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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

Moved down already!

65 replies

Satonloo · 24/09/2018 20:20

My dd has just started Year 1, she loved reception and was placed in red group, which was the more able learners. She was also part of their more able cohort and went up to Year 1 for her literacy. Her end of year report showed she was on hold levels for everything. Three weeks back and she told me today she has been move down a group, as you can imagine I quite surprised. Also she has started crying at drop off which she never did for reception, she told me her teacher ripped a page out of her book as she said it wasn't her best work. Any ideas of how to handle the conversation I will be having with the teacher tomorrow.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

user1483972886 · 24/09/2018 23:11

I really wouldn't sweat over this. Quite often children are not 100% aware of what is going on and can be economical with the truth so I would go with an open mind...

florenceheadache · 25/09/2018 01:07

i've read on here that taking messy pages out of books was fairly standard and done for the purpose of ofsted inspections. i suspect a group has had to be split into two.

Angharad07 · 25/09/2018 01:29

Is this how schools are now? How horrifying.

RedSkyLastNight · 25/09/2018 07:48

I think I'd be focusing on why a 5 year old child was crying because she had to sit on a different table. There shouldn't be so much pressure to perform at that age.

EndOfDiscOne · 25/09/2018 08:00

They were constantly fiddling with who sat where for DD1's year 1 (mind you it's a year of "strong personalities" so a lot of it was avoiding certain combinations of personalities being seated together to be fair.

Childrenofthesun · 25/09/2018 08:04

If you want to address anything, I would focus on the reading level rather than where she sits. As an aside, I'm surprised some schools seem to have such fixed ability groupings still that parents are aware of it. Ability groupings are not currently considered best practice. It's more about flexible grouping.

Waitingonasmiley42 · 25/09/2018 08:06

You are going to ask to see the assessment and get her reassessed? It’s people like you who make me regret teaching. I can well imagine the utter nightmare you’ll be in the years to come.

Oliversmumsarmy · 25/09/2018 08:18

Can I ask op why you and your child seem to set such great store in being in the top set. I think you are setting your dd up to be very miserable throughout her schooling. No wonder your dd is in tears if you are in such a panic about her moving onto a different table. Going into school with your husband. Getting her reassessed!!! She is in year 1. Calm down.

Miladymilord · 25/09/2018 08:21

Perhaps she did a piece of work particularly immature ly or badly. Teacher removed it so it didn't reflect on her as a whole.if she's moved down she can move back. Tell her if she wants to go back on the gold table to work super hard.

wwwwwwwwwwwwww · 25/09/2018 08:52

Honestly I think tables should be really fluid. Also some students work best being the top of a group rather than the weakest in a higher group. I think you sound ott asking to have your daughter reassessed by the foundation teacher. He/she has other children to focus on. I think you need to see if your daughter continues to make progress in the new group as that is what is important. I think the teacher is the one in the room seeing all the children's needs. It could be lots of other children have made leaps, so your daughter now is relatively slower with her work.

With the page from the book it is worth hearing the teachers account and explaining how it impacted the daughter maybe she'd benefit from a gentle approach.

TwoOddSocks · 25/09/2018 09:32

If the teacher literally ripped out her page because it wasn't neat enough I'd be very concerned. However children can often misinterpret what actually happened. So while I would definitely go into school to check (and to let the teacher know so she can be clearer next time) I wouldn't go in all guns blazing.

Orchidflower1 · 25/09/2018 09:40

Have you spoken to the teacher/ booked an appointment op?

DrinkFeckArseGirls · 25/09/2018 09:53

How do childre know if they were put in a group below? that’s not something that’s discussed with children in our school.
They all change their learning partner weekly - always someone else.

Thatstheendofmytether · 25/09/2018 09:55

Your dd could be struggling with the work she has to complete in the group she was in. Not sure what the harm in moving her down a group, if it means she's not struggling. A child finding something too difficult could really put them off.

I remember teachers tearing pages out of jotters when I was at school, not exactly great and I suppose it depends on the way it was don, angrily or just taking a page out because it is all wrong and the jotter would look untidy.

Trampire · 25/09/2018 10:13

Both my dcs have finished Primary now but throughout most of their time there I had no real concrete evidence for what ability group they were in.

At parents evenings I'd be shown they were working well. Occasionally a teacher would say that they were 'amoungst' some of the more able students.
However some weeks they would have a pupil mentoring situation (I believe) where they were changed around again. Tables and positions were changed every term. It seemed to be mixed ability but I have no real idea.

You really need to step off the gas.

My dd in Y9 has just moved down from the top set in Maths. At first I was a bit alarmed but she admitted she hadn't been trying that hard so....she'll just have to work really hard to get back there. I wouldn't dream of mentioning it to anyone.

Original poster

Satonloo · 25/09/2018 11:57

Waiting on a smile 42. I'm so sorry you seem very unhappy in your job. I recommend you leave teaching! If not for your sake then for the children's.
I spoke to the teacher who said she asked my daughter to sit on the table as she wants to move children round, as she is moving away from ability based tables,. Which I am pleased about. She reassured me she is working to above expected levels. I was just concerned that she had suddenly dropped levels and I had no idea why. Thank you for all your replies.

OP posts:

lolarose896 · 25/09/2018 12:02

I wouldn't worry. Ofsted are scrapping ability groupings and most schools have already stopped assigning children to specific tables based on ability so I am sure your daughter's school will catch up and scrap it before their next Ofsted inspection.

user789653241 · 25/09/2018 12:09

Op, it's unnecessary to say such a thing to 42. It does actually show what kind of parent you are, and I have to admit, I feel sorry for the teacher.

Oliversmumsarmy · 25/09/2018 12:11

Whilst you are pleased that your dd hasn’t actually dropped down a table I think now is the time to start tackling why you and your dd were so upset when you thought she had.

Her tears and upset must have come from somewhere.

Are you pushing her too hard or expecting too much that she gets upset that she can’t live up to your dreams.

The fact you and your dh both had to go in because you thought she had dropped down is really OTT.

Tell your dc she is going to school to enjoy herself. Make friends and learn different things.
Some of those things she will be good at. Some she will struggle with. As long as she has tried her best then that is all that matters.

Resilience and not taking things too personally is a life skill she should be developing.

It will be more useful in life than what table she sat on in year 1

RedSkyLastNight · 25/09/2018 12:25

There was nothing wrong with smile42's response.

OP -the things to focus on are

is my DD making progress?
is she being appropriately challenged?
why is she so upset because she thinks she's not "top"?

The relative achievement levels of everyone else in the class and what table the teacher chooses to sit her on are entirely irrelevant (unless they affect any of the above).

user789653241 · 25/09/2018 12:34

My ds was on second table for writing in one year, despite being always on top set previously. Teacher explained to me and to my ds, that it's because he does better with a bit of supervision, not to do with his actual ability, and they are doing the same work anyway. I totally understood what teacher said. And he still got above average for attainment end of the year, despite being sat in second table for a whole year.
It's still early days. You really don't know what teacher is trying to do.

BakedBeans47 · 25/09/2018 12:37

She’s 5. What does it matter? How do you know how she’s comparing to other kids?

Also why is mumsnet full of people with these “very bright” kids? Is it really indicative of society as a whole?

Waitingonasmiley42 · 25/09/2018 12:47

Thank for your faux concern OP. I’ll leave the profession immediately.

Just to clarify, I don’t think you were entirely wrong in seeking clarification from the teacher. I do think you were being rude asking to see the assessment/get it remarked.

user789653241 · 25/09/2018 13:04

BakedBeans, I think it's not indicative of society, but indicative of people who posts on education board on MN, that people are interested in children's education in general.

BakedBeans47 · 25/09/2018 14:08

but indicative of people who posts on education board on MN, that people are interested in children's education in general.

Maybe, but it still seems odd that they all seem to have genius children.

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