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Year 6 a wasted year at Indie and State Primaries?

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 11:55 pm
by mushroom
Probably just letting off steam but Year 6 in state primary schools seems to be a waste of time for anyone wanting a state selective or independent education for their children at secondary schools.

Before Christmas nothing useful seems to be done to prepare chiildren for state schools that select their intake, let alone the entrance exams for the independent sector! The rest of the year (actually probably the whole of the year) seems to be devoted to those that look likely to underperform in the SATS.

Even anticipating this would be the case and getting assurances from the class and headteacher at the start of the year that this would not happen has not made any difference.

"Every Child Matters" is a slogan adopted by our school, but it simply seems to mean that every child must attain level 4b and it doesn't matter if half the class or more is bored to tears in the process.

Is this the same in the indie sector? Am I missing something? I'd love to hear from any teachers, particulalry in the state sector who can change my opinion.

Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 12:00 am
by Ed's mum
This is an oft-debated subject! You'll definitely get mixed views.

From my experience teaching in a state primary, the learning continues throughout the year. It changes after the SATs and becomes transition work ready for year 7, but learning continues nonetheless.

As a parent with one in year 6 (state primary), I have been extremely impressed by the numerous opportunities for enrichment that my daughter has been provided with so far this year.

So as a teacher and as a parent, only in my opinion, year 6 is far from being a wasted year.

Someone will be along shortly to put the opposite view across! :wink:

Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 12:49 am
by moved
Both of mine were very bored in y6. It depends whether or not you are lucky enough to have enrichment/extension materials provided for your child. Mine were in a prep school.

Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 9:04 am
by Sue123
We had a much more positive experience than that. My DD was at a London prep. The first half of year 6 was spent on intense preparation for the secondary entrance exams, including interview practise. As soon as all exams and interviews were finished, the school changed the curriculum completely: the children went on numerous educational school tips, including a residential trip to Amsterdam, they put on a school play and, just as importantly, they were given exercises and instruction to prepare them for secondary style teaching. Math and English were kept simmering, as it were, but without as much pressure as before. The volume of homework was reduced drastically, compared with the second half of Year5 and first half of Year 6.
The school was very clear in advance about what they were going to do when, so it was carefully planned.
The school does not do SATS exams, though.

Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 11:12 am
by sherry_d
I dont really mind them taking it a bit slow a bit later in year 6

DD will have a busy year preparing to the entrance exams and I sometimes feel gulty for putting a 10year old through this.

It will only be for a few months before they start the BIG school where they will be bombarded with a lot of work.

Only wish my school was like your Sue123 :D where they would go on numerous trips, that will be a nice ending to primary education and it would take of the boredoom from the kids

Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 12:11 pm
by 3pink
I agree I went to see the end of school plays at our childrens old state school, the kids had written them themselves, all very nice but the quality was rubbish. It was clearly what these children had spent the whole summer term doing, once sats were out of the way and struck me as a complete waste of time, they'd have been far better going on school trips and residentials and having some fun.

But then equally I do think the 6 weeks holiday is quite enough time for chillaxing as my 9 year would say, if you take your foot off the gas for too long it's harder to get back into it I would say.

Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 12:48 pm
by Ally
Hi Mushroom

You must have been reading my mind. If I hear Ed Ball doing one of his speeches again I'll scream. !! In state schools everything seem to focus on the under achievers, but this seems to be at the expense of the achievers. Every child deserves the same cut of the cake, not everything should focus on the under achievers.

Ally

Year Six a complete waste for eleven plus kids

Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 1:19 pm
by Daogroupie
My dd, who was streamed over two classes for English and Maths from Y2 so the top set was doing work from the year above, finds herself in Y6 sitting next to children who have mucked around all through school and now need serious help to get through SATS. The teacher actually told me that the only target of the class is to get as many onto Level 4 as possible. So is this now my dd's job at school, to educate other children? As she is already on 5A maths she has already got the max mark possible that can help the school. We sat every eleven plus exam we could find so she would have something to work towards and we do as much music and sport as we can find and at home we do KS3 papers. But we always knew it would be like this. My dream for her is to go to a school where she will be bottom of the class and work her way up. I hate her going to school every day with nothing to look foward to. All her targets now are out of school. We have not been offered any enrichment, extension or differentiation, we have to find it for ourselves.

Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 1:46 pm
by SunlampVexesEel
sherry_d wrote:I dont really mind them taking it a bit slow a bit later in year 6
me too.

Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 1:51 pm
by huntlie
There is a massive difference between state and private primaries. My GD was in a state primary, in a class of 33, and the whole ethos of Year 6 was based on two things - making sure that even the ******* reached level 4, and keeping the pot lid well down on the simmering boys.

During my GD's 1st term at her indie, she was told by her Maths teacher that she and 2 others from her school, were about a year behind the girls from the indie's own prep. Much to his credit, after just a term my GD is now in the second set of four and doing really well. She told him 'We never did much Maths at ... because my teacher was spending most of her time shouting at the boys.'

There was a declared policy of 'we never prepare for the 11+' (they were actually very proud of this) so all that was done by tutoring outside school.

In contrast, in the nearest private prep, the whole ethos from Year 4 right through to the 11+ and other entrance exams, was to either get an 11+ place or a good indie place.

Evidence? In my GD's class of 33, 8 got a Grammar School place - that's around 27%. In the prep, 17 out of 17 got a Grammar School place - that's 100%. Yes, you did read that right. Of course, not all went, some going private, but you get the picture.

******* edited as have received comments about the word used to describe some of the children in the class. Herman