to wish the school would change their curriculum occasionally?

[Potatosaladfiend]

Sort of lighthearted as I pour a (large) glass of wine.

We have three children, two year gap apiece. Lovely village school. We enjoy supporting learning at home.

The school seem to rotate their curriculum on a year A/year B basis.

This means that, for example:
Child 1, yr 2 topic, 4 yrs ago was the Crimean war.
Child 2, yr 2 topic, 2 yrs ago was the Crimean war.
And (you can see where this is going!), child 3 is in year 2 this year, surprise surprise, it’s the Crimean war.

It’s the same every year, every topic is identical to what the elder child studied at the same age. We’re hitting the same topics three times over.
I don’t blame the teachers for this at all, I understand that it saves time on planning, they’ve obviously found some fantastic resources as the same ones appear every time.

But I’m sick to death of the same subjects; the kids have heard it all before and surely (surely?!) the teachers must also be completely fed up with teaching the same things over and over again.

I know IABU and this is the consequence of having three children but lord give me strength for another year of Florence Nightingale. I really wish they’d switch it up a bit and let us loose on the Romans or the Egyptians, or basically any other topic!

Yabu for spacing your kids out bi annually. Has it been the same class teacher for 6 years?

Surely the kids haven't been taught it before if they're only taught it in year 2? I'd say YABU based on how much the curriculum changes (at secondary level history at least) and teachers are constantly having to update subject knowledge to match this.

Yes, I know! I didn’t really consider school subjects at the time . They have different teachers for each year group, but they all do the same thing- one has changed, but has seemingly picked up the previous teacher’s planning.

I'm not sure how it affects you - mine are at primary and have minimal homework and don't go on about school topics so I can't imagine having a strong feeling about one!

I have 2 children with 11 months difference and they repeat exactly the same curriculum aswell.

They have had different teachers too so I think planning is templated for each year group.

It does help with homework and projects though as everything is fairly fresh in mind.

Wait till they get ti GCSE, An Inspector Calls is still on the curriculum after about 20 years.

But the topics stay the same in each year group to ensure the breadth of learning across the school! The child isn't doing the same thing twice are they?

I have another child 4 years younger than the second, so I will see soon if they will have the same curriculum.

But the same child isn’t doing the Crimean war as a topic every 2 years are they? Not really seeing the issue to be honest!

the kids have heard it all before

Are the children repeating topics in later years or is the Crimean War always one of the Year 2 topics?

The school seem to rotate their curriculum on a year A/year B basis

Is it small school with mixed year classes?

Recycling topics is sensible to reuse some resources. It will be slightly adapted to meet the needs of each cohort and latest national curriculum content but as a parent you wouldn't notice those subtle changes. For each child it's new and it's about them not you obviously.

I love this, actually, though I’ve only got two. I know I’ll need an Egyptian costume again in Year 4; I’ll loan it out in the intervening years while borrowing a Roman costume from a parent with kids either side of mine in age…

So your Y2 7yo is bored of the Crimean War because they paid so much attention to the expansive homework that their siblings did on it, when they themselves were 3 and 5? 🤣

@Cocomarine

So your Y2 7yo is bored of the Crimean War because they paid so much attention to the expansive homework that their siblings did on it, when they themselves were 3 and 5? 🤣

I do get that it’s you that’s bored though - and that it’s light hearted 😉

Ooo Crimean war sounds interesting!

I did the Tudors three (I think) times because I moved schools too often as a child 😂 very knowledgeable now, but to the detriment of other periods of history!

You understand how the national curriculum works yes?

Children are taught different things at different ages.

Teachers do not have time to replan and change their year group's curriculum every year. That would be hundreds of extra hours of planning every year.

The primary history curriculum is a pain in the arse. Have you bothered to even read it and understand the logistical nightmare that it is to teach especially in schools with mixed age classes. Y2 can't just pick up Egyptians because they like the idea of teaching about mummification . Topics aren't just pulled out of thin air. They're taken from the (not thoughtfully made) curriculum and thoughtfully put into a progressive puzzle across the entire school

YABU

They’re teaching for the children’s benefit not your entertainment!

Of course you have to cover topics again with each child - just as they all read the same reading books. Par for the course!

And yes if they’ve got the resources all ready for one topic of course they’ll cover it with each year 2 (or whatever) class

@Cocomarine

So your Y2 7yo is bored of the Crimean War because they paid so much attention to the expansive homework that their siblings did on it, when they themselves were 3 and 5? 🤣

🤣 bet the older ones are always going on about the battle of balaclava, although probably better than peppa?

I did the Tudors three (I think) times because I moved schools too often as a child

We did the Tudors constantly at primary school - it was before the National curriculum came about so they could do as they liked. Our school was named after a figure from Tudor history so I think they liked telling us about him over and over.

Has had the affect that I think half the shows in TV are about this person as he’s stuck in my head!

Just don't spend as much time on it. I honestly don't really know what topics mine did. DH is primary teacher and seems to roll out the same stuff every year - but as others have said if your youngest is in Year 2 now then surely they haven't already learned about the Crimean War?

I'm amazed that you know what your kids are studying at school. My 8 and 6 year olds mostly grunt at me when I ask what they did at school 😂

DS just starting Macbeth for English GCSE - I also did it 30 years ago for GCSE!