Composite classes? Help!

[SparkleGem]

My DS is going into primary 2 (Scotland) not sure of which year group if your reading this from England. So anyway we got the letter through to say he will be going into primary 2 but there is also a composite class primary 2/3. Some of his class mates are moving to primary 2/3 and I'm just wondering how the school makes this decision? AIBU to think it's cleverness they base this on? If so.. is my son in the "less clever class"? Or is primary 2/3 the less clever class? Not that I'm bothered at all, just would like to know how composite classes work? Thanks.

It will be different reasons in different schools. You need to ask the school.

I can assure you categorically it's not academic based. The older p2s go in with the p3s and that's all there is to it, a gender mix might be taken into account but it's usually all age based.

When you are deciding how to split a primary class, you try and balance sex, additional needs and friendships so that they are equally spread.
Ability doesn’t usually figure as a consideration.

It's not academically based. Personally my kids have always done well in composite classes

If it IS academically based, which it probably isn't, it's more likely to be a Year 3 thing - the weaker year 3s being mixed with the year 2s,

My eldest was in 2 composite classes a 2/3 then a 5/6 she always did fine and the teachers were fantastic . older kids that were put in the younger class Dd is a March birthday but you would need to ask how your school do it, I am sure your Dc will be fine.

DD went to a small primary school that had mixed classes all the way through. It was based on date of birth when she was there, but changed to academic ability after she left. It was, and still is, an outstanding school, and DD did very well there, as did all the other children.

I don't think you should be comparing your son to the other class I misread I thought your son was going in the 2/3 not that it matters comparing is exhausting don't get into it.

When my son was in infant school he was put in with year 2 when he was in year 1. It was mainly done on age (he was an autumn baby) and they did take ability into account too to some extent. They had 10 year ones in with 20 year twos.

When I've taught in schools with mixed year classes the children have been split according to their age. Other factors, such as friendship groups (or, in some cases, where certain children really don't get on with each other) are also taken into account.

My DD's school did this except it was 1/2 2/3 the year 2 parents "kept down" were livid but a 5 form school has to have shared classes. My dd "went up" but it was done on date of birth and she was the cut off child

I went to a small primary school. Preschool / grade 1; grade 2/ grade 3; 4/5; 6/7 classrooms. Teacher taught both groups separately. For kids like me it was great to be in the lower grade as when I got through our work, I could do the other grades work.

Mine have been in big schools (400+) and small schools (70) and some inbetween. Composite classes in every size of school and all have been fab.

Ds school it is generally done off birthdays with exceptions for children like DS who it is agreed with probably do better in the other class even if birthday suggested otherwise

Back in the 90s I was one of the youngest in my year and i ended up in a composite class with the year above?

In Scotland- with a composite class the class is based on the oldest P2's and the youngest P3's- so those in the upper six months of P2 and those in the lowest 6months of P3 can be composited. The age range therefore is never that huge, to ensure all the kids are about the same. Extra class work is given to the P3's- so they will go further with a concept than is expected of the P2's but same core concept of that makes sense? So P2's will do eg- division up to 20, but the P3 component up to 50.

Depends on reason. DS is in one at the moment (first time) and its done on learning style- they put the kids who are good independent learners in it- I think the reasoning is - if you are teaching two different groups/things you need the group which is not being focused on to be able to get along with studying on their own. EG they are children who demand less attention. I don't really like it as a philosophy - I think it would be better to have a group where there was less diversity in what they were doing.
The class is also used as an overrun class- DS joined the school late and was put in this class- which means he doesn't necessarily fit the model for which students go in the class

My understanding is that, in Scotland, it is always done on birth dates so a lot of the info above is irrelevant.

My dcs (we're in Scotland) have been in several composite classes. Nothing to do with age, always due to peer learning groups. They are smaller classes (legally a maximum of 25) and my dcs have thrived in them.

My kid was in a composite Grade 5/6 class. I think it may have been just random assignment, although she is quite bright.

Composite classes can actually have some benefits for children. If you think about it, having children only around other children their own age is really a very artificial construct. In a family, unless there are multiples, no two children are the same age. A composite class mimics a more "normal" environment.

Not to mention that in Canada and other colonies, back in the day composite classes were standard. The entire school was one room and children were seated in classes according to age, youngest in the front and oldest in the back. The teacher would teach one grade, give them something to do, and then teach another grade. Some activities (such as music) might be done by the whole school collectively.

Dds small prep did a composite Y2/3 class and it was very much academic. The top end of Y2 put with lower end of y3 so very much working at a similar pace/achievement.

It did tend to follow birth month as well except for one exceptional May birthday girl.

You have to ask the school. Age has nothing to do with it in my DSs school.

I've heard of it being done as the top of the older year and bottom of the lower year. So their is a distinction between the group's. Very demoralised if kids of the higher year are overtaken by the lower.

I've also seen it as the kids of the higher year who work most independently. And I've seen it the other way, a handful of kids who need extra support. P2 classes are a max of 30 kids, composite are a max of 25, hence slightly better ratios.

It's not always done on birth dates in Scotland. My DS was put in a composite p5/6 class for his p6 year. He was deferred so potentially 2 years older than some of the p5s.

I couldn't really get a straight answer from the school as to why they had done that when I voiced my concerns.

It also wasn't academic ability as they assessed him of having a reading age of 16.

I wouldn't be worrying yourself about it OP.

It should depend on the policy of your council area and you should be able to find it on the website of your council area. Stirling council have a policy that is based on age, Glasgow have policy based on language and/or maths working groups. Normally there will also be a discretion clause that allows the school to make exceptions based on the needs of individual children. When forming the composite class the school should tell parents how the class was formed and what policy was applied.