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Mixed classes - splitting by age, advice pls

5 replies

PJ100 · 21/05/2010 21:23

Hello,
I'd really appreciate your advice/experience.
Our oldest is in year 2. She's in a class of 20. Just been told that next year (Year 3) she'll be in her class for Maths/English in the mornings with one teacher and in the afternoons the class will be split by age. That means she'll probably spending the morning with Year 3 and then spending the afternoon with half of Year 3 and half year 2, with a different teacher.

I'm worried about this situation for many reasons, not least because she's a very able child and it'll be a class of 30. I could understand if they split classes by ability but I can't see how it's going to work splitting by age - there will be such a huge variation in ability. Some of the youngest children in her year are also the ones who appear the most able, academically. Also her closest friends will be in the other group. I also have reservations about the teacher's ability to cope but that's another matter.

I'm considering what we can do, one option will be to remove her altogether and HE (although I'm not sure I could really cope with that . I wish I could HE in just the afternoon and send her to school for the morning, but I bet that isn't permissible.

We won't actually know the definite situation until mid July - which is a bit late if anyone decides to try moving schools etc

Anyone been in this situation? What did you do?
Thanks!

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cornsilkcottagecheese · 21/05/2010 21:30

A Y2/3 mix is a bit weird 'cos it's across key stages. Is this what the school usually do?

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AMumInScotland · 21/05/2010 21:33

Mixed classes can work fine - the children will be in ability groups so she will still be doing work at an appropriate level. My DS was in composite classes all through primary school, and it was fine - they were always split by age, largely to avoid any argument from the parents about which children were brighter, or were friends with which others.

I don't see any reason to worry in advance about this - although it sounds like you already have an issue with this teacher?

OTOH HE for part of the day is a legal option, but is purely at the gift of the head-teacher - it's called flexi-schooling. You could perhaps hold that idea in reserve till you see how it goes?

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hocuspontas · 21/05/2010 21:34

Correct me if I've misunderstood but won't it be the new year 2 class who will be split? The year 3s will all stay together as there's only 20 and will be joined by the 10 oldest year 2s?

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plonker · 21/05/2010 21:40

Sounds like an odd situation to me. And as cornsilk says, it crosses key stages which doesn't seem right.

Our school does mix age classes:
R
R/1
1
1/2
2
3
3/4
4
5
5/6
6
...they are split mainly by age, with a few exceptions. They are, however, split for key subjects by ability.
For example, dd2 is in a pure year 2 class but for literacy, numeracy and science, some of her class go to the split Y1/2 class and some of the split Y1/2 class come into her class.
It seems to work well.
I really don't understand the thinking behind doing it the other way round? Could you have misunderstood?

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PJ100 · 21/05/2010 21:49

Thanks for all your replies - so quick!

The school has only done this before, I think. Historically it had intake

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