Y1 teachers - when do you normally start differentiating?

[BetsyBoop]

DD just started in Y1. I know the teacher needs to assess where everyone is at after the holidays, but when would you normally expect to start differentiating the levels of work?

At the start of this week they all moved round, so I'm assuming to tables where they are all roughly the same level, so I was hoping the teacher would start differentiating the work a little more. However they are still getting really basic numeracy work (as far as DD is concerned) of "one more than", "one less than" (she could do this with ease at least two years ago!). All I get every day from DD is "I got all my number work right, but it was really easy, it was boring". Her YR teacher was really good at giving her more challenging work, so perhaps we were a little spoiled last year?

We have a "how are they settlign in their new class" evening in a couple of weeks, so I think I will raise the issue then if DD is still saying she is bored. She loves maths (she takes after her mother who has a maths degree ) but she is definitely in need of something a little more challenging.

Hi, Im a year 1 teacher, and have been differentiating since the beginning of term based on their reception results. Although, I didn't know how far each child could/couldn't go until probably the end of week 2... know I have a pretty good grasp on their abilitys.

abilities - sorry sleepy

Yes, work should be differentiated from the start. Although the teacher will still be getting to know the children's abilities in more depth, the results that come from reception are very detailed so it gives a good picture of what a child can do.

Thanks for the info to both of you :) So I'm not being all PFB expecting there to be differentiation by now then.

DD got 9s on the EYFS for the 3 numeracy related areas & was (for example) happily working with one more/less than on 3 digit numbers in YR, her YR teacher was well aware of what she was capable of, so I'm sure this information would have been passed on.

At the moment it's one more/less than for numbers up to 10, which she could do when she was 3, so it's not surprising she is a little bored... Her Y1 teacher did say she would be assessing where they were at the beginning of term, so I didn't expect a flying start. I had hoped that things would change once they had been moved into their groups this week, but it hasn't.

If nothing has changed before the "settling in" evening I will raise it then.

Thank you :)

I have 2 children with 9s from reception in my class and I knew this from the start so set work accordingly. For example when the class were doing more or less to 10 they were doing to 100 and beyond.

Definately raise this with your child's teacher.

Also - sorry for my awful spelling on my previous post!

I read this as differentiation as in calculus... in which case Y1 would be remarkably early. Off to the boastful G&T boards with you.

Achieving a 9 in all aspects of PSRN doesn't actually require a child to be working at a very high mathematical level (only need to be working within 20 and the ability to recall some number bonds) which is when there can be confusion. In CLLD a 9 is much harder to achieve for example

toutlemonde , no, not quite ready for differentiation just yet

mrz yes I know 9s is PSRN aren't necessarily that "hard" to get (in fact DD was probably not far off 9s at the start of reception) but a 9 is the highest score they can get & should be some indication to the Y1 teacher that they are further on with the maths than someone getting a 6 say. (I'm not sure how much non-paper-based handover went on, as DD's YR teachers retired at the end of last year & her Y1 teacher is new to the school from Sept.)

9 isn't the highest score a child can get BetsyBoop

eh - I thought the EYFSP only went up to 9? - please enlighten me.

If a child is working beyond the EYFS profile levels they should be taught the NC and assessed using NC levels

BetsyBoop - not a boast because at the end of the day I do not know you and you do not know me, but my DD2 had "Exceeding EYFS goals in all areas" on her end of reception report and had a score within NC levels.

I work in a y1 class and we have been differentiating literacy and numeracy, including phonics and reading, from week 1.

but surely they would still complete a EYFS assessment as well, as I thought these were collated nationally? (We got given a copy with the end of year report - it's the only formal assessment we were given)

According to the YR teacher DD was doing stuff that typically wouldn't be covered in YR - working with halves and quarters of shapes & numbers up to 20 & using coins to "pay" & work out "change" for things up to £1 were two of the things I remember her mentioning DD had done - is the NC level stuff?

(I'm no expert in what "should" be taught when, I just know DD was so excited by the maths she was learning last year, I hate hearing her say she is bored this year :( )

Then your child hasn't been assessed against NC levels BetsyBoop ...

So, just so I've got this right, you are saying because they did a EYFS assessment then they wouldn't have done a NC assessment as well?

(school well known for not tell you stuff unless they absolutely have to - I only got the EYFS assessment because I knew from mumsnet that they had to give me a copy if I asked for one )

No what I'm saying is if they haven't given you a NC level just a profile score then they haven't done an NC assessment whether you asked for it or not.

My ds achieved 9 's for numeracy. I was informally told what nc level he was working within but it did not appear on the report. From the little he tells me he had been dealing with more than 1 more and 1 less (think whole class has) so I would have a word with teacher.