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Permalink Reply by Suzi on July 19, 2010 at 20:03

I'm just bumping this back up in the hope someone will have an opinion on it!
Thanks. :)

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Permalink Reply by Sharmi Lim on July 25, 2010 at 10:20

My daughter is always in a split class ever since she is in years 2. At first I thought it was a benefit for her, that she can excel herself to a higher level of learning. However this is not the case, referring to below reply. It's was all correct, yep she did learn some advance work but the teacher also compare her mark against a year older than her. The teacher won't take it as what year she is in, they takes it as the same year with the others. Which I would think is unfair. Slowly she started to deterrent, no matter how hard she try, it is hard for her to achieve a high standard.
I regret of letting her in the gift and talent class, because level is different the teacher are focusing more on self study, and teacher will not explain as clearly as the single stream class.She is not having the full resources from the school. Whereas single stream class, everyone get the same treatment and teacher will need to goes through and explain the work to them equally.

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Permalink Reply by Citizen90 on July 21, 2010 at 14:49

As with most issues relating to schools, how well, or otherwise, composite classes work is down to the individual teacher and how the class is organised. IMO in a mixed class there is likely to be a much wider range of ability making it far harder for the teacher. My experience with mixed classes has been somewhat mixed.
A few years ago my oldest child was in year 4 in a 4/5 class. The class was split into the two distinct year groups with each group given different work regardless of ability. When he was finding the work too easy the teacher would not let him attempt the year 5 work "in case I have him next year".
My youngest child was in year 2 last year in a mixed year 2/3 class and it worked very well for him - he loves maths and so to provide him with extension activities the teacher would just give him the work the year 3s were doing. This year he is in a single year 3 class which he is not enjoying at all as he is finding that he is repeating the work that he did last year.
My middle child is in a mixed 4/5 class, as he was last year. He has the same teacher again this year which makes a huge difference - the teacher knows exactly what my son has covered so he is not repeatng work he has done before.
The only conclusions I have come to after all that, is that each school year is a complete lottery and that the biggest impact on my children has been the individual teacher rather than the system.

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Permalink Reply by AJ on July 22, 2010 at 21:04

Ok- you've probably thought of all of this already- but here's a round-up of what I've seen. It also goes without saying that it is largely based on the individual teacher... so much of what I'm saying may not apply for your situation-

For-
- If your child is above average in the lower grade or below average in the upper grade- well they can have easy access to work that is up or down and may better suit their abilities.
- Sometimes, children in these mixed classes have been hand-picked to reduce behavioral issues- as the challenge of teaching a mixed class can be considered high enough to warrant the selection of a class that won't have a lot of other interruptions.
- If the school/classroom teacher/powers that be who allocate resources (such as aide time) see a split class as a positive that comes with challenges, "extra" resources can really make the classroom hum. Likewise- if the parents of the class see the split class as unique they can often provide extra support (eg- parent volunteers) for this different little class. Difference can be good! It can produce closer relationships for members of this unique group.
- There can be a lot of peer tutoring- which can really work for some kids. This tutoring can be either academic or social (ie- the younger ones can benefit from having more mature social interactions modeled for them, and the older ones can thrive on the responsibility of being mentors who know that they can help out the younger ones by behaving appropriately).
- Often the teachers chosen for these mixed classes are more flexible- some traditional teachers can find the situation does not suit their teaching style.
- Students may have access to double the social/excursion opportunities.
- Sometimes split class teachers have the opportunity to plan independently- this can be good if it means that the theme for the term is more closely aligned with the needs and interests of the students.

Against-
- Peer tutoring- it can also work the other way! Rather than being challenged by extension work, advanced students can be left with the never-ending task of "catching up" other students.
- Peer tutoring- some older students can really be held back by seeing the behaviour of younger students.
- The challenges the teacher faces may overwhelm them. For example- a split-class teacher may not find support from more traditional teachers who won't see a split class as fitting into their place in the school (ie the teacher of the split class may be left to plan independently etc, as they are not accepted into either year level's planning group). This can be a problem when the split class teacher is a newer teacher (as can be the case- new can equal flexible) if the teacher's inexperience leads to them over-committing themselves.
- Students may miss out on social/excursion/etc opportunities for both year levels (if they don't fit in with what is being taught for the split class).
- Students may have access to both social/excursion opportunities (with associated costs).
- Being in a "different" class can be hard on some children (and some parents, and some teachers). Rather than a feeling of "we have being different from other classes" in common to unite a split class, some can focus on "we don't fit in with other classes" to isolate from other classes.

Really it varies from school to school and classroom to classroom. None of these advantages or disadvantages is set in stone, but I have seen each of them happen. I hope this helps.

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Permalink Reply by Suzi on July 26, 2010 at 23:24

Thank you all very much for your comments/input. Definitely given me food for thought.

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Permalink Reply by Deb Harris on February 16, 2011 at 18:54

I just attended a class meeting at my daughter's school.  She is a year 4 in a 3/4 split class.  The teacher explained that in a split class, the variations in ability of class members are greater than those of a single-stream class, but that the children can benefit from the many different learning levels.  My daughter is very strong in literacy but weak in maths, so I cannot see any advantage to her academically; quite the opposite in fact as she will not be challenged in literacy while helping other children (she is a very personable child) but being weak in maths, she will not get the extra help that she needs for that area.  Having said that, my daughter loves this teacher (she had her in a 2/3 split when she was in year 2).  In year 3 she was in a single stream class and I spent a lot of time trying to get my daughter up to speed on her maths.  She has improved greatly, but I get the feeling that I will always have to be subsidising my daughter's education from home either in challenge or remediation as long as she is in a split class.

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Permalink Reply by John William Tapscott on April 4, 2011 at 9:52

Composite classes happen because of numbers. I have taught in one teacher schools where one teacher teaches all grades and in larger schools where two grades are combined because the numbers do not allow for two separate classes. I have also taught single grade classes where the range of ability is such that one might as well have a composite class of 2 or more grades. What does all this mean? It means that each child is a unique individual needing to be challenged at his or her particular level. It means that in preparing a teaching program the teacher needs to begin with the student first and then the curriculum to select what learning material is appropriate to the child. To begin with the curriculum seems IMO to lead to the round peg in the square hole exercise.

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Permalink Reply by Simona Coppin on July 22, 2011 at 23:41

Our son has been placed in a composite class the last three years. He is in year seven this year. My problem with this type of class is, when we receive the school reports, it is continually saying that our son is not making friendships with his immediate peers. How can he, when the classes only have a few children his immediate age and the rest all younger. He has begun puberty since the age of ten years, and is one of the only boys in the school who is going through this change. As a result he gets teased mercilessly by the younger children. In the last two years he has grown nine inches in height, and still the school deems it fit to place him in with younger children whom have not developed emotionally as he has, therefore creating this further problem. He is a quiet, easy going young man and studies hard. Next year he will be attending a private school where there are no composite classes. They feel this actually detracts from children learning with their immediate peers and developing lasting and strong bonds/friendships.

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Permalink Reply by John William Tapscott on July 23, 2011 at 7:12

As I said above, composite classes happen because of numbers. The situation is not necessarily one of choice. Two schools where I work as a casual supply teachers have all composite classes. This is because their total enrolments do not allow for single year classes. Nevertheless the children in these schools enjoy a very high level of support from the teachers and aides and levels of achievement are as good as, if not better than, most schools I have worked in. Each class includes children with special needs. I find all the children happy, friendly, co-operative and focussed. This does not happen by accident. Whether the school has composite classes or not the difference is made by the quality of the principal in charge of the school. It is a shame that quite often selection of principals does not take into account certain qualities that cannot be measured by numerical criteria. By that I mean that certain abilities possessed by one principal are an advantage for the school and its members. The same abilities in another principal become a weapon rather than a tool and everybody in the school suffers. There is an old proverb that says that the fish rots from the head. This is certainly the case in schools.

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