Streaming in primary schools

[towicymru]

We have a one and a half form entry at DS primary school. DS was one of the older kids in the full reception class but in Y1 & Y2 moved to the class with the older children from his year . Year 3 looming and as they can't mix key stages fully expecting DS to change class again.

One parent has said that she has been up to the school to make sure her DS is in the older class as he has been in a class with younger children for the last 2 years (currently in a class with the younger Y2, older Y1). He is the youngest in his year but is above average for his literacy.

This parent has said that she does not believe that children like my DS (has struggled but now has a diagnosis and has been chosen as headmasters most improved pupil this year !!) deserve to be in the older class whilst her DS is in the younger class. She has demanded (and fully expects) that her DS will be in the Y3/Y4 class where my DS will be in the straight Y3 class.

I personally have no problem in which class DS is however, we have only started to rebuild DS's confidence and it will be shattered if he thinks he is 'put down' a class based on his ability. He is expecting that he is likely to change classes next year based on his birthday but he will question why this other boy is in the older class. Also, there are a number of pushy competitive parents who will also want their DS/DD moved up based on their ability so DS will really feel it if it is streamed.

Sorry for the essay but wanted to provide background! Can primary schools stream based on ability in Y3?

The school will deal with the other parent's request - just because she's made it, doesn't mean she'll get what she wants.

Yes, they can put pupils in classes according to whatever criteria they see fit. Ours doesn't have mixed year group forms, but does set for maths from quite early and also English later on.

AT my DDs school, they didn't "stream" exactly - but they did put the kids in each class on tables, and gave each table a name. All the kids knew that the red table was the top table, and the blue table was the bottom table - though it was supposed to be transparent to the kids!

Thanks Scaevola. The school have never streamed before & have always stayed firm about birthday being the cut so I hoped thought perhaps they weren't allowed to stream. They do have groups within the class based on ability so it is a more informal streaming which DS is used to.

Part of me thinks that they won't give into her request as it will open the flood gates as soon as it gets out and not just in DS year...

YDdraig - they do the same at DS school although they mix the colours up for maths & english so the kids don't know . It is streaming the whole class I am worried about.

Hopefully they'll politely explain that they have a system and she needs to accept that rather then expect them to abandon the way they do things just for her son. It would open up all sorts of discussions and the school would be inundated with parents kicking off about which class their kids was in.

Its appauling that she commented on your DS though - so in one way being away from her might be a blessing.

Unless it's done strictly on age then I think most schools have a variety of different ways of choosing who goes where. If nothing else, what do you do about the child who is working on top table for maths and bottom for Literacy (or other way round).

If it is streamed then they're not going to put the children up whose parents have made a fuss. So some of the parents may get a shock.

But unless you are sure it's done on birthdays, then I would rein back his expectation that he will be the one in the mixed class. I would, if he refers to it,suggest that maybe it will be other's turn in the mixed class, or maybe it would be nice to be in the year 3 class because year 3 is really fun type of things.

they are allowed to stream them if they choose to do so.

age cut offs can be inappropriate in many cases but schools tend to think it is the fairest way to do mixed classes.

I can half understand the other mum thinking if her child IS one of the good ones at x y or z then why should he always be with the younger children as perhaps he isn't being challenged enough, it is however, completely irrelevant to her and her son though where your child is placed IMO.

I can see where you are coming from Periwinkle but next year her DS will be in a class with children who are all the same age as him (technically they are all older as he is the youngest in the year !). Also, not sure her DS will mix well with the Y4 boys that he will be in class with as he has a very limited social circle/social skills.

I am concerned that DS being 'written off' in Y3 just because he has had difficulty in Key Stage 1. Whilst he may not have the highest literacy skills in his class, his teacher has said that his logic and reasoning skills are above what would be expected for his age. Not sure how they would take this into account when streaming?

I know where my DS is none of her business but trust me if I had started telling her where to get off, I may not have stopped...

Guess we will have to wait till Friday to find out next years classes but if it is streamed I will be asking how they have measured the criteria and come to their decision (I tend to go into Tiger Mum mode with regards to DS we have had to fight to get our concerns taken seriously since he was a baby - my instincts have always been right though!)

Why do the school feel the need to split yr groups. Why can't children be taught at the level they at in groups within the year.

It's usually capacity issues combined with need to keep to 30 per class.

Much better to have, say, steady admissions of 45 a year with planned mixed age teaching, then to have 60 one year and 30 the next (bad for that school and chaos for planning for demand in other schools).

The other parents want their DCs to be in a class that reflects their age and/or abilities. Why does that make them pushy or competitive?

Schools with no mixed age teaching have a huge range of ablity in their classes. In year 6 the bottom table still count on their fingers and many of them can't read better than reception children. The top table have children who are the same academic standard as the average year 9 child! Surely the range of ablity in a mixed age class could not be much greater than a school in a deprived area!

It would be wretched to put a low ablity 11 year old with the year 1/ reception class. The child would feel so lonely. Similar the really bright child could not cope socially with being in a class of 14 year olds.

I hope the school sticks to their guns and group children by age.

"One parent has said that she has been up to the school to make sure her DS is in the older class as he has been in a class with younger children for the last 2 years (currently in a class with the younger Y2, older Y1). He is the youngest in his year but is above average for his literacy. "

It seems that the system has worked if her son is above average for literacy. I am sure that the child's next teacher will differentiate suitable work!

There are composite classes at dd's school but they aren't decided according to age or ability just a fair mix of children with varying needs and abilities. So there are three y3/4 and three y5/6 classes. Numeracy and literacy are streamed by ability and the three classes make five or six ability groups so dd has a class teacher and then a numeracy teacher and a literacy teacher. Dd prefers it when she is in the older half of the class.

Habba - all children are in classes that reflect their age and in groups that reflect their ability within class. There are a group of parents in our school who are always playing one-up against other children without taking into account the effect that it has on both their own & other children. If little Johnny gets put up a class based on his ability, then some of the other parents will be outraged that their child has not been treated the same (without even knowing if their child is as gifted as little Johnny)!.

ReallyTired - thanks for your post. I think you got across my concerns much better than I did! The system does work and has done so for a number of years.

Insanity - your school seems to have a good approach but our school is too small.

It has taken us 3 years to build DS's confidence up. DS will take it personally if he feels he is the first child in the school to be put down a class based on his ability. Not a great reward for a child who has put so much hard work in this year. And trust me - he will know! There have been 8 new children in DS year since they moved into Y1 so the kids have been busy trying to work out whose birthday is when to see who will be in class together!