Mixed class Reception Year

[EHCP22]

Hi everyone,

DS has an EHCP, 1:1 for 25 hours a week, he’s due to start Reception in September.
The school we chose has 35 children in YR and they want to separate the oldest 5 ( DS being one of them) and place them in a class with Y1.

In 2 minds about this- would it be better to be surrounded by older children, who are more patient, better at sharing etc.. or would being with Y1 mean that the classes will be a lot more structured with less playtime, etc.
Also how is 1 teacher going to manage to teach 2 different year groups.. Would DS effectively miss out on the Reception curriculum…
Not sure if I should be insisting that he needs to be with the younger 30 children so he gets to enjoy Reception year or would the smaller group be better, even though mixed with Y1..

Any advice and experiences would be appreciated.

Mixed year classes can work but that setup sounds awful for any child, never mind one with SEN. It sounds like they'll be 5 reception children and up to 25 year 1 which means they'll almost certainly be focusing on year 1 work and yes the more formal learning.

I think this depends on the individual child and the individual set up at the school and how they plan to make it work. Mixed classes can work, but that doesn’t mean it will work in your particular circumstances. I would ask direct questions.

A more structured routine would have helped DS3. He struggled with the less structured nature of foundation stage. For others, it would not have worked.

Thank you both for the replies. I’m mostly concerned about the level of complexity of what’s being taught. It would be quite unhelpful for his learning if the basics of phonics is being left out and there a jump to more advanced curriculum.

It shouldn’t mean the teaching of the early stages of phonics is missed, but do ask the school about that.

I think you need to ask lots of questions:

• what is their year 1 set up? Is there any continuous provision (the EYFS word for "play") in year 1? If not, will DS be able to access continuous provision at all?
• is phonics whole class or streamed?
• how will his EHCP be implemented?
• are there other children with similar needs in either class? (This may be positive or negative, good to have a peer group but not if they encourage poor behaviour or low expectations)

A lot depends on his needs too - if there are lots of social communication needs, this can be harder to meet in a more formal year one. However, having a TA to lead small interventions might mitigate this. If he is very rules and routine-based, he may manage the clearer routines of year one more than the freer approach of reception.

Ultimately, it's the school's decision, but if they are asking you, then ask lots of questions.

Thank you for the advice and the specific questions, will be in touch the School’s SENCO.