Guest Posted June 15, 2005 Posted June 15, 2005 Hello All, We currently have a reception class of 34 children and only 30 of them can go into yr1. This means the 4 children with lowest profile scores will stay in reception next yr for the mornings only and go into yr1 for the afternoons. We are not happy with this but it cannot be changed. Has anyone else experienced this? I would be grateful of any advice. Thanks
Guest Posted June 15, 2005 Posted June 15, 2005 How have you got away with a reception class of 34???
Guest Posted June 16, 2005 Posted June 16, 2005 It's not the same situation but similar. We have 20 reception children, but only 12 due to come in, so we are splitting the current reception class between Y2 and Y1. Only 5 are going to Y2, and 15 stay with R. We are having a planning day next week to sort out the deatails of the orgainisation. The children going into the Y2 class will probably have literacy and numeracy sessions with the Y2, but mix with the Y1 more for afternoons (hist, geog, etc.). We have split ours on 'social readiness to concentrate for extended periods of time, ability to write independently, etc.' -effectively using profile scores., I suppose. We have also had that particular group of children working together in the reception class for the last term or so, trying to do more independent activities, and encouraging more recorded work from them to prepare them a little (and they are definitely more ready that others int he class). We have had to be quite careful explaining to parents about the mixed classes. I have only had one parent who came in wondering how we were going to teach 2 separate curriculums, and how the Y1 children in the R/Y1 class would be able to concentrat on more formal 'work' whilst the reception were being more noisy/practical. How have your parents taken it? Marie
Lorna Posted June 16, 2005 Posted June 16, 2005 Hi This year I have had a class of 23 reception and 6 year1 children- My year 1s since christmas have been going out for literacy, numeracy and science in the morning and with me in the afternoon..... I have found this really hard... expecially planning an integrated day for the children as I have to focus on lit and num when my year 1s are out of the classroom. Also their behaviour in the afternoons can be appalling... Unfortunately we have the same next year with propably 8- 10 year 1s and 19 reception- I am not looking forward to it.... I'm afraid I have no magic answer- if someone does please let me know at the moment I am pulling my hair out. Lorna
Guest Posted June 16, 2005 Posted June 16, 2005 Thanks for the replies, we have at the moment 2 reception classes of 18 but next year there will be only 1 reception and 1 year 1 class.
catma Posted June 16, 2005 Posted June 16, 2005 so are you a two form or 1 form entry school?? I don't understand!!
Guest Posted June 16, 2005 Posted June 16, 2005 Sorry if i confused you! At the moment we have 2 reception classes because we are in temp mobiles and there was a spare class.The govenors decided to have 2 reception classes. The rest of the school is one form entry. The new school which is being built for sept will only have enough classes for 1 form entry. This current reception class is going to cause problems throughout the school with it being a class of 34. Next year each the school will have 1 classroom for each yr group and with 34 in Yr 1 not being allowed, 4 children will stay in reception.
Guest Posted June 18, 2005 Posted June 18, 2005 Hi. We are going to have the same problem in September. One class of about 25 Reception and one of 8 Y1 and about 17 YR. At the moment we operate as a Reception Unit and both teachers teach all the children each day. They rotate through 3 rooms. We would like to continue with this as we use our resources very effectively working this way. Do the Y1 children continue working towards the ELGs or do you start on the Y1 curriculum? We haven't started to plan yet! I was thinking of teaching the Y1 as a separate group, I don't know what we will do with them during the induction period. RH
Susan Posted June 18, 2005 Posted June 18, 2005 If the children in year 1 have not met ELGs, then they should be continuing to work towards attaining them. It should be possible to do this do with the year 1 content, so they are not missing out there either.
catma Posted June 19, 2005 Posted June 19, 2005 But surely at some point these children will have to go in their chronological year group....they can't stay in R forever so next year say wherever they are put will be a class over 30? There will always be 30 places in each year PLUS these 4 children. What does keeping them down change? If it is 1 form entry why did the school admit over 30 children in R???? Still confused!!
Guest Posted June 19, 2005 Posted June 19, 2005 Hi, thanks for the comments. As I understand it, sometimes an LEA allows over the PAN if there are less children in other year groups or other special circumstances. I know it is causing us a big headache and will continue to do so until this cohort reaches KS2, where there are no restrictions on class size. We still want to operate as a Reception unit and incorporate the Y1s within it. RH
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