Hey sisters.. I am second guessing myself.
Chose a private school to send my son to. Currently in Reception.. in year 1 next year.
I feel like an absolute failure. I was 25weeks pregnant when hubby and I chose the school and I somehow did not even realise that every year level is combined. Eg.. r/1 1/2 2/3 3/4 etc until year 7.
I am absolutely lost.. like.what are the pros and cons of joint year levels?.. how does 1 teacher efficiently teach 2 different year levels.. I'm struggling to comphrend how I bloody missed this... what a shit mum I am..
Do I move him to a public school? He's a quiet intelligent well mannered boy thar I feel will just get left in the background.
12 Replies
Public schools also do this in our area. We went private to avoid it.
I have honestly found that my well mannered bright son gets over looked a lot regardless. Because he doesn’t make waves.
I personally think this is a fantastic idea. They would put the brighter kids of the lower grade with the higher and vice versa. Not everyone at 7/9/11/16/whatever age, learns at the exact same pace as their same aged peers
I agree. My daughter is in kindy (nsw) and next year is going into a k/1 class as shes struggling with numbers and hand writing. Im not offended, as I'd rather my child get as much help as theu can. My son, is delayed and awaiting diagnosis and has always been well below grade level. Hes been in the lower end of compset classes and next year is old enough to enter our IM program for kids who need that extra help. Its a combined year 3 to 6 class woth about 9 students.
I was very hesitant about combined grades but my grade 2 boy has absolutely flourished. He is a bit ahead so was able to do some more advanced stuff and it has been just brilliant for him.
It’s great if he’s quite intelligent and an independent learner.
He will thrive.
How did he go this year? Some kids cope really well in mixed classes. From grade 1 the teachers will possibly sort the classes based on the students abilities, so that in each class the students will all have a similar ability no matter which grade they are in. The teacher will differentiate based on each students ability whether it is a single or combined grade level. In mixed classes the students will learn the same information, but will be assessed based on what is required for their grade level.
It does not make you a bad mum for not realising this is how they sort classes. It’s possible your local state/public school sort classes the same way.
If they do it always, then they're experienced, they'll share resources and experience to be able to excel at it.
Pros - all teachers differentiate to meet each students needs anyway.
Pros - nowhere else in life are people broken into same age only groups. Kids learn from both watching other kids that can do something they can't, and from teaching kids things they can do, it consolidates their knowledge and develops their character.
They have pros & cons. it all depends on the teaching approach.
It's mostly done when there's not enough students left for a full class so they combine them.
My son has been in one combined class - last year in 1/2. His teacher was experienced at this & he did very well. It confused me more than him! He's academically advanced so could work on literacy etc. with older students. It helped a lot socially.
Ok I'm gonna start with you putting yourself down! Stop that right now lol, you are not a shit mum at all nor have you failed! There are pros and cons at every mainstream school, you'll never find one that's perfect.
Most schools need to have at least some combined classes due to numbers. So I don't think you'll ever avoid it completely but from our very negative experiences with it, I personally wouldn't choose a school where combined classes are the only classes.
My son has been in the higher grade of a combined class for the last two years (for grade 5 and 6) accedemically it has held him back. His class didn't get to do a lot of the excursions that the straight grade 6 classes did this year and he's repeated a lot of work and activities from the previous years.
I am genuinely worried now that he'll be behind next year for grade 7.
My daughter (grade 5 this year in a 5/6 class) had her first year of being in a combined class.
It has been an absolute nightmare.
Accedemically she's really struggled, she went into the year slightly behind anyway and she was put in a class with all the 'smart kids' - that massively affected her confidence.
Then there was the social issues, there's a huge gap in maturity and development at this age. My daughter has only just turned 11 and there are several girls in her class who are only a few months shy of turning 13 (who act like they're going on 16), so I'm sure you can imagine the problems that created...
That said, that was our experience. It doesn't mean it will be yours!
Your boy might thrive in this environment.
Your school might have a way better handle on this arrangement than ours does.
You could always move him to another school down the track if it doesn't work out (kids move schools all the time and they survive just fine).
And there must have been some very positive points that attracted you to this school to begin with.
Good teachers will teach across abilities anyway. They often break kids up into groups based on what specific level a child needs and do open activities that allow the child to show there skills and learn even if they are more advanced than there class.
Wow I would be so annoyed if I paid for a private school and they had combined classes ! That is the very reason we opted against public schooling.
I like compiset classes. Our school only has them most years as we r a small school. The good think about compiset is, if your child is a little behind they go in with the lower grade, they get more development related work at their level in the end that helps them catch up. Kids who are more advanced, don't get board as they get work that challenges them.
For me, its the size of the school. I prefer smaller schools as kids get more one on one, all teachers tend to know all the students names, and if u have a child woth learning difficulties, they get far more attention.