top stream

noodlebay

Hi,
My daughter is starting secondary next week, we just received her class details and she is not in the top stream. The school only streams the top thirty and the rest are mixed. My daughter has always been in the top 2% in her Drumcondra and top7% in her Sigma T standardise test. She does have concentration issues but has made good progress with that this year. To quote her sixth class school report " She is a highly intelligent student. She is capable of high achievements and needs to push herself to the best of her abilities. This will require higher levels of concentration than she shows at the moment". My question is should I ring the school and ask to review her class placement or leave it as it is and see how it goes. I always presumed she would be in the top stream and felt it would help alot with her concentation problems. Any advice would be grateful.

spurious

I'm surprised any school is still streaming - it's a very discredited practice at this stage. Banding is the way to go and allows for individual differences.

The first thing I would do is go and talk to the school.

noodlebay

spurious wrote: »

I'm surprised any school is still streaming - it's a very discredited practice at this stage. Banding is the way to go and allows for individual differences.

The first thing I would do is go and talk to the school.

Hi, thanks for replying. Can you explain the difference between streaming and banding, please.

spurious

Streaming selects the top group and puts them all in one class where they all do HL everything and usually all the same subjects. The subject choice can be affected by the number of children in the school and the staffing levels - there are a lot of factors. A child who was in the top stream and struggled with one subject might, depending on the staffing levels in the school have to drop to another group.

Banding puts children in groups (often of mixed ability) and timetables, say, all the English and Irish classes at the one time. Those that are able for HL go to HL at English time, those for OL to OL and those who maybe need some extra help get it at the same time the rest of their class are doing English. A child who struggles with one subject in that situation stays with their group but gets help in the problem subject or goes to a more appropriate level class when the others are doing it.

That's a simplified version of it. The best people to advise are the school.

noodlebay

spurious wrote: »

Streaming selects the top group and puts them all in one class where they all do HL everything and usually all the same subjects. The subject choice can be affected by the number of children in the school and the staffing levels - there are a lot of factors. A child who was in the top stream and struggled with one subject might, depending on the staffing levels in the school have to drop to another group.

Banding puts children in groups (often of mixed ability) and timetables, say, all the English and Irish classes at the one time. Those that are able for HL go to HL at English time, those for OL to OL and those who maybe need some extra help get it at the same time the rest of their class are doing English. A child who struggles with one subject in that situation stays with their group but gets help in the problem subject or goes to a more appropriate level class when the others are doing it.

That's a simplified version of it. The best people to advise are the school.

Thanks, the streaming was the only thing I didn't like about the school. My daughter is confident and happy and I'm sure she will do well in any class but I will talk to the school. Thanks again.

positivealf

Lol top 2% in primary school? What an achievement.

noodlebay

positivealf wrote: »

Lol top 2% in primary school? What an achievement.

No, top 2% nation wide, which personally I think is an achievement.

positivealf

noodlebay wrote: »

No, top 2% nation wide, which personally I think is an achievement.

Oh wow top 2% nation wide amongst primary school children?!!!! Unbelievable!!

MmmPancakes

positivealf wrote: »

Oh wow top 2% nation wide amongst primary school children?!!!! Unbelievable!!

hahahaha

My School Streams 1-3rd year and bands 5-6th, works well for us.

But OP if your kid performed poorly in the entrance test (maybe not good with exams, not used to pressure) then she is put in her class based on the result, its not enough to move her up because she could count the biggest coins which make up 3 euro, primary - secondary is a huge gap.

If you really are so bothered then ring up the school, if she performs well throughout the year and outperforms the students in the top class she may be moved up to that class. That's what my school does anyways.

dalta5billion

MmmPancakes wrote: »

But OP if your kid performed poorly in the entrance test (maybe not good with exams, not used to pressure) then she is put in her class based on the result, its not enough to move her up because she could count the biggest coins which make up 3 euro, primary - secondary is a huge gap.

Our Sigma-T had a basic algebra question at the end to sort the men from the boys!

The_Valeyard

spurious wrote: »

I'm surprised any school is still streaming - it's a very discredited practice at this stage..

Why discredited?

Bluestrike

For Junior Cert in our school, they only stream maths and Irish and the rest is everyone together. If someone does well enough in an exam and someone in the class above isnt behaving well or isdoing poorly, they will usually swap them around. You could ring the school or just leave it and she might get pulled up. Tbh, it doesnt really matter if its banded or streamed (not to me anyway)