When twins start school

[tinyganghq]

Well actually it's probably a bit early to be thinking about this as my twins (B/G) are only 3, but I've been wondering whether when they do start school if they should be in the same class or not. The school they will go to is fairly flexible I think, and I am not aware of a rigid policy regarding this.

They are close, and are together all the time at the moment, but they are not glued together iykwim and will happily play with others when the opportunity arises (ie preschool, which they started in Sep) Until recently I always envisaged them in the same class for some reason, but I can see some advantages to being separated when I stop and think about it. I was wondering if any MN teachers/ mums of twins or grown up twins have any thoughts or experiences about this.

I am a twin TG (i have a sister) we were both in the same class through the infants but when we went to the juniors I ended up going into the year ahead because I was more able than she was. In our end of year exams I always came 1/54 and she was always about 45/54 - so quite different abilities. However my parents always discouraged me from discussing my achievements especially in front of my twin and indeed this followed through to grammar school entrance too (i sat, she didn't). Strangely my twin and I were never compared by teachers etc but I was compared to our older sister (wierd). On the upside, my sister was always more popular and friendly whereas I was the thinker/more sulky than she....

ours DS1 starts school next year, we also have 22 month old twins. The schools round here are all small and they would have to go in the same class. The teachers all said they had had no problems with twins - and especially boy girl twins they often split themselves into different working groups within the class. They said they benefited in the early days of having hte security of each other in the room.

No experience of splitting them up so can't comment.

Hi tinygang - my twin DDs (3.9) are due to start school next September and the school they are hopefully going to has a policy of separating twins unless the parents strongly object. I've discussed this with mine and one loves the idea of time on her own, the other is a bit worried about not being with her sister. I think it's a good idea really - I'm hoping it will encourage them to make their own friends and stop them being compared as, like jampot, I think they are going to be very different academically and I would hate the "lesser able" one to feel she is in her sisters shadow. With this in mind, me and DH have started doing separate things with them at weekends so they can get used to being apart as they have spent almost every waking minute together since they were born!

Our school follows the wishes of the parents. DD1 has a set of twin boys in her class who spent Reception together, then split up from Year 1 upwards - now Year 4.

DS1 has 2 sets in his year - one set were split up from day 1 and remained apart. The other set have remained together throughout - now Year 2.

i too have b/g twins and they have always been in the same class, i think i may have asked for them to be seperated if they were of the same sex and very close nit with the same friends etc. however this is not the case and being different sexes have different friends and capabilitities etc. they just happen to be bro and sis - who dont care very much for each other unless one is getting battered and rarely interact with each other ocw "ewww hes a boy " or " eww shes a girl" very methodical in their dislike you see

I am a twin and we were separated from an early age, although I think there was only one teacher for reception class. I was quite happy to make my own friends and have my own space. We picked different subjects later on when we had a choice, and it seemed important that we could prove our different strengths, even though we came out with very similar grades at A-level.

my girls now 7 started in different classes, but ended up in the same spelling, reading and maths groups!. The parents once they realised they were twins always invited both round to play/parties, and I had to explain it was OK just to invite the one. But they have just changed schools and are in the same class as its a smaller school.