Y3 Parents Evening - Above average student now on IEPs - thoughts please?

[HandbagAddiction]

Interesting one this. DD1 changes school at Y3 - standard for area. She left Y2 having done really well in SATS - 2a across everything with evidence of 3 in places. Great report from her teacher. First parents evening where we learn that she is now on an IEP for Maths and for Handwriting? Literacy average. DD1 herself has notices already that children she was above in infants are now in higher level groups than her and finds it demotivating. She is also saying the work in her groups is too easy. This school streams for literacy and maths by the way. Recent test for maths has shown that in fact she is back up to a 2a standard.

So a couple of things here:- should I be worried about anything here? Is is nornal to see such a strong regression in some areas of development only then to pick up again quickly? She says she's happy at school but am i missing something here about her general well being, etc.? Also from a teacher perspective - is it normal to have a child placed in IEPs but not inform the parents until a parent's evening? Surely we should have been told earlier - they would have streamed them initially in week 3 of the term?

I would really welcome thoughts from other parents who might have seen something similar or from teachers?

[grumplestilskin]

no the experience you asked for, but I started primary school at the top of the class and fell behind in yr 3, because I had got so used to it being easy I wasn't in the habit of having to try really hard, later the children that didn't have the basics of maths and writing and reading from home/preschool to start did better because they always had to try, so were in the habit of it I think.

did she have a good grasp of the basics BEFORE starting school? my problem was I went to a montessori school that covered way too much of the yr1/2 stuff so I breezed it but didn't really learn to LEARN in school IYKWIM and became unstuck when the work progressed later

[RosemaryandThyme]

Interesting that she went to Montessori, my understanding is that they guide childrens' learning, for example if the child likes the pink tower (classic monti resource) then a guide will casually sit with child and gently explain the size/volume/patterning concepts within the resource as the play/exploration progresses.
This style of learning, as with following set routines (ie the layout of tray items, the carrying of water jugs etc) makes it very easy for the child to absorb knowledge but what they do not have to do is over-come difficulties.

For example a child being shown and told to carry a water jug with one hand on the handle and one on the spout will copy and not spill water - success, but without instruction most will hold it by the handle only thus spilling water down their legs etc - by the fourth or so attempt they will figure out a way of carrying it, including pulling it into their chests, extending their arms out straight, trying to ascertain help from others etc in this way children learn to teach themselves.

Mari Montessori developed her teahing methods in Italy specifically for children who were below average intelligence and outside of the school system.

The more time your child spent in a Monti setting (was she there full-time?) the less chance she had to teach herself, now she is finding the key life lesson of teaching herself to be hard.

For now I'd ignore the academic side and give her lots and lots of self-teaching oppotunities outside of school as she needs to re-coup those precious lost childhood experiences.

[exoticfruits]

Is it possible that they work in a very different way e.g. take more responsibility for it themselves and she finds it difficult?

[IndigoBell]

Some schools give an IEP to every student (After all IEP stands for Individual Education Plan)

Did they actually say she was on the SEN register?

I would assume she's not on the SEN register and there is nothing to worry about.

There is absolutely no way you could be on the SEN register for Maths and be a 2a at the start of Y3.

[MigratingCoconuts]

IEP's are issued to help with a specific need at a specific time. They may continue for many years or their need may be over with in a very short time.

They do not necessarily link with attainment and 'above average' pupils may still have need of one.

I do find it a concern that the school have not really discussed the reason for it with you. An IEP is supposed to represent a partnership between the school, the kid and the parents...and i'm not sensing that here.

[HandbagAddiction]

Thank you to all who have commented. Some very useful thoughts and perspectives here. I spoke again to DH last night and we have rung the school today to request a longer appointment with not just her form teacher, but also the teacher that takes her for Maths and handwriting. Hopefully we will get some more clarification around what they mean by IEP in dd1's case and also their thoughrs on what the issue could be.

To answer one question specifically - this junior school takes in the main in take from 2 other infant school, so yes, the cohort is different.