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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Primary education

Talk some sense into me!!

12 replies

2BoysTooLoud · 08/09/2011 07:11

I am normally quite sensible I think but I am having a wobble.
Ds 1 just gone into year 2 - first week. Normally in 2nd ability group but hanging on coat tails of 1st group. Seems to have been put into bottom group on 1st day.
Now, do not want to be pain in the arse mum and query this straight away but I am bothered. Trying not to be but I am! Think sensible thing would be to keep gob shut and see what unfolds. I guess teachers must assess in first weeks.
Stop me making a fool of myself. Teacher has enough to do at the moment I feel without me getting all PFB!

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Jesusgirl · 08/09/2011 08:37

Are you sure it's the bottom group though? Maybe the group names are different in yr2.

I would wait b4 speaking to the teacher just to give time to settle in and hopefully assess him properly.

Plus I think some classes do a 'mixed ability' group.

I'm sure soon, each child would be assessed properly and placed appropriately.

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2BoysTooLoud · 08/09/2011 09:17

Thank you Jesusgirl.
Not sure what is going on but I kept my mouth shut and behaved myself! As you say I think it is best to try and let things settle and wait a bit before querying.

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IndigoBell · 08/09/2011 09:53

Could it be a mixed ability table? They're very common. Especially on the first day of school.

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DeWe · 08/09/2011 09:55

Take a big breath... and ask the teacher.
Last year dd1 came home after the first week of maths to say that in her set they'd mixed all the tables round. She having been in the top table was now in the bottom (3 tables) Some of the children that had just been moved up into the set were put on the top table. She was finding the work boring as she'd done it all before at a higher level.

I guessed it was just for assessment, but I went into ask because the tables work on different ability levels (top table was working as yr8, second on year 7 and bottom on year 6/7) and I didn't want to be in the position half way through the year with the teacher saying that she couldn't move her up because she hadn't covered some of the work.

What she said was that she hadn't been given any idea of relative ability in the set so she was basically assessing them, and over the course of the next couple of weeks she adjusted the set until they were in the right groups. The workbooks they had only in small numbers so she had to put one group on the yr8 books etc.

They wanted her to make up her own assessments rather than someone elses. Not convinced that it was necessarily a good idea, particularly for those who had just moved up (she didn't know who had) because several of them were thrown straight in at the top table and were out of their depth.

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2BoysTooLoud · 08/09/2011 10:25

Thank you for your replies. I may have more of an idea later on if ds tells me who he is sitting with. Maybe they have mixed them up a bit for the 'main' tables? Not sure. It will be a change in way things usually done here if they have.
I guess they will be assessing reading/ numeracy etc over next week or so. Traditionally they have differentiated groups for that to the 'main' table.
Oh I don't know. Wish things weren't such a mystery!
Aware I have to not let my anxiety be passed onto ds.
Just don't want to be too pushy straight away.
Oh well... deep breaths/ calm down and stop being silly and wait and see.

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RosemaryandThyme · 08/09/2011 11:07

Hello 2Boys
Well done with not rushing in, am sure school will just be sorting things out.
Let us know how he gets' on.
(waves from the compound !)

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2BoysTooLoud · 08/09/2011 12:21

I'm waving back Rosemary!
I'll report back when I know more. I probably will speak to the teacher soonish but in the first week of term seems too soon.
He has been on same 'table' since Reception so to 'seemingly' move 3 x tables down was surprising. [Usually 5 groups/tables]. However, I am controlling myself at the moment but will just keep eye on things and assume teacher has her reasons.
Teacher got new kids and crying kids to deal with at the moment and me jumping on groupings so early on seems bit intrusive/mean.

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blackeyedsusan · 08/09/2011 13:56

does sitting on you help you stop rushing in?

teachers should have a good idea of what children can do after 2 weeks. if you are still worried then, go in and ask.

now someone sit on me because I feel the same about dd. I know takes a while to assess children, but....

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funnypeculiar · 08/09/2011 14:00

In Y2, our lot have mixed ability tables for project work, & then streamed groups/tables for both letters & phonics work & maths work - could be as simple as that? Panic-ed me a bit too, but I also managed to sit on hands for a couple of weeks until all became clear

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2BoysTooLoud · 08/09/2011 14:01

Thank you blackeyedSusan. Good timing with sitting on me. School pick up soon and I must grab ds and smile and run! I MUST NOT ACCOST TEACHER.
2 weeks seems good idea.
Also - consider yourself sat on......

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2BoysTooLoud · 08/09/2011 14:02

Gosh happening to lots of us funnypeculiar...

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2BoysTooLoud · 08/09/2011 16:33

Looks like it is mixed ability main tables and kids being assessed for other groups eg literacy and numeracy. That is what I overheard a mum say anyway. In some ways might be good if 'mixed' a bit as takes away some of the 'what group is your kid in' talk. Glad didn't accost teacher. Ds seems tired but happy with his new class at the moment. Thanks for all your comments and stopping me being a pain to the teacher!