Advice on P1 class

[Toarrie]

My 5 year old is struggling in school. He isn't grasping reading or writing although seems to be ok with numbers so far.
He doesn't want to pay attention when something is difficult, think day dreaming not disruptive. He also doesn't seem to have formed good friendships either and I suspect is playing a lot by himself at break times. He is sociable and confident but probably a young 5 and doesn't like rough play so struggles with the other boys.

Here's my problem. His class has a significant number of children with additional needs, think 2 non-verbal child, various disruptive children, and most worrying one child who has significant anger outbursts to the point of the class getting evacuated most days. The school have so few PSAs as it is in an area of low deprivation and that is how the PSAs are allocated.

I can see he is so far behind where his older brother was, he probably would have been anyway but the class in general are due to the disruption.

I just don't know what to do? I think his teacher and school are trying but limited by the fact they have 2 children who clearly should be in a special education school. And another who clearly cannot cope and is being violent. Obviously the issue is the state of education in Scotland but is there anything I can do at a school level?

In a different class in his siblings year for example he would be the one getting support but he is so far down the list I worry he will be lost and just fall further behind.

Repeating a school year is usually not permitted, other than in very exceptional circumstances.

There’s a lot of research that shows that repeating a year is detrimental to learning outcomes and it’s much better to support children in-year

Short term, I'd be looking to make up the education at home. Work together with him in a fun way to get him to the level he should be at. Extra classes outside of school if need be.

Long term solution, move him.

I would make damn sure every incident of bullying is formally recorded. Serious bullying incidents are supposed o be formally reported, I think it the council. This will make sure the problem is properly highlighted rather than the school being able to brush it under the carpet.

Sorry to hear this. This is a consequence of the mainstreaming duty where kids who would be better served elsewhere in education are put in a setting that can’t meet their needs and at such a young age they communicate in the only way they can which can manifest in a disruptive manner. I have an ASD son and whilst he settled well in high school primary was a fecking nightmare because the school couldn’t need his needs. I’d probably see if moving class was an option, if not then moving school, but I guess there’s no guarantee it’ll be better in another school

System is broken x

I also don’t think repeating a school year is really a thing now. We asked when my youngest learned nothing in his whole p5 due to school not meeting his needs and we were told the preference now is to keep children with their peer groups.