composite classes any views?

[Clarinet9]

Just interested in hearing others thoughts, although I will probably ramble on a bit and you will all be wondering what the question is

I have 2 children they attend a large school (over 500) they are 2 years apart.

So lots (the majority) of the classes are composite, my oldest is in the final year at primary school initially I was happyish with their class, (they have a new graduate for a teacher) however on the first day of the year they were placed in a 4/5/6 class and I am feeling decidedly grumpy about this.

My other child however I am so unhappy about their class placement that I am continually running through the options in my head (home ed, moving school etc etc) and I need to make a decision so I can get on with it. They are unhappy too, in tears 6 weeks after the event etc etc.

So child is in the middle of the age range for their year, at the end of last year the teacher told me that they were working at a mid year 6 for maths (i.e. 2.5 years ahead pretty much equivalent to their sibling who scored a very high level on the sats equivalent and did an extension/G&T maths class) however the teacher said that she was 'holding them back' and not covering topics so that their year 4 teacher had something to do.

Anyway this child has been placed in a year 3/4 class, one reason I am so unhappy is that the difference between their class and the other year 4 classes is huge:

they are on different sites (so no opportunity to play with peers)
the 4/5/6 are becoming technology classes (i.e. 25% of work will be using computers) 3/4 are not
4/5/6 will do student council type responsibilities 3/4 won't
4/5/6 will go on a residential school camp 3/4/won't
4/5/6 will be doing blended learning i.e. moving between teachers and levels according to their skills/interests/needs etc
I can see little opportunity for them to cover the right level work in e.g. maths since they will be 3/4 years ahead of the majority of their class.

so do any of you have any useful experiences to share?
I do not know whether to ask the school to accelerate appropriately (and seek evidence that they have done so), get an EP report and ?do what with it, mildly hassle the teacher (with what end in mind?) change schools, home educate, partially home educate, seek other challenges (learn language etc)

The school overall is OK (not fabulous just OK but I think I am probably quite difficult to please), one issue is that the school is not our local (next suburb) so I already have a difficult morning with a rush to get to work and driving is essential (transport issues) another issue is we may well be moving cities at the end of this year so I am loath to do multiple school moves.

child is ahead (but only by 1 year) in other subjects, hates reading, social maturity is average for age, but social (friend and playing are an important part of the day) was probably placed in the class by error (was put in same class as friend who is in need of educational support). i have asked head to move dc to other site and he refused

thanks for reading

What on earth? I have been living abroad for a few years but was a teacher in the UK before that. Is this what schools are like these days? It is so confusing. Is this widespread?
Anyway, as you may be moving at the end of the year it probably wouldn't make much sense to move schools now but could you stick with the situation and then work with the child a little at home to keep them interested - a language, or maths puzzles or something like that.
I would be looking at a new school though if it was my child, with a view to moving in September, even if you do stay in the same city. When I was teaching 6 years ago I had a composite class because it was a small school and needs must and at that time composite classes were frowned on - and now all of a sudden there are such classes of 3 age groups when there is no need because there are more than enough children to fill parallel classes which could then be set for English and Maths to help with differentiation.

We are having similar issues. DD1 v bright year 4 in a mixed year3/4 -bored and not learning anything an I mean anything. Dd2 in a mixed year1/2-shes year2. V rowdy year 1 boys-again total disruption and not much learning going on. Thinking of moving both

Until this year I have always been. Very happy with composite classes. Ds2 has been in two, a 3/4 when in P4 and 6/7 in P7. He was split from his friends in P6 as it is always done by age here but he got on fine.

Ds3 was in a 1/2 composite in P2. He was the oldest in the class and although he is strong academically he is quite young for his years so this suited him well.

This year he is the youngest in a 4/5 class. All his friends are in the other class. He does get pushed academically and does reading with the P5's but is struggling socially. The other boys are all into x-box and computers and playing with each other online. Some of them have games for 16-18 year olds. They seem years older than him. He has also missed out on opportunities that the other class have had which is quite upsetting. There is one girl in his class in the same position and her parents have spoken to the school about it but there is nothing can be done. Roll on the summer.