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Mixed Classes...

7 replies

charliecat · 21/06/2006 17:50

This is being done at dds school for the infants. How does it work...1 teacher and 2 years worth of curriculum to cover?

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NotAnOtter · 21/06/2006 17:51

Hate it hate it hate it.....riles me to even think about it! (sorry)

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charliecat · 21/06/2006 17:53

I must confess to my words were OMG what the hell are they doing that for..

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firestorm · 21/06/2006 20:51

my dd has spent the last year in a mixed year 1/2 class. (shes a very able year 2) she has come along in leaps & bounds despite the fact that she came from another school & was playing catch up to some extent at the beginning. she is now mainly in top sets teachers in village schools are well used to teaching mixed ability groups. next year she will be in a year 2/3 class & her sister (currently in reception) will move up to the year 1/2 class. i couldnt be happier.

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NotAnOtter · 21/06/2006 20:53

I have had it for years - i moved my daughters school because of it although my son is still there and i have more to come.
Socially its a nightmare - i think it makes for immature year 6's
Academically...did my children NO favours - sad but true

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GDG · 21/06/2006 21:03

Interesting. It seems to work well at our school. It's always been done at infant level - once they go into juniors they are in single year classes. It's because they take in 70 and can only have classes of 30 in infants but then 35 in juniors.

I only have a child in reception atm and don't know what class he is going into next year yet. From all accounts (parents with children higher up the school) there are no problems with it. Based on the history of the school and the results it gets now, I'm not worried about either. The school is outstanding so they must be able to manage any issues that do arise.

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Orinoco · 21/06/2006 22:12

Message withdrawn

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harrisey · 22/06/2006 00:54

My dd1 is just finishing primary 1 and she has been in a mixed class - of p1 to P7. There are 8 in her class and they are all in together because it is the Gaelic class. But every class in our school is mixed as it is a small rural school, so there are 4 teachers, 1 for Gealic, one for p1-2, one for p 3-5 and one for p 6-7. In my experience as a secondary teacher in the school this and several other even smaller schools feed into, the mixed classes have made for very caring, confident children who dont just dissapear into their little year based peer group, but who are able to mix with children (and adults!) of all ages. It has made my dd1 able to be part of things the 'big girls' are doing while they are so tolerant and proud of a little thing like her in their class.
She is moving school in August adn I activel HOPE they put her in the mixed p2/3 class I have asked for. As long as the teacher is used to doing it and is organised, then it is a brilliant option, IME, both as a parent and a teacher.