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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

How many different teachers does your child have in Year 3?

43 replies

justlumpingalong · 04/10/2017 23:14

My DD is in Year 3. I've just counted, and she has ten different teachers in the course of a week. Her form teacher teaches her for two subjects, but the other subjects are taught by eight other teachers. I was very wary when this was announced, as were some other parents, but we were assured that it was quite normal for Year 3. When I was in primary, it was the same teacher all day, every day.

Three weeks into term and I think my DD is starting to find it all a bit stressful. It feels as if she is at secondary school - having to cart her stuff from room to room, remembering where to go and what to take. Tears tonight because she forgot to do something that she should have done.

Is this standard now...?

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Scoleah · 05/10/2017 11:01

Mine has a Main teacher.
She has a different teacher for PE lesson.
And a music teacher comes in to teach Violin class.

user789653241 · 05/10/2017 11:09

I would loved that if my ds had specialist teacher for different subject.
I think yr3 are capable.

Madcats · 05/10/2017 12:22

DD(10) has this, but it was a little less in year 3. She and her friends love the variety (and it does mean that all the teachers in the school seem to know EVERY pupil very early on). This is an Indie school of about 250 pupils.

In year 3 the form teacher did - English & Maths (streamed from year 4) PSHEE & Art
She had different teachers for science, humanities, French, ICT, music, DT, PE, Games, RE.

It is bound to take your daughter a few weeks to get used to a new system (the school would expect them to make a few mistakes). IMO it is far better to get used to it now, and develop good organisations skills, than when you are 11 and have thrown hormones into the mix.

Does she have a book drawer/somewhere where all her stuff is stored at school? DD has a timetable with room numbers/teacher names and she sorts her books before registration (we have a rule that no books stay at home...same for clean sports kit).

Appuskidu · 05/10/2017 12:25

Just one. That's totally normal for private schools at primary level though-something that would strongly put me off sending DC to one.

SparklyUnicornPoo · 05/10/2017 16:35

mines year 4 now and since year 3 has had 2x form tutors (job share) then 9x subject teachers, it took her the first half term or so to get used to but is quite happy with it now.

I work in a state school and we have class teacher, PE and PPA cover, which can be a bit of a struggle if you have a teacher who say isn't that into music or isn't brilliant at science etc.

BikeRunSki · 05/10/2017 16:39

DS was Y3 last year. He had:

Form teacher
PPA cover
PE teacher
Swimming teacher
Music teacher
IT teacher

All in same room except PE, swimming, music and IT.

jamdonut · 05/10/2017 16:55

Ours is a ordinary primary school, classed as good.
Our children get used to having different teachers for different things in different rooms from year 1, with RWI , maths , RE, music, French and using the computer suite all requiring some classroom movement and change of teacher. I don't think any of the children have any difficulty with it. Those that are known to have problems with change , are catered for.
Why does it make the school any less nurturing , just because they move rooms?

christinarossetti · 05/10/2017 17:00

At 7, I think a large part of the challenge is moving classrooms all the time. Children can cope with lots of different adults if their base is secure.

Most schools will have children move into other rooms in KS1 for phonics, music, PE, maybe art, IT but there is usually a definitely sense of 'our classroom' where bags and books are left.

Original poster

justlumpingalong · 05/10/2017 21:47

Yes Christina, I think the moving rooms is part of it...the safe base...and also having that one adult in that room who really knows you, and is there for you. My DD is a bit of a dark horse - she doesn't wear her feelings on her sleeve. It makes me a bit sad to think that she could be feeling bad all day but no one would notice because she sees nobody who really knows her.

That said, she seems much better today. I spoke to her form teacher this morning and she was really over-thinking the little incident yesterday. Perhaps she was just a bit over-tired last night, she doesn't normally get into a pickle about things.

I think I'll chill for a bit and just keep an eye on it. Thank you everyone for your input - it's been enlightening to see all the different systems that are around.

OP posts:

jamdonut · 05/10/2017 22:52

But , the teachers who teach your child will make it their business to know her! If they teach her, they will know what she is like and capable of in that lesson.
Honestly, children are quite resilient, and by year 3 they are not little kids anymore.
Things are a lot different to when most current parents were at school. That does not make it worse.

NotEnoughCushions · 05/10/2017 23:03

Try not to worry but keep talking to the school about your concerns and how you can work together to help DD.

It's fairly normal in independent schools I think (and many will promote it as a selling point of the school) and whilst it can take a bit of getting used to it helps them in the long run. Although DD has a lot of specialist teachers she has always had a form teacher that she has a much closer relationship with - a nurturing environment and specialist teachers aren't mutually exclusive.

Logans · 06/10/2017 00:37

Independent school here too.

We have the form teacher plus specialist:
Maths
French
Art
Music
Choir
PE
Swimming
Games

Plus another 5 different teachers for each of the after school clubs.

So that’s either 9 or 14 different teachers depending on if you include clubs.

Tbh I never thought of this as being a bad thing, but then the school does expect a high level of maturity from them so it fits in with the school culture that people sign up for.

thegreylady · 06/10/2017 07:28

My dgs is in a small village primary with just 4 classes so class 3 has years 3/4 and 25 pupils. Their main class teachers job share and do a wonderful job being widely liked and respected. There is also a TA and a one to one for a child with SN.They have a different teacher for music and a chap comes in weekly to coach football.
The other classes have one main class teacher and either one or two TAs.

thegreylady · 06/10/2017 07:33

One lovely thing about such a small school (98 pupils between Nursery and Yr6)is that every teacher knows every child and year 6 'Buddy' year R for the first term which is very sweet to see.

MsAwesomeDragon · 06/10/2017 07:37

My dd has one main teacher and stays with her most of the time. I think they split the 3 year 3 classes into phonics groups so she goes into one of the other classes for that, and then there's the PPA teachers. So maybe 4 teachers over the course of the week.

ujerneyson · 06/10/2017 07:43

Independent school here and year 3.
Form teacher and TA
French
Music
PE
RE

Obviously there are different teachers for after school clubs but pretty sure that is it.

ReallyIam · 06/10/2017 11:13

I don't think that is normal, no.

My daughter is in Y3 at an indie school and she has a form tutor for 'core' subjects and RE/PSHE and then different teachers for things like art, games, swimming, languages, music. The school does step this up in Yr 4 and by the time she's in Yr 6 she will have more specialist teachers.

From the schools we visited it seemed that they all started to introduce a variety of teachers in Year 3 but that it's kept to a minimum and taken as a starting point, rather than jumping straight in.

I would speak to the Head. Explain your concerns - they may be trying to patch things over and that's fine if your child's education isn't being affected, but I would have my concerns too. And your daughter won't be the only one not knowing if she's coming or going. Mine would be leaving a trail behind her from class to class!

I would have thought they could at least make sure the subject teacher goes to the form room to teach so for the majority of the time the children are in their own class, if nothing else.

Lowdoorinthewal1 · 06/10/2017 17:47

I'm really not sure whether to make a fuss...

I'm not sure where you think you would get with this? Surely you knew how the school was structured before you signed up? They are not going to change the way they timetable for one DC who finds it difficult. If your DD isn't happy you can work with the school to help her cope better or look at other schools with a different set up.

DS is in Y3 in a 3-13 Prep. He has his form tutor for English and Geography/ History, then specialists (in different rooms) for Maths, Science, DT, French, ICT, Art, Music, RE, Sport and Swimming. It's normal for a 3-13 to do this from Y3 onwards. I thought he'd find it difficult this term because it is a lot of change and he's August born and not very organised, but actually he is thriving. He says he loves going to different lessons (although he does say it's because he gets to 'go for a walk' ) and I've seen a massive difference in his independence since the start of term.

TBH I think it's what you pay for!

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