Could you help me to get a grip re my expectations from primay school ? (Sorry very long)

[Pitchounette]

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In September 2008 reception classes got a new "curriculum" EYFs which puts a big emphasis on children initiating their own learning. The latest "guidance" suggests 1/3 of the week should be adult led activities (teaching) and 2/3 should be child led (and half of this should be supported by adults) what EYFS didn't do was to give adult/child ratios for such a labour intensive curriculum. On top of that your child's class is over the infant class size limit (which can be exceeded in some circumstances )

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"dd actually did a brilliant impression for me of a prospective head teacher who came to take an assembly at her infants school, she sort of clapped her hands and bent down and said very fakely and cornily 'ooooh children, you do know lats and lats."

Pitchounette, sorry to say this but you may have a battle on your hands here. September-born and more able, in our experience means 'children you can leave to coast.' We live it!

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Pitchounette exactly my point... teachers could deliver this curriculum effectively if the ratios were adequate

Well, if he is bored don't make him do his reading book - find something else to read together which he finds interesting. I'm a great believer in telling the teachers what you are doing - after all you know your kid best. So for instance when my DS1 got horrendous amounts of comprehension homework in year 2 ie: 15 questions we discussed it and decided that he would do 8 questions to the best of his abilities. I wrote it in the book, don't know what his teacher thought but actually didn't care

I've got two summer born children and believe me you have it a lot easier - your son is bigger, stronger and will get positive re-inforcement from his teachers as he will succeed.

If you continue to stretch him at home then he will develop a love of learning which I think is what you want.

Also kids develop in leaps and then plateau - which allows all the summer born children to catch them up. By the time they are 8 or 9 most will be able to read as well as your son. Not sure what early reading signifies?

Sorry don't mean to be confrontational - though realise that I am coming across that way

If you are considering changing schools, then I'd really take some time to go and talk to the prospective Heads and teachers and ask them how they would stretch your child etc. IME most schools are the same, however there may be a few exceptions. Alternatively, you may have to consider going private.

Its clearly not good enough to ignore the needs of any individual child or group of children in a class. Work should be differentiated and ideally every child stretched to their potential. Interestingly, in my DDs class, her table is all 'September-borns' and rarely receive attention from the teacher and/or assistant. When I've asked DD if she asked for help etc., she always mentions that the teacher or TA is working with a certain table (rarely ever their table) and didn't come over.

When I've asked the teacher questions about her work and/or development, I always get a kind of blank look and a promise to come back to me. The most feedback I've had was a wave of the hand and a comment along the lines that she would do fine. Great eh?

Pitchounette, do they stream the children in his class? In DS's reception, they've worked out levels and put like minded kids in small groups to work on activities - that way they don't get bored and are inspired by seeing others working/ learning. Do they do that in his school? And if so, do you know other children at his level and what do their parents think? ie is anyone else feeling the same, as if so maybe you could work together on it. And is he happy at school - has he got friends, is he happy to go, is excited by what they do (apart from reading!), so art, making, gardening, physical play or whatever else they do?

Pitchounette - it sounds like this links back to your earlier thread about the way that the children are taught in your ds's mixed age class - ie. the yr 1s and the Yr R's are taught separately. As I've said before, the joy of mixed age classes is the large amount of crossover, which means that older and younger children can be taught together some of the time (ie. more able Yr Rs, with middle, or even more able Yr 1s). It sounds like your ds is ready for some of the challenge in the Yr 1 work, but is being taught with the Yr Rs.

It sounds like your ds's teacher is really just not coping with the mixed ages, and doesn't understand how to make them work to the children's and her advantage. I would suggest that she needs some support from the LEA by going to visit other schools with mixed R/1 classes which are working successfully so she can see how these classes are organised, and how their planning and assessment is structured. The LEA early years adviser should be able to suggest local schools where this is the case. Alternatively, perhaps there is an Advanced Skills Teacher who could come in and team teach with her to support her.

I would certainly be frustrated if I were in your situation. Perhaps, whilst waiting to see if things might be different in Yr 1, your son could do extra-curricular things that would stretch him? For example, if you think he might enjoy it, something like Kumon maths or english? It can be quite pricey but it might help if your DS is motivated by getting up to the next level and competing academically with his peers.

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Will it be a different teacher next year Pitchounette, or will he be with the same teacher, but as a year 1?

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Pitchounette - I think sadly that in a class of 35 those are slightly unrealistic expectations yes. I think the key is to encourage and guide more at home.

Just a couple of thoughts: (but I'm not a teacher). It seems to be the reading that you focus on regarding your ds's ability. How is he in Maths and writing, compared to the rest of the reception children? Or if you don't know about the rest, have you bben told where he is n/c level-wise. It may be that he is actually doing really well!

How do you know that in reading he's not as far ahead as he should be? What stage is he on ORT/Ginn etc. It sounds nosey but once you've been through it a couple of times, you get a feel for where they should be, what's good/bad etc.

My dd moved to an independent school after reception and was definitely behind her peers when she arrived. However, I bought lots of ORT books from Amazon and she went up 8 reading levels in Y1. I later discovered for my son that ORT do fiction books which are not the Biff & Chip series, he loves these as he doesn't see them as reading scheme books. they are called Treetops.

My gut feeling is that a change of school probably wouldn't help, but there's a lot you can do at home to push him on if he is indeed underachieving.

I don't think it's unrealistic. Many primaries achieve that and all should. If you really think your child's being put off learning by the way he's being taught, then talk to them again. You don't have to be confrontational, just ask them how they work with the children, and explain that your son seems not to be as into it now as when he started. If that doesn't bother them, well it should. If they can't talk you through their approach and make you feel a bit happier about it, that should tell you lots.

OP, one thing you could do is to offer to be a parent helper, and take that opportunity to see how things are in class. Its very hard to get a sense of what they do based on their accounts!

ust as a conclusion, can I say it is OK to expect from a teacher/school :

• that children are taught by their real abilities so they are not getting bored and stop enjoying their learning

Yes, this should absolutely be the case.

• that a teacher should know how each child 'learns' ie which one would be terrified in front of a difficult task and would give up and which one needs the challenge to want to move on, which one has understood the concept bit doesn't say it and which one hasn't a clue

Your last statement is tricky - it's can be very challenging for teachers, particularly if you have a Reception/KS1 child who doesn't talk much, as a teacher often uses talk to gauge how much of a concept has been understood. I would say that I know broadly how each of my children learns best, but am still constantly surprised and proved wrong

• that even in reception/Y1, children should know what is expected from them ?

Yes, all children should know what is expected of them, both in behaviour and for each task.

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I find it astounding that the class has 35 children - the law states that there should be only 30. The reception children are entitled to an Early Years Assistant and children are entitled to the EYFS curriculum until the end of their 5th year - in other words, until they're actually 6. The EYFSP are the children's targets and yes, they should know what they are in their language obviously - not what it actually says in the Profile. The teacher should know exactly where your child is and have evidence to support this - 80% from observation and 20% from teacher led activities. This can take the form of photo's, close observation, quick casual observation, conversations with each child. If you haven't been asked to contribute to the Profile, ask to see it ASAP - it should have contributions from everyone involved with your child - you, teachers, any other adults who work in the class, dinner ladies etc.

Lara I'm afraid reception have no entitlement to a Early Years Assistant the reception ratio is 1 adult to 30 children.

There is also no requirement to formally record any evidence for the EYFSP only to report end of reception "scores".