WWYD? discussed conxerns regarding class allocation with head - been offered the chance to amend class lists...

[HauntedLittleLunatic]

Dd3 currently reception moving up to yr1

Head put emphasis on importance of peer groups at this transition.

She has been separated from all of her broad friendship group (i.e. not just her best friend - I did have previous thread about this).

Had a meeting with head with the intention of seeking JUSTIFICATION for the class allocation.

head has offered me the chance to move her into a different class.

Class 1 (current allocation)
None of her immediate friends, but she does know some of the reception childrem which will be in same class
Exceptional teacher
mixed with reception

Class 2
Several of her immediate friends
Split teaching - don't know much about them, but my prior experience of plot teaching has mot been great.

Don't know what to do. My head says give her a chance in class 1 and hope I can review in Oct if necessary.

My heart says that she would do better if she had some peers and to go with the offer to move.

She was put in class 1 for a reason so should be ok.
Of head has offered to move her to class 2 I must be justified and therefore maybe I should nice her.

Previous thread here

No brainer - go with the exceptional teacher and feel a fool for bringing it up with the HT

I would stick with Class 1 personally. The school decided that was best for your daughter originally, plus she has the "better" teacher. In terms of friendships, DS has spent his whole infants school life with his friends in the opposite class (other than 1 friend in his Y1 class) and I see it as nothing but positive - he has got to know most of his year group and it's made him very adaptable.. I am wondering if the suggestion that she "could" move is perhaps because the decision was borderline? I know DC's school wouldn't consider offering a class move.

Also, presumably with this setup the classes will be mixed again in Y2?

goodness me. your HT is very tolerant!!! Are you going to make a fuss every year.

I wouldn't worry too much about friendship groups. Children at this age make friends very quickly and with a very good teacher, this should happen even more quickly. By Oct. half-term you will be wondering why you were worried.

you complained to the Head and are now thinking of not taking up the offer to change groups?

I'm not sure I totally understand....[hconfused]

ok..now I feel cheated out of my Harry Potter confused icon

Wow, you want your cake and to eat it don't you? You are nuts to interfer and also that you don't trust your daughter that much or the school for that matter. Children make friends easily and can play with others at playtime.

You cannot bubble up your daughter and put her where YOU want her to be every year and with teachers you deem to be exceptional or not. What are you teaching your daughter with this? To be a fusspot and cause stress and anxiety for no reason? If I were the head I'd tell you to lump it tbh.

I too am surprised at how accomodating your head is. Is your school full? It would be a nightmare if the classes are pretty full, because giving one parent the option of moving their DC to anothe class will just open the flood gates!

I am not at all surprised that your head has been accommodating - she says peer groups have been taken into account and clearly they haven't when it comes to your dd.

I think it would be much nicer for her to stay with a large group of friends - unless she is very young and struggling with the work, and you/they think she needs the more play-based atmosphere of the mixed R/Y1 class. The excellent teacher is obviously a draw too, but two teachers is fine ime. Go with your heart.

On my thread, which is about social vs educational aspects of school, most people say social is more important - here people seem to be going for educational.

I'm shocked that the head has given you the choice. I assume you discussed the reason your daughter has been placed in class 1 and not with her wider friendship group? Is the reason good?

swash we don't know if there are social reasons for the original decision ... perhaps the head/teachers believe the friendship group isn't in the OPs child's best interest.

You are damn lucky to have been given the choice and the head won't take you seriously in future if you don't change and she has any sense.

I spoke to the head to understand the rationale for the decisions made - and specifically to understand the rationale. I did not demand any changes on any level and mearly asked for an explanation of the process that led to the outcome. And I was EXPLICIT in this aim when discussing, hence the reason that I was taken aback when I was asked if I wanted her moved.

There is 1 'space' in the whole year group and that is in one of the other classes which is what she has been offered. I take the fact that she has been offered this place after 2 separate meetings (with time to reflect between) the head as a reflection that I had a balanced and well reasoned concerns. I also take it as an indication that my concerns have a solid grounding.

Other parents have made complaints about this particular class regarding the fact that it is a mixed age class - they have not been given this offer and I think that is also testament to the fact that I have some support from head in my concerns. I also see that taking this place in the second class is going to cause uproar and potentially alienation amongst other parents - and open flood gates.

My initial response has been to say I would like to retain the current decision. I think this is the right decision but I am canvassing opinions to make sure I have not overlooked anything.

I should also say I have 2 other children in the school and although I have not always been happy with class decisions I have never felt concerned enough to raise it in this way so no I won't be dictating which class she goes in each year...this is purely related to specific concerns with this particular decision.

Reasons were discussed. They related o the fact they felt she would 'work well with the teacher'.

It is not that she is needing the play based atmosphere - he looked other Eyfs progress and she is 'doing better than average in all areas'.

Personally from my own skim thru what I know about the ages of those in the 3 different classes there is a correlation between age and class but not absolute and I think she has fallen in with the youngest. That has been denied though.

'work well with the teacher' could be a good reason - depends whether you think they really mean that or have just come up with that to justify the decision to separate her from her peer group. There are always going to be a couple of compromises in class allocation, and maybe your dd is one of them - or maybe there is something about her that means she really does need this teacher (ie she finds instruction hard to follow and this teacher is spot-on in that area). If you have three kids at the school, you can probably make a fair judgement about that.

I really don't get why everyone is saying things like 'damn lucky' 'fusspot' and so on. You sound very reasonable to me - and the head has clearly taken your concerns on board. Sounds like a good parent-school dynamic to me.

Have you spoken to your daughter about which set up she'd prefer?

My feeling would be to say that, as the Head has been generous enough to swap your DD into the class with her peers at this stage, you should go with it. I very much doubt that you'll be given the opportunity to do so in October if you aren't happy with how your DD is getting on in class 1. It may be considered rather 'boy who cried wolf' if, later down the line you request a move...

She won't talk about it. She just puts up a brick wall when you try to talk about yr 1.

I have tried to avoid talking about it in front of her to avoid projecting my concerns further.

I was in pretty much the same situation this time last year...but was never offered (or even for one moment expected to be offered!) the chance to change classes.

DS1 went from a reception class with all of his friends to a Y1 class with literally none of his friends but a bloody fantastic teacher. I was told by his reception teacher that he was put in that class because he would work well with that teacher and that it would all become clear why they'd done it. I also questioned it(I was newly pregnant and very hormonal!) because I was so upset at the prospect of him being on his own and I didn't understand why they done it.

Fast forward a whole school year and it was the best thing they ever could have done for him. His confidence has soared and he has made new friends whilst still retaining his old ones. He absolutely adores his teacher and this year has been the making of him. In fact I was asked this year if I wanted him back together with his friends and although they've mixed the classes up yet again Ive asked for them to be kept apart and once again he's on his own but he's happy about it.

Honestly I would say trust what the school wants to do-they do it for a reason and it might possibly be the best thing for her.