Playground riot over Yr 1 class postings......

[Gameboy]

Not sure I can really believe what I've just witnessed this afternoon.

DS moves from Reception to Y1 in Sept and the existing classes get mixed up into new ones.All the kids were asked which 2 -3 friends they would ideally like to be with.

Today the school posted new class lists in the playground at home time, and it was a bizarre scene:

• lots of jostling and shoving to see...
• one Dad taking digital photos of the lists (presumably to show Mum later?)
• some Mums shouting 'Yes, yes!' and virtually punching the air when their child was: with certain friends / a particular teacher
• some parents saying VERY loudly "Oh no, I told them that on no account did I want x in Y's class, he's such a disruptive influence"
• people saying "Oh, xxx class is clearly the top performers, look a,b & c are in it (and their child of course)

And then since I've got home the phone just hasn't stopped ringing with lots of Mums still chewing over the 'results', "Why did they not keep X with Y, where's Z etc etc"

I really feel for the poor teachers - how can they possibly try to keep everyone happy?
Is this what it's always like??

I kind of hope that my kids senior school does do something like this. I ended up in a class where I knew no-one (I came from quite a small primary school, as my son does now) and it took me ages to settle in - all the other kids had a few others in the class that they know, and the transition was a lot easier for them.

I think it's sad to be split from your little friends so young too.
I am so pleased dd is in with her friends as they are alkways together and i know she'd have been really upset if i told her that in September you wont be with the girls!

I understand teachers jobs are difficult and keeping evreyone happy must be a nightmare but i do think they should try.

I also think it will help when they go to Senior school as they will have got to know everyone in their Year Group (and some in the Year either side) so I am happy for the movement year to year - not that we get any choice, anyway

I think it also helps with making friends, getting on with others etc, no sure if it is healthy for them to be with the same children from Reception? as they would probably stick to their 'best friends' and not look for any new ones - what happens if these don't go up to the same Senior school, for instance?

I think I may have given the wrong impression here perhaps?

The parents were not 'consulted with' i.e. they didn't really have any say in the class lists, except in the cases I mentioned of expressly requesting e.g. two kids to be split up

The teachers had 'informal chats' with the kids. Theoretically parents wouldn't know when these were happening, but in practice there are so many Mums 'helping out' in school throughout the week (basically at least 2 a day in Reception clases!) that they all had their 'ears to the ground' and reported back.

To be fair, the school made it VERY clear that they were the ultimate decision-makers, and very stern note from the headmaster said something along the lines of "while we try, where possible, to keep friendship groups together, this may not always be possible, or indeed recommended in some cases. Once class lists have been published, these will NOT be changed, except in exceptional circumstances"

I really wasn't that bothered, because DS is a really easy-going little confident chap and seems to make friends easily (when we've been on holiday and he's been in kids club he's made some really good friends within hours!) However I DO understand why some parents seem to feel more anquish over this - some children seem to need the security of familiar friends and surroundings. In fact I think I will be more sensistive to this with our youngest, who is a 'young' July-born child and much more sensitive.

Sometimes when I see parents react like this though I just think they haven't enough 'real' things in lifeto worry about...

Oh yes, identical situation with us. But the Yummy Mummies in our class seemed more concerned that their child would be in the same class as their friend's child, NOT the child's friend.

It was like a riot, with a crowd of angry mummies queueing up to talk to teacher who could barely contain her temper.

I keep a low profile. They don't talk to me anyway as I work outside the home and they are all SAHMs. No, I tell a lie - one said as I went past "Who's SHE got next year then?" and two others have asked me very sweetly (not) why I bothered having children if I was just going to give them to someone else to bring up.

The kids are all lovely, but the parents are a nightmare...poor teachers...

We just got the next class teachers name, no splitting up at DS and DD1's school, but DD1's have been put in DS's old teacher (yr1) a teacher that I can't stand, she talks to the parents like children, is quite forceful with the children and shouts a lot And DS said that his next teacher is horrible too.......
Don't know how the teachers will react to having DS and DD1 in their classes, as I know DD1's new teacher thought I was overreacting whenever DS had a bad night and I mentioned it to her the next day......