How important is Year 6 to overall primary school education experience

[whoknowsyou]

The primary school my dcs attend seems to constantly chop and change the teachers of each year except Year 6 which was treated as outside the changing of roles each year with the well respected teacher remaining in post since my oldest dc started the school.

From this autumn year the Year 6 teacher has been successful in applying for an exciting secondment projected and will be away for anything up to a year.

The proposal so far is that Year 6 is taught by a supply teacher who will be prepared to leave at any time if the existing Year 6 teachers' project ends early.

It appears that the Year 6 teacher's needs/wants are being put before the pupils in terms of continuity and I'd have thought that as Year 6 was previously always exempt from the annual staff re-jigging it was treated as an important year, the school certainly big it up as a very important year for the kids leading towards secondary school and KS2 SATS etc.

I'm not really happy with this but am I over reacting ?

It's hard to say whether Y6 is important for your school or not. Obviously there's SATs but if the school is doing its job it should only be a minor interruption and not the be all and end all of Y6.

Are all the children clearly already working NC Level 4 or higher in English/ Maths? If so - then they need learning to be continuing and the issue isn't the substitute but who will be preparing lesson plans and ensuring work progresses in senior management group.

Will the substitute be stable or will you have a new one every few days?

Personally, I think regardless of the year parents want stability. But - the reality is the teacher for Y6 is going away and so Year 6 needs a substitute. I suppose the way to think about it is if you were in any other year how would you feel if you got the substitute because the school said Y6 was particularly important.

What I will say is DD2 had a substitute since November - who's actually now been hired by school (original teacher became very ill and has decided not to return to work). This substitute has actually turned out to be fantastic. She's been innovative, supportive and extremely hard working (a real breath of fresh air). Kids love her. DD2 adores her. Parents think she's a good thing. So don't presume that just because they're a substitute they're awful - not always the case.

DS1 is in yr6 at the moment and as well as the academic work they have also been preparing them for high school. And in his school they have totally changed both year 6 teachers for 3 of the last 4 years.

I'd have a word with the school and see what their plans are. Chances are they will have a single supply teacher to cover the whole period, in which case, it will be a bit like a maternity cover. You may not be happy your dc will not be getting the teacher they thought, but there's no reason to think a long term supply teacher won't be as good.

I would make sure they have a supply teacher in place, and committed to the year, because that "who will be prepared to leave at any time if the project finishes early" bit does worry me, as why would anyone commit to a job that isn't even a firm year long? If they got offered a permanent other job would they leave?

Year 6 has the pressure of SATs, and at DCs primary Sex Ed. However their school regularly shuffles teachers around. SATs should have been prepared for in all year groups, not just year 6, as should the transition to secondary. My year 5 DD has already visited one local secondary school with her year group.

Maybe a bit of a shake up in year 6 will be a good thing. Also you do need to remember that SATs should not really be that important to the pupils, but much more so to the school (although I realise some secondaries base their setting decisions on the results, my DCs doesn't fortunately).

Pastsellbydate

You have touched a nerve there as in previous years, dc's class in particular, as they progressed through the school have been subject to only 1 experienced permanent teacher who had been teaching the same age group for several years.

All other years it has been a new teacher to the school who has subsequently left (one was particularly academically poor, spectacularly so in Maths and another who couldn't spell correctly or use an apostrophe, yet another who was off sick a lot) or a maternity leave temp followed by a cobbled job share arrangement etc etc and Year 6 has never been affected by this starting/leaving/mat leave/special project leave/job sharing.

Finally dc1 gets to Year 6, "hurrah !" we think, a well respected teacher with an excellent track record but no, this poor group of 30 kids is yet again going to be subject to a cobbled arrangement for a whole academic year, this time to suit the year 6 teacher. The Year 6 teacher is obviously a valued individual and the head will no doubt want to retain him so will flex accordingly but what about the cohort of kids who have almost never known what to expect next in terms of who will be teaching them ?

In answer to are they all working at level 4, no way, a handful of the kids are way behind that level and all the teachers have had problems with one very disrupting individual who needs, by all accounts, a very firm hand. Should be assessed for some sort of assistance but the Dad is totally against it so it ain't happened and the class just suffers a reduction in teacher attention accordingly whilst this child sucks up a lot of teacher time. This is another reason why we are dismayed at the current Year 6 teacher not being there next academic year as it was felt that he'd be the one who would finally sort it out one way or another.

whoknowsyou

Gosh - all I can say to that is Oh dear!

Would the best approach be to ask of a parents to collectively raise concerns with Head of Governors and possibly request a meeting for clarification or indeed a rethink on teacher allocation.

It seems to me your concerns are:

Stability
Making up on past slowed/ lack of progress do to previous teachers
SATs performance
Ensuring at least good progress (2 sub-levels) but really better than that

I think you have a strong case - but it really does depend on whether the Head cares about these 30 pupils or is interested in other agendas.

I can't answer that question - but going straight to governors with concerns will put it on record and will mean HT will have to show they've addressed it (come OFSTED).

One thing I will say - is often substitute isn't only person teaching - certainly several teachers were 'dropping by' when DD2 first had substitutes this year - until they satisfied themselves with substitute #3 who has now stayed & will be staff from next school year.

HTH

Well amazingly it appears that there are parents who have been more outspoken in their reservations regarding the proposed arrangements for the coming Year 6 than I have.

A meeting has been called for the parents of pupils currently in year 5 to discuss the matter with the Head but, and I think this is quite right in the circumstances, the current Year 6 teacher will not be present, just the Head and Deputy Head.

We will see what happens on Tuesday but I can't help feeling we'll all be verbally patted on the head with reassuring platitudes and the parents of "disruptive child" have stated they will definitely be attending so that "elephant in the room" will remain firmly lodged in the (class)room next year too, not that anyone would have the nerve to say anything. I'm fully behind "Every child matters" but this child needs a dx of some sort to gain assistance/support. Once they transfer to secondary school, such behaviour won't be tolerated so readily and not addressing it over the last 6 years is doing the kid no favours in the long run.

The school's rating compared against other schools in the area has dropped considerably since dc1 started 6 years ago. I can't help thinking it is partly to do with staff turnover/fluctuations.

HI whoknowsyou:

If you wish to through the cat amongst the pigeons ask the following:

Can parents who are concerned receive individual teaching plans for their children at start of next school year - so that they are clear what the targets are and how the school will be addressing any weaknesses?

Can the school generally indicate what % of Y6 rising are predicted to achieve NC Level 4 at the moment and what plans are in place to support learning for those pupils working below NC Level 4?

Could the school consider monitoring parent satisfaction with substitute in first weeks - to catch any problems early?

Who will be preparing the lesson plans, handouts & homeworks? The substitute or members of senior management group?

Can the school explain how the pupil premium for Y6 pupils in receipt of FSM will be expended to support them in the run-up to SATS?

Explain to the Head, etc... that you will be minuting this meeting & prepare typed minutes with copy to Governors.

It may also be advisable to ask parent governors and/or Head of Governors to attend. If you have governors with particular responsibility for SATs or pupil progress - this is a meeting they also should be attending.

Good Luck.

Sorry - that should have been throw - not through

Very tired - sick little one at home...