Mixed classes, better on age or ability?

[happymostofthetime]

Hi, just wondering about mixed age classes. in mumsnetters experience do they work best decided on age or ability? My DS goes to a schoool with mixed age classes and traditionaly the youngest 1/2 of the class stay "down" with the oldest going up, so reception (intake usually 16-20 kids) and 1/2 yr 1 together the older year one's go with year 2 and so on with 5 classes altogether. What do people think should it be done on age or would it be easier for it to be decided more on ability?

Just for info my DS is one of the youngest in the class and has always been the one to stay "down" which we have been very happy with as he ceratinly benefitted from an extra year in the environment of the reception class. However this year he has blossomed being a year 4 with the younger year 5's in his class, So just wondering really how other schools with mixed age classes are managed

DS's school always did it strictly on age - mainly I think because the parents couldn't come in to complain discuss why their child was in one class or the other. It's also tricky to do it by ability because some children may be ahead on reading but not maths or vice versa, or could come on in leaps and bounds after a slow year previously.

That is exactly what has happened to us which is why I asked. DS stayed still in year 3 and yet has flown in year 4

I do think age is the fairest way to divide them, children are clear enough already about who is ahead/behind without the school labelling them. At DSs school they were then actually quite flexible about children being in a reading or maths group which was in another official class, if that made the groupings work better. But it was a very small school, so they could do things without bureaucracy!

Having gone to a cr@p infant school which had mixed classes, I think it should be done on age. I was kept down inspite of being one of the older children as I was deemed thick.

It was truely horrific to be in a class with children who were 18 months younger than me. It stood out a mile when the older children were so much taller. No six year old deserves that kind of humilation.

The laughable thing is that later on, I did really well academically. I was a late developer and probably helped that I went to a good secondary school.

Neither in infants... better to pick those children who are socially and emotionally able to cope who are not necessarily the oldest

reallytired my ds is facing just what you describe, he is 8 in September and will be with 5 year olds turning 6
the reason I was given is that it is because of his 'emotional' development and there are some children in the peer group class he 'will not cope' with
no concerns have been expressed in the past, academically he is pretty much mid stream
I hope he will be a late developer like you! but meantime i have decided to change schools

trouble with 'emotionally and socially able to cope' is that is subjective
some parents (the influential ones) are consulted about their prefences for their dc
with age it's a given

ninah I'm not suggesting it should be the parents who decide which children are "socially & emotionally" ready it's a job for the professional who has taught them for a year so knows the child well and is able to be objective. As I said this is probably more important than age or ability when placing young (infant) aged children.
In your child's case ninah I would be most alarmed that an 8 year old (KS2 child) is being placed with children just out of EYFS but obviously I can only comment generally as I don't know your son or the school.

no I realise you are not mrz
it's just that a non objective assessment is open to manipulation and I think this is happening at our school
I have made my concerns about the class list known but it has highlighted for me that ds is not settled and happy and it is not the right school for him
dd is just starting reception after a year at preschool, she is a more resilient character and I have no concerns in her case

for example, the head has suggested changing teachers' end of year assessments for 'political' reasons
teacher in question refused, quite rightly

In the past I've picked up the pieces after young children have been "fast tracked" because of ability but were unable to cope with being one of the "big kids" and even had the child of "an influential parent" (school governor) moved into my class mid year because he was so unhappy in a class made up mainly of much more mature children.
I do think teacher's are more than capable of being objective about children's needs if allowed to contribute in the decision.

I will talk to the teacher, certainly, and find out the reasons
i like and trust her, and so does ds
but to my mind if an 8 year old is listed with 6 year olds there are concerns, and I wish someone had raised them with me
I work as a ta in the school every day so it wouldn't be difficult