I was a it too tired to add to the tread properly last night but our experience adds surprising dimension to the whole state versus private debate and correlates with what *minimathsmouse says.
Our DSs started out in a very intensive high league table Pre-Prep which did not follow national curriculum at all. The teachers were allowed to go beyond the NC and were expected to so. There were children who had remedial help but others who went far beyond the required standard. SAT level 3 (at Yr 2) and SAT level 5 (at Yr 6) was the minimum standard expected.
The purpose of the school was to reach 11+ sandard by Yr 6 and SAT was just a test on the way and not at all important in determining the curriculum.
We then moved house to a new city and our DSs started a new Prep that explicitly targeted and followed the national curriculum both in content and in standards. What a difference. The pace of the learning is far lower, the expected standard is far lower. We are having to do home coaching in maths just to keep DSs at a reasonable level compared to their peers at other Preps and to be able to handle 11+ entry exams at senior schools. I do not expect to have to do this.
In effect our current Prep is operating like a very good state Primary school. Good standard of welfare, good behaviour, good facilities, good teachers, small classes BUT when we go and talk to the Head and the teachers they just simply do not have any concept of any standard beyond NC. They are constrained by it. The more able children are drifting along far below their potential. We are not the only parents saying it. For the weaker children it is fine but not for the more able children. As minimathsmouse says:
"teachers are not being allowed to teach. The target setting of the last government(both overt and covert) has meant that teaching time is reduced, teachers are not allowed to use their own initiative and levels have been set low for a reason.
teachers are not being allowed to teach. The target setting of the last government(both overt and covert) has meant that teaching time is reduced, teachers are not allowed to use their own initiative and levels have been set low for a reason."
This is happening in a Prep school that has decided to use the NC as its standard. It is too low. It is nothing to do with social deprivation or any other factor.Many parents at the school are very welloff. It is just the NC that is crushingly unchallenging.
It leads to what we call 'satisficing'. Once a child reaches SAT Level 5 the teacher focuses on the weaker pupils. The standard DS1 is in maths is not up to 11+, whch is where he needs to be and he is very able. We know that form his previous school. We are having to add our own teaching JUST to remedy the NC deficiency.
Dont get me wrong. The school is very good but only up to the NC standard - which is just too low for more able children and for what the economy needs. DS2 is fundamentally able at maths but cannot add up figures in columns yet and he is at the end of Yr 3. I taught him how to do that a few days ago. DS1 will not learn any kind if advanced algebra at all. We are having to do that ourselves. Same issues in English.
Middle class parents are hiring tutors to get their DCs up to to 11+ everywhere around the country because NC just does not go far enough. It is dumbed down and for children with parents who are less academic, lower income and disadvantaged in some way they simply will not get their children up the required standard. This is one reason why the social divide is opening up again.
Sorry but if a teacher teaches all their time in an NC environement they just do not have the experience to know what is possible and what is required beyond that NC level. It does not make them bad teachers but they should be concered that parents feel it necessary to hire a tutor to make up for the material and standards thay do not teach in school.
I say again NC level 5 is a bare minimum standard - not a target teachers should be satisficing on.