big fish small pool, little fish big pool

[3duracellbunnies]

I am just wondering what your opinions are on relative position in the class. My dd1 is nearly 7, part way through yr 2. She is articulate and creative, and very caring. She has good insight and questioning skills. She is doing well academically, on her report last year she was 'above average' across the board, and since then has made great progress in reading and maths. Reading she is ort 13/ brown, in terms of maths she is doing ks2 workbooks at home. Her handwriting is improving and finally legible but probably still her weakest area. She is on a table with her friends for most topics, and is happy with that, having recently been put up. Having 2 younger siblings until recently we haven't been able to do much at home to support her learning.

Despite being above average from what I can determine in terms of national averages, she is still v middle/lower in her class acording to her and the children on the tables (she is v observant on those sort of things). It is a non-selcetive state school, but with mainly m/c intake area, she is middle of the year age wise, so not massively surprising, but I am just wondering what I can do to boost her confidence and make her realise that she is a small fish in a big pool, but in another school she might be in top sets. I don't have any intention of moving her as I think in general the school has been excellent, but she is a child who everyone agrees needs to feel confident before she attempts things.

How about doing something out of school...music or sport something her classmates don't do.

Is she showing school what she is capable of? My dd1 is at a similar sounding school with similar abilities (expected level 3's across the board in Sats at the end of the year) and March birthday, but this puts her in the top group for everything. Maybe your dd's confidence issues are making her hide her abilities? I'd be very surprised if half of the class are more capable but clearly it could be an unusual intake.

I would concentrate on building her confidence - as nagynolonger says, with out of school activities. My dd does a drama group which she loves! Or brownies etc....

Also ask the school what they can do to give her a boost. Maybe more small group work, or time spent with parent helpers, or doing responsible jobs might help?

Ultimately, the group they work with doesn't really matter as long as it is at the right level for the child, however I can see how it might be a bit confidence sapping in your daughter's case - especially as I suspect she may be more than capable of working with the more able groups anyway.

Yes the school seem to be aware, it is them who put her on the reading books, and they placed her as above average for maths, will find out actual sats levels in summer. I did some maths with her in evenings which boosted her confidence and they put her up a table. I know her friends and would say she is on a par with them, but there are quite a few very clever children in the class (siblings winning scolarships etc), whom I could well believe are working at a year 4 or 5 level.

She doesn't want to do music at the moment, she does swimming and ballet lessons, in which she is ok, not exceptional, she does enjoy rainbows and going to brownies after easter.

Its not just about academic and similar achievements, you can praise her for being kind and helpful too. There is evidence that praise for being bright or getting good marks or being better than others actually damages children's self-esteem.
I would suggest minimising the focus on school work (which she is doing fine at for the moment), and instead do lots of other things outside school. So read lots, do things which help you observe (kitchen science, bird watching, keeping a weather chart, drawing etc.). Follow her interests, and visit places. Also talk to her lots, both about her day but also about issues, so discuss the dreaded Tracey Beaker (and let her express her views too).