IABU to thinks some parents make some weird assumptions about school staffing, or are these isolated examples?

[Caff2]

My friend asked her school last academic year whether she could swap from Year 5, where she had been for 6 years, to Year 1, as the whole staff were asked if they would like to move year groups. She did this as she felt she was lacking in KS1 experience and wanted to experience a new challenge.

All good, SMT agreed, and she started in new year group in September.

Some parents have been in to ask the HT if she was "moved" because she couldn't cope with KS2!

When I was a class based teacher, I did the same and asked to move year groups/key stages a few times for CPD purposes, and also had comments similar to the above made by parents.

Why would moving year groups or roles be seen as some kind of issue? I don't get it.

They probably have little else to talk about.

Excuse typos in my thread title please, I was rushing!

Just shows how ignorant some parents are, if they think someone who "can't cope with KS2" would be placed in a KS1 class! is KS1 supposed to require less teaching skill are something?

I have to admit that I didn't realise teachers changed the years they teach until I saw it at my son's school. I thought they specialised on a certain ks. Why would I know about it before having school age children? But I wouldn't have seen a move to year 1 as a demotion, that's a bit strange.

The schools I work in all give the staff the opportunity of working with a different year group when classes are being planned for the following year. Some take the opportunity and some don't want to. It's encouraged to move to different year groups. Playground gossip should stay where it started is my view. Rarely do parents challenge which teacher is allocated to year groups, I know of only two instances in the last few years over 9 schools. Composite class's are a different story though!

We had to move every three years for professional development.

I think it is very likely that parents have heard stories that suggest she wasn't coping well in KS2 and are worried that their KS1 children have received the short end of the stick.

It's normal for teachers to move between year groups in either KS1 and KS2, but not so much to switch between KS1 & KS2 IME

I didn't know teachers moved year groups until I noticed it happening in DS's school I assumed it was for development purposes however in my working life if you move department it is usually because you aren't up to the job in your current department. Maybe they are just applying their personal work experiences to the situation. Although why they think the head would actually acknowledge this even if it is the case us beyond me.

Ime, the better teachers are the ones who are happy, willing and even eager to move classes every few years.

I have taught in schools where the same teacher has been teaching the same year group in the same classroom for 20yrs. You just know that in general, their classroom teaching will be dated and lack vibrancy.

I find the same with teachers who refuse to have a student teacher in their classrooms.

The teacher the op refers to probably has one eye on promotion which is why she's looking at where she can improve her repertoire. Very sensible.

They love a mix up at the school my sons attend. It is expected at the end of the academic year and the teachers do switch from KS1 to KS2. Seems to work very well 9/10.

I taught eyfs for years and then moved to upper key stage 2.

Many people assumed I did it for a pay rise as "reception teachers don't get paid much, do they?"

they'll be the same parents who grumble about inset days and think the teachers are off on a jolly.

at the dc's school they always have at teacher who swops between key stages. and a couple more who move year groups between the key stage. I like it, I think it keeps it fresh.

The teachers at DS's school seem to move around every couple of years or so. I imagine they want experience teaching different years. I think it's a good thing. Different ages bring their own challenges.

It would be a bit odd if deputy heads and head teachers only had experience of one year group/key stage wouldn't it?! I think people don't think things through sometimes.

When I was a class based teacher I taught Year 6, Year 5/6, Year 4, Year 1, Year 3, Year 3/4 at various times. Not Reception or Year 2 , but everything else at Primary level, and I initially trained as a Secondary English teacher and then went back and retrained for Primary - which I don't think I officially HAD to at the time, but it seemed sensible.

Parents think they know everything about teaching, which is the problem.

Lazy teachers dont move year groups. I keep being asked each summer if i want an AS class the following year. Atm im ks3 and ks4. Hell no. Why would i want to start again with planning and the thought of all those essays....! No thanks.

Our school swaps teachers round year groups every two years minimum, sometimes yearly depending on needs.

When I moved from year one to year four many years ago I was congratulated on my promotion by many parents. I was deputy head in year one and remained as deputy head in year four, so not sure how the "promotion" came in to it?

I too was congratulated on my 'promotion' when I moved from KS1 to KS2 It turned out that they thought the most qualified teacher was in year 6 and it was all downhill from there!

Very interesting. I didn't know this happened. In my defence, ds is only in reception and in my primary school all the teachers stayed with the same year groups throughout my time there.

Mind you, it wouldn't hurt schools to actually inform the parents would it?

When class lists are announced, a 4 line paragraph to say "as you will see a number of teachers are moving year group. This happens regularly for to ensure that all teachers have a good understanding of all year groups, which we find benefits pupils as their learning and attainment is better understood by all" (or whatever)

I had the same thing happen, a group of parents were up in arms that I'd been moved to KS1 as I was too clever to be demoted!
It's a very odd set of assumptions, the most challenging year I had was with reception, and they were a lovely class.

But why would they need to do that, TeenAndTween?

Teen

But why should they?

Some parents are determined to make negative interpretations of everything