Composite classes, talk to me...

[AngryCrispLady]

My child is to be in a composite class at Primary School next year. Are the reasons behind them to do with class size / staffing ratios, or ability? Can anyone talk me through what to expect? How does the teacher separate their time between teaching the different years?
Thanks

They are taught as one year group

Say year 3/4 will have some kids on Y targets and some on X targets - some year 4 will be in lower groups with year 3

Example

Time (Maths)

Some will have hour half hour - some will be on calculating if you left the station at X what time will you reach Y?

No different

And yes usually class sizes - staffing etc

My child is in one this year (and next). We've been happy with it. My child is KS1 and the school explained the process for deciding who would be in the composite class (there are also non composite classes). Essentially they balance the classes in terms of friendship groups and personalities, but try to put children with a longer concentration span at the end of Reception, into composite.

In my child's school there is a 2 year topic theme for KS1 so topics are not repeated. Some things are taught as a whole class (for example maths) - yr1 students would be with teacher on carpet doing say addition/subtraction, yr2 student working quietly at tables. Then they would swap over with the teacher covering the yr2 syllabus. I quite like that yr2 get a revision class in the background! School is strict about not covering yr2 syllabus in yr 1.
Tables are not organised around year groups, and are mixed up each term. Yr 1 and yr 2 children are partnered up (changing each term also) for some things. I like the way it works socially - yr2 children look out for the yr1s etc.

Thanks for your answers. Am sure it will be fine - is just a bit new / unknown. Good to hear how it works practically, and of your positive experience, gnoomi

I think the issues can be about how the classes are organised and how many will be composite. For example if you have two year groups with 45 children in each, do you have three composite classes of 30 or leave two in their correct year groups and make one composite? If you do one, do you mix the youngest from the top year and the oldest from the lower year? If your child is in a composite class, but other children who are in the same year group are not, are you happy
with this arrangement?

As the mum of a very bright August birthday child I would have removed her from a school that mixed her with younger children but left other children to work with their correct cohort. That penalises a summer born and rather assumes they have made less progress than the other children and can be separated due to their birth date alone and not their needs. So how they work out who is in which class is important.

Success also depends on high quality teaching. Reading ages can vary hugely as can social interaction. I prefer a standard class system but would accept composite if it is used for all and not a few children being hived off.

My boys had it at primary - I can't stress enough how much the quality and experience of the teacher AND TA mattered. Basically the TA was doing a lot of teaching of some groups - thankfully he was a retired maths teacher and my sons thrived with him. Previously they had it with a job share teachers and in reception - it just didn't work - I think the two changes together just freaked them out.

Success also depends on high quality teaching

Actually it depends on good quality management and an enforced behaviour policy

Composites based on age is not necessarily the best, or indeed the only way to go.

I used to teach mixed years. We had PAN of 45 with 2 small classes in EYFS and KS1, then 3 mixed 3/4 classes of 30 each.

Ours were fully mixed to have equal sharing of ages and abilities in each.

We sometimes set for maths topics to ease differentiation, but those sets were determined for each and every topic as needed. We'd assess a new area on Monday, then determine the groups for the week.

Two year cycle of science, history, geography, etc topics. Eg Romans alternated with the Maya.

It's great. Yr4 chn really help the yr3 to make the transition. We usually kept our yr3s into yr4 so knew them really well.

No, GreenTulips, it is high quality teaching. That ensures good behaviour. Composite classes do not differ regarding the behaviour of the children from standard classes. Managing the different ages, maturity, curriculum and SEN means the teachers need to be good. All schools and teachers should have high expectations regarding behaviour and follow their polices irrespective of class organisation.

I disagree - if teachers don't have the backing of the senior leaders - then how they disapline won't make a jot of difference

Child bites an adult - the behaviour policy states immediate sent home - HT doesn't feel that this child should go home - because his moms just had a baby

Or Child 2 often throws chairs - so the teacher should've been on standby and known the child will throw chairs

Child swears at dinner ladies - never mind it's just worlds. Dinner ladies threaten to walk - so the head phones the parents - but doesn't make the child apologise

All relevant

Our school has all mixed classes - three Y1/2, three Y3/4, three Y5/6. I have nothing but good things to say about it - that's not to say it is brilliant for all children but it's worked really well for mine. When they are younger in the class they are stretched by being with the older children and they seem to really enjoy having older friends. Then when it is their turn to be the older year, I've watched all here of my children blossom in terms of confidence. Especially my youngest, who obviously doesn't have younger siblings, has really got a lot out of helping smaller children.

You obviously work in a zoo GreenTulips. Most schools just do not have ongoing problems like this and you clearly have problems with your SLT. I would get another job, because what you are describing is not typical. Most teachers realise that discipline is not always black and white and work with SLT on how to manage individual children and probably educational psychologists and behaviour experts too. Lots of primary schools do not send children home immediately, they usually spend time with the Head or in a time out zone. Sometimes parents cannot be contacted to come and get a child. That does not mean to say the discussions about the child's behaviour and how to manage the child are not ongoing. You seem to dislike troubled children and do not appear to want to help them. The type of child you are describing clearly has SEN and possibly should not be in mainstream school. None of this has anything to do with composite classes and you do need good teachers to make that work effectively. Behaviour has little to do with it.