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Education

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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:

fussymummy · 29/09/2006 00:14

No way should you move your child.

My daughter has started yr1 and it really is so different to reception.

What about the friends that these 5 children will be leaving behind???

The school should find the money to fund a second teacher.

It's their fault that this has happened so why should the children be moved after settling in??

Our school has 2 classes for each year group.

Approx 30 children in each class, with 1 teacher and 1 assistant.

And we also have a nursery that has 75 children as well. (half in morning, half in afternoon)

Your child should be left where they are.

They'd be happy.

The school will tell you that they'd still be doing rec. work, but i bet in a few weeks they'll fall behind.

Bet the school won't keep the work/play going as it should.

What will happen if you refuse????

SSSandy · 29/09/2006 10:33

I wouldn't email the Head, I'd write a letter

LIZS · 29/09/2006 12:55

Northender our dd is a week older than your ds so is in year 1 by right. She is coping well with the extra hours, disciple and workload but I feel only because she had a gentle introduction to school last year. She is also supported by the friends she made in Reception, most of whom are much older.

What happens when your ds reaches Year 2 ? He will be at the top of KS1 but may be mixed with Year 3 who will be onto KS2, and there is a marked difference again. Why are the numbers not an issue in the afternoons as well ?

tbh think they should at least look into drafting in a Supply or PT Teacher to cover the mornings and take the heat off everyone. If the LEA has forced them to take extra children then the school should ask them to fund it, if the numbers this year are just oversubscribed I'm sure they are getting funding for each extra child anyway. There has been a lack of forethought and planning and this isn't a solution you should just accept. Agree with Puff write the letter to Head cc LEA and Chairman of Board of Governors, ahead of the meeting.

Gillian76 · 29/09/2006 13:21

30 is bad enough. I cannot believe that they can have 35 children in 1 class. Ever

nettie · 29/09/2006 13:34

Haven't read all the thread but with my school governor head. School's are set an intake by the LEA, ours is 45 per year group, therefore unless you have 45 in that year group you HAVE to accept children that apply. Therefore a full year group at our school is 1 1/2 classes, which in my opinion is stupid but!!! Children in mixed classes tended to be picked because they are felt to be the ones best able to cope with the situation. We have this in our school some of our Y1 are in with the reception children, but do have their own tutor every morning are still called Y1's, they have playtime with the y1 and go to assembly with them and (whispers) the ones in this situation last year did very well.

I feel it is wrong that you have been told this is what is going to happen and you should take your concerns to the head as this should have been discussed with you before, if you do not get a response you are happy with take it to your parent governors.

Sorry for rambling but we had this problem a couple of years ago with parents not being happy about children being moved about and kept back/put foward. Can I also suggest you write to your LEA and possibly you MP this problem comes from class sizes being fixed!

crazydazy · 29/09/2006 13:45

This has happened at our school, we were told that 5 children (from nursery) were going to go straight into Year 1, thankfully my DS was not one of them, if he had I would have complained without a doubt as he don't even believe he is emotionally or physically ready to attend full time school let alone Year 1!!! I really think it is laughable, especially as they haven't even done it according to age, one of DS's friends who only turned 4 in July has been put in there too, the poor little lad is tiny compared to the rest. I asked his Mum if he was doing really well and she said he couldn't write his name or even recognise it so I don't think its been decided on their ability either.

I really thought it was strange but because my child wasn't involved I didn't query it but at least I know why they have done it.

crazydazy · 29/09/2006 13:49

Sorry cross post nettie, thanks for explaining that anyway, I always thought it was just our school that did it like this but it is comforting to know that all schools work this way.

I guess thats why my little girl is in Year 2 but her friend who was in her class last year is now in class 1/2.

tiptoes · 30/09/2006 10:49

Northender-Any more developments?

Original poster

northender · 02/10/2006 20:28

At the moment we're waiting for Wednesday's meeting and have written down a list of questions we want answers to before we make a final decision. We did want to write to the Head prior to the meeting but just haven't had the time. We will probably write a letter after the meeting. I so wish this wasn't happening and feel like no outcome will be a perfect one.
If we let him do it then he misses out on some of the good things about reception class and is in between classes etc.
If the other 4 children are his friends and we say no then will he feel insecure and that they are better than him and have left him behind.
Feel out of my depth with all this, wish I could wake up and it all be sorted. Noone said parenting was easy did they?

OP posts:

tiptoes · 03/10/2006 00:09

Good luck for wednesday northender.

Will be thinking of you.

Original poster

northender · 03/10/2006 21:33

Thanks tiptoes, things have got worse since my post last night. Really angry now!

OP posts:

fussymummy · 04/10/2006 00:23

Do you know who the other children are??

Was wondering what the other parents are feeling?

wakeupandsmellthecoffee · 04/10/2006 17:48

how did it go . I hope you got your point of view across .

slalomsuki · 04/10/2006 18:02

I was moved up a year at school and to be honest I don't think I suffered.

I would say it depends on the child

Original poster

northender · 05/10/2006 13:37

But this is moving up for 3 years then repeating ayear and rejoining the original class. Incredibly unsettling at the beginning of school life.

OP posts:

Weatherwax · 05/10/2006 13:39

How did the meeting go northender?

Original poster

northender · 05/10/2006 13:43

Crap tbh WW. It was just an info giving exercise really. Whenever we raised the emotional and social issues they just banged on about the academic advantages. We feel pretty helpless now and like the only option is to move schools which we don't want to do.

OP posts:

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