Year 7

[Whyisitsodifficult]

Can you tell me if your Year 7 is moving around the school and having their lessons with a specialist teacher? My DD is not having specialist teaching and staying in her class bubble for all lessons, and her lessons are being differentiated. Is this the norm?

That's what both my children's schools are doing. It's pretty normal in Yr7 for most subjects to be taught in tutor groups at this point anyway.

Our Y7 are staying in a zone and specialist teachers are coming to them. They are in mixed ability tutor groups for all subjects except maths where they are setted.

The only difference to normal is that they are staying put.

Are they having all their lessons with the same teacher like in primary? Some schools do that to help with transition.

To be clear sorry - the year 7s are staying put and in their class bubble!

Normally in Year 7 they would be moving around and having specialist teaching for each subject. This has changed since Covid, however her older sister Year 9 is moving around having specialist teaching and sets for Maths etc. I just wondered if this was happening in other schools.

My DD is Y8 and she is moving around as are the Y7s. However, her school is new and purpose built so they have the space to logistically manage it. Each year has their own wing of the school and the science and arts wings don't have a permanent year group in them. This allows each year group to have a day of practicals in said wing per week. This makes their timetable look a bit weird but its working and they're not stuck in one class all day like most of their friends in neighbouring schools.
Can I ask who is teaching your child in that case? The schools around us that are keeping the kids in the tutor room all day, have the teachers move around classrooms.

Son in Y8 is moving around to specialist classrooms and teachers, as are Y7s. Most subjects taught in the same class group, but this is what would happen anyway. Sets for maths and languages (plus different language options so already different groups for that). Independent school though, so smaller classes and probably more resource for cleaning, distancing etc. Year group bubbles so they're trying to achieve minimal mixing of Year groups (staggered lunchtimes, no mixed year clubs etc). Masks in communal areas from beginning of September.

Mine are moving around to each lesson any are in sets for English, maths and Science.

My yr 7 dd stays in the same room (and seating plan). Subject teachers come to her. (She has done no science practicals.) 6th form ds moves around the school. This half-term his school have introduced a policy of sitting in alphabetical order to simplify taking kids out when it comes to pulling them out of school. Think that's quite sensible. (He was off for the last 2 weeks of last half-term to self-isolate thanks to someone else.)
My school has a staggered timetable where all kids move around the school for each subject. We may go to alphabetical seating plans too.

My Y7 is based mainly in his form room, with the maths, english, french, history teachers coming to them.
Where a specialist room is required, they go there - art, science, PE etc.

My year 7 mainly stay in her classroom and specialist teachers are moving around.

Year 7... Staying in same tutor group for everything... Teachers are coming to their classroom except for some classes... Science, music, food tech etc where they go to different classroom.

My year 7 child is moving round the school as would have done pre-covid, therefore all lessons are with specialist teachers in the appropriate room. They wipe down desks, chairs before the leave the room and sanitise hands before entering. No sharing of equipment. They wear masks whilst moving round the school

My Y7 and Y9 have both been in their tutor rooms with teachers coming to them. Each year group in the school has a zone made up of several classrooms, priority for access to full range of rooms given to 6th form and Y11 for good reason.

All have seating plans.

Since half term Y9 have started setting so now moving around their zone for some subjects. Y8 will follow and lastly Y7.

Year 7 are being taught in tutor groups (which was true for most lessons even before this year) but move around the school to different classrooms and are taught by specialist teachers.

@AppleCrumbleCake

My year 7 child is moving round the school as would have done pre-covid, therefore all lessons are with specialist teachers in the appropriate room. They wipe down desks, chairs before the leave the room and sanitise hands before entering. No sharing of equipment. They wear masks whilst moving round the school

Same for my Y7 dc. They were recently put into sets for Maths and English. Otherwise they move around to all other lessons as a tutor group.

For those of you whose child is having specialist teaching but staying in their form room, how are they managing sets? My DD luckily enough has a Maths teacher as her form tutor but she is also teaching most of the other subjects! Also no sets. What do teachers on here think about no sets and differentiation?

I guess it will depend to an extent on the type of school. In a selective school the lack of sets is probably a bit less of an issue because the overall ability range will be narrower. In an all ability school I can see it would be more difficult. Do any schools organise pastoral groups around academic ability? I've no idea. Or are some schools currently bubbling based on the teaching class rather than the pastoral form structure? In any case, I think I'd be more worried about the lack of specialist teaching than the lack of sets. If a maths teacher is teaching Y7 French or history on an ongoing basis then that could be a real issue - all the children are really getting is a cover lesson with work set, surely?

No sets - but then no SATs to set them on, and although school say they will all have CAT assessment, DS swears he hasnt done it.
Maths is ridiculously easy, but the rest is fine AFAIK.
I dont know when sets would be sorted typically tho.

What do teachers on here think about no sets and differentiation?

A lot of schools only set for maths, particularly in Y7. It’s not just a covid thing.

I wouldn’t be happy with no sets for maths though (I’m a maths teacher).

@noblegiraffe

What do teachers on here think about no sets and differentiation?

A lot of schools only set for maths, particularly in Y7. It’s not just a covid thing.

I wouldn’t be happy with no sets for maths though (I’m a maths teacher).

Exactly this, no sets for maths or English! How would a Maths or English teacher manage a class of Year 7’s with such varying abilities? Do you cater for the least able and the more capable are left to their own devices? I just can’t get my head around how it’s possible!

My year 7 DS is moving round to proper classrooms and specialist teachers. They've done their baseline assessments and are in sets as normal. No discernible difference to a normal year.
Big school 3000 kids and only 1 case to date.

The school I teach in has year 7 groups in one classroom (their tutor group) and teachers move round the school. The only exceptions are drama and art and PE where students go to those classrooms. They haven't been set yet. My school has had 29 cases that we know of plus 8 teachers so still quite cautious. School population of around 900.

I suppose it depends on the building and the resources

My Y7 DD is moving around her designated block for lessons. Specialist lessons are held out of block, in the appropriate classroom. I think they may have been set for maths...but not sure. They've done CATs recently.

Work in a secondary. And all kids are going to lessons in the classrooms they should be and being taught by specialist teachers.

Judging by what other schools are doing. Some are doing as we are. Others are keeping the kids in the same classroom and the teachers are moving around.

I've not been to a school where Y7s are set in English to be honest (I'm a specialist dyslexia teacher).

Y7s at DS school are moving round the whole school as normal, in their learning groups, with a designated area outside for breaks. No sets yet although they have done CATs. They have seating plans but I'm not sure why... the whole of Y7 is a bubble and was sent home last term when there was one case.