How to approach the school around concerns of quality of maths teacher and teaching

[thekingfisher]

DS is in Y7 at a prep school so building up to common entrance next year.
We were really disappointed that he got the same maths teacher as he had had for Y6 who ds really did not get on with and I had concerns about her techniques etc.

These now though seem fairly worrying. My DM is an ex-teacher now retired and she ( on talking to DS) thinks the quality/ style/ content of the teaching is very poor. Additionally i know others also think she is poor. However, i'm not in the classes so I can only go on what DS tells me and I see occasionally in his books.

Back history ds used to love numbers and maths but this has waned significantly over last few year, I'm sure in part over the type pf teaching.

The teacher is a fairly unappealing individual which I am sure clouds my judgement a bit - and I am being judgy - because she never moves around the classroom, or does group work with the children - she mostly sits at her desk and reads from their maths books which they have in front of them… So there is little energy or enthusiasm or motivation it would seem to make it fun and stimulating….

So how do I address this with the school ? Has anyone had a positive experience of doing so?

nb I did raise very slightly some issues at parents evening last term and she said that DS had to come up and ask her if he was stuck rather than sitting there and losing track…which wasn't quite what I was asking or needing resolving - but I find it terribly difficult to approach this issue and don't know how to

without drip feeding - DS has some dyslexic issues - which do come into his maths to a certain extent and what makes this all the more concerning he did a dyslexia camp for a week over the summer holidays where he did some numeracy as part of this and came back so enthused and motivated about his maths and how he was taught it was fun and taught as a dyslexic so it made it enjoyable it seems even worse that he goes back to this…

Sits at a desk and reads from a book! I am appalled that you are paying for this! It is a major problem that your DS is at a school which does not monitor the quality of teaching or learning. The private sector can be very lax in ensuring all teachers teach good quality lessons and I have seen very poor teachers continue to drone on for years before they are challenged to improve.

I would ask, urgently, to see the person in charge of teaching and find out if there is any monitoring of these Maths lessons. Does the Head of Maths have a sight of the lesson plans? How do they monitor learning of the individual children and how is the lesson tailored to previous learning and needs of the children? How is progress assessed and checked? Are lessons planned around secure prior learning? How do they propose to address your DS's needs in the Maths lesson? Do they know what his needs are? Having said that, if the Head of Maths is allowing such archaic teaching methods to go unchallenged, I would query their ability too. If you get no satisfaction, see the Head or Director of Studies. It is common for parents to think that prep schools have battalions of outstanding teachers. Sadly, they are a home for dinosaurs too.

I found at my DD's senior school that a raft of parental complaints did seem to be collected and used as evidence against a teacher. Said teachers were then eased out. I and other parents were asked to put our concerns in writing which I felt was then used as a dossier of evidence against the teacher. I strongly felt that this was an unprofessional way to deal with an unsatisfactory teacher because the senior leadership of the school should know a teacher is poor by their own monitoring systems and not have to be told by parents. I also found the Head had no idea of the lack of quality in some teaching because she never ventured into a classroom. Her role was marketing and schmoozing. There was far too much trust put in individuals. Schools should also have performance management in place where overall quality of teaching, not just exam results, are evaluated. However, you must talk to the Head of Maths/Director of Studies to try and get a better outcome for your son. Also engage a tutor, urgently.

Thanks nothing you have said I don't know and on the whole we have been/are really happy with the quality of teaching - however this one woman really irritates me and I can see how utterly un-engaging ds can find her.

She even couldn't be bothered to get involved in a teachers fun thing yesterday as part of an annual school tradition and ds who had the unfortunate luck to have to sit next to her said - she didn't want to have to climb up into the stage again.

I need to spk to head of studies....

How long has she been at the school?

Do you think other parents/students have the same impression of her?

I think this is her 2/3rd year - I know of others who think she is poor .. However I'd say she is mid 50,s so has been around a bit

Group work is totally overrated in the maths classroom, and I certainly have sympathy for a teacher who doesn't want to get on a stage and make an arse of herself in the name of 'fun' so I'd avoid those criticisms. However, if your DS is struggling and not getting help and she is merely reading from a textbook instead of teaching, and not engaging the students, then I'd certainly be cross at paying for that. How are her results?