Anyone experienced entire Yr Group Reshuffle? Y4 going into Y5? Drama?

[frazzledmamma]

I'd be interested to hear anyone's feedback on year group reshuffles, the school is quite big, over 90 in the year, split across 3 classes.

DD currently in Y4 found out today that she'll be leaving all but 3 of her 'not very close' pals to join a new class.

Needless to say she was a bit tearful, no explanation from the school, I rang the head, the change is to "better meet the educational needs of the year group" "there have been some issues", your DD will be fine, its good for them to make new friends.

Yes its nearly midnight and I've just held her hand while she finally gives in thinking about it and drops off to sleep, she's a good girl, over achiever, super sensitive and the news has been a bit of a bombshell for her. Two days before end of term, no info on who is in the class to help us make friends over the summer, no info for parents on the change and how to support our children, I'm fuming.

The school have had a rough Ofsted recently, I can only assume its a knee jerk reaction.

My school reshuffled every year group every year. I don't remember it being so bad. Everyone still had breaks at the same time.

both my dc have has complete reshuffles each year they have been in school (bit younger than yours - one in YR4 currently, one in YR2).

I know dc2's class for next year, as school has already broken up. we got the letter 2 days before the end of term, with no input/further info. we did, however, get a class list so can at least get our heads around who is in the class.

I will know dc1's new class on the last day of term, I expect (next week). that's what happened last year (when I got a list of all children in the class, but didn't know who the teacher was going to be!)

mixing up classes happens a lot, ime. and surely your dd knows the other children, at least by sight? I am sorry that she is upset, but this is a fairly typical thing to happen, isn't it?

Think of it as good practise for starting secondary school - at least this time she will be used to playing and working with her new classmates as I assume they have come together as a year group for literacy/maths work, assemblies, school trips etc.

Thanks for the info, its completely new for us, the school have only done it once before a few years ago, and only for one year group. It was a complete shock as we already have a DS leaving Yr6 this year and he's been right through from Yr1 with the same class.

I suppose its every year then its a pattern you get used to, for us its friends she's been with since nursery, which is a bit of a shock. I know on the outside it looks healthy but the way it has been done has left us with little warning and unable to understand the reasons behind it. Thanks for putting it in perspective for us though, much appreciated.

Dd's school shuffles the classes each year. I think because they expect it then it isn't seen as an issue, For dd it has meant that she has gained new friends each year.

We also shuffle every year as we have 3 classes in most years. Finding out who you are with next year is as eagerly anticipated as finding out who your teacher is going to be!

DS's classes have been shuffled for next year (also yr4 going to yr5), the class he was in this year did not work well, as it had been created from two classes last year. It was fairly well known as being dysfunctional around the school, and I really hope that they have got it right for next year.

Ours do it every year. I used to worry, but I think it's a good idea as it encourages wider friendships and breaks up cliques.

Ours do it every year which I think is a good thing - 'class swap day' is a big event!

In your situation I would be looking at all of the positives with your DD - opportunity to make new friends, good practice for the move to secondary, will still see other friends at break etc.

I'm not a teacher but I'm guessing that planning new classes isn't taken lightly with the schools trying to get a balance of ability, ages and boys/girls as well as splitting up certain friendships and possibly encouraging others. I don't envy a teacher trying to do that and you might be able to speak to your DD about some of the reasons for changing classes around and how much effort the school will have gone to to try to get it right for everyone (whether you agree with it or not!).

Again - ours does it every year, now going up to YR 6. He has made a whole tranche of new friends, a good confidence boost for him knowing that he can make new friends.

Our school do it every year, still no idea why. DS is going from Yr3 to 4 and every single one of his 10 closest friends will be in the other class

He's a good boy, never in trouble and always gets excellent reports, so its not a behavioural decision.

I know he will make friends with the other kids, but it is really sad that he seems to have been totally separated from everyone he plays with.

Did the same thing at the same stage with our DD, a one off too, and it was a really good thing, wish they had done it before and more frequently. At the time it did cause worry to her and plenty of other children and parents.

When the classes were allocated at the start of reception, they tried to make them as balanced as possible using the info they had, and as time went on, the imbalance grew dramatically. So all round a good thing.

It's not done lightly, but it helps going on to secondary school, they still all get to play together at playtime. We also found by that stage they had maths groups, spelling sets etc across the year group, so much less fixed in terms of classes just staying together.

Ours also do it every year, it's the norm here in WA. We only find out what class they are in and with which friends, on the first day back at school.

It does mean that they widen their friendship circles but it's still sad when they are not with their best friend for the year!

I hope your dd gets on ok. I know it's hard if there are not many friends in the new class but from experience it doesn't take long to find new friendships and they will still play with children from the other classes at break and lunch times.

I've just come on to this topic to write exactly the same thing. dS is really upset and I am running out of things to say.

They used to be reshuffled every year in the infants but this reshuffle is probably the only one they are going to have in the juniors. I am not sure that doesn't make it worse - he has had the same bff fir 2 yrs and I don't think children so readily swap friends in later years.

We've been through the 'you're at school to work' and 'you'll still see each other at break time' but it isn't having much impact. Hopefully he'll get over it in the summer but it could be tricky when they go back in September.

Mine are at a school that streams from Y1, 45 PAN so spilt years at least every other year. DS spent years 1,2 and 3 in split years, and in Y2 was with 1 other boy from Y2 and 5 girls, the rest of the class Y3s.

Next year he's with only 3 other boys from Y5. He's fine about it, he's used to it. It's the way it is at their school. It is good for them to adapt I think.

But, we do have class lists, so he knows who he is with. What's your school's rationale for not giving a class list?

My dcs are in a small school so there's no chances of a class shuffle thank goodness.

It's not so bad if everyone knows this is what happens each year, but this sounds like it was not an expected or welcomed change.

If this had happened to my dd I wouldn't be happy about it at all - it seems very badly handled.