Mixed year class question please

[Jesusgirl]

Can anyone please explain how mixed year classes work?
My ds is starting year 4 in September and his class might be merged with the year 3 class. My main concern is that at the moment I feel he's not being challenged enough, even though I've been assures that the work will be differentiated even though they'll be taught the same topics, I'm still not happy about this. I'm hoping if I have a bit more information, it'll make a bit more sense.

Thanks.

Don't panic. A good teacher can effectively differentiate work to stretch all children. It takes more thought at the planning stage but I'm sure it'll be fine. Give it a chance and if you have concerns once he's been in the class a few weeks then talk to his teacher.

I have never taught anything BUT mixed age classes so it is something I'm certainly used to. Basically like any good teaching, you look at what the child knows, what they need to know next and how to teach them! Mixed age teaching in that respect is no different from single age. Mixed age classes CAn have a wider stretch of abilities but not necessarily as wide as you would think. I teach year 5/6. In total for maths my class ranges from 2c to 6b, but my year 6's range from 2c to 5b and my year 5's from 3c to 6b so the span of abilities wouldn't be much different if I had a single year group and there is a large overlap between the two age groups. However one advantage is that children are not taught by age but by stage. My highest ability group has children from both years 5 and 6 in it, as does my lowest ability group. The main difficulty is organising a rolling program to make sure everything is covered ( and don't get me started on the chaos that can ensue when the class structure is changed every year, planning is a nightmare!) But it is the teacher's who suffer rather than the children!

I mostly agree with snowball - having taught mixed age classes and had a child in them, if teaching is good then there isn't a problem. However, from a 'parental' point of view I would say that it is slightly harder teaching a mixed age class so as to keep everyone making progress, so if you are unlucky enough to have a weak teacher anyway (there aren't as many as it sometimes appears in MN / the media, but there are some) then being in a mixed age class with a weak teacher is slightly worse than a single age class with a weak teacher IYSWIM. Also if, for example, the school is moving from a single age class to mixed age classes then the teacher may either relish the chance to teach a 'new' year group or be a bit 'well, I really prefer Year 3 so I'll still focus on Year 3 things' precious!

I would also say that children of ability nearish to the average for their age flourish best for both years in a mixed age class. If your child is very far to one exteme or the other (and I do mean VERY far, not just MN 'bright'!), then they may have a very good year one year and a slightly less good experience the other. So for example my DS, who joined reception able to read fluently and learned to add and subtract negative numbers during his reception year, found the first year in a mixed R/Year 1 class OK because he worked with the most able year 1s and on his own for Maths. In the second year, there was no peer group for him in any subject, which made life more difficult. Equially an SEN child may find the first year in a mixed age class hard but may flourish in the second year.

It's only February, may I humbly submit that OP is worrying about this a tad far in advance.
DC have so far always been in mixed yr class for yr4. DC school sometimes streamed: literally move the children around to different classrooms for specific subjects. This seems like more necessary for maths than any other subjects. As long as your child has some peers to work with near their own level (encourages, challenges, reassures it's okay to be at that level, similar amount of effort for team projects) then I find mixed ability teaching in one room can work well.

Thanks all. It's not so much of 'worry', it's just a concern I have. Like I said, ds is quite ahead especially in maths, and even his current teacher admitted to me that it's not too easy challenging him enough, and then it's being sprung on me that in fact he'll be in a class lower than his year.

I'm concerned the teacher might spend time trying to get the younger ones to catch up and not stretch him enough. I suppose in a way if he was being put in a class with the year ahead, I wouldn't be so bothered.

I feel a bit better though knowing it's not exclusive to ds's school and it has worked for lots of kids with no problems.

I dont think its an issue and, having taught both, academically I dont think either one is harder.

I have taught single age classes which had an ability range of level 1-5, the kind of level range you might see in a THREE year group class. Therefore having 2 age groups would make almost no difference to my teaching and differentiation.

Where I think it does make a difference is the children's social abilities and behaviour. In a year 3/4 class you have children who have just left KS1 and still very much babies. At the same time you have children who are about to turn 9, the same age as many upper key stage 2s. But this can also be differentiated for, I might do circle times aimed at the younger or older children and would give the older children jobs and responsibilities. Also a child's age doesnt dictate their maturity - all the problems you see in mixed age would be present in single age.

I do think it depends very much on the teacher and class size. DS1 was in a mixed age year1/2 class as a year 1 with an ok teacher and 30 children. He didn't really thrive. However ds2 who admittedly is a little brighter than ds1 is thriving with an enthusiastic teacher and 22 pupils. Ds1 teacher admitted it was the ones struggling who got the most support (ie year 2's)
I also think age is a big thing. In ds2's year 1/2 class they have children who are 7 with those that have just turned 5. Huge gap but it does seem to work as long as teacher makes allowances for younger ones.

to be honest I'd be more concerned that your current teacher says she finds it hard to challenge him - that would worry my right now! My DS and DD have always been significantly ahead of their age related expectations and last year DS had (imo) a poor teacher in mixed age class and suffered.

This year they are in Y3/4 mixed class with an excellent teacher and both doing y5 work happily in the classroom amongst children working at their expected level, and some who are still covering some KS1 aspects.

It's all about the teacher - even in a single Y4 class you would almost certainly have the year working at between Y2 and Y5 level - age doesn't necessarily mean that much!