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Help! Large Reception Class


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Hi i am hoping someone can offer some help and advice. I teach a mixed Reception/Y1 class. Next year my head wants me to have 17 Y1 and 17 Reception which will give me 34 children in total!!! I know this is over the magic 30, but my head doesnt seem to care. I was wondering if anyone else has taught a large mixed aged class and lived to tell the tale!!! Any advice or support would be gratefully recieved :o

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I've had a class of 36 and just about lived to tell the tale. But that was pre Foundation Stage and quite formal so less labour intensive in lots of ways. I wouldn't like to try to follow EYFS with more than 30 children and it is wrong of your head to impose extra children on you in breach of Infant class Size Legislation.

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Guest LornaW

Great advice here Nichola! Not only will it be very difficult for you to teach it is very unfair on the children!

 

If your headteacher really wants the best for each child and for each child to make progress then s/he really is doing the wrong thing not just legally but morally for the children and for you. Mixed aged classes are hard enough without being 34!

 

I would be saying no I just cannot do this and looking elsewhere.

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Hi joshytorres9

 

This certainly doesn't seem fair on you or the children. What are the other class sizes like? Is there no possibility of some of the year 1 children going in with the year 2 children. I would certainly ask for an extra TA if there really is no way out of it. It certainly isn't good for any of the children. Compared to 30 children you will have to write 20% more reports, do 20% more observations, get to know 20% more children and their parents, do a possible 20% more home visits, - and that's just a few things. It could therefore end up with you being 20% less effective as a teacher due to exhaustion. It's going to have an effect on the very best of teachers. Knowing how head teachers love statistics, throw those statistics at him/her.

 

It does make me feel lucky, my head would never consider putting me in that position, I think your head is wrong to do it to you. Shows a lack of pastoral care in my personal opinion.

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Contact your union and get them involved. It is not legal to have over 30 children unless the LA has given them specific leave to be there. infant class size legislation is for the purpose of NOT having children in over large classes.

Cx

You are quite within your rights to do this but personally I would do so as the last course of action - you have after all still got to work at the school and in my experience it may create a bad atmosphere. Talk frankly with your head first. There is of course no harm in contacting your union to ask their advice though and that may be a good course of action for the time being.

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Thank you so much for your support. It really does help to know there are people out there who are supportive. I have spoekn frankly and very openly with the head. He seems to think that teaching 17 y1 and 17 rec children in easier than a class of 30 pure reception children. I have offered him the chance to come and have a go for a day - planning, making sure all the observations are done, ensuring Y1 children get their entitlement etc etc, funnily enough he declined the offer!!! I am going to speak to him again when I get back after the easter break

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I think you should continue to be very firm and definately get i touch with your union. He really has no understanding and while I can understand that if you rock the boat it may get difficult but so will trying to teach 17 Y1 and 17 YR apart from being illegal!

 

Good luck with this.

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