New teacher every year - does it have an impact?

[Ninetynineandcounting]

Due to maternity leave, a firing and a teacher relocating, my daughter has had a new to the school teacher every year since starting in Reception. We’ve just found out that her teacher for next year will be new to the school too!

Do you think this has an impact in the classroom or school? No one seems to last more than a year!

But you can ask the Head if the progress of all the children in the class is as expected or are they concerned at a general lack of progress? Are the DC all making progress or are they causing concern? Is there a plan to improve the situation? You should be able to trust the assessment at the school in the absence of Ofsted trashing it! There may not be a problem of course! Teachers leave. It might have been better to have had an existing teacher but the new teacher might be experienced in this year group so their expertise is of value.

All Heads give detailed progress info to Governors and they will be (or should be) on top of any issues in a year group and be analysing what might be wrong and then, importantly, addressing it!

However, governors should be aware that in year progress data can be unreliable, as even Ofsted acknowledge, and takes up teaching time unnecessarily.

If no-one has any idea about the progress the children are making, they will be in trouble with ofsted. Correctly. Schools must have reliable systems that are not overly time consuming but are not a work of fiction. If schools have no idea about what issues they have that restrict progress, they won’t know how to improve. Ofsted dislike lack of knowledge intensely! There will be no decent improvement plan if they do not know what needs to be improved. It’s reasonable to expect that assessment is part of teaching and the op certainly can ask about it. I have never, recently, been lied to by a head regarding progress and the issues facing the school. I expect Heads and staff to give the best info they can because we all work together to improve. For the sake of the children. We have a very low turnover of staff!

Ofsted aren't interested in in year data and have finally acknowledged that there is no way of knowing whether it's a load of old. rubbish or not. As governors, you can look at all the figures churned out from whatever tracking system you want in other years, but the only real picture you get comes from end of key stage assessment.

It's a truth that is now universally acknowledged. Except that teachers have been saying exactly that since the new curriculum was out into place.

So how can you judge? How can a parent judge? Just wait and see if your children pass or fail an assessment?

Look at the books. Progress will be obvious.