Mixed year groups Y5/4- worried because my son is being kept back

[LT76]

I am really worried about my little boy. He is going into year 5 next term and is being kept in a mixed group of year 4 and 5. This last year he was in a similar group with a mixed group of two thirds his ag group and a third the year blow. I had concerns over this last year and spoke to the headmaster who assured me that he would romp on and progress fantastically. Believing his we went with it and throughout the year had no indication that they had worries. we are now being told he will be in a class of 1/3 his year and 2/3 the year below.

I am vastly concerned as a) the class will also have the naughty disrupted boys from his year. b) Is being labelled as the lower acheiving of the year although this sats were 3b for all subjects with englishing writing 2a. c) I dont feel he will develop this next year and will fall behind more. d) the gap will be greater and Y6. e) he has no friends in the class.

We have appealled but got no where are feel we should move him to another school or get him a tutor.

HELP do mix classes work! i feel i am letting my son down if i dont do anything

My DD is the same age as your DS and has been in a year 4/5 mixed year group this year. They did it at her school because of a small year group and they lost a teacher to maternity leave so they thought 3 bigger classes over 2 year groups would be better (and cheaper!) than 4 small ones I think.

The way it has worked is the 2 year groups were combined, split into 3 classes and then each class was streamed in order of ability in Maths and Literacy. They learnt the year 5 cirriculum but at a level to suit all abilities.

DD has been fine and has really excelled in Literacy, I think she enjoyed being able to work with the older children but has struggled with the Maths.

In September they are reverting back to single year groups and having 3 small classes in her year so we will be able to compare.

Will your DS be stremaed? Is anyone likely to pick up if and when he is struggling do you think? I wouldn't feel like you are letting him down, what the school does is out of your control but I would probably express my concerns to his teacher next year.