Found out via the gossip grapevine that my dd is being kept back a year at school.

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

You'd think that was the sort of thing that the teachers would discuss with you in a meeting, wouldn't you? Oh no. Apparently the teacher involved is a bit pally with one of the mums whose dc is also staying behind and told her. Naturally she was a bit upset and told everyone else that some kids were being kept back a year.

Apparently it's perfectly normal to have some kept back if the class is too big. They stay in their previous class but as a seperate group so they can do the appropriate level of work. Then they mix up for activities and play time. They select the last few summer born and keep them back. The only reason the class is so big is because so many out-of-catchment kids got in on appeal. Unfortunately that's out of the schools control.

This is our first experience of this as parents and we found out via the gossip network. We have no idea how it works logistically. It's such a small school, there's nowhere else to put a seperate class. A few of us are going to see the teacher tomorrow for a bit of clarification.

I don't know how I'm going to tell dd that's she's not moving up a class after all. She's already on the advanced reading stage, I'm a bit worried that being stuck with the next foundation class is going to limit her potential. They say not but she's going to be in the foundation classroom surrounded by other kids playing, I don't see how it can't have an effect on their abilities.

This had not been handled very well. If I were one of the out-of-catchment parents I'd be mentioning my choice of schools. Unfortunately this is our catchment school so we're stuck with it. We've been told they're staying back and that's it. I don't even know what I could do.

Just wanted a rant really. Thanks for reading.

This does happen quite a lot and you should be able to get reassurance that she will be being taught at the appropriate level.
My dc was a summer born and in his primary there was at least one mixed ks2 class, split on age.
He stayed with the younger children but it worked out well.
I think the school has handled this quite badly though and you should not have been informed by playground gossips, as this should have been conveyed to both sets of parents especially if it's the first time that this arrangement has been set up.

Another - sometimes, the number of children in each year group dictates how classes are mixed. If there is a very small number of Reception Children, and a larger Year 1 cohort, then you might have a mixed R/1 and a "pure" Year 1 class.

However, if you have a full Reception, and then smaller Year 1 and 2s, it makes sense to keep the Reception children separate and mix the 1s and 2s. This sometimes means that you end up with a class which contains children from different key stages. I've known mixed R/1 and mixed 2/3.

In some schools, the make up changes each year, according to the size of each Reception class as they go through the school. Schools have to try and get as close to 30 in each class as possible (unless their intake number is below 30), in order to be as cost efficient as possible. In the county where I work, classes break even at 28-29 children. If you run a class with any lower number of pupils, then you have to make cuts elsewhere.

You should have had it all explained clearly to you but tbh mixed year classes are very common and if your daughter is a late summer baby the extra time with a more play based curriculum may well be a good thing. And it sounds like the school will be doing separate groups to ensure the yr1s are doing what they need to do too. It's really not a case of being kept back.

I would be complaining about the lack of clear communication from the school rather than anything else.

It's just an awkward set up I think. I don't mind a mixed class, the rest of the classes in school are mixed classes of two year groups, so 1&2, 3&4, 5&6. Foundation have always had a class to themselves plus a few yr 1's apparently. It's just that they all think they're going into a new class and now we've got to tell them that they're not, but some of their friends are.

And as for the way we found out, I'm still stewing over that one. I can't understand why the teacher did it. She's normally so lovely and capable. She's actually acting head so she must be fairly sensible. I think her and the other mum are a bit friendly. Well, were. Probably not now the other mum has dropped her in it.

It definitely sounds like mixed year groups not holding back.

But possibly with an element of streaming, which I would't like myself. Especially if I thought my child was being streamed down.

Dd is a summer baby but she's in the top group for reading. The whole class is ahead of it's reading targets, they were on books several stages ahead of where they were expected to be by Easter and half of them, dd included, are now reading books from year 1.

As a educational professional blended classes are very common in small schools, rural schools and village schools. Teachers are usually very experienced in meeting all the children's needs, what tends to happen-

Main input on carpet/plenary. Then split off into group for targeted work which will be suitable to you child's needs. TAs and teaching staff work with all groups to ensure learning objectives are met and exceeded.

The only think I would take issue with if it's been a "summer born" blanket split? All state schools should all be mixed abilities with no streaming. Groupings should be flexible and within a classroom and not splitting classes across ability, there is plenty of time for that in y7 and onwards.

Talk to your teacher, do not listen to playground gossip. Try and think what is best for your child and does that chime with what the school offers?

Sorry, to clarify, I know this because I am a parent volunteer and I've been reading with the whole class since about last October.

several stages are you sure about that?

www.readingchest.co.uk/book-bands

That's exactly what has happened nilby, they've merely taken the last seven children from the year. Everyone born after May. It's not been done according to ability at all, which seems mad to me. Apparently it's how other schools have done it so it's how we're doing it.

We got the big sob story about how they deliberated and agonised over it when all they did was pick all the summer born kids.

they tend to do it by age as it's non negotiable....otherwise parents moan that little Johnny cannot manage without his friend Tarquin. And that Johnnyina is a far superior reader than Tarquiness and must be elevated to the perceived better group.

Yes nilby, they've gone through all the Biff & Chip etc and are now on ORT. Dd is on stage five.

That's impressive, to be on green, well done to your dd.

I would talk to the HT and get their input on this, I would be upset too if it were my ds.

Thanks.

Apparently the group head is in tomorrow and we can phone and make an appointment if we want to discuss it with her. I think her organising a meeting with us might have been polite.

Kind of suggests that they don't expect there to be a problem.

I was part of a summer-born group that was held back, exactly as you describe OP.
As a parent I don't really like the idea, but as a child it certainly didn't do me any harm. I got the joint highest SATS results in my year 6 class, along with another summer-born.

That's good to know, thanks.

My kids' school had to do this at various stages, & birthdates can't be argued about. If they'd tried to select by ability which kids were taught with an older class & which with a younger one there would have been open warfare!

I didn't like it & did feel that my spring/summer-born children were hindered a bit socially, but it was the only fair way.

Agree that the school has handled it very badly but your DD will be doing the same work she would have done in the other class.

&, like HomeIs, their academic progress wasn't affected at all - they both got good SATs & passed for the grammar school

Composite classes are very common here in Scotland and both my Dc were in one almost every year. The staff/pupil ratio had to be lower, the younger benefitted from having older kids in the class and the older pupils didn't seem to miss a beat in their learning, at least mine certainly didn't. They were joined with their respective groups for language and maths sessions so they didn't spend time repeating what they already covered. It's not a huge deal IMO.