As a child who started slow and only came into my own after school, I have always been determined to help slow starting students find their feet as quickly as possible. It is my belief that the classroom teachers can turn the fortunes of a slow starting student around.
This belief however, is not supported by the data:
Three-quarters of children in England who make a slow start in the “Three Rs” at primary school fail to catch up by the time they leave, data shows.
And more than a third (39%) of pupils who make a bright start are no longer reaching advanced levels when they leave.
The government’s school league tables data also shows 9% of primary schools do not meet its floor standards.
Overall 74% of pupils met the required levels in English and maths.
Some of those kids that are allowed to fall through the cracks are victims of poor teaching. Often the slow start comes about because the learning style of the student differs to the way the information is conveyed by the teacher.
I think it’s a major cop-out to let the slow starters continue on their merry way without giving them the intervention they so desperately need.
Topical Teaching 