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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To put my head in my hands at this letter home from school

56 replies

ChuffinAda · 15/07/2015 18:17

We are in the last throes of primary education in our house. One more year and that's it done.

For the first time ever we've had a letter home -sent to all parents- saying the classes aren't chosen on ability they're all mixed ability classes that because a y 5 child is in a 5/6 class doesn't mean they're bright same as having a y3 in a 2/3 class doesn't mean they're less able. They also go on to say they put a lot of thought into the classes and ensuring they're mixed ability and dynamics between different children are considered.

I can't believe theyve had the actually send a letter explicitly spelling this out to parents. Aibu to be rolly eyed that some parents genuinely believe the children's classes are based on ability?

OP posts:
DellaDoolittle · 15/07/2015 18:18

Our mixed classes, up to last year, we're always based on ability...
Sounds like someone has been complaining though

DellaDoolittle · 15/07/2015 18:19

Were not we're

honeysucklejasmine · 15/07/2015 18:19

Some parents might hope they are, I guess.

MirandaWest · 15/07/2015 18:20

They could well be in some schools so I don't think it harms to clarify

Original poster
ChuffinAda · 15/07/2015 18:22

Ours have always been mixed ability and the school is regularly praised for its integration. But yes, it does sound like someone's been complaining!

OP posts:
ShatnersBassoon · 15/07/2015 18:24

Class places are allocated according to ability at my children's school. For example, the Y5/6 class is made up of the most able Y5 children and the least able Y6 children. It's common practice to do that, so it's no wonder some parents didn't understand.

Sirzy · 15/07/2015 18:24

Some parents think that their child is being "held back" if they are in the top year of a mixed age class.

Some parents see every aspect of parenting as a competition.

FloristHump · 15/07/2015 18:25

My classes were based on ability- I was a higher ability year 5 in a year 5/6 class. There was only about 6 of us though.

MuddhaOfSuburbia · 15/07/2015 18:25

there's no underestimating the twattery of some parents

(I can say that cos I are one)

I know of a case where reception and nursery got their new starters home visits lists mixed up- a nursery child was visited by reception teacher where the error was discovered

the dad told everyone who would listen folk that the child was so precocious he'd been headhunted

HappySeven · 15/07/2015 18:26

YANBU, up until last year our school mixed according to age so that the eldest year ones were put with the youngest year two. It seemed as good a way as any to do it and when they were very young kind of made sense as arguably emotionally, if nothing else the August babies are 20% younger than the September ones and so closer to the ones just a month younger than themselves.

Now they mix randomly and some parents have had 'sympathetic looks' from other parents and comments like 'we didn't know little Jonny had special needs, it is the class for special needs, isn't it?'

Aargh!!

Hurr1cane · 15/07/2015 18:27

Our classes in the school I taught in were based on ability. But everyone denied it. I know because I could see the class list and who was assigned to my class and their levels and who was assigned to other classes and their levels. It was weird, it was like a banned subject. We all knew, but we never spoke of it and everyone denied it to the parents and each other. Luckily I was never asked by a parent because I have no idea what I'd have said.

BorisBaby · 15/07/2015 18:28

De not based on ability my DD2 is staying in class 1 instead of going up to class 2 (half of the brightest children of the class) her teacher tried telling me it wasn't based on ability I called her on it (nicely) and she confirmed they said that so parents don't get upset.

So I set her car on fire then burnt down the school because she is a pure genius and they can't spot it for those that think it's done by age I didn't really burn down the school and yes it is mixed classes

ReadtheSmallPrint · 15/07/2015 18:29

Last year the mixed 3/4 class was based on ability. It was an utter disaster.

This year the mixed 3/4 class is mixed ability and grouping has been done based on 'a number of factors'. Some children who were in the 3/4 class last year as 3s (high ability) will be in it again as 4s. Some explaining of the setting was needed.

DadfromUncle · 15/07/2015 18:29

Some parents don't get stuff - and some don't want to. The majority of our evening meeting at school where the teachers explained the gentle way they were introducing SATs as a bit of a fun activity and how it would be better for us not to make a big deal of it at this stage was monopolised by one Mum grilling the poor staff on how she could get her DC crammed to the hilt and under maximum stress to ensure she got a fabulous result.

museumum · 15/07/2015 18:33

My p3 class was split into p2/3 and p3/4. It is clear to me now looking back that it was the higher reading group that went with the younger class and the lower with the older. It worked well IMO.
We were together in p5 but had half of p6 with us but I can't remember how that one was done.

This was a school of 90-100 pupils. 15ish in my year.

LaLyra · 15/07/2015 18:34

Sounds like someone has got upset at their child being in a composite class.

Most of the schools I worked in done the most able of the younger year group in a class with the less able of the older class. However I know a school where the small composite class is made up of the brightest/most academic groups of each year and some where it's just a mix so it's worth each school clarifying how they organise the class make up imo.

PtolemysNeedle · 15/07/2015 18:36

Our school does choose it's mixed classes on ability, so YABU to be rolley eyed at parents who don't know and might have asked how their school does it.

CactusAnnie · 15/07/2015 18:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FanOfHermione · 15/07/2015 18:42

Yep same here. Mixed class have always been done on ability. To tsrat with it's much easier to teach a class where everyone at about the same level than one where you have some low Y3 working at Y2 level and some really good Y4 working at Y5 level.
It's hard enough to cater for all the different levels when you have one class (Y3 or Y4) wo adding another layer of complexity.

So no I'm not surprised that some paremts would think like this. I would EXPECT the school to do that, even if they want to do all the 'integration' etc...

I suspect one/some parents have complained that their child isn't in the right class.

FanOfHermione · 15/07/2015 18:43

Cactus why are they twats to ask about provision for the gifted and talented??
IME those are the children who are easily overlooked, more so than the ones that are struggling.

RitaCrudgington · 15/07/2015 18:44

It's not a stupid assumption to make given how many schools do it that way. And given that one teacher on this thread has admitted to her school setting by ability but lying about it....

RachelWatts · 15/07/2015 18:47

What's wrong with asking for provision for bright children?

spad · 15/07/2015 18:48

Aibu to think that you think they are not.

Kennington · 15/07/2015 18:51

Interesting discussion
Is there any evidence one way or the other of benefits of mixed or seperating? I never even realised that this happened!

Original poster
ChuffinAda · 15/07/2015 18:59

Interesting replies!

It's an odd one isn't it. For my dc's whole school career it's always been mixed abilities and they've always been in composite classes which I don't have an issue with. I know they're normal average children and so long as they get on at school and enjoy going I shrug my shoulders at the rest of the shenanigans and politics. But yes this does strike me as someone feeling they've been wronged somehow

OP posts:
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