Why would a teacher do this?

[numbum]

Before I post, I want to say I will be speaking to DD's teacher but wanted to make sure there wasnt an obvious reason for the teacher's actions (hence posting here!)

Y2 DD is able. Reading level 15/16 from school plus her own choice of books from the library. Writing had just reached a L3 at the end of Y1. Maths, she is on the G&T register but I think its in a low ability class and she is around a level 2b/2a.

Over the weekend she has been very quiet, crying over silly little things and refusing to do her homework for the first time ever. I finally managed to get her to talk this evening and she said she couldnt do her homework, is rubbish and 'has a mind that doesnt work as quickly as others'. On further questioning it seems as if she's been moved to sit on the SEN table.

She has told me who she is now sat with and I know they are the SEN children.

Why would her teacher move her to this table?

My ds1 has SEN, he is extremely intelligent but has/had other special needs that might be in some peoplesminds associated with "low intelligence special needs" he has an IEP! For BOTH his high intelligence and his other needs such as fine motor skills and toileting issues.

Russians SEN doesn't mean low ability necessarily! Just needing support. Likewise, a G+T pupil, who is standing out work wise as being on their own, may well be on that table.

I think if you asked most teachers, they actually do group children by ability, especially in numeracy. You can have many different levels in one class. In other words, lots of differentiated work going on. If the guidance/questions are on a worksheet, you would waste half the lesson handing out the work if they weren't grouped together. Also, how awful and obvious would that be? Sitting on a table and watching your friends get a worksheet whilst you wait for the 'easier' one? Or worse, names being read out to come and collect the 'appropriate' work? Quite often, children aren't aware that they have a different sheet from the table next to them. Same lesson, just different questions.

Why are so many people so about it? Surely you can see it makes sense?

Having a TA sat at a SEN table bad! bad! bad! creates a dependency ghetto! Having a SEN table [rolls eyes] ...speechless!

a good TA knows when to step in and when to step back ... planning for a TA to sit with a group day in and day out is bad practice...these are the very children who need a teacher most! and aren't getting one

What very poor practise that a governor knows what children have statements or IEPs and for what reason! Governors should never know details about individual children. Also disgusted that as a governor you can not tell the diggerence between a CHILD WITH SEN (not a sen child) and a child's ability. Also shocking practise to have children with sen at one table. I say as a governor with responsibility for children with sen. Suggest you should look to do some training!

Ocean Oi! It's not me equating SEN conditions with low ability! It's the OP. I know that SEN doesn't mean low ability. My DD2 is the very definition of a high flier - G&T in everything - and she has severe SEN.

Oceansurf - It makes no sense. For starters, any decent teacher isn't teaching using worksheets, so can we just bust that myth right now. A decent teacher will be providing authentic learning experiences that allow students to develop their understanding of a topic. And it works perfectly well with a mixed ability group of students. Google social constructivism. I've never groups students by ability level, it's actually not the most effective arrangement for all students being able to achieve their full potential.

The whole concept of a "SEN table" (apart from a desperate failure of person first language) is discriminatory and quite frankly, disgusting. A capable teacher shouldn't need a TA sitting with every student with additional needs at the same time, and this is exactly what leads to the sort of language in the OPs posts about 'low ability' because people can't wrap their heads around the simple fact that children can be twice exceptional. If a suitable environment is provided, all students should be able to work with mixed groups.