and has really started to bloom. Don't be offensive to old teacher, but describe that your ds with his particular needs was not well suited to her teaching style.

I understand my Ds ( Sen ) has a really bad year with a teacher. He had a 1 in 3 chance of getting same teacher again .

I was prepared to move him schools , stopped sleeping. I went to see head and burst into tears 😳. That said my Ds was put with an amazing teacher. I think she understood

I think the nightmare one we have this year is the sort who's liable to refuse to move year groups (and seems to get away with pulling this crap) so it's hopeful we won't get her again but if we did I'd be taking my child out of the school to be honest - she's been that dreadful.

Not much I can do as if I say anything the Head would do it just to prove she was in charge - so we're just gritting our teeth and getting through the year with the SENCO intervening constantly when SEN provision is actively being blocked by this woman.

Thankfully we're at an infants school so this coming year is the last one that the teacher in question will be in the pool of potential teachers at least.

Thanks everyone, useful advice on how to stay neutral on a hot topic.

I feel the same as posters who have said they would remove their child from the school. I would do this too if practical. Shame for children to lose their friends though, for the sake of a teacher who seems not to wish to understand a child with extra needs.I had sleepless nights too, mostly wishing I could give her a piece of my mind but not wanting to make things worse for DS. School is hard enough when your skills don't match what is being asked (reading, writing, drawing) and perhaps you don't understand what's going on half the time because you are working a good few years 'behind' schedule...

In my experience I now attend all meetings like business meetings. I take bulletpoints . Don’t attack the teacher make it about your child has always got me what my dc needed . Attack the staff they get defensive