Top tables (setting children in primary school)

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Blue_Marigold
Posts: 359
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2016 4:49 pm

Top tables (setting children in primary school)

Post by Blue_Marigold »

Hi,

My DD recently told me that she had been moved off the top table for some lessons. I told her it didn't matter as long as the new work she gets is not too easy for her but she said that everyone gets the same work.

But I thought that primary schools kids were not supoosed to know what table they were on? In one school I heard the tables are given names like Ant, Bee, Caterpillar etc so it was fairly obvious but in DD's school there doesn't seem to be a system. None of the tables have names or numbers. So how would she know?

I am going to mention it at parents evening but just wondered what happened at other schools?

Blue_Marigold
Rosy Pippin
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Re: Top tables (setting children in primary school)

Post by Rosy Pippin »

Maybe DCs figure out who the "clever" ones are in their class and then if they are not on the same table make the assumption that they have been demoted?
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salsa
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Re: Top tables (setting children in primary school)

Post by salsa »

At least in our experience, no matter what they called them, my children always knew. They saw how they answered the questions. They knew who did the extension work and who struggled.
Although setting is controversial, they do it at my son's primary, but don't seem to do it at my eldest grammar. At least they claim not to.

At the primary, they have 3 sets. A very large one for the top set. They are currently doing year 7 and 8 work. (Or at least they tell them that). There is a smaller middle group and an even smaller group for those who require more help. They are taught in 3 different rooms by 3 teachers, but different number of assistants. My son has friends in the three groups and knows exactly what they are doing. These sessions are not every day, but so far are only for Maths. The school has had everyone getting the minimum required for SATs in the past two years, including a fair share of children with special needs.
I saw this model at the Woolwich Polytechnic where they had groups of 50 able mathematicians being taught together by one teacher and groups of 10 for children with level 3 or below with 2 teachers and 2 assistants. The poly does exceptionally well as a comprehensive school. By the way, they also have two headteachers.
Salsa
Blue_Marigold
Posts: 359
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2016 4:49 pm

Re: Top tables (setting children in primary school)

Post by Blue_Marigold »

Rosy Pippin wrote:Maybe DCs figure out who the "clever" ones are in their class and then if they are not on the same table make the assumption that they have been demoted?
I thought this but they seem to be very random. None of the "clever" kids sit together.
yoyo123
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Location: East Kent

Re: Top tables (setting children in primary school)

Post by yoyo123 »

In the majority of primary classes, the teacher seats the children the way that they prefer to work. Some have "Top Tables" , some purposely mix them up, some may seat children according to who they tend to be on task with and some, like my friend swap them around each week so that they sit next to someone new. Fixed groupings don't always work, eg someone may be "top table" for number work, but " bottom table for shape and measure" I like to keep groupings fluid.
mystery
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Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Top tables (setting children in primary school)

Post by mystery »

Blue_Marigold wrote:Hi,

My DD recently told me that she had been moved off the top table for some lessons. I told her it didn't matter as long as the new work she gets is not too easy for her but she said that everyone gets the same work.

But I thought that primary schools kids were not supoosed to know what table they were on? In one school I heard the tables are given names like Ant, Bee, Caterpillar etc so it was fairly obvious but in DD's school there doesn't seem to be a system. None of the tables have names or numbers. So how would she know?

I am going to mention it at parents evening but just wondered what happened at other schools?

Blue_Marigold
Not sure I understand - if they all get the same work why would your daughter think that she had been on "top table" and that she has now been moved off it?

And I don't think there's any "rule" about children knowing or not knowing which table is which if they are grouped by "ability"? Primary school teachers / heads can depress children or make them feel over-confident from as young as 4 if they wish to can't they? :wink:
loobylou
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Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2014 5:04 pm

Re: Top tables (setting children in primary school)

Post by loobylou »

In my dd's class at primary they used colours and shapes so one year it was purple/red etc table and another year triangle/circle etc.
I had no idea they put them on particular tables according to ability in reception but at 4 she told me very clearly (and correctly as it turned out) the order of the tables and how they worked.
I think most children work these things out.
Blue_Marigold
Posts: 359
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2016 4:49 pm

Re: Top tables (setting children in primary school)

Post by Blue_Marigold »

mystery wrote:Not sure I understand - if they all get the same work why would your daughter think that she had been on "top table" and that she has now been moved off it?
I don't know yet but will hopefully find out at parents evening soon enough. I did think there was a rule about the children not knowing what tables they were on but I guess I was wrong about that :)
Daogroupie
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Location: Herts

Re: Top tables (setting children in primary school)

Post by Daogroupie »

They are not told but they can easily work it out by who they are with. I used to give dd1 three names. If she was with those three then that would be top table. DG
PurpleDuck
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Re: Top tables (setting children in primary school)

Post by PurpleDuck »

Daogroupie wrote:They are not told but they can easily work it out by who they are with. I used to give dd1 three names. If she was with those three then that would be top table. DG
+1 Officially there was no 'table setting' in our primary, but somehow the children always figured out where they were.
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