Mixed Year R/1

[Lorna]

I work in a village infant school, 5 classes.

We have been told that as from September that we will possibly/ probably have 3 mixed yearR/1 classes and 2 year 2 classes. Does anyone else work this way?

I currently have 16 yrR and 10 Yr1 and the rest of the year 1 children are in mixed year1/2 classes.

 

Questions I have:

1. Do you plan from Foundation Up or Year 1 down?

I think R up, but other people have different views.

 

2. Do you plan for FSC and NC?

 

3. Do you have seperate planning format for the two groups or do you do one?

 

4. How do you set your planning out?

 

5. How do you organise your time/day?

 

6. Do the year 1 children still have access to 50% child initiated play?

 

7. Have standards gone down?

 

8.What topic areas do you cover?

 

 

I can really see the benifits of this mix- but organisationally it seems a nightmare, with two different curriculums. These are questions I have rattling around my head and others in my school have cited.

 

Hope someone can offer some words of wisdom and maybe examples of plans etc.

 

 

Thanks in advance

 

Lorna

[Guest]

Can't really help myself becaue I've not done a mixed class. My gut feeling is planning from FS up but definately using NC when appropriate for the Y1s. I know there is some mixed YR/Y1 planning on the Hamilton trust web site which might help?

[Guest tinkerbell]

Hi Lorna Ive noticed your postings before and realised you are in a similar class to me.I teach 16 reception and 6 year1 children.I work in a small village primary school 110 children in all.Class2 has the 9 year1 children and 15 year2 children.Class3 yr3/yr4 and class4 yr5/yr6.I have taught at the school for 15 years in both class1 and class2 .I am assistant head as well as foundation and ks1 co ordinator. I will try and answer your questions the best I can

 

1We have a two year rolling programme of topics which cover all objectives we have used the QCAs where appropriate .In the past we planned down.In my class now I plan up as the 6 year1 children are the youngest and by chance they made the least progress last year.

 

2 I found the Norfolk topic format really useful and use this for my medium planning and next half term I will insert the NC objectives for science for the topic on animals.

 

3The medium master plan is as above ,I use the CLEO mixed class medium planning Ryr1 for maths and I also write seperate R and YR1 literacy.

 

4 I write weekly literacy plan with both on it and I write weekly maths with both on it.

 

5 I start with a literacy hour then lay time then numeracy hour.Foundation subjects in the afternoon, unless I am doing a special week eg Chinese New Year week, Divali Week, science week etc

 

6 The year1 do have access to a fair bit of child initiated play but I am aware that they do need to develop a work ethos and get more written recording down.

 

7 Our standards have always been really high so we must be doing something ok

 

8 Like I said we have atwo year rolling programme of topics,, this year was Ourselves,festivals,winterand bears, animals,transport and Tocuaro(I may do other countries as well here)

Hope this has been ok Lorna

Tinkerbell

[Lorna]

Thanks for that Tinkerbell.

 

The main problem I feel we will have is 3 classes of mixed year R/1 children....

at the moment I just can't seem to get my head around the organisational side of it.

 

I have asked to go and spend some time in another setting that is working this way to try and get a feel for it.

 

At the moment My year 1 children are in groups for Literacy, Numeracy and science alongside all the other year1/2 children... so I only have them in the afternoon- which is also hard as I feel i hardly see them, let alone really know what they are doing/progressing.

 

Will see what others have to say.

 

Lorna

[Guest]

Hi

I taught a R/Y1 class a couple of years ago and was just getting my head round it when I moved schools.

I taught to topic wherever possible, beginning with a FS theme. I also taught Literacy and Maths in the morning. All children started with the word work etc, then I planned on one sheet and treated the R children as sep groups for the start of the year i.e. guided task - fine motor contol/independent activity - role play area etc. I tried to send them to play based activities which were related to either Lit or Num. In the afternoons I taught foundation subjects - gave a verbal input to all, then differentiated between R and Y1 by the activities they were asked to do. For example, the R children would maybe make a coat for Barnaby Bear and the Y1s would record in a more formal way.

Hope that makes sense!

[jowhiley]

Hi Lorna,

Have you seen the document 'continuing the learning journey' and also a book called 'smooth transitions' they may help you too!

Good luck I don't envy you!!!

 

Jo

[Lorna]

Yes I have those documents .

 

Thanks- Its not definite yet- and after the staff meeting tonight may or may not happen.

 

L

[Guest]

Hi Jo who published 'continuing the learning journey' and 'smooth transitions'?

 

I am just starting a project on transition from FS to Year 1 for my FD in Early Years and I think they maybe helpful.

 

Thanks Gail

[Marion]

continuing the learning journey is a qca document available here

 

http://www.qca.org.uk/250_14275.html

[Marion]

continuing the learning journey is a qca document available here

 

http://www.qca.org.uk/250_14275.html

 

smooth transitions is by ros bailey and available on amazon

[Guest tinkerbell]

Lorna how did you go with your staff meeting and re organising r/yr1?

Thinking of you Tinkerbell

[Lorna]

We've been told staff can put their opions forward- but i guess its just a case of wait and see.

 

L