A question for teachers re year 6 please?

[Blackdog19]

I’ve heard that first to go back to school are likely to be year 12, 10 & 6. I can understand 12 & 10 as they’re obviously pre big exam years but why year 6 particularly? I’m just curious. Do you think may still do Sats to allow for progress reviews for secondary achievements?

Daffodil, not months, no. A few days or a week or so, yes.

If there is a decision for all years to spend half the time in the classroom and half out (e.g. A and B groups attending half time each) then Y6 should not be left out.

But they shouldn't be given priority as the first year group to return to school UNLESS the schools are shut until September, in which case opening for a few days in July could be beneficial.

Kids in Y6 can’t do loads of weeks in secondary before the summer, some kids don’t even know which secondary school they’re going to yet. Until secondaries have that info we can’t fully organise tutor groups. Transition is a massive process from the secondary end of things.

Someone called superram on one of the other threads is announcing that it’s years 6, 10 & 12 on 1st June. She’s not replying to questions asking for her source. Unless she’s the Education Secretary’s wife then I reckon she’s making it up.

Noble, how much of that process needs Y6 children in their schools? Can most / any / all of it be done remotely, or does most of it not need the children at all?

When were all these "transition activities" invented? It certainly wasn't a thing in the 1990s. Has it come from America, like the prom?

We have most of the kids in once, cant. The rest is information sharing mainly. We don’t have a feeder school and take from all over the place so we don’t tend to visit primaries as there’s too many.

If they were going to keep schools closed until September then they would have announced that by now so that public, and schools can create a longer term plan.

June 1st for a partial opening, I would even put money on it!

Mik that makes no sense. Surely if they planned to open on 1st June it would already be announced so schools can plan.

Mikki I don’t know if you’ve noticed it, but the government are winging it.

Don't be so utterly ridiculous, of course the gov aren't "winging it."

The absolute very best people are coming together to sift through the scientific evidence and interpret it.

Watch this and then say they are winging it. Insulting!

@my2bundles I think they'll give them a week to plan. Why would longer than that be needed?

Pmsl mik. You are clueless when it comes to running a school.

I’ve only got one child, a Y6. She says that for weeks before the shutdown she’d already come to terms with the fact there would be no residential or play. She was sad about it but matter of fact. Not doing SATs made up for everything. She’s looking at it differently to most of your children in that she’d had enough of her small school and wanted out! She misses children just not those children.
It will be interesting to see what happens with Y6 going back. We have discussed the possibility of deregistering her but just as one possible option. Not a probable. Transition days round here are in the summer holidays probably because waiting lists move so much that doing them in June wouldn’t capture the correct children.

Well, educate me then?

We have two transition days, but then there’s the play, sports day, leavers assembly, leavers party....it’s an ending.

Tippexy, they were a thing in the 1990s, I had a transition day to my secondary school. It has got bigger since then, for sure, because schools realised that some (many?) students were struggling with the transition and wanted to help. Even your average child is a bit anxious about it (ok, some won’t be, but most are at least a little, even if they’re excited too). For children who struggle with anxiety, have SEN or have trouble with friendships it’s far worse. Lots of schools do extra days to meet key staff (SENCO etc) for particular children who would benefit.

The government were winging it when they closed the schools or there would have been a plan (or even consistent guidance) about what was supposed to happen about continuing teaching remotely.

Nothing has changed with the government since then. So yes, they’re still winging it.

We have two transition days, but then there’s the play, sports day, leavers assembly, leavers party....it’s an ending.

Under the circumstances where access to school-based education is rationed - ie not everyone can attend every day - and where some activities are likely to be restricted by the need to maintain some social distancing, none of those things (except perhaps a version of sports day, if the field is large enough) are likely to happen, regardless of when / whether y6 are in school.

Equally, transition visits to secondary are unlikely, sunless secondaries organise them in very much smaller groups while their own schools are partially open.

Since so many things CANNOT happen, I cannot quite get my mind round why PRIORITY access to rationed schooling should be given to Y6, over and above children in other year groups where what they are missing educationally is so much more significant.

i would agree that a couple of days, perhaps with an assembly broadcast to parents and a chance to say 'goodbye' to such teachers and fellow pupils who are not shielded, would be fantastic if they can be arranged. Visits to secondaries, or video / phone conversations between Y7 tutors and pupils, would be brilliant if allowed.

cant there are only 6 weeks to play with, if a year group isn’t a priority, then with a phased opening, they may not be back at all. For primaries to open but Y6 not to be back at all would be unacceptable as they are the only primary year group with needs that can only be addressed before September.

It’s a devastating prospect for year six children not to have the opportunity to finish school and enjoy all the rituals of their last term at primary.

Noble,

As i have said, I would favour a scheme which had Y6 in at the end of term, even if that shut the school for everyone else.

So e.g. if 1 year group is allowed in first, I would make it Y5 (becuase that's the equivalent to Y10/12 in secondary - despite the obvious transition needs of 11 and 13), then would put Y6 in whenever in the priority list gave them a week or so in school - whether that was second, 3rd, last or even completely separately from everyone else.

i would also free Y6 staff from daily provision of online learning for the last 3-4 weeks to allow all their time to be taken talking to Y7 staff, and Y7 staff freed as much as possible over the same period for individual calls to students to replace physical meetings / visits.

When were all these "transition activities" invented? It certainly wasn't a thing in the 1990s. Has it come from America, like the prom?

It was definitely a thing in South Wales in 1983!

It must be awful for children to feel like that Georgiana. I see it in some of DDs friends. They have been told from reception that x, y and z will happen in Y6 and now it’s unlikely to they aren’t coping.
Other children are shrugging and thinking “next”, we are almost Y7 anyway so let’s think about that. I do wonder if reality will hit them some time in the future but as a parent it’s easier to deal with now.

As i have said, I would favour a scheme which had Y6 in at the end of term

Then we agree, cant. It is a priority that Y6 come back before the summer over and above other year groups.

My DD is in Y2. She’s not a priority so if she’s not back before the summer then that’s reasonable. Y6 are more important.

If you don’t say Y6 are a priority then that risks the whole ‘they’re not missing anything but residentials and parties so back of the queue for them’.

I have two year groups in one class so I've always taught pretty much to the end of term. They do have special things as well, obviously, but it's amazing how often people assume Model 3 as outlined above. Round here (rural) mixed year groups are fairly common.

I would like to see Y6 and Reception in first. Before summer, assuming social distancing is achievable (and we all know it's not, really).