Top Year 6 DCs helping peers and younger DCs

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berks_mum
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Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2013 4:52 pm

Top Year 6 DCs helping peers and younger DCs

Post by berks_mum »

Is it a normal practice across primaries to ask Top Year 6 DCs to help their peers and/or Yr 5s with Numeracy/Literacy?

Is this because primaries are not required to give any additional work to Year 6 DCs once they are beyond certain level?
Guest55
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Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Top Year 6 DCs helping peers and younger DCs

Post by Guest55 »

By helping others their own understanding improves ... but ask the school if it concens you.

In many schools Year 6 support younger children, for example, in paired reader schemes.
Ladymuck
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Re: Top Year 6 DCs helping peers and younger DCs

Post by Ladymuck »

Don't think that it is to prevent extension (our comp sends in a maths teacher to a linked primary school to work with the year 5s who are of GCSE standard).
Daogroupie
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Location: Herts

Re: Top Year 6 DCs helping peers and younger DCs

Post by Daogroupie »

Your school should be providing extension work for any Y6 who needs it. Personally I don't think Y6 dcs should be spending too much time helping others. Mentoring is great but they should also be progressing themselves. DG
wildwest
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Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2013 6:27 am

Re: Top Year 6 DCs helping peers and younger DCs

Post by wildwest »

Guest55 wrote:By helping others their own understanding improves ... .
Completely agree. I am a fan of this. Not just improving their understanding but how to use various strategies to express what they have learnt, so that the other person understands it.

Presumably, only a small proportion of time is spent on this in schools, because the year 6s are also there to learn themselves.
berks_mum wrote: Is this because primaries are not required to give any additional work to Year 6 DCs once they are beyond certain level?
Really? What perspective do independant schools take on this? What do they teach the top year 6 DCs then?
And also, how does this translate in independant secondary schools?
Ladymuck
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Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 2:04 pm

Re: Top Year 6 DCs helping peers and younger DCs

Post by Ladymuck »

Deleted by user.
Last edited by Ladymuck on Sat Mar 21, 2015 4:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
berks_mum
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Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2013 4:52 pm

Re: Top Year 6 DCs helping peers and younger DCs

Post by berks_mum »

Good posts here. It seems I learn something new everyday.
I understand helping others is good for our own understanding and confidence. Paired reading and peer helping seem to be good schemes.

Things to look for :
1) How much percentage of a DC's time is used this way.
2) Is the DC learning anything else apart from that? As DG says, DCs are there to learn themselves.
3) Friction, what are the chances of friction, especially among peers and how is resolved? Any teachers willing to share their experiences?
Last edited by berks_mum on Wed Feb 11, 2015 2:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
berks_mum
Posts: 939
Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2013 4:52 pm

Re: Top Year 6 DCs helping peers and younger DCs

Post by berks_mum »

Ladymuck, do primaries know if a DC is working above L6? I thought they test only up to level 6. Of course, I have very limited knowledge of UK education system.

Do state primaries have a legal obligation to provide work > level 6 to able DCs.
Daogroupie
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Location: Herts

Re: Top Year 6 DCs helping peers and younger DCs

Post by Daogroupie »

Oftsted is very hot on this, it is part of SEN, special educational needs covers those working above the rest of the class as well as those below. Each child needs to be catered for according to need. DG
Guest55
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Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Top Year 6 DCs helping peers and younger DCs

Post by Guest55 »

It's not part of SEN any more - it's about catering more the 'more able'.

Quality of teaching:
Outstanding (1)
 Pupils make substantial and sustained progress throughout year groups across many subjects, including English and mathematics, and learn exceptionally well.
 From each different starting point, the proportions of pupils making expected progress and the proportions exceeding expected progress in English and in mathematics are high compared with national figures. For disadvantaged pupils, the proportions are similar to, or are rapidly approaching, those for other pupils nationally and in the school.
 The attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils at least match or are rapidly approaching those of other pupils nationally and in the school.
 Pupils read widely and often across all subjects to a high standard.
 Pupils acquire knowledge and develop and apply a wide range of skills to great effect in reading, writing, communication and mathematics. They are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage in their education, training or employment.
 Pupils, including those in sixth form provision and those in the Early Years Foundation Stage, acquire knowledge quickly and develop their understanding rapidly in a wide range of different subjects across the curriculum.
 The learning of groups of pupils, particularly those who are disabled, those who have special educational needs, disadvantaged pupils and the most able, is consistently good or better.
 The standards of attainment of almost all groups of pupils are likely to be at least in line with national averages with many pupils attaining above this. In exceptional circumstances, an outstanding grade can be awarded where standards of attainment of any group of pupils are below those of all pupils nationally, but the gap is closing rapidly, as shown by trends in a range of attainment indicators. This may include attainment in reading.
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