split yrs 5 & 6

[mydadsdaughter]

Anyone with experience of this come and reassure me, always had single classes now school moving to split classes, my DS1 in yr 5 next year which will be split with yr 6, am gutted my son is gonna be seperated from most of his friends, not sure about the teacher she is knew to the school, have lots of questions and am meeting with teacher next wks, so have split classes worked for you ?

[mydadsdaughter]

Am off to work now so not being rude when I don't reply, hoping to hear some positive knees and ideas of how to monitor my DS. progress

[lljkk]

Have had DC in plenty of split year classes, never has seemed like a problem.

[prettydaisies]

Youngest DD was in lots of split classes throughout her time at Primary School. 1/2 for 2 years, 4/5 for a year and then 5/6 for a year. It never did her any harm and she got to know lots of children. She was taught to her level in all the classes. Most of the classes at her school are single age, but her year was always a difficult number - around 40. Hence mixing some years and not others.

[lljkk]

yeah, our intake is usually around 45. Because of mixed years the avg class size for DC has always been around 26. True it's only national English average, but still probably much better than 30+.

I think could be challenging for teacher with the extra requirements of y6, but that kind of challenge should be part of the satisfaction of teaching, too.

[TeenAndTween]

Our single form entry primary has done this for the last couple of years due to very uneven class sizes. So rather than one class of 30 and another of 16 they have 2 of 23 each.
From what I can gather

• medium class sizes, big enough for discussions, friends
  
• they 'set' across the 2 years for maths (and english?)
  
• didn't hear of it impacting SATs preparation
  
• get to know people in the other year
  
  

• harder to make the y6s feel like y6s, and be mature
  
• younger y5s being with pupils noticably older/mature
  
• people being in different class from friends
  
• making friends only for them to be leaving a year ahead of you
  

Not been through it with my children. On the whole I think the pros outweigh the cons.