Three tier system

[justine1]

Hi everyone,I just wanted to get peoples thoughts about three tier system.I live in a town where there is only a three tier system,I do quite like the idea because its like the middle schools prepare the kids well for secondary education its almost like a small jump as opposed to a giant leap.I went to view a middle school yesterday for Josh (NT) who is in yr.4,it is alovely school and Josh is really excited,aas there are more subjects,like art,drama and food&textiles.However while I walked around all I could think of was Sam (AS) while he is only six I just thought oh my Gosh the school is huge!!!Each yr group has 60 kids,I believe each split between three classes,but its still looks daunting,he will have to move to each class for different subjects and the whole change of school process is scary!He has had to change schools four times (but 3 schools) already and he only started school 2 yrs ago.It has been hard,he is settling in to school nicely now,but when his teacher is off sick he gets so angry and cant handle things,so it is a worry.I know he will probably get help etc. but just wanted to get some ideas of how others have coped with this transition???Thank you.

[julie1]

Hi everyone,I just wanted to get peoples thoughts about three tier system.I live in a town where there is only a three tier system,I do quite like the idea because its like the middle schools prepare the kids well for secondary education its almost like a small jump as opposed to a giant leap.I went to view a middle school yesterday for Josh (NT) who is in yr.4,it is alovely school and Josh is really excited,aas there are more subjects,like art,drama and food&textiles.However while I walked around all I could think of was Sam (AS) while he is only six I just thought oh my Gosh the school is huge!!!Each yr group has 60 kids,I believe each split between three classes,but its still looks daunting,he will have to move to each class for different subjects and the whole change of school process is scary!He has had to change schools four times (but 3 schools) already and he only started school 2 yrs ago.It has been hard,he is settling in to school nicely now,but when his teacher is off sick he gets so angry and cant handle things,so it is a worry.I know he will probably o sound get help etc. but just wanted to get some ideas of how others have coped with this transition???Thank you.

We are in the 3 tier system although it is now ending with middle schools in there last 2 years. From our point of view i say thank goodness it has been a very bad experience for my 3 older children. All of my older children have ASD we found that they were just to young and not ready to take the changes involved in middle school. Moving around a large school with very little support, the school belive all ASD children behave the same way,ect, the problems have been endless. However the oldest 2 are now in special school and are very happy and making progress. Your middle school may be better than ours and more supportive, they cant all be as bad as ours or they would have closed them all a long time ago. Sorry to sound so negative, if it helps my children were not statemented until middle school so maybe thats where i went wrong. But they did not need a statement at primary as primary is such a nurturing enviroment.

[chris54]

60 children in each year group? Our village primary school has that. I would have thought that that was a small number for a middle school.

We use to live in an area with middle schools, there the year groups were between 60 and 120 children. One of the reasons that they are being done away with as they were thought of as to small.

All the primaries are going to have 45 to 90 children in each year and senior of at least 300 children per year.

I have mixed feelings about the middle school system. I know that they always seemed to have a problem recruiting staff. Its seen of as a sort of in between job. My sister teaches in one of the middle schools closing and she have no option than to apply for a job in one of the expanding primary schools.

[justine1]

Thank you Julie1 and Chris54.Chris 54,you are correct in that most of the middle schools are up to 120/150 in each yr group,the one we saw last night is slightly smaller with 60 (it is an average though,they can take more) another school which I will view on Saturday has an average of 120 per yr group. My kids used to go to a village school,it was much smaller but my kids were picked on alot even my NT son.Julie1 I think I agree with you but will wait for furthur comments.When the school is combined( age 4-13) it has more of a family atmosphere,the children will inevitably see their future teachers everyday and they wont have this transition three times!!!My children were going to a catholic school before we moved to this area it was combined and they loved it.I started at a three tier system myself but ended up at a combined I definatley loved the combined,when we were in a last year we were prefects and we looked after the little ones in the mornings some of the little ones were the siblings of my mates,so it was really nice.Also me and my two older brothers had the same yr6 teacher.I have seen a AS school which takes kids from 7 and Sam is 7 next year so I think I will try make plans towards that,so hard to decide!!!