Still Angry

[PuckeredAhole]

I'm still angry that there are 33 students in both reception classes at my dd's new school. I thought it was almost impossible to win an appeal, yet 6 children have been let in. It's the highest they've ever had looking at the school's admission stats. Last year they had 63, so class of 31 and 32. The year before that it was 60 and before that 59.

I am worried that the school doesn't have the resources or are not experienced with high number classes.

I read that they will have to get another qualified teacher in year 1 if the class sizes are still over 30. What are the alternatives?

They don't have to get another teacher in Y1 if the additional children were admitted as exceptions they will just carry on as they are in reception.

Umm, in my country, there are way more than 30 children in a class with one teacher and no TA. It really depend on how the class is managed, especially, a lot of English school have extra TA and parent helper,etc.

If they won the appeal, they must have had good reason to win. Imagine if it was your DC? And if you are not happy, you can always put your child on the waiting list for another school with less children in the class.

Also if you assume they don't have enough funding to support class size of 30+, you can always help with fundraising, donating, and helping as a parent helper? Better to think positive than negative!

If it's almost impossible to win an appeal they must have had good reason.

How would you feel if your child was wrongly denied a place at school?

Why are you so angry?

Well I'd be upset because I think 33 is a ridiculous size for a reception class. And i would wonder why it keeps happening (I know there can be perfectly legitimate reasons).

There's no money in education. Class sizes will continue to rise as most schools will have to lose at least one or two teachers this year to stay in their budget.

That's true Tessa but people should be angry about it.

Maybe you should get angry, but not at school or children who has won the place.

Prior to infant class size limits being introduced I taught reception classes of 36 without a TA.

Nowhere does the op say she's angry with the school or the children. To be fair.

I'm angry with the system. I know it's not the school that allowed this. The council probably cocked up and turned down fully eligible families who then won on appeal.

In past years the numbers were a bit lower so I'm pissed that my dd seems to be in a boom year. I'm also worried that the teacher won't cope with the needs of 33 students. I don't want my well behaved dd to become an invisible child who doesn't make as much progress as a student who started out from a lower level than her.

Mrz just because it can be done doesn't mean that's the way it should be. What if there is an nqt teaching? What if there are very challenging children in the class?
Smaller class sizes are usually better and op wants the best for her child.
Wait and see how it goes op and move schools if you have to. Depends on the teacher and children whether the extra 3 children make a difference

Started out at a lower level?

I think in a class of 33 it is fair to assume that there will be a range of behaviours. And that some of them will be on the exuberant/ spirited side. These may also be children with sen - and likely the school will be without the money to make supporting these children easy. So not totally unreasonable to worry that a well behaved, quiet child wil get considerably less than 1/33rd of the teacher's time and attention. In a well run reception class with plenty of high quality free play opportunities this may not actually mater that much but can you really not see why the OP may be justifiably concerned?

'Started out at a lower level?'
How do you mean?

I was with you until "I don't want my well behaved dd to become an invisible child who doesn't make as much progress as a student who started out from a lower level than her."

I'm angry at the way school funding is being reduced (yes, I know it has in theory gone up but schools are required to do more for this money so the ent effect is a reduction). But I don't have sympathy for those who think their PFB is more important and better behaved than the other children they may mix with.

"What if there is an nqt teaching? What if there are very challenging children in the class" yes user I taught classes of 36+ as a student and then as a new qualified teacher (although there wasn't a nqt year then so no half day out of the class nqt time /mentor or indeed PPA) and yes there were challenging children.

Barbarian, I do get what you are saying, but that's what will be happening and not by school's choice and I assume it will be difficult to change it.
Just getting concerned/angry , won't help nothing. As a parent, OP can make sure her dd doesn't disappear into the background, just because she is well behaved/no trouble child, by talking to teacher regularly, etc. She can volunteer to keep an eye if possible. There may be positive way to deal with this unfortunate situation.

In 1 hour lesson, in theory, with 30 children, 60 min x 60 / 30 gets 120 sec.of teacher time. With 33 children gets 109 sec. Of course it will add up losing few seconds every time, but in real life, teacher's time doesn't work like that.

Last year, one of a child(SEN) has been moved to my ds's class mid year, from very experienced head of year's class to NQT's class. The class already had few children with behaviour problems. So, his class had 31 children while other class had 29. It worked well, the teacher managed really well tbh. NQT doesn't mean she/he can't handle tough situation.

I can identify the non teachers here. As a secondary teacher my perspective is different however to reiterate what a pp has said: when I have a class of 30 (my biggest class) I probably have about a minute of personal time with them in theory. But if a student needs more than a minute of time, that lesson I am not able to get around everyone. It's a fact of life. I know obviously that the primary setting is different and the students see the teacher all day, but I still worry.

With regard to a student being at a..lower level: if my daughter can write her name, recognise numbers etc already, then a child who cannot will be worked with to get to my daughter's level. But will my dd be worked with to improve HER level. A child lower than her in essence could make more progress than my dd because they were at a lower starting point. Understand?

With 33 students it worries.me that by the end of reception she won't have made as much progress than the others. I like the idea of keeping in touch with the teacher to see what is being done to nurture her. I'm hoping everything will be OK.

And don't get me started on the time wasted by challenging students!

But it doesn't work like that in early years. In order to make the early learning goals observations have to be made demonstrating the children's abilities. They can't just ignore a child because they're achieving, evidence has to provided.

Thanks señorita. As a secondary MFL teacher I have a lot to learn about EYFS. Fear is definitely breeding ignorance in my case. But I don't want this to be a disadvantage. The teacher has been there a few years, no idea if it's her first post. She has a great reputation though.

So a few weeks into September term shall I ask for her 'learning goals'?