Mixing classes every year - potential for long term harm?

DD's primary made only one move between the three classes in the whole time they were there, and that was because the parent really pushed.

I think it was a mistake - socially, there were some kids who would have benefitted from a shuffle because they had not found a real friendship group in their own class (although there were some cross-class friendship groups). There was a gender imbalance which arose in two of the classes - the same way, so there was a limit to how much they could improve things, but they could have improved that a little. Academically, one class was much stronger than the others - over half the top maths set were from the same class, so they could have evened that up too.

Until not long before, they had had mixed year group (1/2, 3/4, 5/6) classes, so shuffling every year - it is the easiest way to manage the curriculum with year groups of 45 or 75. I'm guessing they were so relieved to be shot of that arrangement that they didn't realise that less frequent shuffling might be helpful.

I think most schools do their best with shuffling the classes, but with the best will in the world they are probably not always going to predict correctly how the children will react. Sometimes there will also be conflicting interests - such as where there is a stifling friendship and they want to give the dominated child a chance to develop other friendships.

My children are in a school that mixes up the 2 classes (60 children) every year. I don’t know any parent or child who has had a problem with it. In fact I rather like that they mix them up, my child get to know new people and they still see their friends in the other class at playtime.

I've read everything on Mumsnet now 🤦

I think if you started a thread called, “do you always feel like an outsider and did you have the same primary class all through?” you’d find loads of yes/yes replies.

It’s just how a lot of us are.

My class never changed at primary and barely at secondary.

I think it’s quite possible you could have had one class and felt increasingly left out as that group grew closer.

In my own children and their peer groups, I’ve seen totally new and unexpected long term friendship develop from class switches, and children in separate classes spending the whole year seeing their best friend after school in homes. Also seen one year “friendships of convenience” - the year my son was a Harry Potter fan as he had no friends in his class and to this day (Y12) remembers Y4 as his Pretending to Like HP year! He’s still not read any and only watched the first film.

It’s unlikely that through bad luck, you got a change that actively was a fuck up EVERY year - as you describe. More likely that you weren’t going to fit perfectly in any of the groups. Not because there’s anything wrong with you, but because some people fit well with less people than others. Each change was a chance to find the right people, and your primary just wasn’t big enough to find that best match. In which case, it can be better to have multiple chances that might have paid off than one set class all the way that never gave you more chances.

Some of us are just more discerning than others 😉

Friendships often evolve within a class even without splitting and some friendships manage to exist through the split.

I don't see why it should be default but am more than happy for class mixing where needed.

My DC's school mix for the first and only time going into year 3. I think that's a good time to do it as they will have had the stability of the same peer group in infants, and friendships will be well established - so if kids aren't put in the same class with their friends they will still see them at playtime and lunchtime so can keep those bonds going while mixing with new peers.

Having said that I went to a small school with only one class per year group, and while I am not in touch with anyone from my primary school, not being mixed each year didn't do me any harm and I was fine when I went to secondary school and beyond.

My DC’s school does it and at first I wasn’t in favour (they joined in Y2), he had finally made a friend and was split up from said friend. But actually I am so pleased they did, the friend was quite intense (doesn’t have any other friends) and this allowed my DC to develop more friendships, be invited to parties, be more settled in school.
we still have regular play dates with initial friend, and they do see each other in school, but my DC has gained so much from not just being with one friend.
i went with the same people all the way from Reception to A-Levels. I was so bored of the same friends, year after year, there was nowhere to go..

My kids school do it every year. I like it - they get to meet lots more children and you can aim ti get rid of whichever little shit is causing all the behaviour problems in the classroom (until you get a different one!) The children are asked to write a list of four kids they’d like to stay with and are guaranteed 1. In reality though they tend to keep smaller friend groups together unless there’s an issue.

And to give the opposite perspective, my DD was with the same group of children for 7 years from starting primary at almost 5, to leaving at almost 12. The group of 15 girls in the class sometimes got on, sometimes didn't get on. After about 5 years the dynamic was stale and closed. They desperately needed the shake up of switching classes around but the Head wouldn't hear of it. Many of us who had kids in the class actively encouraged extra-curricular away from school, not going to the Brownies held in school with all the same girls but dancing, drama, gymnastics on the other side of town.

Children need to be supported to develop friendships with people they did not know perviously and step out of their comfort zone. It's what creates confident and well-adjusted adults.

I agree I genuinely do not understand the concept that splitting close friendships up so children can make new friends is a good thing.

I had a close friend in reception, we were split up and never in the same class. I struggled every year and had few friends in school. Which meant for me school was a lonely time.

My son has asd and is delayed socially. In year 2 he made his first friends it was a wonderful experience for him. In year 3 they were separated and he massively struggled.

My child attended a school with 4 or 5 classes in every year. They jumbled the students every year so there was always a new mix in every classroom. it was the same when I was a child.

By the time they get to year 6, there are even more students at the school and more mixing throughout the day.

it’s difficult when your child struggles to make friends as mine does, but it’s just the way things work at some schools. It’s also nice because if your child didn’t click with anyone, they have a chance of finding a good friend the next year.

They mix where I work because of a fall in numbers different year groups are taught together in Ks2. Prior to that there was no mixing. When we mix we always make sure children are put with at least one child that they name. No one is ever thrown in with strangers.

They mixed my sons classes each year at primary school. I think it's good for them. My sons made friends with lots of children after struggling for a long time with friendships where the classes were set.

My friend’s y5 child is in a 2-form entry that does not mix yearly and he has been badly bullied by a child in his class since y3. The school flatly refuse to move him to the other class as they say it will set a precedent, so they are removing him from the school. This is where not mixing is detrimental- in three years this child has not had a break from his bully which could have happened if they mixed, plus the school refusing to deal with the bullying issue either (personally I would have removed my child a long time ago).

This is also why I never considered a 1-form entry school for my DS - you only need one child to start bullying your child and others group behind the bully to protect themselves. There is no escape if the school won’t deal with it and I’ve seen this scenario played out on MN many times over the years.

DS(8) goes to a 3-form entry Infants & Juniors schools and they mix the year groups; the only year they didn’t was Sept 2020 and that was due to the lockdown and wanting some continuity for the very youngest pupils. The school does not ask pupils or parents for a list of friends they want to be with and will not engage in discussions about friendship groups being kept together.

They do say they try to keep children with at least two friends where possible, but they also need to balance other needs of the year group as a whole ie friendship dynamics and clashes, SEN, bullying, challenging behaviour, those needing more support, high achievers etc.

So far DS has taken it all in his stride but he is a fairly confident child who will talk/play with anyone so yearly mixing is good for him, however for shy/reserved/lower confidence children this must be difficult. I would expect a school to make an extra effort to ensure they are placed with at least two friends, and try and encourage them to build their confidence with talking/playing with fellow pupils.

Back in the mid-80’s I was in a single-form entry school until age 10 then I switched to a multi-form entry (2-4 classes per year) and the classes were always mixed. I was a very shy and reserved child but I don’t recall it bothering me.

My DD can't wait to start Secondary School in a years time to escape the toxic cliques in her Primary school class... its 2 form entry but her year group hasn't been mixed up since Yr1. The other class is fine, her class is always having friendship drama.

Not mixing is fine if the class is happy .. but sometimes the atmosphere isn't that good.

I think someone could also say I was stuck in a class with kids that were unkind to me. It has led me to have difficulties with XYZ. I wish that I had been given the chance to make new friends.

It sounds like your school managed it badly in not ensuring you had a friend in the new class, and also that you were particularly sensitive/unlucky. But there is a reason that schools mix classes. DD’s old school refused to mix classes ever and DD was stuck in a class that was mostly boys and a few girls she had nothing in common with. There were some lovely girls in the other class I know she would have made friends with if the school had occasionally mixed classes up. As it was we eventually quit the school.

Don’t blame your lonkiness on the fact thst classes were mixed. If you only had one friend in reception that’s a failure by the parents and teacher.

If classes stay the same throughout primary school how will the children learn to adapt to new peers?

Do they need to? I was in the same class through the infants until we moved to a different area for the juniors. I was in the same class through the juniors, with a best friend. We did the 11 plus and I moved to the grammar with same best friend and quite a few others in my year.

We were in the same classes through grammar school, but were set in English, Maths, and French in Y10, then the top sets did French with Texts, Additional Maths and English Lit in Y11. We all did different options at O level and A level. I had best friend from Juniors, and best friend in my class; but mixed with most groups of girls. (There was a really bitchy group, who bullied pretty much everyone else, smoking behind the bike sheds, etc)

We all learnt to mix at the grammar school in PE, the sets, the subject groups….

I keep up with my university friends, but never saw those who failed the 11 plus again; and only kept up with two best friends from school. Imo, OP is overthinking primary school friends?

OP, I think it's a double egded sword but I lean towards thinking that mixing them up is a good thing.

I don't think it does the bulk of children any favours not to mix with different kids every year - they'll need to do this at some point and lack of any preparation is not a recipe for success in adulthood.

Having said that, for those children who struggle socially , it could well lead to added difficulty keeping friends (but not making them since it's practice).

• As a quiet, shy child, I went to a two-form entry largish primary school where years were mixed up every so often. I ended up feeling lonely towards the end of primary
• Quiet, shy DC went to a 2-year-per-room tiny primary where she stayed with the same kids year after year. Ended up feeling lonely towards the end of primary (and frankly, it became stiffling).

Make of that what you will, but IMO it's all in the temperament.

But FWIW, I think it's somehow worse to feel lonely when surrounded by people you have known for years.

My kids school mix classes every year. It's worked out badly for my DD every year and next year all of her friends are in the same class and she isn't. It seems so unfair to her.

My kids’ primary is three form entry, and they mix them up occasionally - maybe every other year on average. Obviously they like having friends in their classes, but I’ve never got the impression that who’s in what class has that much impact on who plays together in the playground at lunch, or out of school.

I'm still friends with quite a few people from Primary school! My school had a 2 form intake but we never swapped, for which I am thankful as I find it hard to make friends but had a group of 3/4 of us who were friends. My DS is autistic and struggles with change so very glad he is at a 1 form intake as he wouldn't cope at all!
It's strange but I have never heard of classes being mixed round, knew anyone from another school where they did it or have any friends now who mention it happening to their children so had no idea this even happened.