Update on the child promotion thread. We're seething

[northender]

OK today ds has come home from school having spent the whole day in with Yr1 (meeting is not until tomorrow). He now thinks Reception is "boring".
I now know who the other children are and none of them are friends that he's talked about, in fact one is a boy who I've heard from ds and other parents is a bit of a bully. So much for social relationships being considered.
Any opinions would be welcome as dh and I are seething and have to face this meeting tomorrow morning with other parents who we suspect will be in favour of it.

Why can't you refuse?

So, if they're not going to be following the Y1 curriculum, how is Y1 less "boring" than YR??

And YR and Y1 curriculums are vastly different. One is Foundation and one KS1 - they're not the same at all IME as a parent.

Is there a particular person to ask to speak to at the LEA? I don't seem to be having much look googling it.

fox all they've considered is the academic benefits to the children because they see that as a way of selling the idea to us. dh and I repeatedly mentioned our concerns about social and emotional wellbeing which I feel were basically ignored.

Our next door neighbour is a retired primary head so if he's in I'll ask him if he has any contacts at the LEA.

Gillian, I'm not saying we can't refuse but it certainly hasn't been presented as something we have any choice in. It has been started without asking us for our consent or even opinions. What I do feel is that the way it has been done and the fact that ds enjoyed it in y1 yesterday makes it harder for us to refuse it and has been calculated that way

Northender, you could go straight to the top and contact the director of children's services at your council. There's been a reorganisation bringing social services depts and education together but the new directors of children's services are in overall charge IIRC.

Or call the public information line at the Department for Education and Skills...

Thanks edam I've got the dfes phone number now and am off to ring them. Will update later. Blimey I feel surgically attached to mumsnet at the moment!

Northender, I feel really strongly about this and it mustn't be allowed to happen. I think you should contact your local paper.
You say for now they will be doing Foundation work but at some point the edges will blur and before you know it they will be doing ks1 and probably be working with the bottom groups.
If they do stay doing Foundation stage, next year in yr2 will they be doing initial ks1 work while the rest of the class are getting ready for their sats?
Then the following year when the rest of the class will be in ks2 will yours be doing ks1 sats?
Sorry, I just feel your son's education will be compromised somewhere. Be strong!

Me again! Spoke to LEA yesterday who weren't overly helpful. Called it "vertical streaming" and said loads of schools do it, speak to the Head and/or the governors if you're not happy. Am going to make appt to meet the Head and speak to the parent governor about it. Spoke to my neighbour about and he said the only real option for us is to move schools which I don't think we're prepared to do either. We just need to decide what we want to achieve with these meetings.

Northender... very quickly, sorry, but am at work and having computer problems today, so shouldn't really be here.

Just to say (as a parent governor) don't expect the parent gov to sort things for you. We don't really have much power (!!). As the parent gov to give you the name and address/phone number/email of the Chair of Governors... you need to go to where the power is imo (Chair of Govs and Head).

Good luck.

Oops, should have said 'ask the parent gov...'

This has happened to some kids at DDs school - they have been put into YR2 rather than YR1. One of the girls is nt happy in her new class and switching off as finding it beyond her. Her mum is not happy.
School have basicly said tough, they will not move her into YR1. Lump it or leave seems to be their attitude.
I hope your school are more sympathetic

They've made a mistake. It's their fault. Why don't they just employ an additional TA for 3 years? It's not like it's going to break the bank. (I should know).

This isn't proper vertical streaming, though - my kids have been in lots of those and they are fine if they're properly managed.

This isn't going to be a vertically streamed R/Y1 class, this is going to be a Y1 class with some Rs in it. If they have to do vertical streaming they should divide Y1 into 2, and R into 2, and put one half of each together; or divide Y1 into 3 even, and put the older ones in with Y2 and the younger ones in with the Rs.

Obviously it depends on class sizes, and number of available classrooms, but they should do it properly.

Have now spoken to the Head who wasn't particularly helpful and didn't even acknowledge that the whole thing had been badly handled! This is a strategy they've used whenever one class is oversubscribed and the one above has places. Parents who have had children who've been through it seem quite happy with it. ds is loving what he's doing and coming home with endless tales of what he's been doing so we've decided that as our only real choice is to change schools we're going to try and chill out a bit while keeping a close eye on things. We will write a letter documenting all our concerns and copy various relevant people into that.
No doubt some of you will think we're wrong for stopping here but I can't thank you all enough for all your support and advice. Thanks to you all we feel much more clued up on what's happening even if we haven't been as assertive as you think we should've been. There may well be more battles ahead, I'll let you know how we get on.

Interested to know what would have happened if the year above DIDN'T have places.
Straight into yr2 maybe....

wth- fair question which dh asked at yesterday's meeting. They knew well in advance that they had the spare capacity so went ahead and opened a preschool which was the spare classroom space where a mixed rec yr1 class could've gone. Obv a preschool is an income generator. After this intake their "set" intake will be 30 ie can't exceed 30 so this problem shouldn't happen again.

I hope everything turns out fine for you all. This thread has really got under my skin. I suppose it's because I work in yr1 and wonder how some of my class could have coped coming straight from the nursery.

I hope everything turns out fine for you all. This thread has really got under my skin. I suppose it's because I work in yr1 and wonder how some of my class could have coped coming straight from the nursery.

Oops! Time for bed.

I'm just astonished that the head didn't take your views into account, as a teacher it horrifies me that they did it but i know it does happen