mixed age classes, infant school. advice please

dizziblonde

I wouldn't worry - if anything I reckon he's getting the good end of the deal going into R/1 rather than 1/2. Generally boys struggle more than girls with formal schooling (which I think starts too flipping early in this country) and the extra time with the reception stuff running alongside the Y1 stuff will probably help him with things like motor skills and the like in the long term (imagine trying to write when you struggle to hold a pencil - is it any wonder some kids get turned off school). As long as the school have planning in place in cycles so that everything gets covered over the 2 years of the class it's not a problem really. As he's going to be the oldest in the class it'll probably do wonders for his self esteem as well - I remember when I had R/Y1 the Y1s got so much out of being the ones who knew where things were, how things worked and the like and they wouldn't half organize me as well! I came in several mornings to find they'd realized it was Monday (a concept which usually defeated me to remember) and got all the stuff out ready to collect in dinner money for me!

Crispy_Ambulance

mishkanorman wrote: »

thank you so much, all the posts offer a great amount of helpful advice (which is odd on mse these days)

we will have a meeting next week with the teacher and clarify that he isnt behind, or request that he is put into the higher level and see if extra tutition would help,

you have all put my mind at ease a little


mishka

Your son is only little - 5 or 6? Why are you thinking about extra tuition? It isn't a competition and children develop at their own pace. Some children "click" with core skills, including social interaction, at a different age than others - they will all get there, but there is no point in rushing.

I wonder why you are thinking that your son "isn't good enough" or why you want him in a class that his teachers don't think he is suitable for? What is the point in wanting him to be in the older class and then wanting extra tuition? It sounds like a recipe for making a child unhappy and stressed.

They have had mixed classes at my children's school and are reintroducing them in order to keep class sizes smaller. I was a bit concerned about it at first, but my daughter certainly seemed to benefit from being in a smaller class, so I think it sounds beneficial.

mumps

dizziblonde wrote: »

I wouldn't worry - if anything I reckon he's getting the good end of the deal going into R/1 rather than 1/2. Generally boys struggle more than girls with formal schooling (which I think starts too flipping early in this country) and the extra time with the reception stuff running alongside the Y1 stuff will probably help him with things like motor skills and the like in the long term (imagine trying to write when you struggle to hold a pencil - is it any wonder some kids get turned off school). As long as the school have planning in place in cycles so that everything gets covered over the 2 years of the class it's not a problem really. As he's going to be the oldest in the class it'll probably do wonders for his self esteem as well - I remember when I had R/Y1 the Y1s got so much out of being the ones who knew where things were, how things worked and the like and they wouldn't half organize me as well! I came in several mornings to find they'd realized it was Monday (a concept which usually defeated me to remember) and got all the stuff out ready to collect in dinner money for me!

I agree about education starting too early. I "home educated" my two for four years. When first one started school they were horrified and felt she would never catch up. Two years later when my son started the school were much more relaxed about it. He went into a class with a teacher who had moved from teaching reception to year 4. At the end of the year she told me she now felt she had wasted her time for the years she had been teaching. When I asked why she said she felt like she had spent years trying to get the children to do things they weren't ready to do and if they had started school a bit later (maybe not a whole four years) they would have learned those things really easily. My son started year 4 not being able to write at all. He had never been interested. He ended the year in the top group and she regarded his writing as excellent, physical ability and content. I think the value of not "turning kids off" by making them sit down and do things they aren't ready for is a really great thing. I remember going in to school to a special assembly for something. A little one in reception was in a line going into the hall and he decided to be a train, his arms turning and him saying "choochoo." He was told to stop being silly I felt really sad for him, his face fell, what harm was he doing?

buxtonrabbitgreen

I agree that children start school too early in this country. When my ds was about to start school at one month off 5, being born in October. The school wanted to put him straight into year one. There was a group of 8 who were going to be put into year 1 and the other 7 were girls.
Now my son had never been to nursery, spent a few weeks at playschool and didn't like it.
I was concerned, that despite being one of the eldest of the intake that he would be put straight into learning missing the play. Also that when he got to the time when they would be put into their proper year groups that he wouldn't have any friends.
I had a meeting with the head and was suprised really that she agreed and let him start reception instead.
My other issue was that at some point he would have had to repeat a year at an age when he could be turned off completely by boredom.
I went in a mixed age class myself at 5 and was one of the youngest. It didn't affect me as it was a tiny villiage school with only about 40 pupils altogether. So we were all in one classroom from the start. All I remember learning was table manners and having afternoon naps, and going for nature walks. I loved it there.

mishkanorman

Crispy_Ambulance wrote: »

Your son is only little - 5 or 6? Why are you thinking about extra tuition? It isn't a competition and children develop at their own pace. Some children "click" with core skills, including social interaction, at a different age than others - they will all get there, but there is no point in rushing.

I wonder why you are thinking that your son "isn't good enough" or why you want him in a class that his teachers don't think he is suitable for? What is the point in wanting him to be in the older class and then wanting extra tuition? It sounds like a recipe for making a child unhappy and stressed.

They have had mixed classes at my children's school and are reintroducing them in order to keep class sizes smaller. I was a bit concerned about it at first, but my daughter certainly seemed to benefit from being in a smaller class, so I think it sounds beneficial.

firstly, the extra tutition we are planning is an afternoon a week with his grandma for reading, not boot camp with hitler !

The teachers feel he is more suited with the new reception class because thats the level of play and learning he is at. They feel he is much more interested with play than learning. I disagree because If he is in a class where its more play based he will get even more distracted by whats going on around him. It certainly wont encourage him to mature or develop if he is surrounded by children who are below his current level. His class teacher felt that it would give him a chance to be a mentor to the younger children - thats great but only of any benefit to the smaller kids not him.


I can see the benefit of mixed classes for children and im 100% supportive of the changes in the school, however my child is going to be placed with children who are my younger childs friends. He is fully aware he is older than my youngest and will regress into more babyish behaviour. It is the equivilent of taking him out of school and placing him back into nursery, and expecting him to want to learn rather than play.


mishka

Crispy_Ambulance

mishkanorman wrote: »

firstly, the extra tutition we are planning is an afternoon a week with his grandma for reading, not boot camp with hitler !

The teachers feel he is more suited with the new reception class because thats the level of play and learning he is at. They feel he is much more interested with play than learning. I disagree because If he is in a class where its more play based he will get even more distracted by whats going on around him. It certainly wont encourage him to mature or develop if he is surrounded by children who are below his current level. His class teacher felt that it would give him a chance to be a mentor to the younger children - thats great but only of any benefit to the smaller kids not him.


I can see the benefit of mixed classes for children and im 100% supportive of the changes in the school, however my child is going to be placed with children who are my younger childs friends. He is fully aware he is older than my youngest and will regress into more babyish behaviour. It is the equivilent of taking him out of school and placing him back into nursery, and expecting him to want to learn rather than play.


mishka

I wouldn't be so quick to assume that a mentoring role does nothing for your son - it will boost his self-esteem and give him an opportunity to show what he is capable of. It will also help him to develop and mature - Montessori schools give every child a younger child to mentor and look after and the youngest children have a plant to care for. Being a mentor is a good thing.

Also, why do you think he will regress? Children need to play and just because your son may have more opportunities to play as he is in the mixed class doesn't mean he is going to forget all that he has learned already.

I would be concerned that you think you need to tutor him in reading - does he really need extra help or do you think he should be further on than he is?

mishkanorman

you seem to be taking my actions as a very negative thing, and jumping to some pretty big conclusions with only a small amount of information. I know my son and so my actions are based on that, its not a child ive just met and im running around like a headless chicken throwing all sorts of random solutions at the problem.

I think he will regress in his behaviour not his knowledge, dont forget here that im not saying no to the mixed class but no to him being placed with younger children. He will still have play based learning and exactly the same lesson plan in either class, so thats not really the issue however if he is surrounded by children that are playing whilst he is trying to write or read he will get distracted - thats just human nature.

the extra 'tutoring' will be an afternoon a week at his grandmas house, reading books and doing puzzles etc that will give him some one on one time that I cant offer, any child benefits from reading often and it would be with the guidance from the school over material and what level to expect him to cope with.

I have no idea at what level he should be comfortable with but the school clearly feel he is laking in some area and im only offering to do what I can to help.


mishka

Spendless

Sorry if I haven't grasped all this, but from your post I'm reading it though the school initially said that the yr1 children would be placed in a mixed class most suited to them and that meant in your case your son would be in a reception/yr 1 class the school is now not doing this and basing it all on where their birthdays fall with the exception of your son. Personally I'd be glad that I was the one still having the mixed class based on suitabillity and not being placed due to where my birthday fell. I say this because I have a late September birthday and disliked that I was always expected to be 'ahead' due to me being older- I wasn't.

But are you reading the letter correctly? Is it possible that the school is now telling you that they are splitting the year groups completely due to birthdays and as such your child will be in the yr1/2 class.

Please don't worry about his reading at this age. My own son left reception unable to read his key words and was put into something called 'Pips Gang' in yr 1 to help him and was the most fantastic thing that ever happened. He's now 9 (yr 4) and no problems with his reading ability. I found getting him non-fiction books helped him with his reading ability.

andyrules

The current trend of pushing for levels earlier and earlier makes the hairs on my neck stand up.

I would imagine that the school has placed your son where they think he will feel comfortable learning. I asked about his peers and friendship group as I hope some of them will be with him.

I think spending some cosy one to one time with Granny doing puzzles and looking at books is great and will benefit him. Avoid pencil and paper, instead use coloured letters making his name etc. Granny could read half a story and they make an ending together (orally), or make up stories using his train set/cars/toy animals etc. And don't let him realise it's 'work', make sure it feels like a treat that he wants to initiate and you will strike the balance. Even sticker books are useful for sequencing, problem solving/enjoyment:D

mishkanorman

yes spendless you are reading it correctly, it sounds quite reasonable when you word it how you have.
Im just really confused how the school are saying on one hand he isnt behind, naughty or struggling and the decision that he will be better off with the younger ones is because thats where his mind set is at, and then on the other say that across the school all the children are divided on age. Why was my son specifically looked at and judged if they had no concerns ? we were told when we first heard of the change that it would be based on either age OR ability and they were yet to decide what was best for the numbers. Its only been announced this fri that its down to age, so I dont understand why they were discussing DS1 prior to that. Im just not getting the full story and feel its been sold to me in a slightly under-hand way.