Best friends in same class - request that they be separate?

[nicefleece]

Welll, my DS is the same age as boy up the road, and they are great friends. They go to the same pre school, and spend a lot of time together. They are signed up for same beavers and will probably end up doing sam e sports - all great.

Local primary has 2 classes that stay the same for the 7 years in primary & junior, and I would like the boys to have a bit of healthy space and be in separate classes, so they have friends etc that are their own.

At preschool, there has been a little 'why wont he play with me' from one side, and 'I am better friens with him than you' 'I have got that / know that / do that more than you' from the other side. I think the boys need somewhere where thay can have a break from each other, before this spoils their friendship!

Whaddya think?

Anyone?

nice. didn't want this to go unanswered. Having worked in school I can say that being in seperate classes may well help them develop other friendships, but that they will still be able to play with each other during breaks and free play time in reception.

Tbh, I wouldn't worry over much about it. See how you go, it might even be a real help for each to have the other around while as they settle in.

Also, classes are often reassessed each year to see how the mix is going, ie,they try to have a good ethnic, social, ability and sn mix, and often that needs to be rejigged. so its not set in stone.

I would mention it to classteacher, so she can keep an eye on it, and she can split them up for group activities and on the carpet, and they will gradually develop other friendships.

hope that helps.

It's certainly worth asking the school. I'd speak to them as soon as possible as we used to get our provisional class allocations really early for reception.

My DD and her best friend were in the same nursery session, attached to the school they were due to attend.

I am close friends with her mother, and we talked about this and felt that whilst we would encourage their friendship out of school, when they went into Reception we would prefer for them to be separated, as we did not want them to become to dependent on each other. We wanted them to develop other friendships.

We went in together to discuss our concerns with the Nursery teacher who is also head of the Foundation Stage, so was responsible for Reception too. She was a bit surprised by us going in together, but was happy to take on board our feelings and did in fact split the children up.

She said that they will not always do this on parental request though, as the class split is usually done by observation in setting. She was glad we came in to see her together though, and was probably more sympathetic to our request because of it. From what she said they often have parents coming in saying "darling ds must not be placed with horrid other child".

So far it's worked well, my daughter who was always the quieter of the girls is flourishing, and both girls have made new friends but see each other fairly often out of school.

Can you have a word with school?

Well ds1 was in same class as his best friend from the nursery class when they moved into reception. To begin with they played together but now 2 terms in they've really built up separate friendships.

Its quite nice i think to have a friend in your class when you start reception and my experience was that it just gave a little extra securtiy but didn't hinder other friendships forming.

I couldn't agree with you more, nicefleece.

My ds age 6 has a bf who lives in the next road. They used to lie next to each other at the baby group, they have always been best friends and unusally I think they won't grow apart. But they both need some space.

Ds and bf are in the same class this year, and they can be a pain, they got really competitive with each other (like siblings) would shout and argue (in the classroom!), they are both very sensitive and one or the other would be in tears, but later on they would be best friends again, sort of a love hate relationship from time to time.

Not a good idea to have them in the same class, like being with a sibling, and next year they will be separated.

I forgot to add, though, my ds found yr 2 very difficult and at the beginning of the year I felt it was a comfort for him to have bf in the same class, although now it's turned out to not be such a good idea!

Is a really good idea. dd's best friend (made since she started school) at school is in the other class. Means that dd has got to know children in both classes, and there isn't the familiarity and irritation with each other that could exist. Also (always in the back of my mind), I feel better that if there was a massive falling out (they're only 6), dd would have her existing class to fall back on, and would not feel as hurt or sad as she might if she was in the same class but less friendly IYSWIM.