Current year 1 classes

[Sunglassesevenintherain]

My daughter is in Year 1 at primary school and has been really unhappy at school. She is quite sensitive (she does have some SEN) and finds her class too much as there are a lot of disruptive and boisterous kids. I’ve started looking at other options, but a friend who works with children, though in a different borough warned me that in her area the current Year 1 classes all have a reputation for being quite unsettled and challenging. She said this is linked to children in this year group having been born during lockdown/Covid.
It made me worry whether moving schools might not improve things if it’s a broader issue across this age group.
I'm looking at schools next week but
I’d really appreciate hearing if others have found similar or if your children are settled and happy in Year 1?

Mine are way past Primary School so I can’t help with your question but I’m wondering if she has an ECHP and has been assessed by an OT?

My son is in Year 2 now albeit in a mixed Year 1/2 class and I don’t think they’re any more challenging than any other Year 1 group as been. My niece is in Reception and she’s found the same. There are always going to be more noisy/disruptive kids in a class, I think that’s the nature of 5/6 year olds. I’m not sure there’s a link to Covid/lockdown particularly, I’m not sure there’s much evidence of that and for lots of families I know with babies, it was a ‘good’ thing as partners were often WFH or furloughed so got to spend much more time with their babies (without the stress of homeschooling which there was for older kids)

My son is in year 1 and the difference between his class and my other son at the same age is huge. So much more SEN (including my son) and English as an additional language. I wonder if it’s just a coincidence or if it is covid/something else related.

I work in a school as a TA. I have not seen any difference between the Yr groups SEN numbers.

SEN is an issue for sure - there are so many children who would benefit from being in a specialist school, and as a result the education of both the SEN children and non-SEN children suffer, but this is an issue that has been going on for many years; certainly it occurred pre-COVID.
If you move schools it will most likely be a case of out of the frying pan and in to the fire…

Last year, the local and national picture for the Reception cohorts was very different to other years. Much, much higher numbers of SEND and much more severe needs. Those children are now Year 1 and those needs have enormous implications for that year group. I’m a Reception teacher.

Agree with pps. My youngest is year 1 - lots of challenges, some sen but not typical traits so hard to understand if age or actual
condition. Their reception class was awfully chaotic - kids being forced on to part time time tables (Sen given as reason but without diagnosis and against parents wishes) and really poor communication from the teachers

Teachers in year 1 very different and hugely supportive but I worry that there is longer term impact from how reception year was handled

Eldest had very different experience in reception and year 1 despite being a much more emotional child

i hadn’t considered the Covid impact before, my child when to nursery full time from age 1, so was well socialised and used to group settings without any issues - so the school challenges took us by surprise but there definitely could be something in it

Oh so it’s a national thing! Does anyone know why or what is causing the rise? Is it just this one year group?

Interestingly my DS is in year 1 and they are the best year group the school have had for some time (likely because of Covid disruption with previous years). I do think there are SEN and other issues (my DS being one of them). I think a lot of parents struggled and used screens as childcare which has a lot to do with it. I think cost of living and anxiety is playing a bit part too, especially as children are getting older.

I’d say the Covid years could hugely affect development.

Not only were children not socialised in a regular way, but for me, the biggest issue was communication. Largely because of face masks and social distancing , children missed a whole chunk of their development around speech and language, social cues/eye contact, etc. this could cause significant issues further down the line, including issues with language and behaviour.

My ds is year2 in a state school, many kids have SEN but obviously in a random selection of 30 kids it will always be hit and miss. You could fall into a class that’s worse elsewhere - I have a friend whose son goes to a lovely local private school but the class is dominated by some boys with very challenging SEN and already in year 2 several children have left the school to avoid these kids.

Saying that, if you don’t like the school, move. A school should be able to provide the peace and quiet that more sensitive kids need in order to settle down and learn. Few kids learn best in an unruly noisy room.

Our y1s are the most difficult year group in the school. Attention span of gnats, cannot listen, cannot sit still. The teachers are on their knees and the current y2 teachers are panicking.

My ds is in year 1. In his 60 class intake there are 8 or so children who are regularly disruptive. Mainly SEN issues. But we are talking throwing tables, chairs, scissors etc. needing to evacuate the whole class.

Maybe it's COVID. But this year would have been under 1year at the first lockdown. Speech was an issue for my ds because of masks but otherwise he's been socialised well. We managed to get him into a COVID 'bubble' at nursery by 12 months.

I wonder if there's generally less discipline. My ds can be disruptive because he loves moving while doing work and the teacher has told me she has made all these allowances for him (moving his desk so he has space, wobble cushions etc) which is lovely but he also sometimes needs to be told just to sit down.

You're thinking of functional families who could WFH or afford furlough. However there are plenty of families who would have been on social services' radar who were missed and didn't get the interventions they needed, there are families with SEND who were diagnosed late, there are families who fell into poverty because of lost jobs or income and all the stress that caused, there are families where children at home were simply neglected because their parents were struggling to function in the new circumstances. Sadly it's not always a good thing for children to have more time with their parents. It depends on the parents!

There's several research studies evidencing this too - here's the first one I found:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12937897/

We had that problem 8 years ago…. we can’t really afford private, but in the end it was accepting no decent education, or going private. Things have only gotten worse since.
30 kids, 1 teacher (and a very part time TA) and a percentage of parents with no interest in their kids’ education can’t work. If you are in a school that works, you are very, very lucky.
Now our local send private school has closed, so there are 300 more children with mild sends in state private schools (about 200 went to other private schools) - good luck!
Getting an ehcp for a child is difficult and expensive as well, plus won’t change a lot in the short to medium term.

I’m a supply teacher and I have t noticed anything different about this years year ones. Year one is a difficult year though as the amount that they are expected to learn is huge and they are coming from EYFS where they are learning through play in to year one where they are at tables pretty much all of the time. It’s a big change.

Having said that, schools are not all the same and that is down to the way they are run. It’s would be rare to find a class that did not have children with additional needs, but how that is managed can be very different indeed.

Also a supply teacher and haven't noticed anything different.

At the school where I worked for 24 years and left last year, the tricky classes are now Y2 and Y6.

KS1 teacher...experienced teachers I talk to say Year 1s are more challenging than previously. Lots of SEN and really poor attention and listening skills.

OP - have you had a proper conversation with the class teacher about your daughter's needs? Does she have a diagnosis and is on the school's SEND register? Children can mask so much in school they may not be aware that she is struggling if not.

I have been a Year 1 teacher for the last 10 years. This cohort are very difficult in comparison to previous years. The difference has been quite shocking for me. They struggle to sit still, they cannot recall anything (eg read them a story and they can't tell you anything about it), and a number have significant behavioural needs that apparently weren't there in Reception! Think throwing objects around the rooms, attacking other children, attacking the adults etc.

SLT say it's the same in all the local schools. I didn't believe them at first, but I've heard a lot since then and it does sound like this is a problem across a lot of schools.

This is the first year I am considering quitting! I'm not here to be a punchbag for the children, and it's very hard trying to teach children who have no working memory.

My son is in Y1. He is doing well, we've had issues with other kids in the class, a Y1/Y2 combined class, picking on him and being generally disruptive as well. I don't know about SEN but they do have challenging backgrounds. We have looked into moving once or twice but I'm not convinced it would be any better elsewhere so we're staying for now.

I wouldn't say moving her will necessarily be the (long term) magical solution. Mainstream schools are expected to deal with some pretty extreme SEN needs these days. If a class doesn't have any children displaying challenging, deregulated behaviours with upset and unsettled others currently (luck of the draw), they easily could do one day soon. You are possibly looking to move your daughter. If you do find somewhere with space whose Year 1 class currently feel calmer and more settled, what's to say a parent with a child displaying challenging behaviours doesn't also move their child there before the end of the year? Then another at the start of Year 2, and another before Christmas time next school year? The dynamics of a class can change dramatically in a short space of time. I wouldn't say moving her is necessarily the solution here. Especially as it could work the other way, and her current class dynamics could change soon if she stays there and other children potentially leave.

I'm a Reception teacher. Our current Year 1 had a tough time last year in Reception, where we had to deal with a child who would frequently display aggression and trash the classroom, and another who would spend the day high-pitched screaming. They have both since moved to different settings, one at the end of Reception and one around October half term. They are now like a different class in a Year 1. Four new children have joined. All early acquisition EAL, so need support academically, but all calmer children. There are no major behavioural issues currently. Some children who were displaying lots of low level behaviours have all improved, as the children they were feeding off are no longer around. The class does have 2 spaces, currently, though. If you looked round at my school, you'd probably love the vibe of Year 1. That could all change again if those 2 spaces are taken by children with extreme SEN or challenging behavioural needs though.

I would try to look into the reasons your daughter is struggling with school and work with the school on what you can all do to support her. If she's noise sensitive, she might require some work with the pastoral team to develop coping strategies when she gets her early warning signs. Have you spoken to the SENCO about her own suspected SEN? Perhaps ear defenders could be an option?

Work with the school. Leaving is not always the magical answer as the grass isn't always greener long term, even if it seems to be temporarily. If she has these sensitivities they're always going to be there and circumstances can change in a heartbeat. If you had concerns about the school itself, looking for a new school would be advisable. If it's just the current class dynamics which aren't suiting your child though, it could be a case of frying pan to fire, especially if she ends up in a school which you're not as happy with for other reasons (academic support and performance, communication with parents, wider curriculum opportunities etc). If you're happy with the school overall, I'd stick with it and work with them to support her needs.

Yes, and yet the government expect us to continue to churn out improved GLD percentages, despite dealing with more children than ever who are totally not ready for school. 😥

Y1 teacher of 10+yrs here. This year, my cohort of 30 children is the class I wish I'd had as my final year, pre-retirement. Total contrast to you it sounds! Mine are lovely. Every single one. I have 3 SEN and 5 EAL, which is probably more EAL than usual and less SEN. Some family court and safeguarding dramas but the kids are all so gentle, caring and grounded, calm. No behavioural issues this year which is new for me, usually there is at least 2 or 3 with behavioural issues or SEMH which upsets the apple cart. This year's bunch are genuinely a pleasure to teach and be around!

Wow this thread is really eye opening! If we move, it’s not a choice I will make lightly at all but I think I’m armed with some more questions to ask the perspective schools. I don’t know if anyone is really able to actually answer this question but does anyone have any reason or theories as to why so many year ones are finding this. Thank you

For us it’s the current years 2s, no problems with the year 1s.

Essay incoming!

As you say, nobody will be able to provide a definitive answer as such but here are some of the common theories for why Year 1 classes appear to be becoming more difficult in general, as a national trend, year upon year:-

Covid babies
Some people see this as the sole reason for the decline. Other people see it as a complete excuse. The reality is most likely somewhere in between. Services were obviously cut dramatically during this time, which must have had some effect somewhere down the line (health visitor checks either not happening, being delayed or only occuring over Zoom rather than in person). A lot of early developmental issues slipped through the net. Depending on the individual circumstances of each family, early attachment and socialisation skills may have been affected (whereas, for others, the opposite might be true).

Life-style changes
Life is significantly different for most young families these days. Most families have either two working parents or a single working parent (with many having to work full time). Children are therefore spending less time with their parents than ever before (again, affecting attachment). Lots of infants spend long hours in private nurseries from a very young age, long before they start school. Many children spend long hours in wrap around care once they are at school. Family time is precious, and some parents may understandably feel less willing to discipline their children as they spend such little time together as it is. They wish their time together to be enjoyable, so children these days do genuinely seem more use to getting their own way than ever before, and many never hear the word no at home. Starting school, where there are firm rules and boundaries, can be a real shock to the system for these children.

Rise in technology
Linked to life-style changes, children today are far more likely to be babysat by screens for long periods (especially if parents are juggling working from home, rather than using wrap around care). You only have to visit a supermarket or restaurant to see how many infants are glued to a screen, even when they're out of their home. Research into the long term effects of prolonged screen time on young brains is still in the early stages, but the new advice on screen time for under 5s has been a long time coming (and will sadly be ignored by many). Ask anyone who works with young children, the link between excessive screen time and concentration is obvious.

Lack of SEN funding
The current state of SEN provision in this country is appalling. Far more children than ever are being diagnosed with SEN, or have suspected SEN which they may or may not be on the pathway for a diagnosis for (which can take years). Yet there are less and less special school places available. We are seeing children with some pretty extreme SEN needs entering mainstream education these days, far more than ever before. The lack of funding for these children is having a massive impact on all the children. It's not uncommon these days for Year 1 classes to only have additional adults as named 1-1's, rather than general TAs. This impacts everyone and is nothing short of a national disgrace. The government are not only massively failing children with SEN, but they're also failing their mainstream peers who are impacted by sharing a classroom with children who sadly are not suited to mainstream education. Young children often display copycat behaviours. For every class who display empathy to their peer with severe SEN needs, you'll have another class who are off the wall because they can't cope with the noise and disruption these peers may bring with them, through no fault of their own.

Poorer Communication Skills
Early communication skills are generally declining, year upon year (probably due to a mixture of everything above). In general, children are spoken too far less at home than ever before, and the percentage of children who are read to at home seems to fall year upon year too. It's a bleak picture which is beginning to impact massively in the classroom. Children who struggle to communicate their needs and feelings generally become more frustrated, which can sometimes result in aggressive behaviour. Children who struggle to listen and focus generally become less engaged in the work, which can also lead to 'silly' behavioural choices. It's a vicious cycle.

Educational changes
Sadly Year 1 in the 2020s resembles nothing like the Year 1 we remember from our own school days. The expectations the government place on 5/6 year olds in terms of attainment and curriculum content is ridiculous these days. Some schools do still run some continuous provision in Year 1 (role play, construction, outdoor learning etc) but, for many Year 1 classes, whole class teaching where every child is sat at a table doing maths or writing (for example) together is the norm. With less general class TAs than ever, this puts a massive strain on the teacher who is desperately trying to support them all. Some children are not developmentally ready for this. They miss the freedom of Reception and some do sadly (but understandably) rebel with a dip in behaviour.

I've probably missed some things, but these are the main 'theories' talked about often within education circles. It's a desperately sad picture which just seems to be getting worse and worse each year. I don't think it's down to one single thing, but all of the above definitely plays a part. I don't see Covid as a cop out excuse, it undeniably had an impact, but I think people are naive if they can't see that some of these problems were starting long before 2020. I last taught Year 1 in 2018 (I've been in Reception ever since) and they were a challenging bunch, even then. My Reception classes seem to get more challenging with more extreme needs each year. The picture continues to get worse and worse. It can't just be 'because of Covid'.