composite/ mixed classes

[Vickibee]

My DS attends a small village school about 100 children. We got a letter home tonight to say that four Y! children are being kept in class 2 and the other 12 Y1'sare being moved to class 3. All 16 reception children are being moved to class 2. I understand that My DS has struggled with literacy and is working below the expected level.
My worry is that he will lose contact with his friends and be in class with younger kids. Please reassure me that this will not hold him back, he is lazy and a slow starter but has made great progress in the last 6 mo. He is upset that he will be away from his BF. Should I discuss with school or just leave alone?

BUMP

Are the classes mixed year groups ?

I think you need to talk to school about how they manage this. You must have been aware when choosing the school that they have mixed year classes since it's so small. My son is in a y1/y2 class this year and it has worked really well. The school has a 45 intake so 2 small YR classes of 22 or 23 kids then 30 in a Y1 class, 15Y1 15 Y2, 30 Y2, and so on up the school. All the KS1 kids do the same topics on a 2 yr cycle, but the level of work is differentiated according to age and ability.

Yes his class will be mixed Y1 (16) and Y2 (4, 1 boy & 3 girls) so all his friends are moving up a class. I fully understand that he needs support wirth literaacy but he will be so isolated an on his own in the class with younger children. The small class size is a bonus with two adults, two jobshare teachers and an assistant. He will have continuity with staff

This happens at our school. My DS3 was separated from his two closest friends and TBH it's been so good for him. He has made many new friends and his confidence has really grown. The split in his year was done not just on academic progress but on social maturity as well, those children it was felt would benefit from a slightly less structured learning environment were mixed with reception and the ones who were felt to be ready for more structured learning were mixed with year 2 - they have all made great progress and will come back together in september to be a stand-alone year 2 class of 22 children.

I have to say it didn't work for me. When we looked around the school there were no mixed classes and were told there wouldn't be.

Then DS1's year was a very small intake and the class splitting started.

DS1 cried that he had been 'kept down' (his words) in Reception. His friends went to the other end of the school in a proper classroom with no 'baby' things (his words).

He was reunited briefly with his friends in Yea r2 an then stayed in the Year 2 class for Year 3 while all his friends disappeared to the Year 3/4 class to do different stuff. Again he said he was 'kept down'.

Sorry. he's nearly 14 and it still annoys me.

My Ds is immature and a bit of a class clown, always upto mischief so I gueess this could be a factor. He is really bright, ask him questions and he is so knowledgable for his age. However he struggles with reading & writing and is lazy in this area. He says he will not go to school cos he doesn't want to be in with the babies (his words) I guess he will but under duress

I couldn't get a straight answer as to how they did the split either. I got 'friendships' 'birthday' 'ability' from 3 different staff.

He had friends that went up. A child born a month later than him went up, and there was nothing wrong with his ability. He was though quiet and shy so I guess that's what kept him down.

He will be the oldest in the class (Feb bday). I fell it is down to his immaturity. I hope the lessons are differentiated so that older kids can progress faster. I fell sad for my DS.
I did know about the mixed classes but thought it would be done with some consultation so that children are not left feeling inferior and left out

I know how you feel Vicki. It wasn't how it was supposed to be. DS1 kept saying 'held back' or 'kept down' and I struggled to be positive for him TBH.

Just not the best thing to happen a year after starting school.

Thnx Sparkling We will just have to make the best of it and hope he makes new friends in his class. The paretns of the other three girls are none too happy either but what can we do? ONe parent is looking into moving schools - not sure if it is an idle threat and it would be worse for the child IMO

It's the peril of that size schools, DDs primary had all kinds of variations over the years. They are always a compromise.

Some DC benefit from being in with older, younger children, some hate it, some leave and some benefit from the experience.

DD2 did both, she hated being the youngest by several months in a Y1/Y2 class and missed her summer birthday friends.

However, she flourished academically and made friends with the older Y1s too.

On the whole it is a lovely school and I am sure he will progress in this class. Just wish there had been a rationale expalined for how it has been done

One of DS's mates who should have 'stayed down' with him in Year 1 got moved to another school the day the parents found out. Leaving DS1 with even fewer friends.

Sorry, posted too soon! My concern in your situation would be that YR and Y1 are working on different frameworks ( EYFS and KS1) and that so few Y1 children will be ina mainly YR class.

It's happening to us too. My DD is going into Year 1, and is going to be in a mixed R/1 class.

The Reception children will be doing the EYFS curriculum, and the Year 1s will be doing the Year 1 curriculum. There will be access to higher level work should they need it, as well. I don't see it as being 'kept down', as they will be doing Year 1, not repeating Reception! I see it as a chance to be the oldest in the class (as from Year 3 onwards, DD will always be one of the youngest in the class), to take on more responsibilities, help the younger ones, and maybe even excel.

At all the schools I've worked in with splits, the staff have done their absolute utmost to make sure that all age peers get as similar experience as possible.

BTW ours are split strictly by age. DD is summer born.

So Y1 study EYFS and Y2 do KS1? can you explain the differences please Bakingtin?
Is there overlap, this is a question I will need to ask the HT then.

No, YR is the final year of EYFS (early years foundation stage) which is the same as the preschool assessment framework, the Y1 is the start of key stage 1. I'm saying that mixed KS1 classes seem to work ok, but I'd have concerns about a few y1 children in a class mainly working on EYFS. I'm not a teacher, there may be much more overlap than I've appreciated, but IME there has been a big change of emphasis moving into KS1 towards more formal learning and topic based work.

They HAVE to be given different activities. Our DD is going to be in the minority too (being Year 1) but they have to be given Year 1 work, or higher if that's what's needed. They can't do mostly EYFS.

I am being really positive about it for her, because she's already sad about being split from all her friends (who are Jan-Apr born and going into the Year 1 class).

I think it's the DC who see it as being 'kept down' and the parents who have to put a positive spin on it TBH.

It made birthday party invites a real minefield too.

The school will have to provide those children with an appropriate Yr1 curriculum.

I know it doesn't feel ideal OP but do try not to panic. Perhaps you could approach the Head and ask him/her to explain a little more to you how it's going to work?

We've had a similar situation in our school this year (my ds is Yr1 in a mixed Yr1/2 class) and the school has handled it brilliantly from both an educational and a social perspective. Friendships seem to have been well-maintained across the two classes.

I had a brief chat in the playground and she said the work will be differentiated, they will do the same work as their peers in class 3 but it will be presented in an easier way. I was told he was working around level 1b towards c in literacy , is this well below expected? perhaps he is dyslexic like his dad, how would you know?

1c would be slightly below expectations for end of Year 1. 1b/1a is average.

Real issue is being separated from friends, not the mixed yr situation. DD was the Only child separated from friends for start of y2 & turned out to be best thing ever, made much better friends in the new group.

Our school is big (330-360) and has lots of mixed-yr group classes. it seems to work fine. DS currently in reception I will be pleased if he ends up in a mixed R-y1 class for Sept 2014. Several of us Moms were saying the same thing other day, all our children but one with birthdays before March, too. And one of the others, I am 99% sure her DS is one of the class academic stars. But emotionally, the reception learning style is suiting him very well so why change it?