Year 1 concerns

[craziedaisy]

DS had a fantastic first year at school and found reading easy and had great reports. He was put in the top stream. He is now in a class of 28 children with y1 and y2 in one class. His first parents meeting was ok back in December but his most recent parents evening meeting his teacher described his lack of concentration and that he was struggling. His teacher has suggested that he has some extra help from a class room assistant which will take place in PE. This has really worried me as he has seemed to have slipped back so much. His teacher thinks that it is due to having had quite a few days off with illness (tonsillitis and flue). I am not happy that his extra help will take place during PE as to me this seems like a punishment and he will feel excluded. I asked what areas he needS help in and she couldn't really decide. She admitted that his reading is good and hasn't slipped but said that the head teacher had asked her for a list of children in her class that would benefit so she suggested DS.

I guess what I want to know is am I overreacting and what can I do to help him.

I wouldn't be happy with that approach if it were my child.
PE is vital. Please tell them no way! Seems they want academic results and are happy to push hard for it.
Don't see it as slipping. He is consolidating !

I think it's fine. It's good that the school has spotted that he needs extra help. Both my DC have done "extra" activities during PE. Remember that it most probably will only be for a few weeks. And tbh PE in Y1 is mostly spent getting changed so he actually won't be missing much.

It's not so much missing PE that would worry me, as the fact the teacher can't seem to specify exactly what areas your DS is weak in. It's great that they want to help him, but surely it would be even better if they could identify the specific problem so you could work with the school to support him?

Schools and teachers are increasingly measured against the progress that pupils make - often over very short periods.

You can argue the rights and wrongs of this until you are blue in the face, but schools are becoming increasingly 'data obsessed'.

If your DS did very well in reception, he may have been 'red flagged' as not making expected progress in year 1. The HT has probably asked the classroom teacher for a list of names of students at risk of failing to make the expected progress by the end of Year 1, and your DS' data has indicated an issue.

I, personally, would not have any issues with a child missing PE for a few weeks. When else would they have time to do 'booster' classes?

I think it depends on the child. My DD would flip if she missed PE to do extra work - the exclusion would be really upsetting for her.
I'd ask for specifics first. Then agree a plan. Maybe just some extra work at home with you would sort it. Nothing excessive - at that age an extra 10 minutes a day can really make a difference.

Are they talking about doing 'Fizzy' with him? If so, it's a programme designed to help with motor skills and concentration which could be beneficial. Lots of kids doing it at our school.

Up until very recently it was compulsory to ensure children had 120 minutes of PE tuition every week. Just because the coalition has now scrapped that shouldn't mean that it's suddenly ok for some children to miss out entirely. Sport is important and something that a child, who may have difficulties in other areas, may find success with. The school shouldn't be removing that opportunity. Interventions can be organised far more affectively into other areas of school life. PE is part of the curriculum too.