Ds starting reception, will be in Y1 class, not happy!

[BottlebinBerrie]

Have posted about this before so apologies for repeating myself.
It now seems certain that as Ds is one of the oldest and the reception intake is too big for the lovely 4+ unit, he and a few others will have to be in the Y1 class.
I am really worried that he will pick up that his group is not as clever as the rest of the class and that he is also not part of the class in the purpose built, toy filled reception unit that he will be taken to visit on the days a TA is available.
I realise that in smaller schools mixed classes are the norm but this is not a smaller school and I don't want his first experience of school to be one where he feels an outsider.

Does anyone have experience of this and do you think it is important enough to send him to a further away school instead?

I don?t have direct experience of this but can totally understand your concerns.
Our village school has 4 teachers and so the year groups are mixed up - but as they are all mixed up and used to it, not an issue for them. I am amazed at how easily older children adapt to younger children?s working paces are don?t ridicule or get irritated with them, most enjoy the fact they know more and become a bit patronising or teacherly towards the younger ones. If anything, the younger year group children tend to cope better with each class than the older ones as they are more tempted to sit back and work at the slower pace, particularly in group work activities.

If this were my children - DD1 would rise to the challenge and probably even benefit getting away from her immediate younger peers whereas if it were DD2 I would need to find an alternative school as she has a younger outlook and needs the gentle softly softly approach (ironically DD2 is older in her academic year than DD1).
Does he know and get on with the other children selected to go up? Are there any of the Y1s that he knows/could go on play dates with before going up to school? Do you like/trust the teacher to make the most of this? Has is happened in the school before and if so, how successful was it? Is the school happy and positive about doing this or are they being forced into doing this thanks to the local authority? Is the Y1 room geared up to support your child with the right equipment and toys?
Only you can look at all the factors in place and decide but I do not envy your choice.
Children are surprisingly resilient and he doesn?t know different - if he is given the idea that he is a really big boy and doing so well that he is going into the big boys class would he feel all proud and excited or would he shrink back and worry about it?
Whatever you decide, make sure youa re very careful not to discuss any misgivings or worries you have within earshot or you will make him worry too. I know you don?t need to be told that but can?t help typing it just like my mum still has to warn me that every cuppa she makes is hot and be careful!

Good luck with your decision.

Thanks Lemontart, lots of useful things to think about there.
Ds is incredibly shy and yes, shrinking. I've no doubt that I could play up the idea of him being an older, clever boy but I don't think that this would make up for the lovely toy garage next door! I suppose I'm worried about the subconcious ideas about himself he might pick up. The school don't like having to do it but it's the numbers problem. I will try to get to talk to the teacher if they have decided who it will be yet.
I'm not looking forward to having to tell him he is not going to that school. he has not really made friends yet, he seems slower than his peers in that respect. I'll have to start thinking about play dates.
Thanks for taking the time to think about this for me!

My ds is in the same position. He is the oldest in the class of the millenium baby boom. He was born on Sept 1st 1999. He went through 2 reception classes where he was meant to but after Easter in 2nd reception he was moved to yr 1(with 6 others) a term early. This was done without consultation with the parents or children and came as a big shock. My son was lucky as he knew a few of the older class but it was still hard. In that sept they then decided to keep him in year 1 with the younger 7 in the class being kept back in reception class instead of moving up. Lo and behold after the Easter holidays, again without consultation, they moved the oldest 7 up to yr 2 a term early and moved the youngest 7 to yr1. In sept it was decided that the oldest children,ds included, would be moved to yr 3 a whole year early, hence apart from a term, they missed out on yr 2 completely. Ds should now be in yr 3 but again last sept they moved them up to yr 4 a year early. After a chat with the new head it is believed that it will happen the same way again this sept. I am fortunate in one way that ds is a bright,easy going child with a friendly personality. But we do have real concerns. We wonder whether he actually missed out on any work in yr 2/3 as the teachers involved appeared to be expected to teach the children in the 2 years different work. This years teacher appears to be giving the children in the whole class the same work but at varying levels of difficulty, which makes more sense to me but which I believe could be quite soul destroying to a child who has a low level of confidence. The other drawback is because he wasnt with the class the whole way through he doesnt really know any of the older children in a really social way. They do not appear to want to "hang out " with him out of school and the kids in the year he should be in have made their own friendships and I forsee problems for the "7" when they have to mix with the other s in comp. My major concern is what happens when my son gets to y6. What happens then. He can obviously not move to comp a year early but the class will still be too big to be altogether. The head is unable to allay my concerns at present as they make their decisions dependent on the numbers of children in the classes at the time and also obviously the school budget.
I would suggest that you speak to the school about your fears and ask for feedback on how your dc is coping. I would also suggest that you invite children of both ages to play with your son so that he develops friendships with children of both age groups in case the situation changes at any time. I would also suggest that you ask the school to inform you of any decisions they intend to make before they make changes so that you can prepare your dc. Good Luck.

Thanks Grav, that sounds like a nightmare. He hasn't actually started school yet. He is very shy.
I'm in the fortunate position of actually doing some teaching work there which is how I know. I would be furious to find my child in Y1 when it came to it if I had enrolled him on the basis that I thought he was going into a normal reception class...

bump

Bump again...

Keep on bumping

What do mean he will be in Y1? Do you mean it will be a composite class, a mix of reception and yr 1? In my experience, composite classes work just as well.

Yes it will be a mixed class, which I have no objection to in any other year, but not his first when he will be neither like his classmates in year one nor the recpetion children in the 4+unit.

Not directly relevant as we live abroad, however DS(5.5) is in his third year of Kindergarten which had a completely mixed class of 3-6 year olds. It actually works really well as the younger ones learn from the older ones and the older ones help the younger ones. I admit there is not as much formal learning as in year 1 in the UK but just wanted to say that mixing ages sometime can be beneficial.

agh, should have checked spelling before posting........

Thanks confused...I think if I talk to the Y1 teacher it might help to set my mind at rest a bit.

How big would that class of 3-6 year olds be Confused?

I think it is called vertical grouping - a known teaching practice when there are not enough teachers to go around. Probably happening to my sons yr 1 class next year - some reception will be joining them.

Believe me though, the yr 1s will only be very slightly ahead in terms of concentration, ability - so regardless, it probably wont have that much impact on what they learn if the teacher is good at her job. The yr 1 class this year have spent a lot of time with his reception class - its only a small school.

I am sure there will still be toys. And a sandpit. And lots of age appropriate activities. He will be fine - do not even let him pick up there is the slightest issue re starting school - remember - its because he is so big/ clever if he asks!!

Thanks Feckly...will try not to.

Message withdrawn

Thanks Onrinoco but the receptinon child doing Y2 work horrifies me. I don't want him to do older children's work, I want him to play.

Sorry, rather late reply - class of 3-6 years olds has 24 children.

at my dd's school the intake is 40. so the 10 oldest go in a mixed class with 20 year1's. dd was in the mixed class and loved it. the mixing goes all through the school to, atm she's one of 20 year1's with 10 from year 2.

we find it works fine. in class, they do some activities all together and some are split, and even though they are different age groups, the mix of ability goes right across the board anyway, it isn't really an issue, eg there are lots of free readers already in year 1, and some year 2's are still on stage 7/8 of the ort. i find the mixed classes allow the children to be able to go at their own pace as they are not all automatically assumed to be at the same level.

Was there ever an issue about her not being part of the 'proper' reception class?

My LO is currently in Yr 1 /Reception - he is one of 8 reception kids - he has been fine - I was also really concerned that he would miss play time etc but the rec kids do more play when the yr 1 are "working" I've found its brought him on as well because even though they are taught the same subjects (at different levels) hes picked up on some of the stuff for Yr1 kids.

Next year he will be in yr1 full then the yr after yr2/3 then yr3 then yr 4/5 etc etc

Thanks, it's really useful to hear some positive stories.