why do they put kids in different groups in Y1 to Reception and what do they mean?

[imaginaryfriend]

My dd started Y1 today and has been so upset since getting home. All her previous friends in her group are still in a group together but she's been moved to a different group. It doesn't sound like a huge deal but if you knew how shy dd is and how hard it was for her to settle into school life.

So I'm just wondering if anybody can explain to me how the system works? Is it likely she might be moved group during the next few weeks?

Go you, IF! Glad that went so well and that you got such lovely feedback on your DD. I bet you left there beaming.

Now go and duff up your DP for being so unsupportive!

pudding - the teacher is really good. I'm not suggesting that dd could do those spellings with no practise though, I'm sure she learnt them in YR. I know they did a lot of phonics and I guess that would come into it? And she writes and reads a lot so they are probably being naturally reinforced. Plus the fact that she might not have got 7/10 except in her dreams!

ANMHI so you got out of that crazy school your dd was in? What sort of books does she get now then? None of that reading all the ORT books painstakingly?

It's mostly streaming but they don't call it that

BEAUTIFUL dp can be a royal pain sometimes but then he's lived with me and my mithering, indecisive, stressed-out ponderings for 11 years and I think he's run out of patience.

BEAUTIFUL actually I left there, not so much beaming, as with the rivers of sweat on my back drying up! Honestly, at what age does one stop being such a wreck about such things?

Sounds like a good school if they are learning things like that in reception!

I am now wondering if any parents are ever scared to talk to me! I doubt it actually, the parents in my school are pretty bolshy.

It is a good school, particularly for an inner city London school. I thought they were supposed to do a lot of this phonics stuff in YR now though? I didn't realise it was unusual.

You know pudding I think that I was so intimidated by dd's YR teacher that that's why I felt so nervous. She really was scary, to the kids too. Dd hated her. I wasn't that nervous about approaching the nursery staff. In YR I felt like the teacher wasn't on my or dd's side, everything was hard work. Suddenly today like a breath of fresh air the teacher was open and helpful and, KIND. So you and her pudding are restoring my faith in teachers!

BTW we have some utterly dreadful bolshy parents at dd's school too. Perhaps she was relieved I wasn't one of them!

IF - yes we got out, thank god. DD is loving it, everyone at the new school is so friendly. It is so nice just knowing what she is doing, when she is reading, when they have spellings and to be able to speak to the teacher and feel that you are being listened to and working as a team as opposed to being just another parent to deal with. We have had a range of books so far which is great. The big thing for me is that I trust the school, I feel I can talk to them if I have concerns and I feel that they will develop my DD to the best of her potential.

That's great ANMHE, you can look forward to a much better year then

It is so awful when teachers are like that, especially in reception when the children are just babies. I have never understood why people teach if they don't really like kids and can't relate to parents.
I am sure that you will have a lovely yr.

pudding, I know. Dp and I were just discussing how quite depressing it was leaving dd in her YR class with that teacher and how much lighter and easier it feels this year. It's going to take a while to appreciate having a teacher one can talk to!