To be upset about the class Pods!?

[irishmammy85]

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 😫

YABU. They can’t base their class pods on who your kids are friends with; there’s a multitude of factors to consider but that isn’t and shouldn’t be one of them.

You say “make it easier on them”; they’re kids, and only five - they’ll be fine. They’ll adapt and adjust; school isn’t going to be any harder for them than it was before. You’re adding way too much emotion to this.

I was about to type what @upthewolves has said.... I'm also a teacher and thought the guidance on bubbles was class size bubbles or year groups???? The guidance during full lockdown was bubbles of 15 so your schools pod of 4 seems a bit unnecessary..... my class in September is of 22 and they will not be separated at all.

OP just said there are 7 teachers and no TAs in this school so how on earth are 'pods' of 4 going to work? Are they taught in different rooms? I really don't get it.

Schools can choose to sort and order their bubbles/groups/pods however they like as long as they’d not going against the guidance ie. 31 instead of 30.

If smaller groups work for them then that’s their choice.

Not sure why the arrangements for the start of term at your son’s school are such a surprise to you.
Being a teacher yourself and all...

Also does it not make sense to have them with their best buddies to make all this easier on them!?

Said no teacher ever.

@heartsonacake I didn't think the limit was 30? I don't think a number has been specified in the guidance, unless it's changed since I last read it.

I understand where you are coming from but he will be fine. When my elder DC started school we were asked to complete a form which included a section on if and where they had been at nursery and if there were any other children they would like to be in a class with.

My husband completed and returned the form before I had chance to check it and didn't include the names of his nursery friends. They were all in a class together apart from my DC who was in a different one

I was upset at this and very cross with my husband but my DC was fine and made extra friends when they started.

@Russell19

I was about to type what *@upthewolves* has said.... I'm also a teacher and thought the guidance on bubbles was class size bubbles or year groups???? The guidance during full lockdown was bubbles of 15 so your schools pod of 4 seems a bit unnecessary..... my class in September is of 22 and they will not be separated at all.

OP just said there are 7 teachers and no TAs in this school so how on earth are 'pods' of 4 going to work? Are they taught in different rooms? I really don't get it.

Because not everyone on MN lives in the UK! Jeez lads, I didn't think that was so poorly understood.

In Ireland the class is a bubble and pods = table groups.

@Russell19

I was about to type what *@upthewolves* has said.... I'm also a teacher and thought the guidance on bubbles was class size bubbles or year groups???? The guidance during full lockdown was bubbles of 15 so your schools pod of 4 seems a bit unnecessary..... my class in September is of 22 and they will not be separated at all.

OP just said there are 7 teachers and no TAs in this school so how on earth are 'pods' of 4 going to work? Are they taught in different rooms? I really don't get it.

The OP is in Ireland though. They’ll have different guidance.

Op. You are being a tit. Please don’t complain

I get it is disappointing. My daughter is going into year 2, had had the same best friends since she was 3 and has been split from them both and classes are not allowed to mix so she won't be able to play with them at break time initially either. However, I think it will allow her to thrive and make new friends (she likes everyone in her year) and we can still maintain the existing friendships to the best of our ability within the COVID rules. Trying to see the positives!

[quote Russell19]@heartsonacake I didn't think the limit was 30? I don't think a number has been specified in the guidance, unless it's changed since I last read it.[/quote]
30 is the limit on KS1 classes anyway.

[quote Russell19]@heartsonacake I didn't think the limit was 30? I don't think a number has been specified in the guidance, unless it's changed since I last read it.[/quote]
I don’t know what the limit is. I was just using 30 as an example.

So as long as they don’t go above any potential limit set, the school can have whatever bubble sizes they want; small or large.

Thats means pods are pointless then....if they are in the same room, touching the same equipment, using the same toilets and sinks. Its pointless. Unless the taps, door handles, equipment etc are being cleaned between every pod?

@CaptainMyCaptain class limit is yes but I'm talking about bubble limit. You could technically have 2 classes in 1 bubble allowing them to share the hall, playground, toilets and same equipment. Well that was my interpretation anyway.

I asked for my son to be separated from his "best nursery friend" as he was shy and would never have interacted with the other kids otherwise. The best friend wasn't actually that nice to him, although I did pretend to be a bit sad when the friends mum said it was a shame they were being separated

It’s all bonkers but tbh schools are stuck between a rock and a hard place with these bubbles. The idea is to reduce the risk of spreading COVID which bubbles will do. However at the same time schools also know that children will mix outside of school and they cannot control that.

So either they have bubbles which might reduce the risk of spread....or not bother which would have parents up in arms because the school are not bothering, they cannot win.

How many times did I read 'to be honest'

@Dohorseseatapples why would a teacher never say something like that? I am a teacher and would want the children to be with their friends, especially at this time and especially when they ate starting school. Perhaps you mean "said no kind and empathetic teacher ever?"

My child is 5 and also just started school. The teachers recieved information from parents and nursery staff about who children were friendly with and went to great pains to ensure children were with friends in their bubble.
Not only were friends in same bubble but also sitting at same tables/ right beside each other.
As they have just started after a long lockdown the teachers found it very important to have the children with familiar people.
Yanbu OP and I think I'd ask the teacher how they assigned pods and explain that as you want to limit the numbers your child has direct contact with, could a move be considered.
Unfortunately I'm not sure anything can be done at this stage though.

costa
Perhaps you mean "said no kind and empathetic teacher ever?"

I’ve never known primary teachers to accept friendship requests from parents when organising class working groups.
Opens the floodgates.
‘A wants to be in a team with B but not C’
‘B doesn’t like A or C and prefers D’
‘D wants to be with C and At...

I think the schools do this on purpose ! My dd was put into a house at her old school completely separate from any of her friends she is very sensitive anyway so this made her whole experience horrible.