As a child I was in composite classes - a 4/5 (in Y4) and a 5/6 (in Y6). I am pro them, despite the 4/5 year being the worst of my primary life (due to the teacher). You learn more socially, the academics aren't that much of an issue as a decent teacher will plan on how to stretch the more able anyway so have extra, harder activities. There's a huge range of abilities in that age group anyway, so a bright Y5 will be brighter than a slower Y6. A slower Y6 won't be the bottom of the class all year, even if they are bottom of the Y6 group. If you're top of the older class, you would be no matter who you're with... so does it matter who you're with?
Just further to TFB's post - you can also get a really really broad range in some grades where in a 3/4 for eg. the lowest 4 could be with the lowest 3s and your brightest 3 could be brighter than all the 4's? So just because it is based on age, it is more about the ability groups within the grade itms?
I have just spoken to my dad (teacher) and I will also chat to my Aunt/Godmother (recently retired primary principal). I feel really quite stressed by it as I am not looking forward to going head to head with the principal. I have clashed with her severely over DD's name over the past couple of years (don't ask ) and I know she thinks I am a pain in the arse. Of course, I am a pain in the arse, but I can't help thinking it will somehow come back on DD
2 of my best primary school years were in composites with very good teachers - one as the younger year and one as the older. As someone else mentioned, I had a slack teacher one year on a straight class and it was terrible. So I think it's more about the teachers than who you are learning with.
Unfortunately I know nothing about the teacher. I only know one or two parents and they don't "know" her either. DD says she is "nice", which is scary in itself I always hope she will get a teacher who is "a hard marker"
I love them. Both as a parent and as a future teacher. THe way our school structures their classes is that Kindergarten is a straight class, but all others are taught as composites. But in NSW the education system is structured as 'stages' So Kindy is Early Stage one, years 1 and 2 are Stage One, Years 3 and 4 are Stage Two and years 5 and 6 are Stage 3. All the curriculums are based on teaching to these stages and within those stages they have ability groups for both maths and literacy anyway, so you will have groups ot the top, bottom and mid range and a few accelerated kids. For other KLA subjects like art, music, HSIE/SOIE etc you teach the exact same curriculum to all kids in that stage anyway. And when the new National Curriculum comes into effect composite classes wont matter then either because its designed to be progressive and each year they build on what they learnt the previous year in a more structured way than they currently do.
As a parent, my kids have absolutely thrived in a composite class. They get to make friendships with children either older or younger than them and with DS1 in particular, it has taugh him a lot of tolerance for the less capable students when he was in yr 4 in a 3/4 class last year and there was a massive spectrum of ability within that class. If they need harder work, such as spelling they can easily get accelerated because the teacher is already teaching the higher level kwim?
As a future teacher, I love them. In any given year group you will always get a broad range of ability and intelligence so it wouldn't matter if it was a straight class, any good teacher will cater for that anyway. I know in my kids school, having a composite arrangment also means that they can have smaller class sizes as well as the school being able to have a higher number of staff. It honestly does not matter how the structure of the class is, your child will be taught to their ability anyway, but there are just so many positives to having composite classes.
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) and I know she thinks I am a pain in the arse. Of course, I am a pain in the arse, but I can't help thinking it will somehow come back on DD 
I always hope she will get a teacher who is "a hard marker" 
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