Dividing classes in same year group according to age

[london111]

Just thinking about the fact that on average children born in the Summer do less well than Autumn children and wondering why schools with at least two classes per year don't divide them according to birth month?

I am not thinking of streaming per se so not based on ability but age. Clearly with the same educational goals for both. This would mean that Summer born children don't suffer from always feeling a bit behind.

My experience (limited!) of Primary suggests they do the opposite and try to ensure a mix across both classes. Anyone know why?

Ah, OK. I was thinking state infant or primary starting at reception.

As far as I can see, if that is when you are starting, the only ways you can split are by age or randomly, at least for that first year.

A school near me does this - Sept to Feb in one class, March-August in the other. I don't know many details except they have birthday parties constantly because everyone's birthday is in the same half of the year!

Our primary school splits the classes by age. The oldest P1's with the youngest p2's etc. it seems to work fine.

Reception classes sorted by age, but yr1+ they divide the kids based on social balance & friendship groups. I think these are best criteria.

Wouldn't have worked for either of my DS. DS1 summer born, very bright, couldn't read/write on starting reception, free reading and very advanced by end of year. DS2 November born in reception now, struggles enormously and there will be many younger children way ahead of him in their learning.

DS1 would have been slowed down, DS2 probably made to feel even more behind.

You can't narrow down development to 6 months.

My dcs' school does this just in reception. There are two classes split by age, but they are split into smaller groups by ability across the two classes for phonics and numeracy, so a child could be in the younger class but the top phonics group, for example. Then in Y1 they mix them up, I think mainly based on friendship groups / personality.

This worked extremely well for August born ds. July born dd is an entirely different personality and I think would have coped just fine in a class with September born children.

We do have the birthday party issue though!