Year One, Maths, Private Schools

[expansivegirth]

I'm curious to know what private school children are learning in Y1 Maths and what they are expected to have achieved by the end of the year. And how this compares to a good state primary. Thanks.

[LadyMaryChristmas]

All private schools teach differently. Some follow the national curriculum, some don't. You're better off asking the school.

[silverfrog]

dd2 is currently doing doubling of numbers.

finding patterns in numbers in additions/multiplications.

and number bonds, of course. she is currently expected to know her number bonds up to 10 solidly.

[numbum]

My DD isn't at private school but is doing doubling/halving numbers up to 20, o'clock and half pasts (some doing quarter past/to), number bonds to 20 and shapes

[susudio]

I think you'll find that most Year 1 classes at private school have a HUGE range of abilities so some will be on times tables and some on working on forming the number shapes correctly.

[redskyatnight]

There's no answer to this. Depends on the school and the child. However Y1 is only a year into formal teaching so its hard to see that the level of achievement would be very different.

[Haberdashery]

DD is in Y1 at bog standard state primary (Ofsted consider it 'Satisfactory'). She is learning about times tables (2,5,10), doing addition and subtraction with two and three-digit numbers (eg with money, such as £1 plus 50p), telling the time, number bonds to 20, 2D and 3D shapes, a bit of division (sharing things out, basically). There are children in her class who are working on harder things and children who can barely count up to ten reliably. I think any school is going to have quite a wide range of achievement at this age, even with a fairly homogenous intake because children develop at such different rates.

[expansivegirth]

It is rather an opaque question. I'm wondering because (good)private schools are meant to teach around 18 months ahead of the (average good) state school. Wondered what that entailed practically.

[redskyatnight]

I've heard that statistic before and I always wonder what on earth it means. Both my DC's state schools set for maths, so there is a wide range between the top and bottom achieving children. So what is this 18 months ahead of? The "average" child? The "expected" level? And at which point does it apply? A child in Y1 has had a year and a bit in school. So if you believe the 18 months thing, they've learned more than "twice as much" as a child in a state school in the same time? Really?

[susudio]

At my dds private school they work a year ahead of the national curriculum in science and history (eg if you google science topics they are doing in year 5 they will be year 6 science topics) but i don't really understand this and it is certainly not something that the school talk about particularly. I dont understand working 18 months ahead either. FWIW mine transferred from a good state primary at year 4 and were absolutely fine at maths, in fact dd1 was top of the class :-D

[expansivegirth]

Well, in my case, I went to a very academic private school for secondary from an ordinary, but well-regarded, state primary school. I was the only child in the class to come from a state school. And I was behind in every way. In maths I was streets behind. So I'm going on my own rather outdated experience ... plus the fact that I don't know anyone who has transferred to a private school with a child age seven or eight around here without fairly intensive tutoring, even when those children are coping very well at their school.

Average: for e.g. the EYFS has expected things the kids should be able to do by the end of Reception. I would think that in private schools these expected levels might be higher (e.g. knowing all the 3d shape names rather than 2d, counting to 100 rather than 10). So there is a way in which it must make sense?

[stealthsquiggle]

Ask the school, but IMO/E the gap doesn't really open up until Y3 (if then). I have never understood this "working a year ahead" thing - how would they suddenly leap a year ahead, and is the implication that they then move at the same rate, in which case what is the point? Or are they saying they will be a year ahead by the end of Y6?

My Y1 DD, in an independent school, is doing doubling /halving, counting in 2s and 5s, patterns in numbers, additions up to 20 and I am not sure what else TBH

[sittinginthesun]

Also think it will be impossible to tell, as it depends on the school and the child. I know for a fact that my eldest was working at a higher level in a state school in year 1 than his friends at local private schools. And he wasn't top of his class.

[Haberdashery]

I also went to a highly academic private secondary school from a very ordinary state primary. In my case, I didn't feel that much behind. There were certainly children from really academic prep schools who knew less than I did, though there were plenty who knew more. And I ended up in the top or second to top group (out of four) for everything that was taught in sets (after the first year). The first year was a shock to the system, but not really because I was dreadfully behind, more because I didn't know how to work. Having said that, I think by the end of my time at secondary school I had been taught to a much higher level than friends in the state system, I knew more and I was better prepared to move on to a more demanding level of education.

I would think that in private schools these expected levels might be higher (e.g. knowing all the 3d shape names rather than 2d, counting to 100 rather than 10).

The thing is, a halfway reasonable state school will be enabling the more able children to move on to this kind of thing anyway and expecting them to achieve higher goals. DD was starting 3D shapes and working with numbers to 100 well before the end of Reception. Her school is nothing special academically (although it's a nice, friendly sort of place and she and I both like it).

[expansivegirth]

I sometimes think I never did learn how to work after seven years spent wondering through open-plan rooms adding up with counters. But that's not so much about state education, more about seventies state education.

[Haberdashery]

Yes, seventies child here too!

[redskyatnight]

State schools tailor work to the child though. DD is doing work now that is beyond the "expected" level for Y2. In fact 20 something% of state school children get Level 3 in maths at the end of KS1, which indicates that they are working 1-1.5 years ahead of the "expected" level. So is this saying that children in an academic private school are working at the same level as the brightest children in a state school? (or vice versa) That's not a terribly remarkable statement.

[maybetimeforachange]

DD moved to a prep half way through year 1 and was doing exactly the same as she had been doing in her state school. She even had some homework sheets which she had done at her old school all photocopied from the same book. Now she is in year 2 the only difference seems to be on getting all the times tables learnt asap.

The main difference I have noticed is that there is far more emphasis on handwriting, all her class write joined up, on spelling, getting it down on paper isnt enough and presentation. She has been made to redo messy work on more than one occasion. The actual content is virtually identical but her school more or less follows the national curriculum.

[Wobblypig]

Ds in yr 1 at non selective pre-prep. Doing the same as state I believe. Currently doing tens and units, breaking numbers down into 10s and units and working out a whole number from a group of ten and units. They have explored 3d shapes and unravelled them to look at the flat surfaces . They have also done adding up money e.g. 3 sweets each 6p and an ice cream for 8p. Also working out change from 20p.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Most private preps are working towards common entrance mainly at 13. So different set of objectives. A good private school like a good state school supports all children no matter what level they are working at.
I am a private school parent, but don't buy into the working 1 year ahead and consequently choose a school that didn't boast this. It does however, support children at a wife variety of levels.