Reception class for DS - away from friends

[steffy531]

We've been lucky in that our DS is in the first choice school this September. However, prior to reception, he was attending a pre-school just down the road. Our problem is that all his friends from pre-school will be in class A, yet he's been placed in class B. We're worried that he will suffer - he doesn't like being away from us anyway, and I believe he would do so much better when he starts reception with his friends from pre-school.

Do you think I have grounds for asking the school for him to swap to the other class? I know he'll be really upset if he starts school in a different class from everyone he knows

my experience of reception classes is that they all mingle anyway

Suspect strongly the school won't swap him. For a start off, assuming they're full it would mean swapping a child the other way otherwise they go over the class limit. Also once they've done it for one child, they'll end up with lots of parents requesting their child is in a particular form.
I don't think you'd be unreasonable to, if you're meeting the teacher, mentioning that it is something that worries you. I'll bet they tell you they're all one happy family or that lots of children don't know anyone though. However it means they can keep an extra eye out for him with friendships and things like that.

Let him get on and make friends in his class.

Go with the flow - don't make an issue of it. My DD started off reception knowing NO-ONE in her class and has made some good friends and learnt some important lessons..

If he has the same set of friends he won't be inclined to mingle and try new things, just stay with the safe option and actually be limited IFSWIM ...

It's disappointing, but he won't suffer. My experience with 2 dcs is everyone makes new friends very quickly and old nursery friendships are often forgotten very quickly anyway. the ones you want to keep alive, you can do so with playdates etc and he'll be lucky - he'll have friends across two classes to choose to play with at lunch and break times. See it as a positive.

Its true, the apparently inseperable nursery friendships do tend to change quite quickly once they start Reception - he'll probably be fine.
That said, I would mention your worries to the teacher - then they can keep an eye on him, at the very least.
Also, without trying to change things, you could just mention your worry now: at dds' school, they do try and make sure every child that comes to the school at the same time as friends has at least one other child they like/know in their class. We were given forms to fill in about friendships, as part of the new parents' pack. If you don't mention it, they wo'nt know - I just would be careful not to insist!

Totally understand your concerns but totally agree with everyone else.

DS started school in a class with 2 girls from nursery, no other boys that he knew. First day he came out chattering about the boys that were his new friends.

He'll be fine. Honest

I asked if dd1 could swap and they said yes, immediately. Don't see why you shouldn't try

Do mention it - you never know they might not have realised;
but my DS wasn't in the class with his particularly good friend and they did mingle loads - and he made loads of new friends

Thanks everyone. Nice to have all positive responses either way :-) feel bit better! I will speak to the school to see what they say anyway.

DS attended the pre-school of his infants school. However he was placed in a class away from most of his friends. The school did this in consultation with the pre-school as they felt he would concentrate better away from them (they were trying to be polite .

The two reception classes mingle a lot as there is a communal area so he still saw a lot of his friends but just not at carpet time, group time etc.

However, he quickly made new friends and by Christmas, was rarely playing with the original ones. His new friends are an even worse influence than the original ones