[tel2]

Hello there

Next year will be my DD's FYOS. We were originally told that it will be one prep only class. However today we were told that enrolments have increased and now in addtion to the prep only class there will be a mixed prep/grade 1 class to accomodate the large enrolments.

Has anyone put their prep child in a prep/grade 1 mixed class ? If so how did it go ?

[JuliaGulia]

3 of mine have been in mixed Prep/1 classes. I think it's fine. Generally, the older kids help the Preps to settle in, and I find the teachers separate them when necessary. It's also good for those children who start school well ahead academically as they are able to mix with children who are more their peers.

[liveworkplay]

Not a fan of composite classes at any level.

[Mocha Coffee]

Yes, it was great. Very happy despite initial disappointment and concern.

[Chelli]

One of my DDs was in a Prep/1 class when she was younger and she coped really well with it

[*Ker*]

DS at prep was in a prep/1/2 composite class, year 1 was prep/1 and year 2 is in a 2/3/4 class.

DD has been in prep/1.

The only one I didn't like was the prep/1, when he was the older part of the composite. The teacher didn't challenge him enough in maths (he is advanced in maths), and he didn't get enough help in English which he is not so good at. I think that was mainly the fault of the teacher though.

Otherwise, I love the comp classes. I have asked for him to be in a 3/4 next year, when he is grade 3.

[Guest_CaptainOblivious_*]

My DD1 has been in a K-1 this year in her FYOS.

It's been good for her. She's pretty clever and has benefited from being in a reading group with the top couple of grade 1 kids and has been doing a lot of their maths work and stuff.

We were given the option of a straight K or a K-1 and asked for the K-1.

The only thing is that she's missed out on forming a lot of relationships with the other kinders but that will change next year when they mix them all up again.

[mummacat]

DS1 has been in a mixed Prep/grade 1 class for his FYOS.

I agree with PP that the year 1 kids help the Prep kids. DS1 has really liked it.

I was nervous about it as I had a bad experience when I was in year 6 and placed in a year 5/6 class. I spent the whole year bored. I even remember eating a eraser in protest as I was bored and wanted more work.

I think it really depends on the teacher. My old teacher it was too much work to set one lot of work for the year 5 and another for the year 6's, while DS1 teacher is more than happy having different groups doing different activities.

[bye]

I don't have a problem with composites at any level. My children were in p/1/2 composites, without problems, and as a teacher I've taught only composites for the last 15 years.

When people have had problems it's nearly always because the teacher didn't handle the grade well, and probably wouldn't have in a straight grade either. Work should be aimed at the child's ability level, not grade level.

[mumto3princesses]

When my twins started school they were in seperate classes. One was in a straight Kindergarten class while the other was in a K/1 class. They both did pretty much exactly the same things. The only difference we saw on our end was what you would get anyway with different teachers. Although if you spoke to DD#3 you would have heard how the Year 1's do different things to the Kindergarten kids etc.

Our school does a lot of composites. They do composites only for Year 3/4 and Year 5/6 and sometimes a gifted and talented 4/5/6 and then the rest are as needed due to numbers. DD#3 has only been in one straight class in Year 1. I have no problem with them. When DD#2 & DD#3 were in a 2/3 in year 2 last year they had a really good teacher who handled the split work really well.