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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be upset about the class Pods!?

146 replies

irishmammy85 · 19/08/2020 19:44

My DS (5) is starting school this year and they have been put into pods of 4/5 and not 1 of his good friends are in his pod...😭 surely it's pointless separating them as they will be having play dates outside of school!! Also does it not make sense to have them with their best buddies to make all this easier on them!? Aibu...I don't want to be THAT parent but I'm gutted for him already and they haven't even started 😫

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Original poster
irishmammy85 · 19/08/2020 20:31

@ithinkiveseenthisfilmbefore I haven't said anything...nor will I. However, I am allowed to be upset by it.

@eggandonion yes in Ireland

@Lancrelady80 they didn't ask...I'm friends with the pre school teacher 😫

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Original poster
irishmammy85 · 19/08/2020 20:32

@Nixen I bet you 1000 I am Hmm

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Amanduh · 19/08/2020 20:33

I do get it OP even when I know the reasons. Our local has bubbles plus 1/2m social distancing. But they all sit next to each other on the bus there and the walk in and then the same on the way home...

Rhianna1980 · 19/08/2020 20:33

YANBU. Our school has done its best to keep friendships together because of covid. That applies to the youngest of the group who has just moved up from preschool to reception.
It’s stressful enough for the children as it is.

Emmelina · 19/08/2020 20:33

Even before pods, children in reception, year 1 and year 2 are encouraged to work in different groups and have a wide range of friends rather than staying huddled in little groups they’ve been with since baby group. What if someone moves? What if they fall out? What if someone new comes in and “steals” their only good friend?
Mixing with new people (even in Covid times) is a good first step to building resilience and independence.

Cloudburstagain · 19/08/2020 20:34

Well my child had been spilt from his friends when they moved from the infant section to the junior section ( more than one class) and they definitely knew who my dc’s friends were!

However, we will not be having play dates or mixing with children out of school as we will follow the English guidelines so it will not be an issue.

icklekid · 19/08/2020 20:37

But if you know they didn’t ask who their friends were you know it wasn’t deliberate? Maybe see how it goes and encourage your child to make the most of the opportunity to meet other children. There may be some children who don’t know anyone and if everyone was with their friends they would be left out. The whole pod/bubble concept is being popped every time children who are siblings go home anyway so I wouldn’t let it affect what you do at home. Schools can only limit/reduce the risk not totally eliminate it. By having such small groups they are limiting the number of children they come into contact with in that setting.

Original poster
irishmammy85 · 19/08/2020 20:39

@Girlmama you don't know me in the slightest, I am very easy to work with to be honest. I am just a little worried about starting my child in school in the current situation (like all parents!) I think that clearly things are done differently in the U.K...

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Original poster
irishmammy85 · 19/08/2020 20:40

@Rhianna1980 @Amanduh thank you! Sad

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Original poster
irishmammy85 · 19/08/2020 20:43

@icklekid I said its LIKE they did it deliberately...they probably haven't to be honest.

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whiteroseredrose · 19/08/2020 20:43

I agree OP. Pods of 4 or 5 seems really small. Very little choice of others make friends with.

I've never found DC to be that indiscriminate that they will like / play with someone just because they're in close proximity.

When my DC started school (from school nursery) they were with at least one friend. Less nervousness going in.

When they started secondary they were asked to list a few friends that they would like to be with (at least one would be in their class) and also if there was anyone they would NOT want to be with.

Same thing. It makes it easier to start school with a few friendly faces.

flyingant · 19/08/2020 20:45

How would the teacher know who each child's friends are, if it's their first year at school?

Letseatgrandma · 19/08/2020 20:46

Blimey-how are they separating the pods of 6 from playing with each other?!

Original poster
irishmammy85 · 19/08/2020 20:47

It seems the English schools are so intent on making this harder for kids. SadMy dd has 8 in her class and they have been split into pods of 4...with their best friends. So they seem to be ok with it further up the school.

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Original poster
irishmammy85 · 19/08/2020 20:49

@flyingant it would be very easy...all she would need to do is ask the preschool teacher 80% are from the same pre school.

@Letseatgrandma they are staggering playtimes I think or giving each pod an area to play in 😭😭

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Letseatgrandma · 19/08/2020 20:53

@Letseatgrandma they are staggering playtimes I think or giving each pod an area to play in 😭😭

Presumably this is an EYFS class though? Won’t they be child-led/free-flow virtually all day?!

eggandonion · 19/08/2020 20:53

Is it a mixed age class? I was talking to friends earlier - our kids are all adults, apart from one waiting for leaving cert results - and we were saying that small village schools need completely different guidelines to thirty in a class schools in towns.
Best of luck with back to school, both yourself and the wee one!

Wallywobbles · 19/08/2020 20:54

My toddlers played Peter Pan. Window locks went up the next day. It happens a lot. There's a thread by MrsKoala about her sun taking a hideous tumble.

Original poster
irishmammy85 · 19/08/2020 20:54

@Letseatgrandma no it's junior infants (in Ireland) the equivalent of reception. It's not child led really. They have a play aspect to it but it's not free flow all day.

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Wallywobbles · 19/08/2020 20:55

Oops wrong thread.

Naillig222 · 19/08/2020 20:55

YABU.
What if a pod had 4 kids (I'm not sure how many are in a pod). If your ds is with his friend and his cousin that leaves one other kid on his own with a group of kids who already know eachother. I'm sure that would be very daunting for the other child.

Miner49er · 19/08/2020 20:55

But that's why - 20% are not from the same pre-school, so you need to give friendship groups a chance to start from scratch.

And making it "harder for kids"? It is an exciting time for them!

Feelingpoorlysick · 19/08/2020 20:56

They are trying to keep your child safe.

switswoo81 · 19/08/2020 20:56

I'm a Junior infant teacher and we are not doing pods, there is no social distancing required up to 2nd class.
We have put them at tables of 4 and all resources will be within this group so if the red table have peg boards they won't be sanitised until moving onto the yellow table.
On the years the class can play together but no mixing with other classes.
We will minimise movement within the room .
It might not be as bad as you think. As a teacher you know the colossal amount of work going into reopening I'm a deputy principal and have been in school most days for the past couple weeks and will be all next week. The templates to be filled in are huge.

Original poster
irishmammy85 · 19/08/2020 20:56

@eggandonion yes it's a Jnr and snr infant mixed class. And yes, it's a country school. Thank you.

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