Please talk to me about streaming in year 2 - especially if you live in LBRUT (Richmond Upon Thames)

[AtheneNoctua]

DD is in yeaqr 2 and last night told me they sit at animal tables. There are 5 tables. And I am thinking ohbugger, she's being streamed and I don't know where she sits. I know I know. I am going to ba called a pushy control freak alpha mum. But, I need to know what goes on because I need to know if she is doing well or if she is lacking somewhere.

So, were your kids streamed in year 2?

My DS in Yr 2 also. They have been streamed it seems into colour tables. It is very easy to work out which is which ability wise. My DS seems to move between 2 depending on whether literacy, maths or reading. Have posted on this before and generally people don't mind streaming if their child is at the top but are less enthusiastic if at the lower end. I have spent or wasted far too much time worrying about it- have now decided that if he is happy and progressing then it matters little at age 6. Have also received lots of lovely feedback about children who were in lower ability at this age but gone on to great things academically. Also remind myself to keep it in perspective and that academic success does not always mean success in life generally anyway!

I see it the other way around. Because they are streaming it becomes important to perform. If they were all sitting in one room each with their own desk equal to everyone else I'd be far more laid bak about the whole thing.

Are you in LBRUT?

Streaming hasn't meant that mine have felt enormous pressure to perform- quite to the contrary. Ds has always been at the lower end and I am very happy about the streaming.

Ds felt under a lot of pressure as long as he was working with his best mate who is a very clever little boy. There was simply no way they could do the same work, without either ds being totally at sea or his friend being bored out of his mind. Ds just got upset because he couldn't understand the work his friend was doing and felt under enormous pressure to perform. Now that he is in a different group, he doesn't have to worry about it.

Ds was in the lowest group in Yr 2 but has now (Yr 5) moved up to 4 out of 5. I am very happy with this progress, because I think it does reflect a real maturing.

I find it perfectly possible that either a) ds will pick up enormously or b) he will never go to university but will have to do something else in life. I can live quite happily with either of those two possibilities.

IME, our school has streamed for numeracy, literacy and reading since the middle of reception. Children begin to work out for themselves which is the highest ability group, and which is the lowest. Some classes have the lists up on the walls. It seems the most sensible way to organise teaching imo.
I ask my dc's who else is on their table - that tells me all I need to know!

Children are often grouped by ability for certain tasks. I have flexible groups which depend on the task, the child that day, the level of support etc. It simply allows children to be taught/supported at an appropriate level in order to stretch/consolidate or re-learn concepts.

Athene - it's also very common for children to be working on collaborative tasks either in small groups or pairs. If they sit at individual tables, this is hard to achieve without moving lots of furniture .

Is there a difference between 'streaming' and 'ability groups'? Dd's school has put the children in ability groups since Reception. They've shifted around over Y1 and now Y2 and are currently shifting again. But I'm not sure that's the same as streaming.

I think it's helpful. Dd is on a 'higher' table for literacy than numeracy and that works fine for her. Previously she was on a different table for numeracy and the work was too hard and she didn't progress at all. The moment she moved 'down' a group her maths improved no end.

In our London borough, I thk it varies from school to school - I'm not sure there is a borough policy.

But for what it's worth, in Yr 2 they were not, afaik, put on tables according to ability,but in Yr 3 they were. However, the schol never made this an advertised fact, and would only talk about each child in relation to how they are doing against NC targets - not against other children. We get a report based on SATS grading for achievement, and AB or C for 'effort'.

Actually, you DON'T, imo, need ot know how a child is doing in relation to the class as a whole, because the class might be swayed in one direction or another, but you do need to know how they are faring in relation to their own potential, and academically against what is the national average. With a strong emphasis on the former.