Advice on academic streaming in year one

[handwasher]

Hi

I'm just after a bit of advice about streaming classes into ability groups in year 1. DD started year 1 on Monday and was put on a table named after an animal (there are 6 tables with 5 kids each). Today I found out from some of the other parents that this was the "bottom" group in the class.

The reason I am quite concerned and surprised by this is that in Reception year we were never given any indication that she was struggling or needed extra help. Whenever we asked how she was doing/went to parents evening we were told she was absolutely fine and was where she should be which I took to mean she was around average in the class. For her EYFS report she got all "expected" so I was surprised that they had chosen for her to start the year in the lowest set.

Does anyone know the rationale between how they stream children and obviously they have gone on the what the reception teachers told them so will they re-view the children within the next few weeks or just keep them in their groups. Unfortunately a few of the other kids on this table are quite disruptive and as she is quite easily led I am worried that it will begin a vicious circle for her.

Any advice about this would be appreciated as it's my first child (I'm sure I'll be a lot more laid back with my second!)

Several possibilities here:

• unlikely the children have been assessed already, they have probably been put on the nearest table
• just because "elephants" (or whatever) was worst last year doesn't mean it is this year
• the teacher may not be streaming to start off with
• your child's class may be all very high achievers so even bottom table is fanastic compared to national expectations

Or your child is doing just fine, but the teacher feels she could do with more support, as some tables may have more TA support. Only say this because a friend's child is fine, but lacks confidence and works better with regular praise etc.

Thanks - good points. She is slightly less confident so that could be a reason for it.

I think I just feel disappointed in the Reception teachers that they must have known at the end of the year that she was near the bottom of the class and yet didn't let me know - this means that I have lots out on time when I could have given her some extra support.

DS (now yr4) was put on the bottom table for reading and writing at the beginning of yr1. He is very shy and reserved. Getting anything out of him was like extracting teeth

However within a few weeks (when he had found his feet) he was moved to the top group.

The sets/tables should be fluid with room for movement between them. Also as others have said, the children probably won't have been assessed properly yet.

Rather than go with what other parents may think they know, why not let DD settle into the class and then you can speak to her teacher about how she is doing, what you could be helping her with, even ask if the class is streamed or not.

" that they must have known at the end of the year that she was near the bottom of the class "

If that's actually the case. Most of what you're told by "other mothers" is bollocks.

Just wondering how the other parents know how the sets are organised?

Are they on the same tables for maths, literacy and everything else? That would be quite unusual, I think. Usually there is a lot more moving around between different groups (strong readers can struggle with maths and vice versa).

I'd be concerned if it was actual 'streaming', ie they stay in the same fixed ability group for everything, but I'd suspect it is not nearly so cut and dried - it is very early in the term and they are probably still assessing the children.

Keep an eye on it (if possible without turning it into a big issue that you keep asking your DD about so that she gets worried too), and if you are still worried in a couple of weeks, have a chat with the teacher.