3 children with the same name reception class - would you be annoyed?

[Twozealotmorethan1]

My son is due to start reception in September. It's a large school with a 3 class intake per year. We got class lists through this week and I was surprised to see that there girls with the same name have been put in the same class rather than spread between the three. They are the only three girls in the year with that name and the name is relatively common around here, but not overly so (for what difference that makes). For the purposes of this post, let's say they are called Sophie. Aside from not making it easy for the class teacher of that class, I think it's quite unfair on the girls, especially as in this school, unlike some others I've heard about, the classes stay unchanged throughout the primary school and so these children will be together until age 11 at least.
I can't help think that it's inevitable that the girls will become known as Sophie P / Sophie E etc according to their surnames and may even be more likely to attract unkind nicknames as they get older e.g. 'Big' Sophie, 'Fat' Sophie etc.
I realise it's not always possible to avoid having more than one child with the same first name in a class and I know various factors are taken into account when setting class groups but I can't help think that in a school with three class entry this could have easily been avoided? I would be a bit irritated if I was one of their parents. I have a younger child who will go to the school too in due course and am tempted to feed back to the school politely that I don't think this approach is helpful. What do you think?

[MsPassepartout]

3 Sophie's in one class is the sort of thing that does make me momentarily wonder if they could have spread them about a bit, but as pp say, there's plenty of other, more important, considerations to be taken into account when the classes are set.

But, speaking as someone who knowingly gave their DC a top 10 name, if you've picked a popular name for your DC, it's a bit unreasonable to start getting irritated if your DC ends up as "Sophie P" rather than just "Sophie". Even more unreasonable to actually complain to the school about it.

[Sweetnessishere]

My DD has had this through her whole school life from 3-18 and it is likely to happen again at uni.
At first she was in a 1 form intake and then in secondary there where plenty with the same name or variations of it, she survived without any incident.

[GoingRogue]

Oh, and our school (Infants) hasn't mixed the classes for 10yrs, but this year has made the decision to do it. Just something to bear in mind.

Well done for not caring if you might be labelled "THAT" parent (I've spent far too long worrying about it).

[MarklahMarklah]

I think that's fairly standard to be honest. Our local primary 'sorts' reception children as best they can to ensure fair split of boy/girl, fair split of ability, fair split of SN, fair split of age range, and try to keep those coming from pre-school together where possible.

In DD's class in reception we had:
Bill
William
Sophie
Sofia
Emily
Emily
Jack
Jake

Plus a number of other names which were very similar - e.g. Amelia, Emile, Olivia, Oliver.

[Whatmusiccandoforchildren]

"Suffice to say I'm not a trouble maker."

Definitely mention that when you give the Sophie Feedback. It will reassure everyone.

[Willow2017]

Just read your last post. I am slightly amazed that you thought that the teachers who made up the lists according to the kids ages, friendships, educational needs, home life, feeder nurseries etc etc wouldn't realise that there were 3 kids with same name and would need this pointing out to them? And they needed telling to rearrange the whole intake on your way so ' to make life easier for them'. Wow!

[treaclesoda]

I find it really weird that the school give out a list of names.

[Twozealotmorethan1]

OfficerVanHalen LOL? LOL all you like. I said in my OP that we were given the full list for each class group in the year in the pack sent out.

[TheMysteriousJackelope]

In my class at school there were four Sarah's, three Louise's, and two Lucy's. Everyone seemed to manage just fine. If they were sitting near each other so it wasn't obvious who the teacher was talking to, they would use their first and last names.

[Bananamama1213]

There are 3 boys with the same last name as us - I didn't believe my son until I saw their names myself.
My sons name is VERY popular but I don't think there's anyone in his year with it (only 2 classes - 40 children).

My daughter starts this year and has a Lilly and a Lilly-Anne and she asked what they like to be called so she could differentiate them. Maybe the teachers will do the same?

[Twozealotmorethan1]

Easy to spot the easily affronted, authoritarian teachers on this thread I think.....

[YourWinter]

There were five of us with my first name at primary school, long time ago in a small school with one class per academic year, and it was utterly irrelevant to us, our parents, teachers and friends. There were four boys with the same first name in my son's class through primary school, an even smaller school with four classes covering reception to Y6.

It doesn't matter, not even a tiny little bit.

[bobdylannumber1]

My DD has a name that isn't that common there is another girl with same name they've been together since crèche and there is only one class in each year my DD gets called by her full name all the time by everyone and she hates it being called by her full name so much that she wants her name shortened she's 7

[MsPassepartout]

To repeat for other recent posters, the classes don't change each year at this school, unlike at some others.

Yes, the classes at my DC's school don't change every year either.
Until this year.

The current Reception -> Year 1 classes have been shuffled around. Lots of parents in the playground getting very worked up about it because the classes aren't normally shuffled at the end of Reception.

[Whatmusiccandoforchildren]

We are just enjoying you OP.

What's your view on sterilising recorders?

[paxillin]

Staff meeting on Inset Day, Sep 2017. Point 8, Any Other Business.

Secretary: One of the reception parents demands to know why 3 Sophies are in one class.
HT: Oh dear, how do we say "why chose a top 10 name"?
Secretary: I'll tell her we thought about it, but no.
Reception teacher: Which Sophie is hers?
Secretary: None, she's Jack's mum.
Everyone: WTF

[LockedOutOfMN]

I work abroad, not in Ireland. We have 2000 students in the school, 4 of whom are Irish. 3 of them are boys and have the same name (the 4th is one of the boy's sister). They are all in the same form.

[ThePurpleOneWithTheNut]

I once had two Tom Jones in one class

It's not unusual...

[Judydreamsofhorses]

I had two Philips in my class at primary school - I'm now 44 and still think on them as Philip J and Philip D when I see them pop up on social media or bump into them. I teach now, and I swear almost every girl is called Katie, Kate, Caitlin or similar.

[Twozealotmorethan1]

paxillin if a parent questioning this was the worst you have to worry about as a teacher, and would make you wish for my son never to be in your class then I worry for you and think you must teach in a very 'naice' school....

[Beeziekn33ze]

Worry and Willow:
I taught in a big Catholic comp. The staff room was full of Marys, a Maria, and two Marie-Therèses! Somehow we managed.i
DC in my family is in a class which has 5 or 6 boys with abbreviations and versions of Alexander, a great name! Again, everyone copes just fine.

[Twozealotmorethan1]

ThePurpleOneWithTheNut

😂

[ragdoll700]

There were two other girls with the same name as me in my class at school one was my best friend never affected us in the slightest no nasty nicknames or anything.

[Beeziekn33ze]

Pax: 🤣