3 weeks in at secondary school and my DD has moved tutor groups and classes..she’s devastated

I agree that this a bad show by the school. I suspect that there was no notification because they have had some issues with other students and your DD was moved to make space for a more troublesome one on the opposite side (a direct swap as it were).

However, that is little comfort to your DD and it doesn’t make it right. When you meet with them I would emphasise that she is now in a form with a child that had previously bullied her and it is causing her huge anxiety.

"OP's child came home YESTERDAY. So the OP became aware of this situation on Friday after the end of the school day. She sent an email (rightly) asking for more information after the end of the school day and after the end of the school week. It's not unreasomable to have not heard anything yet. "

Normally I would totally agree with that, but in this case that would leave OPs daughter in a different tutor group for at least a week. I think the key here is prompt action to put her back in her original tutor group on Monday without upsetting established friendship groups.

noble has it spot on.

It's a ridiculous situation and you are right to want an explanation.

That said, going into school Monday morning, demanding meetings, turning up at school insisting someone speaks to you, sending second emails etc are unreasonable suggestions at this stage.

OP's child came home YESTERDAY. So the OP became aware of this situation on Friday after the end of the school day. She sent an email (rightly) asking for more information after the end of the school day and after the end of the school week. It's not unreasomable to have not heard anything yet.

OP I think your plan is the right one. Give them Monday to deal with it and then request a meeting as soon as possible. Hope it works out.

I would second a second email

I would send a second e-mail saying just to add to my first one my DD was crying all Friday evening about the move. She was very happy and settled in her old form group. She has now been moved away from her friends to a group where there's a child from primary who used to bully her and now she's very anxious. Please could she be moved back to her old form group if possible.

You could send a second email - "after having slept on it and seen how upset DD still was this morning etc..." with a stronger tone?

Older I don't think it is the norm to have frequent tutor group moves. Certainly in my DDs' school there was only movement if it was needed for reasons of bullying etc. I think this is very poor from the school and I would suggest following noble's advice.

At my school it was unheard of for pupils to move form groups unless there were issues with bullying/behaviour. I'd insist she's moved back and follow the complaints procedure if they refuse.

I would probably email over the weekend with your concerns saying you want an urgent meeting on Monday rather than just turning up as this will give them a chance to formulate a plan before seeing you rather than being caught on the hop.

You need to make it clear that your DD will not be staying in the tutor group with the girl who bullied her, and the best solution will be to return her to her original class. I would also point out that you are concerned that this decision was made with no warning, parents weren’t informed, 3 weeks into an extremely difficult transition time for Y7s.

Normally I would advocate framing it as a query, but if your DD has her new timetable in front of her then it seems clear that this is not a misunderstanding.

Don’t say you’ll be taking it to Ofsted, the school will have a clear complaints procedure which will be listed on their website. If the head of year brings no joy then the next step would probably be the head.

My DS just started Y7 this year and I would definitely not be happy to have him moved out of his tutor group at this stage. He has worked hard to build up friendships and get to know people in his classes, why should he have to start all over again in different classes where friendship groups have already started forming?

Send an email to HOY, politely but firmly stating that you are very concerned about the change and want to understand the reasoning behind it. Yours and your DDs preference would be for her to remain in tutor group X for the reasons you have stated above (previous bullying, anxiety about making friends etc). Request an urgent meeting to discuss on Monday morning.

This is not appropriate. Politely visit the school on Monday morning to ask to talk with the teacher immediately about this matter.

Treat this as a urgent problem. I think that you should definitely follow up on this. Stick to your guns. Email them first. If no action is taken consider homeschooling her. This is technically poor practice. And this is totally unprofessional unacceptable on the school’s part as well.

Don’t be emotional though. Act calm and levelheaded. If nothing comes of your query raise it with OFSTED. I’m sure that they will probably be interested in what happened. Or the governors.

Changes in Forms, Tutor Groups or Sets will probably occur regularly throughout your DD's school life, and it will be something she will have to get used to. Having said that, I too, would be unhappy that this has happened so early in Year 7, and even more concerned about the bully. I think your focus should be with the bully issue, and to let the school know the background, and the problems which could arise with your daughter being with this other girl. I would hope the school would be concerned enough about your daughters well-being to acknowledge the problem and either move her back, or move her to another group.

Our school has so many groups it is mind-blowing. They must have very sophisticated timetabling software, but we have: a Form Group for registration and PHSE, a Tutor Group for lessons, and then different sets within that for Maths, English and Languages. They are then mixed again for PE, and mixed again for Art and DT. They also have Houses for special events. Additionally they re-set all of these groups every year!!! The key however is that everyone knows this in advance, and accepts that this is part of the school life.

I would expect a call back on Monday to an important email as that would be the case in dd's school, but if not then go in instead

I would send an email this weekend and say she has been moved into her bully's class and you are very concerned and your dd is very unhappy having made friends. Ask for her to be moved back away from her bully and with her new friends

Please don't email, this is serious enough to go in and have a face to face.

Glad to see more sensible responses and advice, including the last post from a teacher (noblegiraffe).

Email the Form teacher and Head of year and Pastoral Deputy. Raise it as a query rather than complaint. Say that this is what DD has reported, but you are querying it, because it seems hard to believe this is what has happened and hard to believe such a thing would have happened without discussion with yourself and DD first. Be clear it has and is causing distress and so you would like to discuss it and get it sorted as a matter if urgency.

In both email and if you go in, be calm and question firmly rather than ranting or being critical. Insist on explanations and speedy actions, and after any meetings out everything in writing to confirm you you understood has been agreed.

Wow, that’s bonkers. Teachers work so hard to get Y7s to settle into their tutor groups, and to uproot her unexpectedly after 3 weeks is totally unacceptable. To move her into the tutor group with the girl who bullied her just shows how little thought has gone into this.

She is basically being expected to start secondary school afresh with a whole new group of people.

Firstly: she needs to be removed from the tutor group with the bully straight away
Secondly: she needs to be returned to her original group and classes
Thirdly: If the school want to mess around with tutor groups then they need to have a bloody good reason (and they moved a girl into the tutor group so it’s their mistake if the class is too big and your DD shouldn’t be punished for this). They need to make any further changes sensitively, ask if there’s anyone unhappy with their current group (and there will be after 3 weeks) and move those, not random kids who were happy.

I would get involved too. At DDs school they only move tutor groups occasionally in consultation with a parent. I think it’s very poor to move her without prior warning or discussion. Moving lessons they do occasionally if a test shows they should be in a higher or lower band, but this would only be for certain subjects eg maths, definitely not all of them! I’d ask school for an explanation. Must be very unsettling for your DD.

I would go in too. At my kids' school they do move tutor groups around-but only at request from the kids involved and with liaison with parents etc.

Not wooed? = Don't worry

That would really upset me too.

I have a dd in Y9 and my ds has just started Secondary 3 weeks ago too.

My dd says that occasionally they might move a single child into or out of their tutor group. However this is a move that has been over a long period of time where the child in question has requested the move.

I'd be gutted for your dd. It's terrible that you've been given no reason, it affects their whole transition.
I would def not take this lying down. Not wooed about kicking up a fuss. This is the one time you should. It doesn't matter it's only 3 weeks in.

Yes, over time they branch out from their first friends but to have such a thing forced upon your dd at this early stage is awful.

Def go to see HOY on Monday. Send emails over the weekend (someone may pick it up very early Mon morning). Mention the bullying. Don't back down.

I would be getting onto the school and not letting it drop.

Just because she seemed to be happy, robust and settling well they selected her as one who could cope with a move. (Unless they have another reason, i bet they don't.)

You know she has issues with a girl she is now going to be with - that's reason enough for them to reverse the move. Insist on it.

Send an email. Look on the website and put in all that you have said in this post. It will be sorted.