Can I insist on seperate classes?

[GuiltyMe]

Last year my son was in a class with a known 'problem child', this boy wrecks havok on every one, messing around, throwing things around the classroom, wrecking people's work, constantly disrupting the entire class.

It was a terrible year, my son...was previously was one of the top kids at reading and maths dropped to having to have special help with his work. He was bullied throughout the year by this kid and his cousin, he had pencils thrown at his head, his work scribbled on more than once, twice I had to phone other schools asking if they had vancancies because my son was so unhappy.

I made it clear at the end of that year that if my son was with this boy again the next term I would be keeping him off school until a place in another school came up. I was told "He won't be in his class next year now anyway as they're streamed on ability now".

Anyway this year has been great, his work is back up to standard, there has been no bullying and DS is starting to enjoy school again.

Next year however, with the way the school works the classes, DS is due to be back with this boy again after the summer term. At the last consultation evening I asked if they could guarantee that he wouldn't be with this kid next term and they said they didn't know what was happening with classes next term yet. Basically they tell us what classes the kids are in on the last day of term so that we have no time to kick up a fuss.

Anyway, its getting close to the summer holidays and at the next consultation evening I want to stress that my son is not to be put with this kid again as this year has been a world of difference to last year and we don't want that to change.

Can I actually do that? Are they likely to care what I think and keep them seperated? Am I being too precious about the whole thing?

This is next term they're in year 5 and I do NOT want this kid messing up DS's final years at primary and ultimately his year 6 SATs.

[AMumInScotland]

You don't have any legal right to insist on the class structure, so although you can ask them and hope they take the previous bullying situation seriously, you can't make them do this.

They may be in a situation where a number of parents are saying something is similar, and there's a limit to what they can do to avoid the situation - this boy is going to end up in someone's class after all!

Legally, your only option would be to apply for a place at another school, but there's no guarantee there wouldn't be a similar issue there, as schools have to cope with the difficult children as well as the hard-working ones. Also you cannot just "keep him off school" - you would have to deregister him from the current school, and take responsibility for educating him at home until he got a place at another school.