repeating senior infants
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repeating senior infants 
20/06/2011 11:34 - Ask Mother Hen
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Hi,
Does anyone have any useful advice on making the decision to repeat senior infants. My daughter has just turned 6 and is in SI. The school has just approached me about her repeating SI and not going into 1st class. This decision has been recommended based mainly on her age and the school has said she is struggling. I am confused as the school approached me (as two older siblings are in the school) to start her when she was 4, to ´up´ the numbers in the school. I agreed as i felt she was ready and has had no problems. Throughout SI she has not appeared to have had any problems and the school have not communicated that she is having any difficulties, until now. She is well able to read and gets her spellings right every week, scored 6 in the Micra-T test and emotionally she has no problems.
The teacher gives very little praise and is of the opinion that children should not start school until they are 5, it was the prinicipal who initially encouraged me to start her. My gut instinct is to let her go into 1st class and I am concerned that if there were problems the school should of been pro-active and notified me before now, instead of waiting until the end of the school year and suggesting repeating the year.
I am of the opinion that she will not be educationally challenged doing the same work and she does not want to stay back either. Advice please :)
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re... : repeating senior infants
21/06/2011 11:41 - Ask Mother Hen
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Hi Isabella,
I just wanted to post a quick reply but, depending on how you got on with the Principal, the situation may have changed.
I agree with the replies regarding trusting your gut when it comes to whether your child is ready for 1st class or not. If she is not struggling academically and you feel that she is integrating with the other children in her class (indicating that she is socially at the correct stage) then what is the logic in holding her back? Does your child chat freely about school? Are you confident that she has a good circle of friends in the class and is not being bullied or having difficulties? If you are happy, then what is the point in disrupting her by keeping her back to have to get used to new classmates and possibly become bored because she is not being intellectually stimulated at school?
I suggest that you talk with the principle and if you are not happy to hold her back, then trust your instinct if you are confident that her academic and social progress is sufficient for her to move to 1st class.
Let us know how you get on!
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re... : repeating senior infants
20/06/2011 19:37 - Ask Mother Hen
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Thank you so much, that is sound advice. Possibly thinking of changing school as the teacher mentioned when she called me in that the decision is mine, but if I decide not to keep her back it will be an issue that will be re-adressed every year because of her age!! Sounds like they are bullying me into keeping her back, my other daughter is leaving the school next week to go to secondary school and she is only 12! Confused.com
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re... : repeating senior infants
20/06/2011 19:31 - Ask Mother Hen
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you know your child better than anyone and if she was struggling they would be quick enough to call you in way before now... trust your instincts and don´t let the school bully you into making a choice that you know is wrong....just so they can fill a quota.
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re : repeating senior infants
20/06/2011 19:01 - Ask Mother Hen
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I wouldn´t keep her back she is old enough to go on to first class and the whole thing sounds fishy to me ... I wonder do they need to make the numbers up for Senior Infants that they are all fired up to keep her back
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re... : repeating senior infants
20/06/2011 19:13 - Ask Mother Hen
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Hi, yes I am thinking the same but it is very unfair, as it makes you feel pressurised and doubting if you are doing the right thing!! Going to speak to the Prinicpal tomorrow. Have spoke with the Department of Education today and they would NOT recommend her repeating soley because of age. Given the fact that she has no academic issues and is doing well they feel it is unacceptable for the school to recommend this. Surely if they school was so concerned they would of told me before now should her needs warrant repeating a full year. Have been also reading some research that concludes children who repeat a year tend to be lower achievers. My main issue is that my child doesnt feel pressured and is happy. She says she finds the work easy and wouldnt want to stay back a year. Also the school is struggling for numbers, which possibly have an influence on asking children to repeat years to maintain it´s pupil/teacher ratios......Many thanks for commenting, I am normally quite reassured in my decisions, but think I need reassuring I am doing the right thing!!!
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