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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

Year 2 has been kept in a year 2/3 class ..need advice please

60 replies

Geetu · 06/07/2020 20:15

My year 2 in currently in a year 2/3 class, for the next year (sept) the headteacher has stated that he will not move into the yr3/4 class. He will remain in the yr2/3 class as a year 3 child. I have asked based on what assessment, have they made this decision.
The HT stated that he is not socially ready to move into the other class. My worry is will this be a positive or negative impact on my son.
Is it possible for the teacher to teach a class of 28 children, two different KS groups.

Please advice needed

Thanks.

OP posts:

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MinnieMousse · 06/07/2020 20:18

It's not the usual split but there are schools that do this (I'm in a Facebook group for year 2 teachers and there are a few year 2/3 teachers on here). Having taught years 1-3 I would actually say there is more crossover between year 2 and 3 than year 1 and 2.

ArnoldBee · 06/07/2020 20:19

My sons school has 45 per year so every year has a year class of 30 and a split class of the other 15. He has been the oldest and youngest in the split class. To be honest these days they are in so many different groups for each subject they don't really notice. Oh and just to add to.the excitement they re-split the year every school year.

Original poster

Geetu · 06/07/2020 20:38

The school do this every year. Last year they kept some yr2 in yr1 class.
There is only 5 children from the current yr2 that will go into a new classroom for yr3/4. But my son will remain in the year 2/3 class.
Today I have spoken to him, he thinks that his work isn’t good enough and that’s the reason he is staying.

TBH I have taken a look into a new school as I feel the crossover from ks1 to ks2 in one class surely will be hard for the teacher! I’m not sure 🤔

I spoke to the HT and got her to listen to the recording of my son talking about his work not being good enough. She stated she will have a chat with him and reassure him. After school pick up today, nothing was discussed with him and I feel the HT is disregarding his feelings.

I just don’t know what to do about everything. I don’t want him to stay and continue to feel like he’s not good enough and at the same time new school brings its own challenges too.

OP posts:

DoIneed1 · 06/07/2020 20:43

Do you think that your son might be aware of your concerns? Recording him talking about how he doesn't think his work is good enough seems a tad over the top to me. If he picks up on your worries then this will make him feel much worse.

Original poster

Geetu · 06/07/2020 20:48

@dolneed1 he doesn’t know I’ve recorded the conversation. I wanted the HT to hear his feedback when I told him the class he would be in.

OP posts:

fallfallfall · 07/07/2020 01:02

my trio went to a small school and all classes were split; K/1, 2/3, 4/5, 6/7. the teachers were excellent at differentiating the work, the group had different zones, and different activities at different times (they didn't do PE together or music, went to a different class for math etc.)
it's what they did routinely and i feel they received a very good education.

DivineTruth · 07/07/2020 02:43

I dont think his feedback is relevant. The HT has explained his work is not up to standard. Best thing would be to tell him to ship shape and improve.

FiveToFour · 07/07/2020 03:03

DivineTruth, the HT hasn't said his work isn't good enough,she has said he's not ready socially to move classes.
And do you really think that telling a 7 year old to pull himself together and shape up is the best way to help him in school? Particularly if he already feels he's not doing well enough?
OP,if the HT hasn't spoken to him yet,I wouldn't assume they aren't going to,more likely is that they are just busy.My children's school had split year group classes all the way through and there didn't seem to be any issues differentiating the teaching for all the children.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 07/07/2020 03:14

[quote Geetu]@dolneed1 he doesn’t know I’ve recorded the conversation. I wanted the HT to hear his feedback when I told him the class he would be in.[/quote]
But doing that is quite odd in itself. He might not have known you were recording but he could easily be picking up your feelings in the way you explained it. What’s given him the impression that his work isn’t good enough? Does he see being in a year 3/4 class as being moved up and being in a year 2/3 class as staying down?

The head has explained why he’s in the class he is. I don’t think you are going to get anywhere by trying to get it changed.

BendingSpoons · 07/07/2020 07:29

You say only 5 children are moving, so plenty aren't? So he is presumably not the only one? I would just be positive: they need people to show the younger ones what to do and know you are so helpful, it will be fun because they will still have X toys, you will be doing the same work as the other class. It's a shame the HT didn't have a chat as planned, but there is a lot you can do here.

Tinamou · 07/07/2020 07:35

Teachers in small schools are used to teaching mixed year classes so I don't think it will be a problem. If your son is socially less mature than some of his peers, he may really benefit from this arrangement - lots of kids flourish and gain self esteem when they are at the top of a lower group rather than at the bottom of a higher group.

Also, as you chose a small school with mixed year classes, surely you knew this might happen? If you're not happy, move him to a bigger school.

NerrSnerr · 07/07/2020 07:44

How many year 3s will be staying in his class?

ScrapThatThen · 07/07/2020 07:48

It was fine for my dd in a 2/3 split for year 3. Not cool that your ds thinks he's being kept down though.

Goatsandreindeer · 07/07/2020 07:55

This is a bizarre thread! He’s only year 3 for goodness sake, seems like everyone needs to calm down. Work not good enough? Recording conversations?

Bramblyberries · 07/07/2020 07:55

What do you think is the big difference between KS1 and KS2 that you think the teacher won't be able to manage? Have you explained this to the headteacher and asked for reassurance? Deciding to move schools based on your perception that they have mixed the wrong classes because the particular curriculum/admin differences between those years is more significant than other years is quite a step, and they'd want to know your specific concerns.

Why not just explain to your DS that class sizes means there is a mix of ages, and they have to decide who would fit best with different teachers, children, etc, and that all Year 3s will do the same work. It's not being kept down, it's just a particular room to be taught the next year's work in. Tell him that they used to have 4 or 5 years in one class, in some of the small one-room schools! Everyone did work for their own level. Reassure him that he's still moving up a year.

Some schools mix years 2/3/4 even. I don't know that mixed classes are always great for children; there are some that it doesn't suit, and some that it's fantastic for, but teachers will be looking into differentiating the work appropriately. Some schools choose to mix year groups regardless of size - so everyone is in, say, a Year 3/4 class even if there were enough children to have one Year 3 class and one Year 4 class, because they think there are more benefits to mixed classes or having the same teacher twice.

mynameisnotmichaelcaine · 07/07/2020 07:56

He'll have missed half a year of school. I think staying in effectively the same class is much better than being rushed forward when you're not ready.

I'm a secondary teacher. I have kids whose work is a higher standard in Year 7 than some Year 11s ever get to, so I just don't see year groups as being as indicative of the quality/level of work produced as some people do.

I don't understand where he has got the impression his work is of a poor standard. If there are only 5 going up, surely he's not the only one staying down?

TheFallenMadonna · 07/07/2020 07:58

If he was in the year 2/3 class this year, then his teacher has been working across two key stages this year too.

GetUpAgain · 07/07/2020 07:59

Its not a bad thing for him, has he got the message from you that this is negative? Surely its better to be pleased that he will be in the class that most suits his needs?

heartsonacake · 07/07/2020 08:04

Why do you think you know better than the teachers how well they can teach?

You are making such an issue out of this it’s having a negative impact on your son. Why did he say his work wasn’t good enough? Did you ask him why he thought he wasn’t moved up? If so, you shouldn’t have done that; he will be picking up on your feelings here.

Recording him was also out of line. The headteacher and the child’s teacher know what is best for your son education wise; they see him in that setting every day. They’re the experts.

FloreanFortescue · 07/07/2020 08:04

Can you please just let the people that work with him every single day make a professional judgement on which class would be the most suitable for him?

It's a Y2/3 class and he's going to be a Y3. They will cater for his needs. It's a statutory requirement.

Todaythiscouldbe · 07/07/2020 08:10

Did the teacher manage the two KS groups this year when he was year 2? You haven't said there were any issues so I assume the answer is yes. Why will it be different next year?

Sittinonthefloor · 07/07/2020 08:11

As pps have said the negativity must be come fro you, why are you discussing it with him. It’s not an issue, loads of primarys have mixed year groups, it’s very normal. Maybe your son is less mature socially - that’s an observation, not a criticism!

titchy · 07/07/2020 08:25

Blimey OP he's 7 - it's not exactly difficult to 'big-up' something like this and make him feel really positive about it. I suspect you've just created quite a problem for him. Well done. Great parenting.

LolaSmiles · 07/07/2020 08:32

lots of kids flourish and gain self esteem when they are at the top of a lower group rather than at the bottom of a higher group.
This is what we are still telling parents in secondary. It seems people love sets when they think their child will be in the high set, but get overly bothered if their child's timetable says set 2 and not set 1.

As an aside OP, a school with mixed year group classes will have teachers who are skilled at teaching mixed year classes. Be careful passing on your own views to your DC. A y2/3 group is still appropriate for your child.

Pleasance · 07/07/2020 22:03

Not an issue. His teacher will be able to plan learning for his/her year 2/3 class, of which your DS is one.
All teachers have to plan for a range of abilities even in a pure year group from the less to the more able.
In some of the small schools I work with there are just two classes - Reception, Y1 and Y2 in one class and Y3, Y4, Y5 and Y6 in the other.

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