I have a theory about DS's Y2 classroom group names....

[treacletart]

DS has until recently been having extra literacy help, he's very happy at school and we're lucky enough not to have any concerns with how he's getting on. Now,I know I shouldn't be getting competitive but humour me on this one.....

The class splits into groups for classwork. He's in "Circles" alongside at least one other boy I know finds his work challenging. DS has told me of 2 other boys in "Hexagons" who I know are very advanced readers.

Could it be the more sides your shape the more advanced your group perchance? Waddyareckon?

lila...whats not suppose to happened anymore?

At my boys school they are all beach themed names.

DS2 is in Sandcastles which is the higher ability group, and there are 4 boys to 2 girls.

DS1 in Y1 has 3 boys and 2 girls. He's a sandcastle too. He tells me the classes have more boys than girls though.

Look out for S, C and E i.e. Support,Core and Extension or Sycamore,Cedar and Elm etc!!

It used to be quite common for maths groups to be done like that (higher no of sides = higher ability) but it isn't necessary at all.
Sorry- only just saw the question and hadn't read the whole thread when I posted either

Our school has colours. But by the time they are in year three no matter what the teacher calls them the kids call them top middle and bottom set it makes me feel sad.

My ds (primary 2 in Scotland => year 1 in England) has dino names for the groups. Seems the cleverer you are, the more vicious you are - ds was just promoted to Tyrannosaurs from Stegosaurs!

Weegiemum

At my dd's school it is colours too. The teacher said that they are not grouped by ability but it's blindingly obvious that they are from all the tidbits dd has told me. Even the kids seem to know that they are grouped by ability ("How come red group reads such easy books?", "Why do they only get 5 spelling words?", "Why does only blue group get to pick their own books?" etc.).

My Ds goes to a school where they streamed them in nursery.

Two groups - The Clever Cats and The Busy Bees

They have changed them this year after various complaints.

Oh yes, we have the circle to hexagon groups for maths in our school. Very obvious.

Mind you, it never seems to take them long to work out which is top ability group and where the pecking order lies, whatever you call them

We once had materials.Top group were diamonds followed by metal and bottom group wood
DD has had planets too but now have french colours !

I always choose sharks for my bottom ability swimmers because it sounds impressive for them! (Next group dolphins, top group jellyfish).

If I colour code groups it tends to be traffic light based (red bottom, green top). One teacher I knew named groups after the days of the week as that would be the day he heard them read!

dd (reception) is in Bees (all sorts of activities, I think) and Fish (numeracy).

I should definitely be in whichever is the lowest, because it didn't even occur to me that they were ability linked groups - I honestly thought it was just to have smaller groups to work with