Moving up a class in a state school

[Comfy55]

My September born son just started Reception at a state-run primary a week ago and already I am very concerned. The problem is that he's been in a private run nursery for the past two years and he is quite advanced for his year group. He reads competently, does very well at addition, subtraction and even multiplication and division, writes short stories etc etc. Since he's been at school all they have done is had a couple of books read to them, they have played in water and sand and done some colouring. Although this is all good for learning via play etc. I am very concerned about his academics and given his personality I know he will soon tire of this and start getting distracted. I am thinking he probably needs to be assessed by the school and perhaps moved up a year. His nursery school teachers advised me to try and pursue this before he left nursery but I have no idea what the process is and if it is even possible. Has someone being through this and what is the process? Or is it better to leave him where he is as he has started making friends.

Florence - IME (I wasa secondary school teacher and now work in an infant school, and have a Y4 child) children in Y£ ARE writing short stories, some writing pages and pages, and almost all writing a decent page worth. I work in Y1 and there are at least half the class who are capable of writing short stories when given the chance, and even the less able are writing something eve if with support. By the end of Y1 last year pretty much every child was writing at least half to a full page of story writing. I do have to disagree with your statement.

bullethead have a son who was gifted never stretched at primary school. Actually told to put hand down and let other children answere questions. The national curriculum does not stretch a bright child, imo.
the senior school put him on a gifted programn no mention at primary school. And yes children who are constantly told off for being disrupted - very common when they are bored stiff - loose the positive attitude towards school. Its not about going to university even, its about being challenged intellegually and retaining a thirst for knowledge. Not all teachers are good teachers some are better than others like all professions. OP must do the best for her son.

My year 3 child writes short stories

Coincidentally he is also a September born child who has always been slightly ahead of a lot of his peers. His nursery teacher suggested that he might benefit from going to school with the year above, but I was very much against it. Partly because of the possible problems of secondary school entry etc, and partly because I just didn't feel he was mature enough. He gained an enormous amount by not having to worry so much about the academic stuff in the beginning, it menat that he gained confidence and got better at the things that up until that point he hadn't been great at (eg sport and art).

So far I would say that at least 90% of the time his teachers have differentiated work within his own year group to ensure that he was challenged and not bored. A good teacher should be able to do this with both children who are working ahead and those who are working below average.

Sorry but not many reception children write short stories!!! ok maybe by year 3 they do but not with spelling /grammer correct.
multiplication and division? foundation goals for end of reception are number bonds to 20. my dd year 3 has just been given 2 and 5 time table for homework.
Why is there so much opposition to OP having a bright child who needs challenging.
He can develop socially just as well with children a few months older than him. He's in school, 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, 40 weeks a year. Most of his time at home to socialize with siblings, family, neighbours, Cubs, football etc etc.

sorry some rubbish spelling here typing very quickly and multi tasking !

My son is very similar. Unfortunately, despite us going private (on a substantial bursary) he seems pretty disillusioned with school as he isn't learning anything and he loves reading, maths etc and is now being stubborn and awkward. They are making him work his way through all the ORT books which lets face it are hardly stimulating for a child who is reading Roald Dahl etc at home.

They are now having discipline problems with him at school and I honestly think it's because he's bored. I know he has to learn to cope with boredom and respond in more constructive ways but he is only 4. If he could just behave for a while they'd probably move him up. He went into one Yr1 numeracy lesson which, whilst still easy for him, he enjoyed much more as it was quieter and involved more actual 'work'. Reception and Y1 teachers said he enjoyed it and worked well and was happier the rest of the day but they haven't repeated it for whatever reason

There isn't any opposition to the OP having a bright child who needs challenging, but what I would question is whether it is necessary for the OP to be worrying already, when the DC has only been at school for a week!

Yes, the skills that the OP describes are not typical in a reception child, but they are not that exceptional either, and there is no reason to suppose that the DC won't be perfectly happy in school, given half a chance. My dd was reading competently, writing stories and doing multiplication/division etc before starting school last year, and she loved the reception year. Learning through play meant exactly that - learning through play.

Through playing with water, she learnt all about the properties of things that sink and float. She also learnt tons from various "games" about gravity and forces etc. The teacher ensured that there were opportunities to stretch her when appropriate - reading recipes when the class was cooking, deciphering clues for treasure hunts etc.

Of course the OP should talk to the school if it turns out that her DC is bored or unhappy, nobody is saying that she shouldn't. But to reach that conclusion afer just a week is premature, and suggests to me a pre-conceived idea that a bright child cannot be happy in an ordinary classroom setting. Personally, I don't agree, and I think you have to let the child take the lead.

Mine learnt their 2 and 5 times tables in Year 1. In fact my DD, who is in reception, can recite her 2 and 10 times tables perfectly as she has spent so many hours listening to her brothers learning them.

"They are making him work his way through all the ORT books which lets face it are hardly stimulating for a child who is reading Roald Dahl etc at home"

ORT are hardly stimulating for anyone, regardless of how good they are at reading. My DC just read the ORT books quickly when they get home so that they can go back to reading something that they actually enjoy.

sorry Florence but you clearly don't understand how education works or EYFS goals for the end of reception
"Uses developing mathematical ideas and methods to solve practical problems"

which requires the child to demonstrate independently that they
solves or attempts to solve problems and
challenges by applying mathematical ideas and
methods. The child explores problems such as missing numbers, grouping (multiplication), sharing(division) and estimation, and responds to questions such as ?What could we try next?? or ?How shall we do it??.

and
In a range of contexts, the child explores and solves practical problems such as
doubling, halving, grouping and sharing, using her or his own methods.

and yes reception children do write short stories (spellings and grammar may not be 100% accurate) but I would expect by Y3 far greater accuracy.

Also, bearing in mind that the OP's child has only been in Reception for a week, IME children are assessed about 6 weeks after staring in Reception (they leave it 6 weeks so that they have time to settle in), and once they have been assessed the teacher is able to differentiate activities in order to meet their needs.

So, presuming that the school works in the same way as my DC's, I would leave it until half term or so and see what is happening then.

You are right Imarried OP didnt say spelling and grammer correct my asuption that writing stories would mean that, am a mum not a teacher.

I'm not saying OP ds should move up. The best thing imo would be for the teachers to set him work for his ability, but that may mean having conversation at a level more advanced than his peers. Too many bright children are unfortunately not taught appropriately in British school. There are thousands of boys in particular who leave school not having achieved their potential.
Alot of teachers a my 20 years experience as a mother not very good at their job.

Wasn't there a report this week saying that alot of children were being labelled with special needs who really only needed to be taught appropriately.
OP must do the best for her son, not the teachers.

And please dont tell me your children know all their table in year 1 . That great, but there are 45 children in my daughters year group and not many of them do. Your children are not average. Let face it mumsnet middle class above average intelligence. Also although OP child in reception one week, she said the nursery mentioned moving him up.

We teach 2, 5 & 10 times tables in our very socially and financially disadvantage school ... in reception

Pixie
He wiil mix with his peer at cubs football break time etc etc and be talking to them. Maybe OP ds not gifted but if he is he, will also want to use vocabulary and discuss concepts more advanced than his age.
YES ofcourse he needs social skill and IM well aware he needs to play to achieve that. But why will moving him up one year stop him playing?

I was like your son - reading writing etc before I started shcool. I went to state school where moving children up wasn't policy. I was utterly miserable and had nothing in common with my peers. Social skills don't have to be learned with the same age group. I have always had much older and younger friends. Eventually my parents gave up - I'd been stuck there for three crappy years and sent me to a private school where the indivdual mattered more than the system.

I think some state schools are better than this now but if yours isn't get your son into another one. Really loathe the assumption that 'social skills' are age related.

yes mrz and they will still be teaching them in year 3 and 4 you wait. Teaching them doesnt mean they know them.

Florence you seem to be ignoring me but take it from me teachers see children as individuals and in reception spend time getting to know children while conversing at all levels.

KittyFoyle
sorry to hear your story, but is all too common in state school I agree.
I regret not moving my son now, he's 26 now.
and I dont feel I did the best for him too. School don't always know what best for a child.

no Florence they won't still be teaching them in Y3 they will have progressed to a point that they can actually use times tables for inverse calculations independently

Yes Florence, she should do what's best for her son. It seems a little unwise to make a decision based on one week at school though. I'm surprised your son's primary school did not run the gifted and talented programme, I think all primary schools are obliged to now. I have come to the conclusion that it is not the school, but individual teachers who can make a real difference. In your view the National Curriculum does not stretch children, but perceptive, skilled teachers can and will regardless of what the National Curriculum says. Unfortunately teachers' creativity and teaching styles are often curbed by a head's need to please ofsted no matter what the cost.

Florence - it's so hard to know what's best. Is your son a happy man now?

Just realised how many typos I made - so much for the private skool edjashun.