Rufus Posted June 5, 2011 Posted June 5, 2011 Hi all I'm after some advice..... My friends daughter is starting school in september. Due to numbers there is going to be a Foundation class of 30 and 8 children (the older ones) will go straight into year 1/2 mix, bypassing the Foundation class! The class teacher has expressed her concerns about these 8 children not getting their full EYFS entitlement. Apparently the 8 children will stay in Y1/2 for the morning, to do literacy and numeracy and then move to FS in the afternoon to take part in free flow. My friend is an FS teacher and knows how wrong this is but doesn't know how to approach the head with her concerns. Any advice would be great. Thanks
Guest Posted June 5, 2011 Posted June 5, 2011 Oh so wrong in every respect and there is the assumption that the eldest 8 are going to be the ones more able to cope with a more structured morning-it doesn't always follow. What about all the class getting to know each other activities that we do in the first term so that the children gel as a class. I imagine though that the head just doesn't know what she can do other than this as she simply cannot have 38 in 1 classroom. I imagine also that the Y1/2 teacher has a smaller yeargroup that could take the extra 8. Several years ago I taught in a school and we had an intake of 36 instead of 45 (the 45 were split between 2 classes usually but with less than 45 the school simply could not afford to run 2 classes) the head's answer to this was for me to have a class of 36 but she gave me an extra full time TA (2 in total) and we rotated the TA working with 1 group at a time in a room next to the classroom so that for the most part there were less that 30 in the actual classroom space. I am not sure how legal this was though! If the head feels able to have the 8 back in the foundation stage classroom for the afternoon, why not the whole day? My daughter starts school in September and is going to be one of the eldest in her year, If this was happening at her school (much as it is a fantastic school) I would simply send her elsewhere. Deb
catma Posted June 5, 2011 Posted June 5, 2011 Just go and approach the head with the legalities of the EYFS framework and curriculum entitlement and ask: How they are going to cater for the developmental needs of those 8 children? How will they plan and deliver the curriculum? With respect to the CLLD/PSRN curriculum how would they envisage the children having an "active learning, sustained shared thinking, learning through play" approach when the teacher is delivering a Primary model Literacy/numeracy session?? How will they support the transition of those specific children within the Primary structure? What will happen to those children at lunch times, Play times , assembly times etc? Who will be their key person? What will happen if this proves too difficult for the children to manage? Why is the school making the children fit the provision rather than the provision fit the needs of the children? Why are they not employing an additional teacher to cover the cohort that they have? Cx
waveawand Posted June 5, 2011 Posted June 5, 2011 (edited) Hiya, Im not working in school I hasten to add , Im a childminder though. What about the head speaking to the LA about the numbers ? they seem to be able to request exception if needs must. ( ours just has cos there is a shortfall across the area so he is up to 45!!!) It unfortunatley seems to be all about money and nothing else at the moment..... what about the parents appealing to the LA too/and governors. Its seems they forget that they are dealing with young ones not just numbers on a sheet. Id say get the parents involved and kick up a stink ! 'he whom shouts loudest' and all that... best of luck and hopefully I havent completelyjumped in and shouted without a clue !! Edited June 5, 2011 by waveawand
Guest Posted June 5, 2011 Posted June 5, 2011 ugh!! Wrong!! This brings back so many unhappy memories - my daughter was one of the 6 children put into a mixed y1/2 class.... after a very miserable term and a half we moved her to another school. I'd suggest your friend gets advice from her own head and/or union before tackling the head at her daughter's school. Nona
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