So, this is the situation, give me your opinions...

[HuwEdwards]

DD1 in Yr1.

Two classes in each year. They keep the classes the same until at the end of Yr2, where they mix 'em up.

this year however for whatever reasons, they are doing this at end of Yr 1. From what I can see, most close class friendships have been split.

They asked all kids in Yr to write down a list of 6 kids, 3 from each class (parents not involved in this).

Then the teachers read out loud in class the new classes.

Obv some kids v.upset.

Would this be an issue for you?

If my DD or her friends were upset by it, yes, it would be. But I'm not at that stage with DD yet.

Why do they get the children to write names down?! Then they are BOUND to upset at least a few children. Why not just split it alphabetically?

My first thoughts reading this was what about the children that may not get picked and may not be as popular as some others in the class.

Does'nt sound right to me.
Surely the parents should have been involved in this if it goes ahead or at least consulted.

I would'nt be too happy with this at all.

In our school they mix the classes up every year. When ds1 moved from R to Y1, they said they tried to keep friends together but this year (Y1 to Y2) they aren't giving away any reasons.

Unless your dd is struggling socially, then I wouldn't consider it an issue. It's just one of the many trials that she will have to learn to cope with throughout her school career. She will still be seeing her friends in the other class at breaktimes, and maybe also at joint-classes activities.

hmm, well I think they purposely split friends up - not sure of the rationale behind that.

DD came home fully aware that she wouldn't get all on her list, but not sure all kids 'got' that message.

If my child were bothered then yes i'd be mad about it.

They did this to our two classes between reception and yr1. There was a group of 5 girls who stuck together and they put 4 in one class and 1 in the other! The child & the parent were understandably upset, but tbh, there was nothing she could do. If the teachers make a change for one child, they'd have to do it for eveyone else. This was 5 years ago now and everything turn out absolutely fine. Although it appears that the children have chosen who they want to be with next year, you can be sure that the teachers ultimately decided who was in each class. Still, bit off that they read it out in class.

as far as I know they mix the classes at lots of schools in my area - not ours though, we only have a 1 class intake

Well DD was upset initially (so she told me) as she was split from bf, but tbh by the time I picked her up she was fine. I'd therefore forgotten it really.

I hear today however that there is a group of parents seriously dis-chuffed about it.

I would be really annoyed about this tbh.

It is the teachers responsibility to ensure each class has a mix of boy/girls/ability etc - not the childrens, and even worse that it is read out in class [shhock]

What is the reasoning behind this decision?

Mercy I think the teachers did decide but just wanted to double-check that no child would be left without a chum in their new class.

I think some kids must've thought that they would get their chosen list of mates.

I just think that such an important decision should'nt have been put on 5/6 yr olds.

As PotterCandles said children who are struggling with school socially obviously would need the parents input.

My DS has selective mutism and is in year 1.
So such a decision for him would have been stressful.

Yes it would - why mix them up at all as far as I can see it is just divisive and disruptive?

The manner in which it was done was very unfair imo. Poor wee things. Surely by the end of Yr1 the teacher is aware of who is friends with whom?

HuwEdwards-As you said some kids were very upset,unfair for them to have to worry about this all through the school holidays.

This is such a difficult thing. In our school they mix at the end of yr2 unless there are some serious problems and they want to split up some 'characters'. In this case they do a whole mix, rather than just a switch iyswim.

At our school they get children to write the names of a couple of friends in a completely separate exercise, a written task; which the children are not aware is linked to the classes. Then the classes are presented as a fait accompli - parents not consulted.

Please do be considerate though. I recently had to sort out a rooming list for a residential trip and it was a complete nightmare. A few individuals and their parents were very, very awkward about it; which caused all sorts of difficulties.

Next year I will ask for preferences/friendship groups as before, but I will decide the final rooming, and I will not show it to the children at all until we are en route.

I thought from the OP that it was the new class lists that were read out in class, not the children's lists.

The trouble with just splitting lists alphabetically is that ability isn't usually related to surname and most schools like to have a good mix of abilities in each class.

Our school normally mixes the children up every year - & the new classes are carefully considered to give a mix of ability, gender and also a mix of children that will work together well - and this may mean splitting up friendship groups if the teachers consider it necessary. They do try and ensure that all children have at least one close friend if possible, but they don't consult the children, or the parents - although they do consider requests from parents who have strong reasons for their child to be with (or more often not with) another child. Normally though those reasons would have to be stronger than just 'they are best friends'

Asking the children to write a list of friends can help organise social groups, but it can also complicate things, especially if the children think the children on their list will definitely be with them.

btw it's quite common for the groups of 'best friends' who get put together in a class at the end of one year to have completely changed by three weeks into the next term.

Atilla - yes the new class lists are read out (not the individula childrens' lists)

In Holland where I grew up, classes were remixed every year. Children and parents are not consulted.

My ds has gone through this in the transition from Reception to Y1. No parents or children were consulted it was done by ability and sex (even mix in each class on both accounts) He then stayed in this class until the end of Y2.

He recently moved from Y2 to Y3 (Junior school on adjoining site) and classes were mixed again. Each child were allowed to write down 3 friends but were told they were only guaranteed 1 of these 3 friends in their class. This allowed plenty of scope for teachers to mix the classes according to ability/sex again. This worked well, most people happy iirc. He will now stay in this class until he leaves the Junior School.

The reading out of the list is quite common. This was not done at the R - Y1 transition (instead the lists were posted on the notice board) but was done for the Y2 - Y3 transition.

To be honest, many friendships were split up in the move to Junior School. Some friendships survived but in most cases all children went on to make new and more friends.

We are very lucky at dd1's school, they have a three form entry and move through infants in the same form complete with TA. What happens when they move to Juniors is yet to be revealed!

Just from the other side of the fence, as a teacher it is very difficult splitting and mixing classes. There are so many factors to consider - gender, behaviour issues, ability, personalities, special needs, etc. Sometimes we split friends because the relationship has become too dependent and it is inhibiting their learning, or because one is becoming too reliant on the other and it has become a crutch (socially or academically). Sometimes friends are kept together, because the relationship is mutually supportive. It is hard to simultaneously consider the needs of each individual as well as the needs of the whole.