School re organising primary school classes for year 2, not happy

[Bodley]

I just wondered if anyone had any advice. My son is in year 1 and has aspergers. I just received a letter from school, out of the blue, saying they had decided to re organise all the classes (there are 4) as they had decided there were issues related to learning styles, summer birthdays, special needs etc. It was put in the letter that they had thought about it carefully and weren't going to tell the children until the end of the year and they'd had a few sessions with their new classes. If we have any questions, we are to consult with school staff. I feel so upset by this. My little boy has high functioning autism and finds school hard enough as it is, but his class is lovely and he has special friends at school who seem to care for him and support him. I am so disappointed that the school did not think to at least meet with or consult the parents of special needs kids first, it feels like a bomb shell. I feel bewildered and wonder if I'm just over sensitive or what. Wonder if anyone has had any similar experiences.

Our primary had 2 classes for every year group and were re-shuffled every year. It was just a given - obviously there would be some people in your class from the year before, but you certainly didn't get to choose who! It wasn't traumatic in the slightest. I realise you were expecting something different, but that doesn't make this a nightmare. Just different.

They do this in DS1's school - they mixed up the 75 children after Reception and Yr2, but I think have changed it now to after Yr1 and Yr4.

DS has ADHD and his two best friends have ASD - their class moves have been handled well, with three half days with their new teacher in their new classroom, as the class they will become, and plenty of notice about it. They've also been able to list three friends and been placed with at least one of them.

There's also been thought put into which teaching styles suit which children, e.g. DS's teacher is quite hot on routine, which suits him very well, and thought about which children work well together and those who really clash.

I think it's worked well and taken away the element of surprise, which some children find much more difficult than others. The one thing I'd be asking your teacher / head is why they're keeping it from the children. Easing the change and giving the kids some sense of involvement in the process (with listing friends) has really helped, especially those with ASD and other SENs that I know.

I have to say, as a teacher, that it's a bloody nightmare shuffling classes. You start off with endless post-it notes with names on, and have to spread out groups with SN, and a range of birthdates, ability, gender, personality types, "good" friendship mixes, "bad" friendship mixes, behaviour issues and so on. Just when you think you've got a solution that works, you give the potential lists to colleagues who know the cohort, and see if there's one class they'd plump for. You hope that they say "either one, both look OK to me." If not, and they all point to one class and say "God, I wouldn't fancy that lot," then you start again.
And once you've eventually hit on what you think is the perfect mix, the lists are sent out to parents and you all don your hard hats, as the queues of complainers form outside the Head's office.

We class shuffle every year too. It's lovely. The children get even more friends in the playground and friendship groups that aren't working can be mixed up. The children are always fine :). Children with SEN are always carefully considered so I wouldn't worry about that.

I don't see that you should be told ahead of anyone else tbh. I am sure that every parent thinks that they have a special case-the parent of the shy child, sensitive, no friends, too many friend, very clever, weak etc...
I cannot see any point in a class meeting, the staff will only say what has been in the letter. If you have specific concerns then arrange an individual meeting.

Our school changes the classes every year, it is a 2 form entry from yr 3. No input from children/parents, but we as teachers get to recommend certain children that should stay together or be kept apart.

I dont object to schools making changes.
I object to schools not handling those changes well.
Plenty do not.

But I guess that's why I'm bothered. If I'd been told before and in a 'this is how we're going to handle it for kids with SEN, ' I would not be feeling so anxious. I would have been told lots of the reassuring things I have on here, it's not that I feel I have a special right as a Mum of child with special needs, but like it or not, think we are more anxious about stuff like this. If it was my younger boy, who does not have ASD, I would honestly not be worried at all. Think you're right about taking a deep breath and not reacting, good advice, as is arranging a meeting with staff. Rightly or wrongly, I would have felt much happier being told before. I don't really understand why that would not be feasible.

What do you mean by "told before?" You have been "told before," in that they do not intend to tell the children until the end of term (which, for many, is the best way). This is, therefore, "before." The school has presumably only recently decided for certain to do this shuffle, and you now have a period of time to absorb the news and work out an action plan (with staff) of easing your child into the new arrangement.

But you do know before. They haven't swapped your child's class then told you. They have given you loads of notice.

Why do you want more notice than everyone else?
Your child has SEN, yes. But parents of children without SEN worry as well (for many, equally valid reasons) likewise some parents of children with SEN don't worry at all.
I really don't understand why your issue seems to be wanting advance notice of something that affects the whole year group when you have loads of notice anyway.

X posts with clam.

This happens at our school every year. It's been good for my daughter, but I completely nudist and your anxieties.

Speak to school

If it helps, mixing the classes up has resulted in some great new friendships, and we figured that when they move up to the big secondary, they'll know, at least by sight, a much greater number of children.

Well it says on the letter to consult with staff if you have any concerns so it's not like they won't tak to you about it. IMO it makes more sense to let those parents with concerns get in touch rather than try to pre-empt who will want to discuss issues.
They will have taken your sons needs into consideration, and I'm sure they will be happy to discuss it with you :)

But it's not necessarily that I want more notice, it's just the reassurance of knowing, do they have a plan for kids with SEN, and what is it? Of course I will arrange a meeting, but this will take ages, and it's really anxiety provoking. I understand it's v different coming at it from a teacher angle than living day to day with a child who finds change, never mind school, a huge, huge challenge. But I thank everyone for their helpful comments, feel much more balanced about it now.

But you said, "I would have felt much happier being told before,"
which is what we're responding to.
I think you can rest assured that they will, of course, have a plan for those with SN.

if you don't think the school has a plan for children with SEN then your child shouldn't be there.
in my experience, the needs of SEN children are always prioritised although this may not manifest itself in parents getting even more advance notice of things they already have notice of!

I hope you are feeling reassured op!

What sort of plan do you want?

They do it at my dc's school, and in all honesty I don't particularly like it. I think the schools do do it very carefully with lots of consideration for all children, and how they're going to mix them. However, although there were tons of parents up in arms the first time, I am unusual in that I have stayed not liking it, most are fully in favour having seen it working.

Sometimes the school disagrees with a parent on how they think a child will be best supported. After it's done, each year, there's always a few parents who think the school's made a mess up. I would say about 50-75% of those parents are saying by the end of the year what a good decision the school made in retrospect.

There's no way they could have a whole parent consultation on such things like that. Think about it-30 sets of parents, probably a good 40 different views. And then you would get other things the parents thought they should be consulted on.

I'm not sure why you think parents of SEN children should be given such information first either. If they tell a few parents then this will almost certainly lead to rumours and misinformation going out. Much better to tell everyone together and stop the rumour mill. Of my dc, the one who found moving up classes traumatic is my one who isn't SEN, so if you'd been told first then there would be another parent saying "my dc needed to know earlier".

The way it works at my dc's school is that at infant level, about this time they start doing thing in different groups with the other form. So they get different groups mixing together. They use this to fine tune the reordering, and by the time the class lists are given, they've been doing a certain amount of stuff in that group for a bit. They let you know about this time of year that they will be mixing the classes up, but you won't get the new list until about the end of June.

At junior level they ask the children to name up to 3 children they do want to be with, and ask parents to contact if there is any they don't want to be with. The head also invites any parents to come and discuss with him specific concerns. They then sort out between the current form teachers and the head.

It's a very long drawn out process, and I don't think they would do it if there was any thought of it not being for the best for the children.

What sort of a plan do you want?
When exactly is 'before' ?
Wee are only half way through May - you are being given LOADs of notice - indeed, I'm surprised the school is giving out this information so early in the term.
The staff Will have taken your ds's additional needs into account, and will be considering transition, just as they would need to consider transition from one Year Group / classroom / teacher to the next.

Bodley:

I get your concern - these changes might upset your Year 1 DS next year in Year 2 and you said that you may have heard that the school was considering putting all SEN together in one class.

I also get the struggle teachers/ management have with this issue. Your situation with a high functioning aspergers child is very similar to what DD2 experience at her old school - where a boy with aspergers was in their group and had a dedicated TA to support him. He wasn't disruptive, in fact he was very sweet, but he got a little hung up on certain issues and sometimes needed help through that (things like break times and assemblies with lots of milling around really confused him but he was fine in class). However, DD1 has reported that the year beneath her is coping with a boy with severe behavioral problems who suddenly swears in class, has repeatedly undressed in class and throws things. It's eating huge amounts of class time and teacher time - and parents of students in the class are rapidly losing patience, since so much learning time is lost to coping with this child. Parents are saying he's SN, but to be honest I'm not entirely sure it isn't that he's just from a very disturbed background.

My feeling is there may be a middle ground. Why not approach senior management at the school and openly ask how these changes will affect your child. Don't insist your child is with specific people, but perhaps suggest that it would be reassuring for you and your DC if you could assure them that a few supportive friends will be in next year's class.

If in fact the school management are corralling all the special needs students in Year 2 together into one class then this is a serious issue. First it is discriminatory. Second, the school needs to explain that they are adequately providing for high functioning disabled/ SN students. But I suspect, it isn't this serious - but these changes may be a response to parental complaint - as many parents focus on SN students for any gaps in learning/ slow pace issues a year group may have, despite the fact that perfectly able students can also be disruptive, uncooperative and time wasting.

Finally, just as devil's advocate here - this could be about the school deciding to split up cliques and encourage different friendship groups (maybe split up a group of bullies that are fine individually but together will pick on other children).

HTH

DD2's primary does this every 2 years and in the main it works well, except in the year that they arbitrarily decided to separate DD1 from every single one of her friends. That wasn't great, she had a really tough time and struggled until the next reshuffle.

It has to be said that every other time the school has got it right for my DC though.

Still sniggering at Helen's nudist slip-up.