Mixing up classes in primary school

[Faciadipasta]

My dc has found out today (with no warning) that their school has decided to mix up the 3 classes in their year group as they move from year 2 to year 3 in September. They are the only year that this is being done with. A LOT of the children were in tears at pick up today. I'm really worried that they will all have difficulties making new friends, and a lot of them are already saying they don't want to go to school any more now. If this has happened to your dc how did it go? Were the kids happier in the long run?
It just seems really mean, I'm sure they have reasons for doing it but I feel like these kids have already all had so much to deal with, being the cohort that were in reception when covid hit, so they've missed so much in terms of continuity and security within school and now they are having their friendship groups broken up as well. I think I'm almost as upset as my DS (who has been in tears since he got home) the reasoning the school has given is that the class sizes are uneven. They currently have 2 classes of 24 and 1 of 30 so they want to make them more equal. I do understand that point but I think only 2 children have actually left the year since they joined so why couldn't it just have been more balanced from the beginning?

My DDs class could do with mixing, its got an unhealthy dynamic. But school policy is no mixing...

They will have their reasons.

DD is at her fourth school, so has had a lot of mixing (she's Yr4 now). Mixing with more people is generally a good thing.

My DC is in a one form entry school.

Oh how I wish we had the opportunity for a mix up every so often!

It’s fine. Don’t overreact, you’ll make it into a bigger deal for him.

It is so so hard for the kids but they will adapt. It is good for them to be mixed up and made to interact outside their usual group. Friendships at this age can get very intense and cliquey very quickly, and if the friendship is meant to survive in the long run, it will do.

They do this every year at our school. Each class is mixed year so sometimes they're with older kids, sometimes younger. They always make sure that no child is separated from all their friends and it's a chance to split up any kids who don't get on. They can also ensure that kids who need extra support are with a teacher who has the training and experience to help them.

Every year, there are tears but every year, they all make new friends and still play with their old friends at break times. As a result, they all seem to know everyone via siblings and changing friendship groups. It seems harsh at the time but helps them broaden their horizons, teaches them resilience and prepares them for secondary school, where they might not necessarily be with all their friends.

I think though if done properly (and there are some examples here that arent and I think the OPs school failed at rolling it out properly) it enables them to mix things up and keep routine and security so they are more used to a new environment before going to High School.

@Faciadipasta the best thing you can do is be positive about it and ask the school on what criteria they are changing - will friendship groups where possible be kept together.

And High Schools are brutal at separating - most try to mix up the children from the local Primary schools as much as they can.

They mixed up my child’s class two years ago I was really disappointed with the school, children upset and angry but if I’m honest I was wrong, it’s been great my son has more friends they seem to have spread out the ‘naughty’ children and the year group feels more like a big class than separate classes. Give it a chance and you might find out it’s worked out for the best too.

Our school does this every year. It’ll be fine.

It’s good for them and in the long term helps to prepare them for high school.

Well it’s perhaps not been handled very well but it’s a completely normal thing to do and really shouldn’t be made into a big deal by the adults involved.
All the schools I ever had anything to do with mix up the kids every year if they’ve got more than one class.
There may be multiple reasons why school have decided that this is a good idea. Very possibly the classes are not actually working that well as they are and need a move around.
Life is constantly changing. People come and go. Kids need to be able to understand this and deal with it. If they went all through primary never having to deal with new people or new routines then they’d be very poorly prepared for secondary and life in the real world. They’ll still see their current friends at lunches and stuff.

It’s a really bad idea for kids with / with suspected ASD who is get distressed with change. Speaking from experience here 😞

I grew up in the US where it’s totally standard for kids to change classes every year. Parents might request friends together but you all get mixed up. Most primary schools have 3-6 classes per year (I can’t speak for other districts but where I grew up & where dc go to school now, class sizes are 20-25). It didn’t bother me at all, quite the reverse, if you’re stuck in a class with bullies/problem kids, you’re not trapped with them for 6 years!

Classes were reshuffled every year at my DCs' school in the US. There were two classes per year. By the time they were ten they were a very solid, cohesive group, and that only developed more in their remaining years (to age 13/14).

Classes in my own school were set in stone and the result was that I didn't even know own the names of some of the girls in 'the other class' until we did a joint theatrical production in the last year of primary. Some of them became firm friends in secondary.

Yes, they are doing it with years 2 and 3 in our school. They must have realised there's an imbalance somewhere across the classes.

The kids were in tears over this, I'd just say that they will still see friends in the playground and have a chance to make an additional group of friends too.

This happened to my daughter when moving from Y2 to Y3. There, it was about behavioural and emotional issues and some changes needed to be made. I wasn’t thrilled because mine was moved away from some good friends and kept with someone she really didn’t get on with. It was also conducted with little to no input from the new staff, so could have been done better. However, I understand why they did it and think it’s always a possibility in multi form entry schools.

I am obviously trying to play it as a good thing to my DC. He really struggles with change though and has had anxiety issues since covid. The thought of not being with his best friends (which he isn't, most friendship groups seem to have been split- probably intentionally to make kids make more friends?) Is likely to be something that changes his whole perception of school again. After the schools all went back from home schooling he found it VERY hard to adapt.

Those saying this was done ‘without warning’? It’s two months before they start in new classes. This is the ‘warning’.

Also there is 1 kid who is a 'bully' apparently who is beingoved into the same class as my DC which is really stressing him out.

My daughter is in y2 they’ve not mentioned mixing them up for y3 but they have done so every year so I’ve no reason to think they won’t (though I do like the class she’s in she’s had no issues at all)
Both y2 classes all play together at play time and in reception they were all in one big classroom so it’s not like she’s be in a class of strangers.
When the reception to y1 mix happened she lost her best friend, and I was upset, she didn’t come from a feeder nursery and only knew 2 kids when she started in a class full of kids who’d all gone to nursery together, but she was fine! Y1 had a few issues with some boys, but all sorted and then in the mix up to y2 lost a couple of good friends to the other class, but again, absolutely fine, they met up at play time for a while but she’s not as close to them anymore.
Now she has 2 “super best friends” and if she’s put in a class without them she’ll be sad she’s already said she hopes to stay with theme but she’ll cope, just as she always has and she knows it might happen so it won’t be a surprise and if she does struggle I’ll help her and so will school so I’m not worried either way.
personally I like it, it’s a bit of a fresh start every year. It can feel like a big deal but it really isn’t and they all settle after a week or 2.

By warning I meant warning that there was a possibility the classes might be split up. It hasn't happened since this group have been at the school so couldn't have really been on their radar. I even asked the form teacher at the beginning g of the summer term if it was likely to happen and she rold me it was ery unlikely in her opinion (not her fault - she only found out herself at the end of last week apparently) or we could have at least had a chat with the children to explain it might be coming up

I can understand why your DS is upset but for you to be equally upset is probably the worst reaction you could have.

This is done every year at my kids school right up into high school, the parents seem to get more upset about it than the kids

Also AFAIK this is the norm every year in the 2 and 3 form entry schools near me.

And sadly with covid they don't really know the other classes. In the first term of reception they had 'free flow' but then that stopped in Feb 2020 with covid and the kids have been kept almost completely seperate since.

Oh ok so it was pre Covid like our school common practice for Year 2 to be split but it didnt happen in 2020 or 2021 but is now?