Year 1 Class List

[Lolababy30]

I wrote this and, as I don't have a blog, I thought this would be the best place to share it:

I am sad for my little girl today, sad and worried. She found out yesterday that, from her little group of friends, she is the only one to go in a different class for Year 1. According to her teacher everything was done so that all children moved to their new classes with at least one friend, but that didn’t happen for my daughter and I’ve been told bottom line is nothing will be done about it; they’re sure she’ll be fine as she is a very sociable little girl.
This was not for them to decide. For a 5 year old the step from Reception to Year 1 is a big and daunting one and to know they’re doing it alone, well that must be downright frightening. It’s true, my daughter IS bubbly and sociable and makes friends with ease, but so was I. The socially awkward, introverted loner who feels inadequate and like she doesn’t quite ever fit in is the adult version of me. People knocked the sociable right out of me by bullying me for my weight and taking advantage of my good hearted nature, stepping all over me as they saw fit. I know my daughter isn’t me, but I know what it is like to be my daughter and I am terrified this experience may tarnish some of that bubbly bright light of hers. I am also worried it may spoil her incredible hunger for learning and her love for school in general. So how can her teachers, who see everything I see, just brush off what could turn out to be such a huge influence on everything my daughter is and knows? Maybe she WILL be fine and it is the little girl in me who is stepping into those shoes and is sad and panicked about the situation, because that is how I would have felt in this situation. Either way, it was not something to be taken so lightly and certainly not something to be dismissed so carelessly. I would have not taken such a chance with my daughter’s future and happiness.

Liola - best of luck with next year - it's sounds like your DD will cope well hopefully and if not you can have a word with the HT

I approached our DHT (head is away) and she told me my DS had been allowed to pick his friends and that 3 of them were in the allocated class - son said he was not asked and none of his friends were in the class - he has had 3 close friends all year and I cannot see any credible reason why our of the blue he would choose a range of random different friends during this process which as I mention my son is adamant never took place.

Like your DD my DS is v extrovert and makes friends easily I think with these type of easy kids they think they are not worthy of the same sensitive treatment as others and just didn't follow the process adequately.

The bigger issue is that the whole thing just broke any faith or trust I have in the school and even if we were not relocating I would have moved him anyway as I simply have no real feeling the school has acted in my sons best interests. I am def not against mixing kids as I think in many cases it's beneficial but in my sons case he seemed to be one of a handful of children selected to be isolated from his friends when the vast majority of friendship groups remained untouched by the change in classes

some were really rude, everybody has there right to tell their opinion

some were really rude.