Seperate classes or not?

[Robbie]

My twin daughters are not far off primary school. The local school doesn't have a policy for twins regarding the issue of seperating them into different classes. In theory I'd like to seperate them but they won't like it and it does seem a bit much to ask right at the beginning, given they've got to get used to a (much bigger and scarier) new environment. What do you all think? Are there any other twin mums out there who can advise?

It's a tough one, isn't it? My 2 are only 2 1/2 so I haven't really had to face this yet. They go to playgroup together and at the moment seem quite happy to keep loose tabs on each other while participating in different activities.
I suppose a few questions to ask yourself are:
*Are they in the same nursery class and if so how does that work out?
*Will the teacher have a lot of difficulty telling them apart if they're together?
*Do they have very different needs?
*If you want to keep them together initially but intend to separate them when they're a bit more settled will this mean one of them leaving her friends when she moves classes as well as her twin? Or does eg:transistion to Juniors involve a mixing up of infants classes anyway?
Why don't you have a word with their nursery teacher to see what she thinks? I think that if they're enjoying themselves and learning to their full potential together at nursery chances are they'll continue to be ok together at school. HTH (twin smiley faces!)

Robbie, why don't you ask them? Explain the pros and cons ie making new friends, not just their twin but also the fact that if one is naughty the other one will tell you! Let them talk together about it perhaps after you've all been to look round the school and they've seen a classroom situation. Good Luck. R.

I'm a twin myself and my mother, who is an infant teacher herself, is here at the moment. She says that they can offer each other alot of positive suport by being together, but that it is very important that they do not perceive themselves to be in competition with each other. Also teachers must make the effort to treat all twins, especialy identical twins, as individuals. Identical twins can wear something eg badges, to help the teacher distinguish betwen them.
From a personal point of view I was happier at school when I was not in the same class as my brother - but my memories are of later on at school and 'Mum' thinks that we did support each other in the early days.
Hope this is some help. Good luck. Esther, Rani and Granny!

The primary school that our twins went to only had a single class in each year, so they had to be in the same class. In fact, when the older girls started, there was a set of twins in every class, and two sets in one class. There must be something in the water in Enfield!They got on fine, and made their own friends. One of the main problems, though, was that some of the teachers, would just call them the twins, and although they obviously knew their names,couldn't always work out which was which, even with our younger girls, who are chalk and cheese!One of our main problems was when the younger pair started at secondary school, where we discussed it, and decided that they would be better off in seperate classes, to develop their own personalities. From the first half term, up to Christmas, we had terrible trouble with the younger twin, as she just couldn't settle without her sister. We even considered putting them in the same class, but that really wouldn't have been the right thing to do. She eventually settled down, went on to get good GCSE results, and is now , with her twin sister, going to college. There's now no great love lost between them! It was a horrible few months, but she got through it. I don't think that there is any real right or wrong decision, it's just another one to add to the many you have to make as a twin parent!

My triplets will be starting school in Sept 2002.
As yet we have not made a firm decision on which school to send them to. One has only one reception class of no more than eighteen, so I feel that mine will rather dominate! The other school where Matthew went to has two reception classes, if they do split them I will still have one in one class and two in the other! Looks like they will have to stay together.

My 4 yr old twin girls have just started in separate classes because I wanted it. The younger one never got a word in edgeways, and I wanted them to be treated as individuals, and not lumped together as the twins. they still see each other at break and do a lot of lessons together as well as games. It was tougher on the younger one, but they have their own friends and have settled extremely well. I do have difficulty at home work time as I get books and flash cards muddled up. But talk to the head and see what they can do for you. My older daughter had twin girls in her class. At their previous school they had been in different classes,and now they have split the class they are again.

I have a boy and a girl. They are five and I am looking for schools for them to go into when they are seven. I have no idea whether to separate them or not. i feel that I need to separate them since my daughter is more advanced than my son and I want to be fair to him. But will they miss eachother? what about the support they get from being together?

My triplets started school in Sept, we opted for the smaller school in the end although there is only one class for each year, meaning they will always be together. So far they all love it, Their teacher said that they dont bother about sitting next to each other, being in the same groups etc, and that they each go off and play with others, so great. The only problem I foresee is competition, be it good or bad. For instance this week James came home clutching so proudly a silver cup, the "effort cup", because he has worked and tried so hard this term. Thomas was furious, HE wanted it, so we said that Miss Griffiths must have thought very hard before she decided who had worked the hardest. Rebecca couldnt have cared less! We will see!!

I was in the same class as my twin sister all through primary school which was fine. However when it got to secondary we were in the same classes for some subjects (we did choose slightly different subjects). Unfortunately we tended to sit together and often write each other notes instead of attending to the lesson. Twins are so close and have their own interior world that it can mean they are held back. Perhaps your girls could be in the same class but encourage the teacher to have them sit apart.

My Twins are now 9 and they were in the same class for the first 2 years of school, unfortuately this meant that J (the youngest) wasn't coping as well as R so she was telling him what to write and occasionally doing his work for him. This wasn't picked up on so J slipped further behind. They then moved school and went into separate classes, what a difference! We discovered all sorts of things, J finally made his own friends (without R telling him what to do all the time). Unfortunately we have since moved (again!) and they are back together for a least a year. The main problem seems to be that the dominate twin rules the roost and while they are together the other one doesn't have a chance to shine in their own right. Maybe this is unique to boy/girl twins?

i have 9 year old boy/girl twins and havent had experience of this in fact i quite rely on them to look out for each other at school when i know damn well that they wont! they both have their own friends and work levels - they sit on different tables. my boy doesnt really care what happens to his sister, but she has often stuck up for him in the playground and wont see two or three lads ganging up for a fight without joining in - however roles reversed her brother would not do the same!

My twins are in the same class and I have had no problems. They are boy/girl and very different so I knew that the chances are they would both do their own thing which they have. It also makes it easier for parent evenings. The only time I was a little annoyed was when my daughter one 'Pupil of the Year'. The teacher gave her the certificate but said "I added your brothers' name also so he wasn't left out." I'm sure the other 100 kids in the school might have liked their names added too.

I don't think the "telling the other what to do thing", is unique to boy/girl twins.
My boy twins are not in full time school yet, but will be in September. I've already noticed them doing this kind of thing though. "A", is better at puzzles and their, Learning Ladder computer game, and will butt in and correct "T", when he sees him doing something wrong.
I've always wanted them to go into the same class at school, and they have no problems making seperate friends, but this has made me more aware, that there may be a problem in future, so I think I'll have to see how it goes, and perhaps have a word with their teacher about it when they start school.