CM1 OR CM2

[Traci]

Hi, My daughter who was 10 in January is in CM1 which I had thought was the correct year for her.  However after seeing the headmistress recently I seemed to think that my daughter should be in CM2. Thanks

[Teamedup]

It is easy enough to work out. All children start CP in the September of the year they are 6.

6 cp

7ce1

8ce2

9cm1

10cm2

So if she was 9 in Jan 06 then she would have started cm1 in September 06 and will still be in cm1 now. No idea what the head is on about. She will be one of the oldest in her class ofcourse, but there is nothing wrong with that.

[Suze01]

Remember that the age is worked out on the calender year and not the school year.

All children start CP in the September of the calender year they are 6

[TheVicar]

In France the system of 'doubling' is quite common whereby a child can

re-sit the same year. When we arrived here, our middle daughter was

placed in a class lower than her age year as her school felt that she

would integrate better that way, with a teacher who spoke English

better, and it gave her a chance to spend more time learning a new way

of life and language, instead of struggling with harder work in a

foreign language.

It may be that your daughter's headmaster felt the same, especially if

you arrived well into the school year.  We have always been happy

with the decision. Our eldest daughter who is in college started in

5eme in  February two years back, and re-sat the same year after

the summer for the same reasons. It's certainly nothing to worry about.

[Joy1]

Your daughter is in the correct year - CM1. If she had been 10 in December instead of January then she would be in CM2. My daughter is in CM1- she is 10 this November. In UK she was one of the eldest in her year but in France she is one of the youngest - just different systems for working out the years as other posters have said. Joy

[Suze01]

[quote user="Traci"]

Hi, My daughter who was 10 in January is in CM1 which I had thought was the correct year for her.  However after seeing the headmistress recently I seemed to think that my daughter should be in CM2. Thanks

[/quote]

This has got me thinking, my daughter was 9 in January and is in CE2 which I also thought was the correct year for her (same as above but one year different). She told me a while ago that she should be in CM1 after a conversation about something else, but I had never really thought about it before and none of her teachers have ever mentioned about being en retard. So, I have just been calculating it out and she is in her correct year

Arrived at rentree 2002 MS (had 4th b'day January 2002)

Rentree 2003 GS (had 5th b'day January 2003)

Rentree 2004 CP (had 6th b'day January 2004)

Rentree 2005 CE1 (had 7th b'day January 2005)

Rentree 2006 CE2 (had 8th b'day January 2006)

Next Rentree 2007 CM1 (had 9th b'day January 2007)

Likewise, my son is in 5ieme and he will be 13 in May,  I have just asked my son about all his year group, and he said that everyone in his class (except those that have redoubled) will have their thirteeth birthday this calender year which also calculates with the above.

So Traci your daughter is her correct year too one year above my daughter, exactly one year older.  [:)] Confusing aint it?

[Mistral]

Everybody has already given you the correct facts; School years are worked from calendar years, so all children born in 1997 should be in CM1 unless they have retaken a year.  (my daughter was born in 1997 too)

The question remains as to why the headmistress thinks your daughter should be in CM2. It can't be because of her age, because you would hope that a French primary head knows how the system works. Is your daughter finding the work too easy or complaining of being bored? It could be that the headmistress thinks she should go up a year (yes it happens, less frequently than retaking and it seems to depend on the school's principles about the idea and the parents' feelings) if she is going to skip a year, it would be more logical to do it before she hits 6eme. The fact that your daughter is a January baby more make a school more likely to suggest this because the thinking goes that she would be more mature than most children in CM1. (just as they feel more comfortable suggesting redoublement to smaller, later born children- stupid, but a fact)

[Traci]

Yes its certainly possible, as i was seeing the headmistress as my 10 year old is extremely bored and frustrated within her class.  However as my french is somewhat terrible, i had taken a french friend with me to translate everything i didn't understand, so was very surprised to be told this.  My daughter has a floating teacher to help her with the language  visit the school twice a week but the rest of the time her class teacher either gives her maths to do or is just told to get on with something!..........The something my daughter normally picks is art and design based and then told off for being a disruption within the classroom as the other children find her work obviously more interesting.  She understands the language well now but is by no means fluent, and i was also told by the head that she is also challenging the teacher.  Its difficult to believe that she can do this, but unable according to the teacher participate in other lessons. Thanks for all the help so far.

[Joy1]

Seems to be a problem with the class teacher! My two children, CM2 and CE2 last year, were expected to do the same work as their classmates after just 4 months (Jan - April) in school. in fact my daughter(CE2) almost did the same work from day 1 despite not speaking any french! - she had to learn very quickly! Perhaps you could speak to the head teacher again or the class teacher and ask if your daughter can attempt the same work as her friends? Hopefully next year she will have a more sympathetic teacher! Best wishes Joy

[Teamedup]

What did you expect Joy1, if someone is in a class, then surely they get taught what the class gets taught. It is bad enough in some classes as there can be up to three different years in the same class in primary school in some of the more remote villages in the region.

What were you expecting to happen? Have I missed something here?

[Joy1]

That is exactly my point! I expected the children to do the same work as their classmates! It seems the op's daughter has not been given the same chance! My son spent most of the first few months just doing maths on the class computer and although this was a bit boring it gave him a chance to integrate and pick up some french before being set the same work.My daughter was given the chance to join in straight away- even though it was hard for her! Same school, different teachers. I think my son was actually quite glad to do something other than maths all day! Perhaps the op's daughter is now ready to do the same work as her classmates? It is no wonder she is finding school boring if she is left to her own devices for most of the day. I am not sure how long she has been in the school but she sounds ready to join her classmates if given the chance. regards. Joy

[Traci]

HI, My daughter started in September last year and  now quotes "I didn't come to France to become a maths Genius!"........................I had seen the class teacher 3 times about her frustrations and was only told that its difficult when there are 26 kids in the class of all abilities and also an english girl to teach.  When the teacher found out about my appointment with the head, she tried to humilate my daughter infront of the class saying that her mother had no business in seeing the headmistress, and that I should only be speaking with her.  My daughter at this point knew nothing of my intended visit and begged me not to go into the school again, she didn't want a repeat of the teaching huffing round and using words she wouldn't be able to understand and having the entire class stare at her.

A few week earlier the teacher was awarding prizes for the most well behaved table, my daughters table won the prize.  The other 3 children were given 4 sweets whilst my daughter was only given 3.  The teacher told her she didn't deserve 4 as she talked too much!!!!!!!!!..................and in french of course!!

I'm just hoping that my daughter knows enough french to move into CM2 in September and will not have to repeat another year in this class!

[Joy1]

Hi Traci.

So sorry to hear about your daughters bad experience. So much depends upon a good relationship with the class teacher. Perhaps you could take your french speaking friend to see the class teacher again and try to "build a bridge" with her? Perhaps you could appologise for not understanding the system when you "went over her head" to see the headteacher? A bit of "grovelling" might help[:D] We were very lucky in that the head of the school our children started at last year was very sympathetic and chose two class teachers who she knew would be willing to help our kids a little bit. If you could somehow get back onside with your daughters teacher perhaps the two of you could workout a strategy to help your daughter? At the college my son now attends one of his friends has been appointed his "secretery/ assistant" to help him understand what is being required in the lessons. Could something similar help your daughter? After 6 months here she really needs to be doing the same work as her friends- even if she gets it wrong! Best of luck! Joy