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The staffroom

Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

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Original poster

Bad behaviour at the end of Y6

11 replies

SawdustInMyHair · 13/07/2015 22:37

I'm volunteering in a school in the run-up to my PGCE in Sept.

I'm with Y6 and their behaviour has done down like a stone the last couple of weeks. The ones who are always good are being good, the ones who are always challenging are being their usual, but the ones in the middle have got really unpleasant - some really nasty bullying, racist remarks - all sorts. There's also a lot of offended gasps if you call them on behaviour, even if you're standing right beside them so there's no plausible deniability. A couple were even sent home from their end-of-year trip.

It's upsetting because frankly I'm looking forward to the year finishing due to them being so awful, and they're normally pretty good as a group.

I think it's a combination of no more SATs, the end of the year, the end of primary school, stress about secondary school (only half got their first choice) and the fact they haven't had a structured lesson for 3 weeks.

What I'm wondering, given that I want to teach Y6, is if this deterioration is a 'normal' thing and how to combat it. Obviously I'd be trying to make the last few weeks more structured, but I can't control the other things!

OP posts:

RandomMess · 13/07/2015 22:43

Hmmm dd2 - her year group in year 6 the Head said "I've never known a year group quite like them, 11 going on 19"

I think it is a year group thing, some probably more affected than other depending on the dynamics!

Suddengeekgirl · 14/07/2015 08:20

It's a combination of lack of structure, big fish in a little pond syndrome (most have been to secondary settling in days by now), and not seeing the point of behaving iyswim.
In their eyes they are leaving, they are too big for primary school and they have nothing left to work for.
You can try and fight it with more structure and rewards to be earnt but sometimes due to the cohort you just have to grin and bear it and remember when they weren't quite so big and grotty!

Hellionsitem2 · 14/07/2015 08:22

Some year groups are worse then others.

bigTillyMint · 14/07/2015 13:38

It's not unusual.

Part of the problem is the cramming like mad for SATS and then no real structure - lots of trips, plays, etc. They get completely out of routine and think the rules no longer apply to them.

TheTroubleWithAngels · 14/07/2015 16:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

SawdustInMyHair · 14/07/2015 19:15

Thanks for the replies! A lot of our class have really been twiddling their thumbs in Y6 for a while - definitely ready for secondary school!

Three more days!

OP posts:

Minispringroll · 14/07/2015 19:57

It depends, I guess.
Mine were a bit of a nuisance last week. They've done their transition day now and had been quite nervous. So far this week, they've been lovely. They decided I should get the award for "most lovely person", which is nice,...but I'm not actually eligible.

We didn't "cram" for SATs, though. We didn't make a big deal of them and simply went on with a nice topic afterwards. We still did Maths and English and everything else.
Things have been a bit "unstructured" for them in the last two weeks, because I had to be out and get ready for my new class. This has unsettled them a bit ("Miss, why are we having supply? Don't you like us anymore?" I have been out for total of three days in two weeks, but that was ages for them, since I'm never usually out. Little drama queens/kings.), but I've tried to keep them under wraps as much as possible. (They are a right pain during lunchtimes, though.)

It does depend on the cohort, though. My class are gorgeous and they have been for their entire time at primary school. I'll really miss them.

bigTillyMint · 14/07/2015 20:04

Sawdust, that is exactly the problem! By the time they get to secondary they have forgotten how to do homework and it's all a horrible shock

We finish at 1 on Friday

RoosterCogburn · 14/07/2015 20:11

It is a difficult time with Year 6. They've outgrown the school and are ready to leave but they are often worried as well.
I try and keep mine really busy with la mixture of structured lessons and lots of activities going on so they are too busy to be horrible!

QueenofLouisiana · 14/07/2015 20:42

We do a week long transition here- 'tis great! . Get them back on Monday, a trip on Tuesday, leave on Wednesday. We did our play last week so kept them going as long as possible.

I'm knackered though.

Nonie241419 · 15/07/2015 22:02

It was my last day with mine today, and they've been horrid - not to me, but to each other. They're a tricky cohort, with a lot of children with additional needs, but they're normally very tolerant of each other. But yesterday, and even more today, they've been nasty and petty with each other. It's made me rather sad.

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