Can you help?

[Tolstoysjudge]

DC attends a local prep.
In the last year it has gone downhill.
Books are rarely marked, specifically maths and English.
Children are not told to do corrections in any subject.
In history they do all the work as prep no work is completed in class.
They have not learnt any year 6 topics in maths only year 4 and 5 work.
They have just had exams the teachers are giving them very easy tests so they get high grades.
They only have lessons in the morning after lunch they have sport.

I was planning on staying until year 8 so now I have missed all the entrance exams. Should I move to another prep?

Most of the parents have complained but nothing changes so I dont think there is any point talking to the head.

[happygardening]

Seems like a no brainier to me move your DC ASAP to a reputable prep so that they can sort out any gaps in knowledge iin time for CE.

[scaevola]

Yes, investigate other preps now. You might be lucky and discover one that has a place for September (numbers are often a bit uncertain as leavers don't have to give notice until the end of this term) and availability of ad hoc places is unrelated to main admissions round. But if the school has a waiting list from a main round, ad hoc places will be offered to families on it, which is why you need to get on them now.

You might want to think about giving notice before the end of this term, even if you don't have a place lined up by then, as otherwise you'll be stuck paying until Christmas in lieu of notice, and I should imagine that would really rankle. You might be able to rescind notice if there really is no alternative in sight before the end of the school year, but you'll know better what you're current school's likely attitude to that will be.

[Tolstoysjudge]

Thank you Happy, our school is supposedly well regarded, kids into Eton, Harrow and top independent day schools if you judge a school by leavers destinations. The school is non preparing the children, the parents are.

Scaevola, we are looking at other options. Thanks for the advice re handing in notice now. I shall do that tomorrow.

Its very unfair that schools can get away with relying on parents to tutor especially when we pay so much in fees.

[LIZS]

Have you asked to see the head or academic deputy ? You may well find the focus changes during years 7 & 8 towards CE/13+ . Ask some of those with older children to comment . fwiw many secondary schools have a second round of 11+ before Easter to allocate any remaining places after initial offers/acceptances , might be worth asking.

[inthename]

It sounds like you need to investigate another prep, though as pp said you may find the pace changes completely for yr 7/8 as year 6 exams tend to be used for setting purposes (no SATS!) unless they lose a significant number at 11, certainly the yr 6 parents at our prep school complain about the treading water that seems to go on, particularly as the focus seems to be on getting the yr 8's through CE.
Check the leavers destinations for the last year or 2, schools who cite 'regularly sending to xyz' are often quoting quite a few years ago, again parents at our prep have discovered almost by accident that the quoted 'destination schools' (place such as Brighton College, RGS etc)have suddenly become where only one or two get into and our head now says that they are the 'most selective' that can be aimed for, simply because the relationships between the heads have changed.
Work backwards - where are you looking at as a senior school and find out where they took from for last year and the year before.
Sport every afternoon sounds a bit extreme, how are they fitting everything in? Ds currently has 3 lessons after lunch, one afternoon is devoted to sport and all other sport are single lessons in the day. History has a double lesson this term, usually a single lesson with quite a lot of prep.

[Tolstoysjudge]

Thank you.

The school is actually well regarded locally kids into Eton,Harrow and good independent day schools. The annoying part is that the parents are the having to tutor in most subjects yet the school is taking all the glory.

Now they have started another tactic of giving the children really easy exams so they all get 90-100%

Is this normal of preps?