Repeating reception

[Wobblypig]

Dd is really struggling in reception. She is only just managing easier yellow band ort books , she is scoring really poorly in her spelling tests and the teacher is always pointing out the things she can't do. Yesterday it was that she can't distinguish between a cube and a cuboid.
She is only 4 , 5 next week, our whole after school time is spent doing spellings, reading and other work set by the school. She is in 2 SEN classes at school. It is really worrying me that we are spending so much time and getting so little improvement. I really think she just isn't ready for this and will struggle even more in yr 1.
I would really like to hold her back to improve her confidence. It is an independent school, so theoretically it is possible.

Any advice, anyone done similar? Did it turn out well?

[Wobblypig]

No positives at all, I came out of parents evening crying after teacher reeled a whole load of things she couldn't do, some of which we knew she could do! I knew that wasn't appropriate and really took them to task about their approach . They gave tried to be more positive since but I think the spelling tests have been the last straw for me.

[Wobblypig]

She bird, I have been looking but no other obvious alternatives currently.

[MrsKCastle]

Moralityissue halving is on the EYFS curriculum for reception- but in terms of halving even numbers (I think to 10) using concrete objects at first. So nothing too high level. But equally, not an immediate cause for concern if it doesn't come naturally to a child!

[AmberTheCat]

I can see it's difficult if there aren't any obvious alternatives, but I'm feeling more and more shocked at the teacher's attitude the more I read. If the impression you had of the school is different from the reality, how much might that be down to this individual teacher? Might things actually be better with another teacher in Y1? (Grasping at straws a bit..)

[lougle]

Poor you, wobblypig! My DD3 has just turned 5 and I consider her to be smart - I mean, as an example, that she saw me taking a sub-lingual migraine medication and spontaneously described its mechanism of action ("your tongue is wet so when you put the tablet on your tongue it makes the tablet wet and it soaks into your tongue")

She is still on pink book band. She's doing fine, steadily decoding and blending, word by word. She's sounding out and spelling simple words plausibly.

Please don't worry about your DD. She certainly doesn't need to repeat reception.

[dietstartstmoz]

The school sounds ridiculous. Your poor dd. I would be worried about what all the pressure and negatives are doing to her self esteem. My son is In the top group within his class for numeracy and only started halving in yr2. If I were you I would look at your local state schools. Call admissions and find out what your options are. And then visit them and meet the head teacher. This will really help to give you an idea of their ethos. Keep an open mind about schools you perceive are not doing so well or are in areas you may not choose to live.

[Wobblypig]

Thanks Lougle, your Dd sounds very smart.

[shebird]

Is the teacher the issue here? She sounds terribly negative and unhelpful. Is there a chance that she will have a more understanding and realistic teacher next year? She is 4 years old FFS

[lozster]

Your poor little girl. This worries me too as I have a late July baby. I would consider holding him back until he is 5 if that was possible.

If it is any comfort what so ever, I was made to repeat one term of reception in the 70's after being described as 'backward' and I ended up going to Cambridge. Mean time I think you and your little girl need a great big hug.

[MrsKCastle]

Not surprised you feel duped. A school that doesn't give any positives about a child... I actually feel quite upset for your DD.

I have taught some ermm 'interesting' characters in my time, and I have always, ALWAYS had positive things to say about every child.

Not sure what to suggest though, because it sounds like moving her to another school isn't possible right now. I think I'd be chasing up any possible alternative schools, and in the meantime asking for a meeting with the teacher and maybe the head as well. I'd want their reassurance that they're providing work appropriate to your DD's level. (Re the spelling tests- can she spell simple, phonetically regular words e.g. starting with 3 letters like pat, moving on to regular ch/sh/th words like that, chip, shop).

You also mention ort books- are the books phonics ones e.g. 'Floppy's Phonics' or the older ort ones? Is she expected to sound out the words or to memorize the 'tricky' ones by sight?

[tiredandsadmum]

Sorry posting in haste - I teach maths to 16+ and mostly they don't know the difference between cubes and cuboids. So I really wouldn't worry if I were you.

[SueDNim]

Have you discussed this with anyone other than the class teacher? This must be really difficult for you, but it is definitely them, not you.

[Wobblypig]

Diet, we have really done all of that, I am in constant contact with council re spaces. We have a local problem with spaces and have big demand for private schools in the area.

[Geraldthegiraffe]

Your poor girl, it sounds like it has been an awful year for her! Not a great start to school life.

She really shouldn't be having to work after school at that age. Yellow books at this stage is above average, at the end of reception is great and many wont be at that stage.

She really is being unfairly pushed and labelled and you really don't want to knock her confidence so young. In our school she'd be in one of the top groups if she can read yellow!

[iK8]

Spelling tests? Watf?

Sounds totally bonkers. All of it.

[OutsSelf]

If I were you, OP, I'd pull her out of the school and put her down for the Steiner. In the interim, I'd employ a brilliant Nanny for the days where you can't Home Ed yourself - you say that you couldn't HE full time. I'm assuming if you can afford School.fees you can afford a Nanny?

[iMN]

DS2 is 5, in reception, average rural school.
They have done cubes and cuboids and no, I can't remember the difference either and he has just started yellow band books. So your school isn't unique, fwiw.
Never heard of repeating reception in the UK but your DD really doesn't sound as if she needs to. Has the school suggested it?

[Wobblypig]

Mrskcastle, a mixture of books, she copes better with the floppy phonics than the old ort. She actually manages words that follow phonics quite well IMO, it is the bombardment with non-phonic words that she struggles with.

It is really good to hear that if us the school that may be the issue, it us what I suspected. I will ask girl a meeting with the head of early years I think.

[Hawkshaw]

Quite honestly, I think a poorly performing state school would be kinder to your child than this place. She is doing perfectly OK for the end of Reception, especially considering she is not yet five years old. Take her out. You are not helping her by putting her through this. At the poorly performing state school, she is likely to find that she is very much in the middle of the range and be encouraged and supported, which is a far better lesson to learn at this age than to constantly fail at inappropriate goals.

BTW, my DD is in Y2 and currently performing way above national expectations at her state school which tends to get poor results compared to other schools locally. However, it gets good results for the intake that it deals with and treats all its children with kindness and with a recognition that they are only small. Plus she'd have had absolutely no idea what a cuboid was in Reception, nor did she need to.

[SueDNim]

OutsSelf's plan sounds good. I'd be a bit wary of a Steiner school though.

[Wobblypig]

Sorry about the spelling, I can actually spell, wretched autocorrect is to blame along with fat fingers..

[EhricLovesTheBhrothers]

DS is considered by his teacher to be one of the most advanced in his class and he's only on yellow band. I mean he reads them easily but still. He doesn't know halving or cuboids or many spellings. Honestly, the school sound insane. Your daughter is fine!

[Wobblypig]

It is a Steiner-influenced school, with outstanding ofsted , set in the middle of a National trust estate. Really impressed me, just a shame we have to wait 18 months for her to go.
Fees cheaper than a nanny but I did think of suggesting flexi schooling so I could go through the basics with her at home without adding to a long school day.

[TortoiseUpATreeAgain]

I do know someone who repeated Reception at an independent school, but that child was very young for the year (late Aug birthday) and had some clear SN and anxiety issues.

It sounds to me as though your DD's only problems are with the school; she seems well within the normal range for Reception.

[MrsKCastle]

That's what I suspected Wobblypig. Many children find it hard to learn to read and spell if they're not taught using a systematic phonics scheme. At this stage 'sight words' are unhelpful at best.

I would forget the school's spelling lists. I would work with your daughter on phonics, practise reading simple phonics texts to help her build up fluency and confidence, and get a small whiteboard so that she can practise writing simple words using the phonics that she knows.

Do what you can with her at home, not because she's behind- she's not- but because she may be lacking confidence if she is picking up on the school's attitude. And they certainly don't seem to be teaching her that learning is fun.

I would also seriously consider the earlier suggestion of home educating using a Nanny- at least in the short term.