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Primary education

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Original poster

Am I overreacting? Really cross about something

18 replies

CrystalDeCanter · 06/12/2013 09:07

Hi there

I need help with a bit of perspective as am currently seething and not sure if I'm getting hysterical or not.

Just to set the scene I should say that we are in Australia so the school system is slightly different from the UK - they start at rising 6 rather than rising 5. But essentially it's the same.

Anyway, my dd is in Reception - she has been in reception for 6 terms (4 term year structure here) so that's 1.5 years in reception. She is now moving into year 1 (at aged 6 1/2) and has been placed in a reception/yr 1 mixed class - which she has been in for the past year.

It's my feeling that effectively a THIRD year in reception really really sucks and she will miss out, and will have a wasted year. I want to go and talk to the school on Monday but need to have some ammo as they are wily and will just say "Oh, it's fine she will be great" etc and I'm not convinced AT ALL that they are right.

Oh, I should add that she is a perfectly capable little girl, no issues educationally or emotionally at all. Not wildly bright but perfectly within average range.

What do you think?

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Gileswithachainsaw · 06/12/2013 09:14

Surely there would be some differentiation though?
Some schools in the uk do something a bit similar and have mixed classes. I can't see how they would be doing reception all over again or they would be going into yr two having not done yr one.

Have you asked the school how it works?

columngollum · 06/12/2013 09:16

Are there other soon-to-beY1 pupils in the school who are not already in a mixed Y1/reception class? What is happening to all of the other 6.5 year olds?

randomquicknamechange · 06/12/2013 09:20

I have to say I wouldn't be impressed, they have mixed class in our infant school thankfully
DS wasn't bright enough to be in it, (they have the top 15 from year one and the top 15 from year 2 in it).
I do worry DD will be put in it though, and I certainly wouldn't want her in the same class for 3 years.

Pancakeflipper · 06/12/2013 09:20

Check how they run this mixed class. You may find they do registration together and some things but are with their year groups for learning. That's how they do it at our school. The year 1s are doing the Yr1 curriculum not reception.

Original poster

CrystalDeCanter · 06/12/2013 09:22

There are 2 mixed yr 1/2 classes as well as the R/1 class.

It is usual that the year 1's in the R/1 class have started mid year in term 2. So they get a bit of a boost by being with the receptions for an extra year. There is differentiation of course but I think dd will suffer being in reception AGAIN.

Any thoughts on how to approach the school re request to shift class?

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Original poster

CrystalDeCanter · 06/12/2013 09:24

Yes, she will do some classes with other yr 1's (maths and Science), but the majority of her time will be with receptions who have been in school for 6 months. My concern is that she won't be challenged at all.

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columngollum · 06/12/2013 09:27

If I understand you correctly, your daughter having started mid year in Term 2 in reception/Y1 is being treated in exactly the same way as all the other children her age (and in accordance with school policy.)

But because you don't like the school policy you would rather she was treated differently and placed into a separate class designed for (slightly) older children.

Is that a correct statement of the facts?

Original poster

CrystalDeCanter · 06/12/2013 09:34

No sorry columngollun, not at all.

DD started reception 1.5 years ago

She has been in a mixed reception/yr 1 class for the past year (as a reception child).

The yr 1s in that class are ones that have only done 3 terms of reception as they started mid year. So they do an extra year in R/1 to give them a bit of a boost.

Ok so far? I know it's complicated.

She is now at the end of her school year and will be moving into Yr 1. I was assumed that like all her class mates she would move into the mixed yr 1/2 class. However she is remaining in the r/1 class for, effectively a third year.

I am unhappy with this.

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randomquicknamechange · 06/12/2013 10:10

I think you need to talk to the the school, reading your posts posts again I think the classes must be ablility set.
At our school the children in the mixed class stay there for two years they follow the yr 1 curriculum one year and the year 2 the next this meabs some chikdren do them in the wrong irderbut nobody misses out, the actual work is differentiated so it can be year 1 topics and year 2 level or vice versa.

columngollum · 06/12/2013 10:22

Well, in that case you're doubtless correct and your child should move accordingly into the Y1/Y2 class.

Why do you think the school would object to her moving with her silimar-age classmates? She might have been set to remain in the lower class by mistake, a simple administrative error. They do happen.

It might be that simple.

Original poster

CrystalDeCanter · 06/12/2013 10:50

collumngollum it could be a mistake, I will discuss it on Monday with the Head. I don't think it is a mistake but I am calming down a bit now and will perhaps take that view to stop me ranting all weekend .

If anyone has any advise on how to tackle the Head about this I would be very grateful.

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yetanotherworry · 06/12/2013 18:58

This happened to one of my friends when we were in Oz - school wouldn't budge and the differentiation wasn't great either. The child was bored and started being disruptive and being sent out of class. She ended up leaving and going private.

tiredbutnotweary · 06/12/2013 21:12

Crystal - Do you have any options? Could you go private or to another school if you had to? If not then you will probably need to keep the head on your side and tread gently, probably going along with it & playing the longer game by gathering evidence of a lack of appropriate progress (I hope not though for your & your DDs sake). Unless of course the head has gone against usual policy for example - then you might have cause to complain to whomever scrutinises the head (school governors here). Is it usual policy - I mean is it common for a child to stay in for 3 years like that? My fingers are crossed for you that it is in fact a mistake.

Original poster

CrystalDeCanter · 07/12/2013 01:06

Hi there thanks for the answers.

yetanotherworry, it's interesting to hear about your friends experience. To be honest I'm not overly impressed with the Aussie education system so far - I feel that it's all very laissez faire, and really I'm not terribly Tiger-mum ish, but I was a Primary School teacher in the UK and feel that the school here is content to let children plod on slowly without much challenge.

My dd is VERY good and eager to please her teachers, she gets upset if she's told off, so I would hope that however bored she is she won't get disruptive - but who knows?

tiredbutnotweary, we can't afford to go private at the moment, although if we could we possibly would, and the other schools in our area aren't that great either, as far as I can tell from other parents. Also both my daughters LOVE the school and are happy there so I'm loath to move them just because I've got the hump. I think you're absolutely right to play the long game and be calm about it. It is my first instinct to go in raging and howling but having slept on it I think I do need to calm down and go in on Monday to discuss it.

I really don't think it's common to have 3 years in r/1 class - although my dd isn't the only one, there is at least one other bright and lively little girl in the same position. I just feel really depressed about it now.

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GertBySea · 07/12/2013 02:10

I would go in and ask very reasonably to understand the reasoning behind their decision. Perhaps it is sound perhaps a clerical error as a PP suggested. But stay calm, at least to start with!

I didn't know kids could start mid year here. They don't in our area but perhaps we are in a different state.

Being a teacher you will know that so much depends on the teacher the child has in that year. Is there any hope in the member of staff encouraging and stretching your daughter? Especially if there are two bright children.

Our state school is excellent and has no composite classes. I thank my lucky stars daily, but find it to be such a postcode lottery in this country.

yetanotherworry · 07/12/2013 09:02

Have you asked for advice on the Essential Baby forum? You'll get advice from people who know the system.

mammadiggingdeep · 07/12/2013 10:47

I would be unhappy with this too. Have you met with the head teacher?

Original poster

CrystalDeCanter · 07/12/2013 11:56

I've never heard of Essential Baby is that the Oz mumsnet? I'll investigate, thank you.

I'm hoping to see the head on Monday or at least asap, school breaks up for Christmas on Thurs so I've gotta get on it.

What do you think about writing the Head a letter and asking for a meet?

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