Educationalists! - Advice needed re class split/size going from Nursery to Reception

[milge]

Quite long, sorry!
My ds is currently in the nursery of a fee paying school - there are approx 35 kids there who go anything from 3 x mornings, to five full days, plus wrap around care. They are splitting this intake into two classes for Reception, starting in Sept.
Out of the 35 kids, there are 9 girls, the rest boys( historically the school was boys only, started taking girls approx 10 years ago, but there is a GSDT school literally over the road where most of the local fee paying girls go).

The classes have been split into 2 classes of 18 - all the girls in one, 9 boys in with them, all the other boys in the other class.

Ds is the eldest in the year, bright, articulate, a leader and quite "a handful". His best friend is just like him, and he has been placed in the other class. Ds is distraught, because not only has he been separated from his best friend, he is also in with the girls! His 3 friends, who have been in preschool, now nursery with him, have also been put in the other class, so ds feels left on his own.
The school have refused to move him, saying it would ruin the dynamic and make one class too "boisterous".
I am not sure about having all the girls together - would you think it best that they be split across the 2 classes?
I can see what they mean about not having ds and his best friend in the same class, but am really not sure about 2 issues, ds in separated from his friends, and also all the girls in one class.
Advice please, and thanks for getting this far!

Oh, poor ds, does sound unfair that all his friends are in a different class.

I think you need to talk to the school about how distressed your son is. He may be better with the girls as a mixture is always good. We only had 9 girls last year moving from the reception unit into 2 year 1 classes, with families moving etc. one class only has 2 girls in it now who don't really get on. Our classes also spend a lot of time together doing jount lessons.

I can see why they have kept the girls together , a split of 4/5 could make it quite factional. The school probably have a policy of not bowing to parental pressure - we get a fait accompli after the children know but the kids themseleves have some input. Are you sure you haven't taken this harder than him, he will proabbly make new friends in class, some of whom he may well work nicely with during his nursery sessions, and still see the others for breaks and perhaps games etc.

It might be worth talking to the teacher again to find out how much time the 2 classes spend together. Perhaps the school feel that your DS will be distracted if he is with his mates and feel he will achieve more if he is separated from them for formal lessons? I am sure you will find that the 2 groups join a lot when they are doing outside stuff etc. As regards all the girls together tbh this seems quite logical to me. I know it is only reception but I think the group with girls and boys will be a more interesting mix.

I hope it goes well for him.

Thanks everyone for your responses. its good to know that you feel that not splitting the girls up is a good thing. Maybe I have taken it harder than ds, and he is easily distracted in lessons, so maybe this is the reason.
Thanks again

I wouldn't fret too much about your son being separated from his friend they'll still see each other at playtime/clubs etc, so it won't be a problem. Can also see why the school puts the girls together but it will be nice for your son to be in the class with the girls -- it will have a different atmosphere. I'm sure he'll thrive!