How will the ability gap be addressed in schools?

[hotdogandonionrings]

Some parents full on home schooling, some doing no school work, some just reading and so on..... how will these gaps be addressed when they return to school? Surely the ability gap will be so wide there just won't be time to go over and catch up o the previous years work while keeping higher ability groups interested?

There's a huge ability gap in most classrooms, teachers are used to differentiating work for a wide range of abilities within the class.

Dealing with ability gaps is our job.

Next question?

Teachers will do what they always have done and teach from where the children are.

When I was a Y6 teacher I had a whole range of abilities from reception level to very bright indeed.

Exactly what jellyfrizz said.
When I was a class teacher, differentiation in planning was often 6 different groupings within one year that changed with each subject. So not unusual to have an ability range in a Y4 class that stretched from average Y2 to Y6. Without adding in EAL or SEN.

I was talking to my teacher friend about this. It really won't be a problem or much different to what she's used to.

But surely the gap between these groups will become more and more pronounced with some kids not having done any school work since March and those who may still be doing some work to keep on top of it over the summer holidays?

I worry about it as well but our dc won't be the only ones who've done little or no homeschooling in the past 2 months. I really think that most kids will be able to catch up without any extra tuition but also recognise that there will be more need for extra tuition for some kids.

I'm really concerned about this. Just want to point out this is not a teacher bashing or bragging post. I love my dds teacher and think she is fabulous. However, dd has been struggling emotionally in school for a long time and during home schooling it has become obvious to both me and dh separately that part of that is because she is way ahead of the work that is being set and the level she was placed at before all this and is frustrated. We have not been doing a great deal of home school because of work but have done about an hour or so a day of different activities.
We have been told when they go back all the children will be starting from where they left off at the same level, which is great, but I'm concerned this is going to set dd back even further emotionally. She is still very young but admitted that she cries all the time in school due to frustration. I have told her teacher this but I feel like the teacher has a mammoth task ahead of her and we cannot expect her to cater to everyone.
Also I feel concerned for the children who need additional support who may get left behind.

Surely if there is a huge gap anyway when the same environment and more tailored work is given (because teachers do work bloody hard to accommodate every child's learning and account for differences), it will be even more pronounced with time away from that environment and a huge variation? I hope schools and staff are given actual support or some sort of guidance rather than just meh carry on as if nothing has happened.

It might be that some of the children who were ‘behind’ have now caught up with some excellent homeschooling results. And some who were ‘ahead’ haven’t moved any further on because they didn’t do much work. Might be some surprises.

The ability gap is always huge. Teachers will do what we always do.

It is worrying. I’m a teacher and I also have a Year 1 DC who won’t be going back as he has a vulnerable sibling.

However, we have to remember that progress isn’t linear and although there is an ‘expected’ level for each year group, children naturally go through fits and starts. I also teach in inner London and we have a lot of DC join us with no English who go on to do very well, some catch up completely within 2 years despite starting in KS2 with no language whatsoever.

I understand why we worry as parents but with my

How are teachers planning on covering this year's work whilst simultaneously introducing the next years? Surely it's just not possible? Isn't it just going to continue to knock on to the next academic year after that?

I’m more concerned about how staff are going to manage with children with mental health struggles which have been exacerbated by the current situation.

My DS was struggling to stay in the classroom if he didn’t have a 1-1 TA, if he had a meltdown it would disrupt others learning. There is another child in his class with similar difficulties- I can almost guarantee that they will be worse when schools finally return.

Mental health and SEN support was really lacking before the crisis but I really worry it will be worse on return and be even more difficult for schools to cope with.

Education is a continuous flow, it doesn’t stop and lurch into the next academic year. So you teach the individual child, from the point they’ve reached so far.
By the end of Y4, all children should know their times tables up to 12, out of sequence, and the corresponding inverse operations.
What do you think happens to pupils in Y5 who don’t? Who can only manage some of that target?

Yes, I’m worried about the pupils with additional needs who may not have their 1:1 at a time when chaos and change is all around them.

But lots of children have time off school for all different reasons, while doing little or no homeschooling.

For example if a child has two months off at Christmas to visit family living abroad, no one worries that they'll be 'behind' forever. Learning doesn't work like that.

It'll differ for different year groups obviously, but for the most part everything will just fall back into line.

My bet is teachers in state schools will focus on making sure the kids who have fallen behind do catch up as much as possible, while the kids who have zoomed ahead will be a bit bored repeating stuff they already know... If they're lucky they will be given more challenging tasks more suitable to their level, but their needs won't be prioritised.
There might be a bit of streaming (ability groups), but mostly the "left behind" will set the pace.

Source: my own experience in a state school as a gifted pupil, and my DS1 experience in school so far (I don't disagree with the approach, it just sucks a bit for the kids who learn faster...)

@hotdogandonionrings that’s a very broad question...it will depends on each individual school and each individual class. I teach KS4/5 and we are fortunate to have a three year GCSE so in a way are ahead of schedule and thus should still have time if things progress to finish the course. Some schools might not have an answer yet as the whole nation is awaiting to know more info on education. Of course so many schools have lots a huge amount of time and I am confident my colleagues will do their best. It’s likely assessments will be adapted, grades boundaries could (not even been mentioned yet) be lower for 2021 to accommodate ...yes it’s not the perfect answer but I am sure things will be done to accommodate for this pandemic.

Like other posters have said, differentiation is what we do haha. It’s part of the teaching standards! My GCSE classes (I teach an option subject) have kids from targets grades of a 9 all the way down to a 4 and some are even working at a 2 and I am used to having to prepare work for a whole range of abilities. It’s a huge question that cannot be answered with one response...some of it we don’t necessarily know...also schools will have to look at how/what kids have done work wise when they return to gauge it. Also...we’ve been setting work on the new topic we would have started if we were at school...obviously have tried to make it as accessible and easy to understand as we know kids are trying their best at home so if my students have been trying to follow the work set then I have faith they ‘should’ be not too bad when we return. But as I said at the start, it’s not a questions of what teachers as a whole because it will vary between every single school. Hope that helps!