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!

You do sound a bit over invested OP.
As a pp says do kids even talk about topics that much.

Ask the school if they mention Mary Seacole when doing the Crimean War. If they don't, ask why.

^^
Our school cover Mary Seacole as often as the cover the topic of autumn - in other words every year at some stage!

On the upside, I have been able to rehash the same topic dress - up day outfits three times.

Planned well for progression, as expected now, the DC's will be learning at a different level though, even if it is repeated topics.

@CaptainMerica

My DS's teacher asked the class for ideas on what to do as their next topic, rejected some outright, then picked the most popular of the rest. I was impressed. Though maybe 7yos are predicable enough to make it a safe enough gamble.

I realise that by a certain age the children need to be covering certain topics as a foundation for later learning. However, I do think it should be child led as much as possible, especially at that age.

In History, this would only be possible in a school which doesn't have to follow the National Curriculum. Either that or it's one of those times where children believe that they had made a choice but they were actually navigated into making that choice by the adult who had already chosen.

It can obviously get boring teaching the same topic but the kids don’t get bored because it’s new to them and it’s always fun teaching them new things.

Some things are repeated which is called spiralled learning - meaning they start at the basics and then every time they visit it they’ll learn a bit more. It’s a great way for them to feel confident about the topic without being overwhelmed. It’s quite often used in secondary school as it useful for being prepared for GCSEs.

I don't understand what you think should happen instead? Some kids never learn about the crimean war because their older siblings already know about it?
All kids should be learning broadly the same stuff across their primary years, it makes much more sense to always do this particular topic in year 2 then sometimes miss it and then have to remember to go over it in year 3 for that particular cohort.

I've noticed that my DD2 is doing the exact same lessons DD1 did! Three years apart. So much so that DD1 says 'keep that space/ sea scene I made as DD2 can reuse it when she does space / sea etc.. 😂

I'm wondering where all the lesson planning time goes 😂

@CaptainMerica

My DS's teacher asked the class for ideas on what to do as their next topic, rejected some outright, then picked the most popular of the rest. I was impressed. Though maybe 7yos are predicable enough to make it a safe enough gamble.

I realise that by a certain age the children need to be covering certain topics as a foundation for later learning. However, I do think it should be child led as much as possible, especially at that age.

But children can never ask to study something they’ve never heard of. They’d never just come up with Mary Secole as a person to study, but it’s important that they do learn about her, and other important historical figures. (Actually maybe the OP’s kids would have already heard of her, since they’ve learned it all before when their older siblings did the topic )

The curriculum & lessons are not for your benefit, but that of your dc. They won’t know very much about Florence Nightingale unless they have studied it at home. My dc love talking to their younger siblings about topics that they’ve done and it’s great when they can join in with facts too.

I know it saves time and energy

OP, it isn't about saving time nor energy. The topics covered in History are the topics covered. They are directed by the National Curriculum, not the teacher. I teach a History unit on our local area. It isn't because I want to nor because I've taught it before. It's because that's one of the parts of the National Curriculum that I have to cover.

@WheelieBinPrincess

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

I was just thinking this! I'm hoping dc2 will do the same subject choices as dc1 though so I don't have to buy a whole load of new GCSE revision books 😅

I’m glad they do a lot of the same topics as you can keep the costumes they wore for dress up days - many are quite unisex or can be made so!

@Potatosaladfiend

Ah of course I know I’m being unreasonable, I did say it was lighthearted.

I come from a teaching family and I get it. I know it saves time and energy and I’m really grateful.

I think what’s impacting my, ahem, lack of enthusiasm this year more than ever is that we’re hitting the 2020 homeschooling topics again.

We do discuss school topics quite a lot at home and they are set particular reading, worksheets and projects every week. I will of course put on my enthusiastic face when I’m being told all about the same things, and helping with same projects, again.

It’s actually not about saving time and energy, OP, and to imply that’s the only reasoning behind why topics are chosen- that they create the least work for the staff, is a bit rude. Ok, no one wants to create extra work for themselves but the main objective is to follow the National Curriculum with progression across the school and no repetition. You do realise that a child with no siblings won’t have done the Crimean War topic before and if the topics were randomly changed around then they might never do it? Just because you have three children that’s why you’re hitting the same topics three times. Did you get bored when your second and third child took their first steps because you’d seen it all before with your first child? (Slightly lighthearted in response to your slightly lightheartedness )

On the upside, I have been able to rehash the same topic dress - up day outfits three times.

^^
Sorry, I’d missed that you’d already said this!

@RiverSkater

I've noticed that my DD2 is doing the exact same lessons DD1 did! Three years apart. So much so that DD1 says 'keep that space/ sea scene I made as DD2 can reuse it when she does space / sea etc.. 😂

I'm wondering where all the lesson planning time goes 😂

ALL that planning time?! .. it goes on internet shopping and drinking tea in the staff room 👍🏻

@capercaillie

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

And me - both English and Drama! Double whammy!!

Our school does the rainforest in year 2 and year 5 que my 5 year old trying to happy tell me about poison frogs while my 10 year old is like yeah did that twice now. I’m sat here like yup your brother did it twice there too only once more to go

@RiverSkater ever heard of differentiation, intervention?

@FoxgloveSummers

I feel your pain! I was bored stiff of hearing my brother grumping about Animal Farm and pissed off when I had to do it myself. The unchanging curriculum does seem utterly bizarre as a PP said when believe it or not quite a few decent plays and novels have been written over the past 50-70 years.

Grumping about ‘Animal Farm’? Did he not understand it?

yabu
you are not the one at school

@SisterJude

My son is a tax accountant. He completes the same returns every year. But every return is different to each other, so the figures he puts in, the adjustments he has to make, the outcomes are all unique and individual. Given that each child is also unique and individual, what teachers have to put in also changes and varies- even if they are completing the same tax returns!

[quote spanieleyes]@SisterJude

My son is a tax accountant. He completes the same returns every year. But every return is different to each other, so the figures he puts in, the adjustments he has to make, the outcomes are all unique and individual. Given that each child is also unique and individual, what teachers have to put in also changes and varies- even if they are completing the same tax returns![/quote]
Great analogy, thank you @spanieleyes

All you naysayers! Inspector/Animal Farm/Macbeth may have been on the curriculum for years but they are great stories and the kids love them. I have been teaching all three for over 20 years and I am not bored. We mix it up with new texts too! Each year where I work do one modern text, one older 'classic' and a play every year. They love English.