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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

why do schools insist on jumbling classes every year.....

77 replies

staydazzling · 08/07/2019 11:42

in an ideal world where all kids ended up with who they wanted it would be ok, but more theyll get 2 friend options and end up with 1,which can lead to disappointment in young children, it never seems to be an even split, lets say a class of 30,and 3 classes ends up. with like 15 in one class, 6 in one and 9 in another, it must be quite unsettling at times aswell, AIBU to wonder if its all necessary? (dripfeed i went a v. small school so no change of class ever till. comp back inthe days where classes were nearly 40 Hmm)

OP posts:
Crunchymum · 08/07/2019 11:45

Our classes are not changed once they go into reception?

x2 classes of approx 30 kids per class.

KnifeAngel · 08/07/2019 11:46

Never happened to me at school or to my children. The classes stayed the same throughout the time at school.

Divgirl2 · 08/07/2019 11:47

Lots of reasons: some friends don't work well together, some friends cause trouble when together, some friends are at wildly different levels educationally, some friends have parents who request that they be separated, some children might not get a chance at making friends because of bigger personalities so they split them up.

About half the time it's just an easy form of crowd control.

TheBrockmans · 08/07/2019 11:47

I think the trouble is that there are some classes which work really well together but others really don't and having had a child in a school where they didn't mix classes at all it meant she and many others had to leave because the school would not tackle a core group who disrupted and bullied everyone. They and the others in the class would have benefited from being shuffled around. Mixing classes doesn't have to be the solution but it is one solution.

Original poster
staydazzling · 08/07/2019 11:48

ours get changed every year, its a big reveal with the end year record Hmm

OP posts:
SnuggyBuggy · 08/07/2019 11:49

Every year sounds a bit much.

Puffthemagicdragongoestobed · 08/07/2019 11:49

Yep my kids’ school does this at least once during their years at primary. Somehow all the other parents seem to think it’s a good thing. My kids are shy and not super confident, we could happily do without the mix up of classes, thank you very much.

Sirzy · 08/07/2019 11:50

Because some children are better suited to the styles and methods of different teachers.

Because some children are a bad combination together

Because some children rely on another too much

To spread out children who need extra support evenly.

Any number of reasons.

my2bundles · 08/07/2019 11:51

The classes where mixed up once during my son's time in primary. It resolved several cases of bullying and the new group suited my child much better. They may aswell get used to it because once they reach high school they are mixed up for half the lessons.

namechangedforthis1980 · 08/07/2019 11:52

Our school mixes up every year! In fact in the 12 years we've been at that school, I can only think of one year where the classes stayed pretty much the same

CigarsofthePharoahs · 08/07/2019 11:52

My son's school does this.
I can see the positive side - if you have a pair (or more) of children who are disruptive when together, they can be split up.
On the other hand, my son ended up with his friendship group of 5 split up. He and one other were put together. Unfortunately this child left leaving my son feeling a bit lonely.
However his friends in the other class seem to still want to play with him at break times.

ChihuahuaMummy1 · 08/07/2019 11:52

Ds is going to year one in September and theyve had a mix around which I'm pleased about,it gives them a chance to make different friends and in my case separates them from bad influences

sheshootssheimplores · 08/07/2019 11:53

Ours change every year too. Two classes of around 25.

I can absolutely see why they do it, and so far after two jumbles I’m actually really pleased with the teacher and friend choice. However I know there will be a year where I hate where my son ends up and with which mix of kids and I’ll feel just like you.

You just have to trust the teachers judgement I’m afraid.

Original poster
staydazzling · 08/07/2019 11:53

i think my biggest issue is the arse about face maths that leaves such unevenly split, winds me up so much, cant make the kids feel great either

OP posts:
Sirzy · 08/07/2019 11:54

But if it was done with an even split for each class that would suggest it was just a case of “sharing them out” rather than looking at the dynamics of what works best

xyzandabc · 08/07/2019 11:55

I've just been saying exactly the opposite!
Our school (2 form entry) used to swap the classes about every year. With kids able to write down 3 friends they'd like to be with, with an expectation of being with at least 1.

New head came in and classes have not been changed since. So my middle one will have been with the same 29 kids for 5 years now. Both classes in that year group are struggling with friendship issues and could really do with a mix up. But we've had class lists for next year and they are not changing.

I can see that some kids struggle with moving about every year but
I think there would be a good middle ground of swapping them about either every other year or at the change of key stage.

BeanBag7 · 08/07/2019 11:55

Mixing up classes is good because it means the children dont get too comfortable in one group and find it hard when things change. It means they get to work with and socialise with children they might not have been in a class with recently.
From the teachers POV if there are badly behaved children this is an opportunity to split up any bad combinations and make it so the same class isn't stuck with the naughty ones for years on end.

They should just not bother with the "pick 2 friends" thing because it just gets your hopes up and realistically theres no way everyone will get to be in a class with their friends.

HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 08/07/2019 11:56

Whilst it might be difficult for some children in general it is good that they are able to learn to adapt to change. Imagine if your child was put into a class at 4 with 29 other children and expected to stay with them for the next 7 years. That's great if your child and the rest of the children rub alone nicely but what happens if they don't?

What happens if your child doesn't fit in or find like minded peers and you know that in the other class there are children who would make perfect friends for your child?

What happens if the class has a disruptive group in it who bounce off each other making their behaviour more challenging?

Why when there is the option to work each year to redistribute and work on balancing and fixing these problems would anyone thing that was a bad thing?

It's not like the children will never see their old class mates again for most schools the children will be streamed across the year group/key stage and they can spend playtimes and lunches together.

IncrediblySadToo · 08/07/2019 12:00

It gives the bullied children an escape, it gives all the children an opportunity to make new friends and all the other reasons mentioned.

It helps ‘shy’ kids learn to make new friends and not just rely on that one special friend

Nothing to stop them playing with existinfmg friends st break, lunch and out iof school 🤷🏻‍♀️

Original poster
staydazzling · 08/07/2019 12:06

Bean Bag yes! the pick 2 friends thing is annoying as they will always be disappointed should be scrapped. Very valid points about the bullied children escaping, didn't think about that tbf

OP posts:
EssexGurl · 08/07/2019 12:09

Kids school does it once - when they move from infants to juniors. Seems to work quite well - kids and parents know it’s coming.

The school used to do it in a more mad hoc so everyone knew which the “bad” years were! Never affected either of my kids. Wish sons class had changed as he was bullied and it might have made his life easier. Wish my daughters had as more kids in the other class likely to go to our first choice secondary.

Schools can’t win!

bakebakebake · 08/07/2019 12:09

When my son went into year one, they kept the kids in "friendship groups". Both reception teachers sat down with all names and kept friends together.
I know that because i asked.

The next year (my son is year 2 now and my daughter year 1)..
When she went into year 1, she went into her class with 6 children from her reception class.. only 1 was a friend. They were the only girls!
I asked and apparently the headteacher just jumbled everyone together.

Now i get tears most days (and have for the last year) because she doesn't see or play with all her reception friends anymore. Every single child in her "friendship group" ended up together.

Our year 1 and 2 classes are mixed, so reception get split between 3 classes.

DS will be moving up to year 3 so I'm not sure what'll happen with his. DD will be staying in her class and she'll have reception children join her.

SnuggyBuggy · 08/07/2019 12:09

The pick 2 friends thing probably makes it worse and causes drama in of itself

onemouseplace · 08/07/2019 12:11

Our school doesn't mix classes at all and I rather wish they did (although every year seems like a bit much). Once, perhaps between KS1 and KS2, would have been good and balanced out any issues.

Pinktinker · 08/07/2019 12:13

My primary school did this when we moved to KS2. They did keep close friends together so the mix up really didn’t affect me, I just made a few new friends as a result!

My DC’s school do the same as your DC’s, they mash classes up every year but do thankfully tend to keep close friends together. I’m unsure why they do it.