AIBU to complain to school

[kandykane77]

DS is in year 1 and has been in the top phonics set since the start of the year. Teacher always very complimentary about him, even commented at parents evening 3 weeks ago that he's doing extremely well for a summer born boy. Yesterday he was moved into the bottom phonics set after performing poorly on an assessment last week. I don't understand how a kid's reading can deteriorate from top set to bottom set in a few weeks. Either a) he's been in the wrong group and struggling all term, which is not ok, or b) something went wrong with the assessment and he's been moved down to a group that's too easy for him, which is not ok or c) his reading has got dramatically worse in 3 weeks, which is worrying.
Having spoken to the teacher today she contradicted herself several times and I've got no clear answer. So I've drafted a letter to the headteacher. AIBU? Am I being "that mum"? Or would you want answers too? (Fwiw DS is very cross he's been given a "baby book" instead of the books he was rather enjoying.)

I can see why on the surface of things it's tempting to think the teacher has cocked this up. And maybe she has. Assessment is subjective and pupils will come out with different results at different times depending on many factors - it's not a perfect system. What matters more is whether this is the right group for him now.

But also, as daft as this sounds when they are at such a young age, he is being tested not in terms of 'ability' as such but in terms of what he is able to demonstrate to the teacher. It may be that he is more able than the result suggests, but if he hasn't shown that in his assessments (for whatever reason) and other pupils have, then the teacher has to balance the need to move those other pupils up against the perceived unfairness of moving an able pupil who has not shown their ability down. Harsh but true.

I would definitely suggest talking to the teacher about it but asking her, not going in all guns blazing. You could go the Head but he/she is likely to say this is a matter for the teacher's judgement and she is more likely to dig her heels in and justify her decision than to alter it. If you want to change the situation it is better to do it with honey than with vinegar.

Sorry, just saw that you have spoken to her already (early!). What did she say?

It's not really about reading or comprehension ability, it's about how well he can demonstrate it to his Teacher. I (a summer born kid - bdy is right at the end of Aug) used to read newspapers at 7, books aimed at kids in their teens etc, but got really nervous reading aloud (preferred to read in my head) or expressing my opinions so I was in the bottom group at primary until I gained confidence. Mum helped me to do this by making me read aloud to a variety of adults, volunteering me for toddler story time sessions at the library, and making me write then present book reports for everything I read. I eventually moved to the top set and then a level beyond the top set when it was identified I was 'gifted'.

There are a note in his reading record saying he started his assessment book last week, it says "great blending and focus". But the teacher told me yesterday he was not focussed and couldn't do lots of it.
She says he needs to be in the bottom set then in the same conversation tells me that he will find the bottom set very easy but there's nowhere else to put him because he doesn't belong in the top set (uh, how about somewhere in the 3 sets between top and bottom?)

I've written a friendly email to the head outlining my concerns and asking her to explain how the assessment and banding works as he has either been in the wrong set for a whole term or he is going into the wrong set now. Or he has had some kind of reading crisis in the last three weeks in which case we need to arrange additional support for him.

You could see how he gets on in the new group? It may be that he focuses sometimes but not consistently and that is why there is apparent contradiction. If the books in the new group are too easy, the teacher may be subtly trying to encourage him to concentrate so he can move back up? I would definitely ask why a middle group wouldn't be appropriate but I think you should give the new arrangements a bit more time and see what the effect is tbh.

She doesn't appear to know what she's doing...

Maybe the bottom set will allow him to build his confidence and he won't be there for long?

I would ask again in a couple of weeks. Ask with a "seeking to understand" stance not an "assuming the teacher is wrong" stance and see what you find out.

In the meantime, read the books and note how easy they are in his reading record.

as he has either been in the wrong set for a whole term or he is going into the wrong set now.

It's also never as simple as this in RL. Children will be better off in different groups at different points. And the teacher can only work with the information she has, so there is no 'right' or 'wrong' in any objective sense. It is always a judgement call and sometimes the information you have changes that judgement.

Trifleorbust Children will be better off in different groups at different points. I absolutely agree with you but it worries me that there has been a sudden change from group 1 (top) to group 5 (bottom) when I was told 3 weeks ago that he was doing great. Surely moving him to one of the middle groups would have made more sense?

Anyway, email sent to head. Was complimentary about the teacher but asked for help understanding the assessment process and banding. Will see what happens.

Yes, I would question it too, but I would give it a few weeks to see how it goes. Anyway, as you say, see what happens.

but it worries me that there has been a sudden change from group 1 (top) to group 5 (bottom) when I was told 3 weeks ago that he was doing great. Surely moving him to one of the middle groups would have made more sense?

Quite.

I suspect the test results are warped. They tested what he could do at that moment on that day. Reading is a part of phonics but actually not all kids learn to read phonetically. Sounds more like teacher had used the test results and not her judgement to group the kids. Tests are everything you know!

Maybe it's more that other children have improved at a faster pace? I would honestly just continue to encourage reading/writing at home and he will improve. It shouldn't matter what group he is in as the teacher will be differentiating the challenge within the groups. And I would encourage him to do his own best rather than to feel he's competing with his peers.

Sounds more like teacher had used the test results and not her judgement to group the kids.

And as frustrating as this is, what would have happened if she had used her judgement? She would have ten parents on the phone asking for the evidence base for moving their DC to a lower group. Better to be able to say you have an assessment you are looking at, than to be accused of making arbitrary judgements. And that would be the accusation!

Then she needs to make sure all kids are based according to his/her sound judgement. Then she/he can answer all parents honestly. Otherwise we're right back at Michael Rosen's great insight - 'test test that you're sitting on the right table.' Being a professional means having the confidence to make and carry out assessment judgements.
Imagine a doctor who said the test results show xyz so we'll treat for these but those treatments don't work because they've not looked at the whole patient. Teaching should never be based solely on test results.

cheesychip: I don't think it should be either, but you can't please all of the people all of the time. I have done both - moved students based on my judgement and moved students based on test scores. Some parents will not accept their DC moving down whatever you try to do, but I can't deny it was simpler to deal with their complaints when I did it based on test scores. Unfortunately we are living in a time when parents don't accept professional judgements without evidence - hopefully that will change, but in the meantime I can't blame teachers for using test scores to support decision making.

doesn't sound right to me. (ex teacher) clarification is the way to go.

OP would you have written the email had the teacher moved DC up 3 sets instead of down in the same timeframe? If not why did you do it this time around? It's ok for kids to need more help - if I were you I'd have gotten an action plan from the teacher and spent a month training him up, that's what my mum did for me.

Colby yes I absolutely would if it had been reversed. If I'd been told that the bottom set was just right for him then 3 weeks later found he was in the top set I would be very worried indeed that it would be over his head and he would be discouraged and left behind. At the end of the day, I want a) to make sure he's in the right set for him and b) an explanation for the teacher's contradictions.

Bumsexatthebingo - the teacher will be differentiating the challenge within the groups Apparently not with the read write inc programme that the school uses. The teacher says all children in the set do the same book at the same time and if he thinks it's too easy that's tough because "there's nowhere else to put him"

Unfortunately we are living in a time when parents don't accept professional judgements without evidence trifleorbust my problem is that I've been told that he should be in the top set and the bottom set 3 weeks apart. The teacher contradicted herself in the same breath pretty much.

I work in a school. I'd usually not advocate interfering in this kind of thing. However, it seems someone has monumentally fucked up. Either the reception class teacher had your child in too high a group last year and he was streamed accordingly at the beginning of this year or this teacher has no idea what she is doing.

If there are 5 groups then surely your ds should be about the middle if the top was deemed too difficult. To just dump him in the bottom set because 'there is nowhere else' is incredibly bad practice.

Right. I very much doubt it. But whatever helps you justify this I suppose.

Ive had a similar issue with my daughter (year 2). I was told how well she was doing and meeting her targets....but then discovered by accident that she was in the bottom set. She was flying through her books. I questioned it gently and she's now crept up to the middle set. I think this is where she belongs and a mistake was made before. The problem I think was she is v shy so finds it hard to read aloud. The teacher was v nice about it - I think he's really good, just there was some kind of inaccurate assessment going on earlier.

Anyway.....definitely go about it with 'I'm trying to understand/am concerned' stance and not 'You have it wrong and I'm going to the Head'....it wont help. I really wouldn't write to the Headteacher at this stage. We are only in the Autumn term. You have 2 whole more terms with this teacher. Its really better to work as a team with them then try and present against them (even if you are sure they are wrong or have messed up). They are humans, busy, with 30 kids. Its definitely in everyone's best interests and especially your child to seek clarification through amicable means, one-to-one chat rather than confrontation. See if they move your child up again or how they handle it with you - hopefully you wont have any need to take it higher.

They may have done a sample screening and they will have done RWInc screening and based on that regrouped the children, Perfectly normal. Don't be precious about it. There is no good being in the 'top set' if he needs to cover phonics being taught in another group. He may well have been in the right group at the last phonic checking/testing point. I love the assumption that the teacher has cocked up. Maybe he doesn't perform well in the test scenario and so needs more practice and a different group will provide him with that. Year 1 phonic screening is an odd test, a real exam, a bit like doing a GCSE spoken exam.

Children learn at different rates. Year 1 is the nature not nurture year. More able children and younger boys often flourish whilst some who have been taught a lot by parents don't go backwards but move behind some of their naturally more able peers. its life. If year 1 groups are the same in January as in September that indicates a concern to me a that isn't typical , the fact that they are moving children based on current ability suggests they are doing a good job.