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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Confused by call from school

236 replies

scorpiogirly · 02/09/2025 15:28

So my daughter who is 7 just went back today in year 3.

I get a call half an hour before I'm due to collect her to ask me if it is okay if the teacher who helps out takes my dd in the mornings in a group of about 10 to do maths. Apparently not that she's going to be taught anything different, just taught slower. What the hell does this mean? It's her first day back and they have never said anything like this before and she has always seemed fine with maths.

They also always tend to have mixed classes. When I questioned it, apparently it is nothing to do with ability. But strangely, they have split two year 3 classes and 2 year 4 classes and mixed them together. Whats the point of that?

OP posts:
ccfccci · 03/09/2025 10:18

modgepodge · 02/09/2025 15:51

Re mixing the classes, I would assume there is an imbalance in numbers. Eg if they have 60 year 4s and 40 year 3s, it might make more sense to make 4 classes each with 25 ish pupils in from mixed year groups, than have 2 classes of 30 and 2 of 20.

The maths group does sound like it is to do with ability to be honest. There’s 2 possibly scenarios - is she attending the main maths lesson, and additionally an extra session to help her keep up? If so, great. They’ve identified her as needing a bit extra support and she’s getting it.

Or, is she being removed from the main maths lesson to be taught at a slower pace by someone who is not the main teacher. In this case, the key is who is teaching this small group. If it’s a qualified teacher, again, this is a good thing. However, you describe them as ‘the teacher who helps out’ which makes me suspicious it’s a TA. In which case, I would not want my child’s only maths input by a TA instead of a qualified teacher. This is very bad practice. The children who need extra help need the qualified experienced adult teaching them.

TAs are very qualified and should be fully briefed by the teacher for what they are expected to teach. In my experience the teacher will do the main input to the whole class and the TA would take smaller groups to go through the work and give extra support. Teachers and TAs have it hard enough without people like you saying it’s bad practice and the TA isn’t qualified

modgepodge · 03/09/2025 12:56

ccfccci · 03/09/2025 10:18

TAs are very qualified and should be fully briefed by the teacher for what they are expected to teach. In my experience the teacher will do the main input to the whole class and the TA would take smaller groups to go through the work and give extra support. Teachers and TAs have it hard enough without people like you saying it’s bad practice and the TA isn’t qualified

Show quote history

I’m a teacher myself and would never give a group of children over to a TA and expect them to teach them every lesson (even with planning given by me) without me ever giving them input. This has happened in schools I’ve worked in. If they’re having input from me then having TA support during the independent work, fine, though again I would want to be working with them sometimes as I am the teacher. I stand by what I said - I wouldn’t want my child only ever taught maths by someone who is not a qualified teacher, and I believe it to be bad practice. This is what I was told on my teacher training many years ago and I still believe it to be true.

Some TAs are qualified, plenty aren’t. Some TAs are brilliant, some, I’m afraid to say, aren’t. (Of course, this is also true of teachers, though in my experience their performance is managed more carefully and they are accountable for the children’s results in a way TAs aren’t - and shouldn’t be.)

Cluesinthename81 · 03/09/2025 13:43

This poor school has another 4 years of this Op “raging” at…. Well their efforts to educate her daughter

Original poster
scorpiogirly · 03/09/2025 14:06

Cluesinthename81 · 03/09/2025 13:43

This poor school has another 4 years of this Op “raging” at…. Well their efforts to educate her daughter

I'm not raging. I said upthread that was a typo 😀

OP posts:
Cluesinthename81 · 03/09/2025 14:44

scorpiogirly · 03/09/2025 14:06

I'm not raging. I said upthread that was a typo 😀

Show quote history

Do you understand what a “typo” is?

Cluesinthename81 · 03/09/2025 14:47

I'm raging about it, if she needs the help then I'm glad it's there for her

so what word did you mean to type out instead of raging but you kept missing the correct letters accidentally and “raging” was posted by mistake?

Nofrillsandpeace · 03/09/2025 14:53

ShesTheAlbatross · 02/09/2025 15:34

This would only irritate me because they told you it wasn’t anything to do with ability. It obviously is. I mean, what other reason would they have to take a small group out to go through things more slowly? They’ve identified she needs support and are providing it, that’s a good thing. But don’t lie to parents that it’s not about ability, it’s very infantilising.

Maybe teacher was
meaning to say potential perhaps?

potenial · 03/09/2025 14:55

Surely the time to ask those questions was when someone rang you to discuss it? Remaining polite, but you could always call back, or pop in at drop off or collection time tomorrow:
"I was caught a bit off guard yesterday, but I have a few questions about why my daughter is being put in the small group. I hadn't been told last year that she was struggling in maths, have you identified something on the first day back? Is there anything I could be doing to support her learning in this area at home? Are there any concerns about her academic ability generally? You mentioned that the material will be the same, but taught more slowly, how will this benefitting her? Was there a criteria which has led to her being selected for this? Will she be missing anything else to allow for the teaching to be slower?"

FWIW, most schools wouldn't bother getting permission for your child to work in a smaller group with a teacher, so them giving you the heads up is good, and opens the door for you to further support at home.
It may be just a random sample of pupils for a comparative study, which may be why they've asked permission.

KimTheresPeopleThatAreDying · 03/09/2025 15:24

scorpiogirly · 03/09/2025 14:06

I'm not raging. I said upthread that was a typo 😀

Show quote history

Typo means you spell a word wrong not that you write an entirely different word. You’re trying to backtrack because some have said you are being unreasonable to be furious/livid/raging about something that’s in your DD’s best interests.

Sorejaws · 03/09/2025 16:06

KimTheresPeopleThatAreDying · 03/09/2025 15:24

Typo means you spell a word wrong not that you write an entirely different word. You’re trying to backtrack because some have said you are being unreasonable to be furious/livid/raging about something that’s in your DD’s best interests.

Show quote history

Exactly

and the op can’t even “own” it. Comes up with some nonsense about a typo.

I feel for the school…. This op will be raging at them over something or another for years to come

Original poster
scorpiogirly · 03/09/2025 19:08

Raging was not the word I was meant to type there as I'm not and was not raging about it. But if some want to believe it was then that's okay too.

OP posts:
Sorejaws · 03/09/2025 19:24

scorpiogirly · 03/09/2025 19:08

Raging was not the word I was meant to type there as I'm not and was not raging about it. But if some want to believe it was then that's okay too.

what was the word you “meant” to post instead of “raging”?

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 03/09/2025 19:36

I would ask for a guarantee that my child still had access to a fully qualified teacher

Fetaface · 03/09/2025 19:56

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 03/09/2025 19:36

I would ask for a guarantee that my child still had access to a fully qualified teacher

It is a booster group! Of course they will have. Do you ask for a fully qualified teacher to be doing everything with your child? Odd.

Sorejaws · 03/09/2025 19:57

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 03/09/2025 19:36

I would ask for a guarantee that my child still had access to a fully qualified teacher

Bizarre

Original poster
scorpiogirly · 03/09/2025 20:12

Can't remember the exact work. I had just picked my daughter up and we were walking to the car. If I was raging, I'd have no problem saying so here.

OP posts:
Sorejaws · 04/09/2025 06:13

scorpiogirly · 03/09/2025 20:12

Can't remember the exact work. I had just picked my daughter up and we were walking to the car. If I was raging, I'd have no problem saying so here.

Can’t even own it

would have been so much better to have just said “yes, with hindsight my use of the word “raging” was hyperbolic and now I’ve paused to reflect, I’m not raging and wasn’t raging”

but nope. It was a “typo” 🙄

you were cross op. And you need to get a grip on that because your daughter’s school sounds proactive and engaged.

Original poster
scorpiogirly · 04/09/2025 10:22

Sorejaws · 04/09/2025 06:13

Can’t even own it

would have been so much better to have just said “yes, with hindsight my use of the word “raging” was hyperbolic and now I’ve paused to reflect, I’m not raging and wasn’t raging”

but nope. It was a “typo” 🙄

you were cross op. And you need to get a grip on that because your daughter’s school sounds proactive and engaged.

Show quote history

Because it wasn't meant to be that word. Weird thing to get so hung up on.

OP posts:
Sorejaws · 04/09/2025 10:32

scorpiogirly · 04/09/2025 10:22

Because it wasn't meant to be that word. Weird thing to get so hung up on.

Show quote history

Because it’s telling
And clearly this thread indicates I’m not alone in thinking that
and makes me sympathise with the school!

Have you spoken to the teacher?

Original poster
scorpiogirly · 04/09/2025 10:58

Not as yet. Her father did the school run yesterday.

I have had a look at her report and nowhere does it mention a struggle with maths.

Also there are no ARE scores or anything like it.

OP posts:
Sorejaws · 04/09/2025 11:00

scorpiogirly · 04/09/2025 10:58

Not as yet. Her father did the school run yesterday.

I have had a look at her report and nowhere does it mention a struggle with maths.

Also there are no ARE scores or anything like it.

Day 1 of new term they would have done lots of little tests to ascertain where the child is currently at op.

Sit down and work with her regularly so she speeds up with the pace and she’ll be out of the group before you know

no raging required

Original poster
scorpiogirly · 04/09/2025 11:01

That is what I plan to do now. Just concerned as other have said if they're learning at a slower pace, they may fall further behind.

OP posts:
Sorejaws · 04/09/2025 11:02

scorpiogirly · 04/09/2025 11:01

That is what I plan to do now. Just concerned as other have said if they're learning at a slower pace, they may fall further behind.

And that is why your involvement is important

how amicable with ex?

Original poster
scorpiogirly · 04/09/2025 11:04

Sorejaws · 04/09/2025 11:02

And that is why your involvement is important

how amicable with ex?

Show quote history

Not great. Okay at times. I've told him that her screen time is to be cut to half an hour a day. He tries to work against me with anything like this so it's not as easy as it should be.

OP posts:
Sorejaws · 04/09/2025 11:11

scorpiogirly · 04/09/2025 11:04

Not great. Okay at times. I've told him that her screen time is to be cut to half an hour a day. He tries to work against me with anything like this so it's not as easy as it should be.

Show quote history

How about you just focus on starting to do something with her outside of the short school days, even just 10 mins a night will help.