Y1 parents evening

[mrsmcv]

I may have misunderstood this but my daughter's y1 teacher has told me she can't be expected to read the national average achievement levels for y1 maths because she 'hasn't had the input'. This is, she says, because she was a january starter in 2011. My daughter (very bright and able, btw) has only missed one term of school. Shouldn't she be able to reach the national average expectation after attending school regularly for 5 out of six possible school terms? She is only a January starter after all, not hindered by health or educational issues. Does this sound right to anyone else?

She told me I should regard y1 as her 'foundation year'. I thought her foundation year was her foundation year, just as it was for the other kids in the class. Incidentally, she started in Jan in an established class cos our LEA had two intakes last year.

Is this your DDs current level or where she is expected to be by the end of Y1? She is only half way through Y1 - surely the teacher should be aiming to give her 'the input' required to get her to this stage by the end of the year?

That doesn't sound right. Was she at a pre-school or nursery during the autumn 2010 term? Those establishments teach the foundation curriculum too.

I would be asking what topic your dd doesn't know and teach it to her myself. If I recall correctly reception maths basically consists of counting, adding, subtraction and counting in 2s so nothing earth shattering.

That doesn't sound right. Was she at a pre-school or nursery during the autumn 2010 term? Those establishments teach the foundation curriculum too.

I would be asking what topic your dd doesn't know and teach it to her myself. If I recall correctly reception maths basically consists of counting, adding, subtraction and counting in 2s so nothing earth shattering.

Doesn't sound right at all. I'd be asking the teacher why on earth she isn't getting the "input" she needs. And hoping that the Y2 teacher had a different attitude.

This sounds very weird. If I understand correctly, she joined reception in January, and is now in year 1?

Missing one term of reception cannot be the be all and end of of your DD's education! Loads of kids don't go to nursery, so miss a whole year of the early years curriculum.

It sounds like the teacher is clutching at straws, to be honest.

Be rest assured, though, that primary education does a lot of repeating itself. In maths, for example, the same topic is covered for the first 2 weeks of each new term. At a slightly harder level of course, but it is cyclic. Even if she missed one of the cycles (from the early years curriculum, not her current curriculum incidentally) then it will be covered again and again.

This sounds ridiculous and that she is blaming the January start on something she perhaps is failing in.

This is not the first time I have heard this attitude before though. My friends was told her son would always be a bit behind as a result of being a January starter. She was upset at this but he is now miles ahead in year 1 so proven to be bollox in his case, and in most cases I imagine.

If it doesn't work having children start in January etc then why does the school still do this kind of intake. My DS's school all start YR at the same time as the rest of the school, do 2 mornings, 1 until after lunch then full days from the Thursday. Its much less disruptive and all the children can start forming friendships etc and start their learning together.

I am beginning to get frustrated about all these ridiculous comments teachers make, I am not particularly confident right now in the teaching/resources provided to primary schools and I truly believe that any child that does not fit into the 'average' bracket is not really catered for particularly well.

I definitely think you should speak to the teacher again now you have had time to think, find out what she has supposendly missed and what they are doing to ensure she reaches the required level by the end of the year which I am led to believe is a 1b.

thanks for all your comments, I have given it some thought and also got some feedback from other class parents who were told similar daft stuff. There's surely no reason why a reasonably intelligent child shouldn't be at the average level after Y1, notwithstanding any other barriers to learning.

I have thought I would write to the school and ask that she is given extra maths lessons along with some of the other children who won't be at the average level by the end of the school year.

In my darker and more ranty moments, I want to contact OFSTED cos all the jan starters have been kept in their own separate group so far this year and my own logic tells me they can't all be at the same level or have the same ability or for that matter, have remained at that level since September. Can I say this is discrimination on the basis of age?

This is ringing serious alarm bells for me.

I would have no faith in the school at all.

Any possibility of moving school?

Being a Jan starter is not an excuse to underachieve in Y1.

sounds like utter poppycock!
What did the reception teacher tell you about your child's progress at the end of reception?
In my dd's class we have children who only started school in year one (we are overseas, but follow the UK curriculum) and I see them working on the same maths workbooks as others in the class, and offered extra help if required.

Having all the january starters in one group is madness! They clearly can't all be at the same level.... My dd's ability based reception group includes the oldest and the youngest child plus some in between - they can't possibly differentiate by age!

I didn't know to ask at the end of reception, I had no idea whether she was doing well or not. The teacher said she was working with some of the september starters so I had no idea there was an issue. Shall I contact OFSTED? I am seriously concerned about this teacher's behaviour and teaching standards and I've got nowhere discussing it with her. The head isn't interested either. I can't move her, I've tried. All the local schools are full