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Original poster

ds and 4 others being "promoted" from Reception to Year 1 after 4 weeks. Discuss.

117 replies

northender · 27/09/2006 20:12

ds has settled in really well to school but then today, completely out of the blue he came home with a letter saying that because the intake was 35 this time but the max class size is 30, 5 of them including ds are being promoted to year 1 on the basis of a "Durham Univ PIPS test" they all did when they started. (Phew, didn't even pause for breath!)

We had no warning of this and the letter invites us to a meeting about it in a weeks time. I feel really stressed about and have loads of questions already but a week seems like ages to wait to ask them.

dh and I feel very uneasy about the whole thing.

OP posts:
tortoise · 27/09/2006 20:48

My ds2 skipped year one.He's now in year 3 for 2 years so that he goes back to his origional class group. He's doing really well and has no problem coping.He regularly has time in with his old class mates and many of his new ones were in pre-school with him.He's Oct btw.
Not sure i would of been sure if he had skipped rec to year one though.

tiptoes · 27/09/2006 20:51

northender-I had the opposite problem with my ds who was 5 on Aug 14th so one of the younger ones.
The school wanted to keep him in mixed reception /year 1 after him doing a year in reception.
To cut a long stort short I have a few threads on the subject I was not happy and in ds's situation there were other children staying back with him as they had the maximum of 30 for year 1.
I felt as others have said the school had over subscribed and that was not DS's problem,and they used his age and his speech delay as an excuse to keep him down.

My advice would be talk to the other mothers and see if they are happy about the situation.
As others have said contact your LEA and school governers also parent parternership will be able to advise you.
Overall go by your own instincts.You know your DS better than anyone and know if he will be able to cope with the changes.

I kept records of all phone calls ,meetings etc and dug my heels in and after a week of my ds being unhappy at the start of term all of a sudden a place became available in year 1
He is now a happy little boy in school again and my instincts were right.

Hope you get this sorted soon.
Sorry if I've babbled on

QueenPeaHead · 27/09/2006 20:51

oh my GOD MT.

47 with 2 teachers?

we have 19 with 2 teachers AND a TA, split into 2 classes

wakeupandsmellthecoffee · 27/09/2006 20:51

Dont do it they just dont want to employ a full time TA he is entitled to that year of education and play it is rightfully his . They are lying to you which ever way they put it .

DCIMaloryTowers · 27/09/2006 20:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

berrycherry · 27/09/2006 20:58

sounds like a very bad idea, make them keep him in reception, year 1 is very different, and as an earlier past said, what year will he be reapeating later on?

Original poster
northender · 27/09/2006 21:04

They do have a teacher and a full time nursery nurse (at least I think that's what she is) in the class.

Tomorrow is probably not the best time for me to do anything apart from canvassing opinion at the school gate as I'm in the middle of PMT which is liable to make me burst into floods of tears at the slightest thing!

OP posts:
lostinfrance · 27/09/2006 21:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
northender · 27/09/2006 21:09

Tiptoes you weren't babbling on at all, I really appreciate everyone's input. Think I may have to open a bottle of wine to help us mull things over! Certainly feel like I need it!

Hey shame something so crap had to happen to give me my first thread with over 50 responses

OP posts:
SherlockLGJ · 27/09/2006 21:16

Do not do it.

My DS now in Yr 1, is struggling to grasp the difference between lots of attention to detail and the lots of play they had in Reception and he had the benefit of Reception to get used to the transition. IYKWIM.

SherlockLGJ · 27/09/2006 21:19

OMG

Correct me if I am wrong, but do they have SATS in Yr 2 ?

If so, the poor little lamb will go from nothing, to learning to read and write under pressure, to an exam next year. on your behalf.

lucykate · 27/09/2006 21:20

my dd has just started in reception, the intake at the school was 40 this year so the reception class has been split. the 10 oldest are in a class with the 20 youngest from year 1 and as dd is 5 in jan this is the class she is in.

we're still not sure how this is going to work as she's our first dc to start school so its a new area for all of us but so far she's following the same curriculum as the other reception class. difference here though is we knew this was the class arrangement before she started there, its a very popular school so they've upped their intake numbers. i'm not sure, like you, that i'd be haapy about it if it was sprung on us without any warning. hope you manage to get this sorted out for your ds.

tiptoes · 27/09/2006 21:21

Enjoy your glass of wine northender

Keep us updated please,I know it's a lot to get your head round but as I said before go with your instincts.

Ladymuck · 27/09/2006 21:22

I guess my biggest concern is that they are not even pretending that this is a good choice for you son - they're just acknowledging that they have cocked up and disrupting your son's schooling for it.

It probably isn't really an issue, but certainly I've found that I made a llot of friends with mums in reception, and it was great to be "new parents" together. May not be an issue if you have older ones, and certainly shouldn't take precedence over what is best for your ds.

acnebride · 27/09/2006 21:25

In the Cretacean era I was put up a year, although I think it was Yr 1 to Yr 2.

Then they realised I wasn't that bright after all and tried to hold me down to do Yr 2 again.

So my mum put the LEA on speed dial and got me moved to another school (where I encountered the best teacher I've ever had).

But if all the schools are suddnely oversubscribed that is unlikely to be an option I would guess.

And look what it did to my spelling!

Sunnysideup · 27/09/2006 21:40

another vote for not accepting this. Reception year is REALLY important in gaining confidence at school; don't let them do it, he deserves a full reception year, he may be older in the year but he still needs reception, he's still very young!

Definitely their problem to sort out.

Kaz33 · 27/09/2006 21:48

Also my DS1 has made loads of friends in reception, it would be doubly difficult to move straight to year 1 - deal with the more intense work and all the kids will already have made friends.

tigi · 27/09/2006 22:01

My third child has just started reception, so this is the third time I've been through reception class. I am appalled if the school are asking you to do this. The children are all too young to be split from their 'potential friends' already. It takes a good term to settle in, it's all so new, and reception will gently settle them. In Year 1, bang, they are in, and they work, no messing about, less playing now. More is expected in terms of work, and maturity. My second son cried every morning throughout reception, and into Year 1. Year 1 gave him far less sympathy!
Our school mix year 1 & 2, and the difference in these age groups seems vast, yet alone a reception mix...

mummydear · 27/09/2006 22:18

BIG difference between Reception and Yr1 , having DS1 now in Yr1 and Ds2 just having started reception.

Would not be happy with this,

I though legislation was that infants classes could not be more than 30 , sounds like a big cock up.

I assume this is a state school ?

More investigation I think before signing anything.

loopybear · 27/09/2006 22:26

As a reception teacher I'm absolutly horrified at this suggestion. Reception is so important. You have the right to refuse and quiet frankly I think you shouldn't do it. There is a hugh difference in the Foundation curriculum. There is also a difference in children's emotional develpment. I haven't read all the threads but I but personally I would feel the exception to moving up a year group is if you're school uses a Reggio approach to it's teach. You do need to find out the long term implications wuld your DD continue a year head throughout her school life. If you moved areas or even just schools your DD may end up repeating a year because she would be put in the year group for her age.

loopybear · 27/09/2006 22:29

Another thought I work in a reception unit last year there were 45 children me as the teacher, 3 nursery nurses and an LSA. It's all completely legal but you do need the higher staff ratio. I'd take advise from your LEA as well.

MumRum · 27/09/2006 22:56

I haven't had time to read all the threads, but my son hated reception and enjoyed the structure of year 1 much better.... he knew all his jolly phonic sounds and could read the first 40 words when he started in the April. The school did keep most of the children that started with him in reception till about xmas time I think.. I was worried about him making friends but it turned out OK for him...

Your son sounds bright accademically... what about emotionally? do you think he will cope?

Gobbledigook · 27/09/2006 23:20

Agree with others - ds1 has just gone into yr 1 and it's a big change from reception. IMO, that reception year is pretty important for settling and social development apart from anything else.

In yr 1 they suddenly have spelling tests every week and much more time sat at the desk. Ds1 pointed out as soon as he started 'there is no sand pit in my classroom, and no toys' (there are a few but nothing like his reception classroom).

It sounds like bolleaux to me. DS1 and another boy in his class are waaaaaaaaay ahead of all the others, particularly in literacy and there has been no talk of moving them up to the next year.

Original poster
northender · 28/09/2006 10:22

OK I've slept on this now and am still fuming. I spoke to a Mum of one of the other "chosen ones" (tongue firmly in cheek!) and she seemed quite open to the idea. However spoke to my next door but one neighbour who has dd in Yr 1 and she isn't impressed that yr 1 parents haven't been asked/informed about this.

I feel more strongly about it now than I did last night and have the start of a stroppy letter in my head now and am going to ring the LEA-who should I be talking to at the LEA?

Don't want to be labelled as stroppy awkward parents but there are worse things to be known as eh?

OP posts:
sandyballs · 28/09/2006 10:34

I'd say it depends on the child. I have twin girls in year 1 and one of them hated reception, was bored rigid and complained that it was like nursery, cried every morning when I left her.
She absolutely loves the structure and work in year 1 and is far far happier. I'd be curious to know what happens in future years though - will he leave a year early?