Form education in England is too much too young

[Futurefaithin]

AIBU?
it seems crazy that these little 5 year olds are having to do so much 'sit at a desk and do a worksheet' type school work.
my DS is so upset and cries about going into school ever since he moved from
reception to year 1. He LOVED reception, was so so excitied to be going into year 1 and cried after the first couple of days that it's "the worst day of my life" because it's "boring"
it seems to be similar for a lot of his friends too and o see a lot of year 1 children upset about going into school in the mornings
AIBU that 5 year olds should be upset and bored at the idea of learning already?
I think the reception way of play based learning would be better up to maybe 7 and then some make formal learning added whilst still having practical, engaging lessons would be far better. I know that's a government issue and just won't happen though.

im not even convinced it helps long term to have 5 year olds doing all this work and spelling tests, I have an older child who didn't engage in any class work until year 3 (sen) and he isn't behind in reading/ maths/spelling etc

YANBU
That sounds absolutely ridiculous and work sheets an appalling lazy method of teaching. I remember being infuriated by the load of homework my 5/6 year olds were expected to complete.

That doesn't happen in Year 1 at my school. If it really is as bad as you describe, look for another school.

That's not how DD's primary school worked or any of the ones where my friend's DCs go/went to .

Generally Infant is still very much play based with increasing desk work but still lots of breaks to do active work, especially outside.

I would speak to the school and ask what their methods are, in defendence, it could very well be that they do a bit of desk based work and 3/4 of the time something else so keep in mind that a child will often just tell what they don't like.

I think mixed year groups don't help- they get all mixed around every year, and it's mixed between year 1 and 2, but I imagine in a class of just year 1s they'd be able to ease them into it a bit easier possibly.
but even so, I'm not sure such formal education is appropriate or the best way for 5 year olds to learn at all. What is the benefit of a 5 year old rote learning spellings and having the pressure of being tested on those every week?
I'm sure school was less intense when I was that age

That doesn't sound at all like year 1 at the two schools DD was at (moved school part way through the year). It was still very play based with a phonics and maths session every day but done in a fun way and that was only a small part of the day. No worksheets?

Year 2 has been pretty similar so far.

I would say that is the exception rather than the rule. All the schools I have taught in have never done this in year one. Maybe go into school and offer to help and see what it is like. If your not happy. Move schools

I am planning on moving him to a different school for other reasons but I didn't realise other schools were more play based I just assumed it was similar everywhere.
DS says they're at their tables doing written stuff all day except for break and lunch, and maths where they go to a different classroom and do worksheets and that they do either worksheets and work in their learning books all day. Appreciate this is a year 1 child's view though!
It's an apparently "outstanding" school and I do get the feel that they aren't particularly nurturing and more results driven than anything else.
My eldest has sen and he's been treated appallingly by the school hence why as soon as he gets his new school placement I'm moving younger ds, because I just don't have a good feeling with the school in general

It looks like the school is not a good fit then, in my opinion, treatment of SEN children tells you a lot about compassion.

While. 5 is very young and I am not on board with it, it's the system in England and short of homeschooling, you have to accept it and find the right school for you (easier said than done, I know).

Have you talked to some other parents about what their kids' experiences are like? Or talked to the teacher?

The description of the day sounds nothing like DD's school (either of them - in two counties 200 miles apart!). She generally comes home talking enthusiastically about the games she's played with friends, what they did in art or music or PE, the story read to them, what was for lunch etc. Barely any mention of maths or phonics!

I know it was about 15 mins of each a day in Reception - one in the morning, one in the afternoon. And it sounded like not a huge amount more in year 1.

I do somewhat know about the school day from when my eldest was in year 1 that there was a lot of sitting at tables doing worksheets expected (because he has sen so we had a lot of involvements with the school etc
I actually just thought this was standard and now in really confused! 15 minutes each of maths and phonics ? What about topic work etc?? What do they do for the rest of the day???

I know a lot of children with sen have left the school, and I wonder now if it's because the school has quite strange expectations of the children.
DS says they're not allowed to play except at break and lunch, once they've finished their work they have to sit quietly on the carpet and wait for others to finish and if they are 'good' all week they get free flow (play time essentially) on a Friday afternoon.

I absolutely agree , far too much pressure on children so young , i have 2 close together and a 3rd after a large gap - who unlike her brothers is an august baby.
I saw a big difference in my /their experiences much more pressure and focus now on results, sats ,expectations etc , how sad that children can feel such negativity to school and learning at such a tender age ,and with so many years of education ahead of them.
I think i would be looking around too ,sooner rather than later , at this age he shouldn't even be aware he is 'learning' .

I felt similarly before my kid started school, but actually the calmness of the year 1 classroom and the semi-directed learning seems to really suit my child. With a strong likelihood of ADHD the chaos of too much choice just led to overwhelm.

It's currently about 60-40 free flow to formal education in the class, that'll flip to 40:60 after January, and reduce again in May time.

It really helps that the teacher is really sporty and adds in lots of wiggle/movement breaks.

The 15 mins each for Maths and Phonics is in Reception, they used to do it straight after morning and afternoon registration. It seemed to involve singing and games about letters and numbers. That was the only time they were all doing same
thing together - the rest of the day was free flow (indoor and outdoor space) and the teachers and TAs (60 kids so 2 teachers and 4 TAs) would circulate and interact with what they were doing. I've never seen a worksheet come home - DD had exercise books in class which she'd write and draw in. Neither school set homework other than a reading book coming home.

Yes, they do topic work in year 1 and 2 but it's very fun - they did one activity last year (year 1) where they had to design a rocket as part of a science topic. So some of it was drawing and making models out of junk, but the literacy element was writing about how they were going to build it.

Homework wise ds is being given each week a booklet which works out as a page per day of homework one side phonics/literacy and the other maths, a reading book to be read every day, and the list of 10 spellings to learn that they are given a week to learn and then tested on.

Your experience of year 1 is very different to mine!

DS1 much preferred the structure, boundaries and calm of year 1. In hindsight his reception teacher wasn't great and his year 1 teacher was amazing.

DS2 loved reception (had that same amazing teacher DS1 had in yr 1). He has now started in yr1 and is having a great time. He feels so grown up having different subject lessons. He's excited about the learning they do.They do not do endless worksheets and have frequent movement breaks. Minimal homework.

It doesnt sound like your school will stay outstanding with the new framework.

Good luck. I hope you find a happier place for your son to learn.

The school does sound odd. That's a lot of homework. Mine does spellings, but at school, and only two words a week. We get told what they are on the parent app but there is no expectation of us doing them at home with her. We get one reading book a week but can change it more often - we normally do 2-3 per week.

It's a school in a very mixed area - higher rates of pupil premium/FSM and very nurturing.

Your Yr1 gets more homework than my Yr5... or her sister got in Yr6 got last year! Been at 5 primary schools, only one had homework like that and it was in Yr4 (a Junior school)

It is hard to say as you are essentially relying on a year 1 child's view plus you have already decided the school is rubbish. I am interested that your eldest didn't start working until year 3 but is not behind. Why is that if the school is so awful?

The school has been awful for him. He learnt to read and write a from playing mince raft during lockdown.he is autistic
Actually the school basically traumatised him from stepping foot in a classroom because of the way they treated him and it took a lot of work to get him to willingly go back in. He still isn't in full time. That school haven't taught him a single thing. He isn't the only one that has happened to either.

I think your school sounds rubbish tbh.

Do you have options other than this one?

The schools here are so oversubscribed but
we are just waiting for a place to become available in one of the schools close enough that I can be back for ds1s transport on time

Totally agree.

My DD was in Year 1 during the second school lockdown. I remember a geography lesson sent through as a PowerPoint in which she had to learn the names and positions of the oceans around the British Isles: North Sea, English Channel, Irish Sea… What five-year-old cares about that? Now she’s in Year 3 I can see she would be much more receptive to learning these facts, but not at five. The same with having to learn a potted history of the Crimea before learning about Florence Nightingale. In Year 1. These are topics for 7+. I just cannot believe that people who write the KS1 curriculum have ever met a young child. The Early Years curriculum should run through Years 1 and 2 also.