To think ofsted means nowt and year 1s should recognise numbers to 20?

[GarlicSauce]

DS3 is in yr 1 at an outstanding school. It's a job share in a mixed ages class yr1/2 with an NQT doing Monday-weds and another teacher doing Thursday/Friday. It's been a fairly disastrous year and the whole cohort seem behind. DS can't recognise any numbers past 10 consistently. I'm going to do a whole lot more with him but there's no SEN and none of the class seem to be any better. Most kids have been on the same reading books since last spring and haven't moved up. A significant number have moved down. The Thursday/Friday teacher is moving into another classroom so we will have cover teachers until Feb half term. Do we bite the bullet and pay for private? We could just about swing it. His older brothers did state until secondary and did fine but this school seems chaotic.

Our school is very strict in ensuring staff get their full PPA time. The 5 hits is their PPA plus the extra time, hence almost a full day.

It's something our headteacher, this one and the one before, have been adamant about - protected full entitlement of PPA and ECT time for all staff.

If a school is following the proper rules regarding this then pretty much a full day off timetable is right for an ECT, when taking into account PPA plus additional time. They can get into a lot of trouble if not and someone decided to take it to unions, etc.

What colour book are they on with read write inc? They should have moved bandings since Spring

Oh give over, of course it isn't the same thing as playing COD. I wouldn't let my 6yo read it but only because they are bloody fantastic books and I don't think he is old enough to understand or appreciate the stories yet. But he's a fluent reader and Julia Donaldson is way too easy for him. But Charlie and the chocolate factory, the witches, matilda, Charlotte's Web etc...all good.

@Abraxan Thats great for you ECT (and staff for PPA). I was surprised when I realised what I was getting but don’t want to rock the boat so early on. Sorry OP, I know this thread isn’t about ECT time 🙈

@toomuchlaundry There are maybe 10 of them who have been on green since last March? DS has just moved to purple.

I think it's fairly terrible that you are volunteering in class mainly to check the academic ability of the cohort. How long are you in for? You seem to know a lot.

And this teacher has had them for one term so I don't think you can blame her for your kid being so behind the expected level for his age.

Personally, I would stop worrying about everyone else, trust the school to be supervising the NQT, and do a bit more at home.

Only Harry Potter? My son was reading the complete works of Shakespeare by end of year one - do keep up

That looks about the level you would expect at that age@GarlicSauce so it is possible that they had been on the wrong level before, and hadn’t grasped all the concepts properly

You really think the deathly hallows is suitable for ks1? Or any book past 1 & 2 tbh. The Witches is terrifying! Children grow quickly. Year 3/4 yes, but not year 1.

I think it's perfectly comparable to a upper primary age (that is learning about WW1/2 at that age) playing virtual war games.

Stick to age appropriate materials. Picture books are still beneficial for older children even. Michael Rosen has some fantastic picture books for ks2. The journey trilogy (can't remember the author) is brilliant for older children. Eric Carr (sp?) is so good for teaching ks2 science. Julia Donaldson is never "too easy". For anyone.

My 6 yo didn't find The Witches remotely terrifying, not all young children are sensitive to stuff like that.

He loves the odd picture book but he finds them too easy now, he wants chapter books. I was the same at that age.

He probably didn't find it terrifying because he didn't understand it. He's too young. Chapter books are fine, but age appropriate ones. Just because it's on paper, not a screen, doesn't make it OK to view older material.

And if he finds picture books "too easy" then he is most definitely not ready for harder material. The amount of inference and deduction skill you can learn from a good picture book is invaluable. You're doing him a disservice here.

@Itstarts how about parent your child in your way and let the PP do the same?

No I'm not thanks, he has umpteen picture books which he reads. We home educate and he spends half the day with his nose in a book. He simply enjoys reading chapter books more than the smeds and the smoos. I was reading chapter books too at that age, loved them.

There is evidence to show that reading children fiction beyond their age level is beneficial for vocabulary. I wouldn't read him Harry Potter or give him HP to read because I think the story would go over his head. The Witches is much simpler. He is on the spectrum and did not find it scary because he is extremely literal and knows it isn't real. Doesn't mean he didn't understand the story.

I know right, there's a novel idea!

That poster would probably be even more horrified if they knew I also let him watch the odd episode of the Simpsons 🤣

Anyway in the words of Roald Dahl - "don't worry about the bits you don't understand. Let the words wash around you, like music."

This does sound behind. My year 1 son will write numbers confidently up to 100. Although he does keep writing his 9's like p's. We left it mainly up to the school to teach him unless it came up naturally at home in games or street signs and things.

Technically his school is only a 'good' school by ofsted but I can tell the teaching there has been wonderful because he comes home enthused and writes words and sums for fun. They are clearly inspiring him. I think if your gut feeling is he's not learning well there, there is probably something in it, even if it's just not a good fit for him.

I have similar worries about my son’s school. He’s also year 1 in an outstanding school but it’s some time ago since inspection. I have noticed there is a big difference since my teenagers were there.

This!

My dc's watched Simpsons in primary too. What's your point?

HP being the pinnacle of fluency and something for 5yos to aspire to is my pet peeve. The number of parents that think just because their child can read the words and answer a few retrieval questions makes it OK is absurd.

Any other subject, you wouldn't just skip years ahead. My dc knew they had a heart at age 2. Didn't mean I could start teaching them about the circulatory system and diffusion of O2 & co2 across the semi permeable capillary membranes. Same with reading. Learn the skills. You've got your whole life to enjoy reading. It's wasted if you skip ahead without the basic building blocks.

And yes, anyone describing (decent) picture books as "too easy" doesn't know the first thing about learning to read.

Have a look at the White Rose maths scheme which many schools use and is honestly the best I’ve seen in 20+ years teaching. Year 1 master numbers to 10 in great depth this term and then move onto numbers to 20. You can stretch even the most able with numbers just to 10 in so many ways. Being able to manipulate numbers and apply concepts is more advanced than knowing what a number says. whiterosemaths.com/resources?year=year-1-new

Regarding RWI reading scheme, some schools only seem to assess half termly and adjust book levels then which I would find frustrating too.

I think the undertone of the OP is just to slag off the NQT basically. You are judging her and don’t like her by the sounds of it

Yes I'm getting that vibe too and also possible guilt that she hasn't done enough with her own child at home.

Teachers can't work miracles and support at home will always be needed even in private schools.

It's just what parents do.

@Itstarts , I'm curious what's the best way to read picture books? Do you have any resources to recommend?

I've never heard about teaching young children inference and deduction based on picture book (or just my ignorance🙄). But I'm doing 11+ with my DS at the moment and I can see the benefit of learning it from earlier stage, as it would make understanding a good story even more enjoyable.

As an experienced primary teacher and former Headteacher, I would also be quite concerned about a parent helper making judgements regarding the quality of teaching and learning in the classroom and sharing this on a public forum.
I am assuming that there has been some sort of discussion with you about confidentiality and your responsibilities around this?
Whatever we all think of OFSTED, they are highly trained professionals who have a clear and robust code of conduct to adhere to. They are paid to make observations about a school’s effectiveness- sadly, you are not.