Teachers advice - Y2 mixed ages 5 and 7year olds!!!

[clottedcream]

my DD started school Mon and her Y2 class has been mixed and some children have come from reception!!! Some are now only 5 wont be 6 till next year and some have now hit 7!!!!

How on earth can this work?

You mean it has Y2 and reception in it, but no Y1s? Or it has R, Y1 and Y2 in it?

My DD has moved from Y1 to Y2 and some of the children from reception who were to move to Y1 have gone straight to Y2

You mean a Y1/Y2 class? They'll be fine. Yes, it's a big age gap between the kids who're still five and the ones who are turning seven just around now - but DD1 has frequently been in classes like this, and is doing really quite well at the age of 10.

That doesn't sound right? Are you sure that it isn't a mixed Y1/Y2 class?

It sounds definitely like a Y1/Y2 class. The teacher will target different things at different kids. Even in a 'straight' Y2 class you'll have a huge range. If the teacher's OK, they'll be fine.

my dd is a 5 yr old in a y1/2 class, it seems ok so far, the children must be able to cope or they would not have mixed them, the y1 children in this class are very bright and confident and quite honestly would have been held back in the yR/1 class. It seems at the moment the teacher is in the process of grouping them. DD has so far been grouped together with one 7 year old. I wouldnt worry about it unless you have seen any reason for concern.

Well some of the young ones are very young indeed and on Monday even gettign them to sit on the carpet and be quiet was a struggle whereas the older ones did it instantly. Doesnt seem fair that the older official Y2's may be held back??? Or in reverse the younger ones have lost almost a school year by going straight to Y2 and come straight from reception which is a totally different kettle of fish

The reception kids haven't gone into Y2. It's a mixed Y1/Y2 class, which is very common.

They are both doing the same thing - KS1.

Your child won't be hold back. Stop fretting.

There are pros and cons to mixed classes - and pros and cons to non mixed classes.

But your DD will be fine. Or at least if she isn't fine, it's not because she's in a mixed class.

The year 1s haven't gone into Year 2 - they are still Year 1s but working in a class which has year 1s and year 2s in it. Next year they will be Year 2s.

Lots of schools have 45 children in each intake and often have two reception classes of 22/23 and then three classes for year 1 and year 2 so one just year 1, one just year 2 and one mixed year 1/year 2 class.

Even in a class with just one year group, children will be working at different levels anyway and it is likely that having a mixed year class just increases the top end a little and the bottom end a little.

Mixed Y1/Y2 classes can work perfectly well as long as they have a decent teacher. There are village schools out there which have mixed YR/Y1/Y2 classes, or one class for the whole of KS2.

There can be such a wide range of achievement in an average class anyway, that actually another year group doesn't always make that much difference.

To be honest, there are always huge variations in ability between children even in a single year group class. Many, many smaller schools mix their year groups, and some mix by choice. They won't all be given the same work and care will be taken to ensure work isn't repeated the next year. SOmetimes, due to staffing it is necessary. Speak to the teachers if you have any concerns and get them to deal with them. I am sure this was carefully planned .

I dont understand....

The younger ones were in reception - they started last Jan. Soem will not be 6 until next March/April.

My DD was in Y1 from last Sept 2010. She has now gone into Y2...she will be 7 shortly.

It sounds like it is a mixed Year 1/Year 2 class. Do you know how many classes there are in the infants?

The younger ones were in reception. Now they're in Y1.

Your DD was in Y1, now she's in Y2.

They're all in the same classroom, being taught by the same teacher.

What don't you understand?

...it is down to the intake and numbers I believe.

Ok Im going to go with your advice and see what happens...suppose it was just a shock to see such very, very young children in this class.

also yes I see your point about working within ability groups...may actually spur my DD on if she feels she is getting on well with the work

thank you again for the replies

so will the work be repeated for the Y1's and the Y2's who have already done this?

Schools will often have a two year rolling programme so different topics will be covered a two year cycle so children won't do the same work twice. For subjects like literacy and numeracy, children will do work appropriate for their stage so again won't do the same work twice.

I dont think your dd will be held back and the younger ones will not be missing out on a year of schooling, they will all be working at ks1 and even in unmixed classes you will find children working at different points withing ks1. It can be difficult getting any age of excited or apprehensive children settled on the first day of term regardless of age. Honestly I dont think you should worry. the children who have gone up would have been working at a certain level in R, for instace my dd in her R class was given written work with the expectation of capital letters, punctuation and of at least a scentance or so, whilst other children where still practicing cvc or two to three word scentences, so the work range is varied even then.

I do know however in dds school some of the parents whos children did not go from recption into Y1/2 where very put out, but in dds school only 10 of them did. Im not sure any of the older parents have expressed any concerns.

No, in the UK there isn't work you should do in Y1 and work you should do in Y2.

Every child is expected to work at their level.

Some kids will be working at a Level 3 in Y2, some kids will not be working at a Level 3 until Y6.

Most kids in her class will be working at a L1 or 2. The teacher has to give each child the right work. So a Y1 kid can get harder stuff than a Y2 kid - if they're ready for it.

But we don't have a syllabus per year here, that they do in some other countries.

They will have different work set. Some initial stuff may be taught to the whole class but then they will do work at their level.

DD has always been in mixed classes at a small village school and its never been a problem. I went to a primary school with 2 classes for the whole school and never had a problem.

Strike up is right...my DD is just turned 7 and in year three..there are a lot of 8 year olds and the difference between them is almost a year....the levels vary hugely and it doesn't affec anyone detrimentally.

The year 2s will have work which is suitable and the year 1s will too.

My kids always had mixed classes, made the school a really friendly place.

They will work at their own level in maths and English. The topics they covered such as rain forest or ww2 were done across the whole of the key stage so they were on a 3 year rolling profs me in ks1 and 4 year programme in ks2. You should see the work the head teacher did on the wall in the staff room to get this right!

Older kids get used to helping younger kids, good for their self esteem, younger kids motivated to work hard to produce good work.

Can't imagine all one year in a class now. Am converted

It's a composite class - my DS had this in year 1 and year 2, meaning that there were always children nearly 2 years apart in ages in the same class. I was dubious at first and I am a bit surprised you don't appear to have been told about it advance, but I can reassure you that the system worked really well for DS and he got 3s at the end of Y2 Not very stealth boast!. Don't panic! :-)