To think Year 5 is a bit of a nightmare?

[WyrdByrd]

DD is in Yr 5 (thank God only 6 weeks to go).

The last 8 months just seem to have been very niggly in terms of school, development, friendships in particular & general drama.

It's ringing a vague bell with me that this year group/age has a reputation for being particularly hellish and just wondered if anyone else is experiencing/has experienced the same thing & when it settles down.

Apparently their Head of Year has had words with them today because as a year group she is fed up of their constant unnecessary/OTT 'fussing' .

Yep two year 5`s here... both have done well to avoid the drama given there is large group trying to be queen bee ... they spend their time fighting amongst themselves and leave mine alone ..,, DS has been in fights but is quiet and under the radar ... big crowd of naughty boys. who he avoids.

How odd. DS is in Year 5 and came home today asking if I could speak to the school about moving into the other class for year 6 as he has more friends there. He's been with the same children since reception.

I'm looking forward to a fun filled year next year then

Wyrd DS's friends have been very kind in putting up with his strops - or rather leaving him to it but not holding it against him.

The strange thing is he has totally relaxed this week and I have a funny pleasant child back. I'm not sure if whatever friendship weirdness has resolved itself or he can just see the end of the year coming or maybe it's just because the weather is good and he can play outside more.

I hope it's not because I've had the week off work so he hasn't had to get up early to go to the childminder and has more relaxing time after school or I'd feel crap!

I'm glad your DS is happier this week Annie

DDs & her 'troublesome' friend were very close in Yr 3, different classes in Yr 4 (but went to youth club together) and now back in same class along with 2 lads from her Yr4 class.

I have wondered if he was being a bit sensitive about having to share her attention, but it seems to be mostly her that he's horrible to/trying to get rid of. I suggested initially that she makes more of an effort with him, but it didn't change much and it's gone on intermittently for so long now that she no longer has the patience to keep pursuing it.

She been chosen to take part in school performance recently, and hearing that the other boys were going to watch he said 'Haha, I wouldn't bother just to see MissW make a fool of herself on stage.'

This is the latest in a long line of snarky comments & some more physical outbursts when he doesn't get his was within their groups (throwing books, messing up board games, not violent towards the other kids). It's such a shame as he was a really lovely, laid back, funny, quirky little chap & I thought they would be close friends for a long time .

Not really, dd is in yr 5. She's getting more and more sarcastic and stroppy with me, but at school she seems really sweet and has a group of like minded friends who still plays and are still fun and childish....but I could also see there are groups of "Cool" girls, but dd is just not interested in girlie girl things and she thinks boys are yuck....so far, she's not fallen into the mean girls thing either as in a group herself nor as a victim.

She just has fun with her friends and is very busy with activities. Maybe I have all that to come....!

So far, the worst one has been Y9, with Y6 the runner-up.

I associate Y9 with disengagement from education and complete change of friendship group. Thankfully the former was temporary.

School are moving to a three-year KS4, starting in Y9, which might help.

I don't want to speak too soon as there are still a few weeks left, but so far Y10 has been OK.

Wish I hadn't read this... DD is just about to finish year 4 :(

I'm a primary headteacher. Year 5 & Year 6 are never easy!
The usual cliched because it's true is that the boys fall out, have a scrap, get told off, shake hands, start again.

The girls do it like this:
'a' makes a sarky comment about 'b' to 'c'. C tells D who, together, tell B, who cries and strops (for about 4 play times). B, C and D ignore A, who claims not to know why and has probably forgotten by now cries and strops for 4 more play times. Now there are lots of messages by text/FB/whatsApp etc and teachers trying to unravel all of this.
A tells B that actually it was E that said it about her so B messages E to say 'I thought you were my friend'. E has a go at A. C and D are excited. B is still crying. Then E acknowledges they made a comment but it wasn't meant like that so A says sorry to C for passing it about and B says sorry for getting involved. D has no idea really what went on but caught up in the drama, and 2 of the parents have been to see me about the whole incident. Everyone is pleased it's settled and the girls bond over pencil cases. Then B tells E that D said she was flirting with C's boyfriend....

GammonandEgg has it. This is exactly my take on it. DS has sailed through his school years thank goodness! He found a great group of friends and they sorted their differences quickly. DD has had a much tougher time sadly.

We have the middle school system here, where they start at year 5 and stay until the end of year 8. It is hellish! DD2 is in year 5 and generally struggles with friendships anyway.

DD1 was a popular girl but still struggled!

Oh dear God dd is going into year 5 next September

I thought last year (year 3) was pretty bad for friendship dramas, things have settled slightly this year so was hoping things would get better not worse

When dd1 was at high school the head teacher said they were the worst year group the school had experienced .

After 5 years of all the girls getting along almost blissfully well, year 5 came as a terrible shock. Started with dd being dumped by her best friend and it was a hellish roller coaster from then on. Girls who had hitherto seemed lovely suddenly seemed to have had personality changes, and deadly cliques formed and reformed at dizzying speed.

It really was like a collective madness had taken hold.

Year 6 has been a dream by comparison (touch wood). Everything is so much more settled and the girls are rubbing along very well together. Factions re secondary school haven't formed, as feared, in fact the opposite is true as they know they are being permanently separated soon and seem to be making the most of their time together, putting drama to the side.