School year divide

[partofyoupoursoutofme]

My boy has 3 friends that have started reception this year together. We are friends with their parents and hang out a lot (in normal times anyway!) DS is 4 months younger so will start reception next September. We are lucky to have a choice of good schools in the area, but would prefer to send DS to the same school as his friends because we prefer it.

DH is worried that being in the year below will put a divide between DS and his friends and thinks we should choose a different school. I think it won't matter, and we should choose the best school regardless. Ds will make new friends in his own year and still play with his existing friends out of school because we socialise with their parents.

Does anyone have any experience of this? What would you do in the same situation?

Pick the best school.
Your child may very well drift away from your friends children even if they were in the same class. That is perfectly normal. He will find his own friends.

Send him to the school you like the best. Don't factor the friends in. They'll form their own friendship groups within school anyway.

Agree with above. It would be silly to not send him to a great school just bc his friends are there, but I also wouldn’t send him there to be with them. You and your boy will make lots of new friends at whatever school you choose, and you can still see your old friends outside of school.

Thanks for your replies, this is my feeling too. In fact, I want him to have his own friends, not just our mates' children.

Pick the school that is the best fit for him (this may not be the best school in terms of results/Ofsted, depending on you child's personality/needs/interests).

Almost certainly your son will not hang out with these friends (which are in reality the children of your friends) at school, he will make friends in his own school year.

I wouldn't worry about this at all