Mixed year groups and siblings in the same class

[Giltedged]

My DS doesn’t start school until September 2025, but I am wondering about various options now, mostly because it will depend on what working hours I ask for when I return to work after maternity leave.

We have a small village primary school near us, it seems very nice and OFSTED is good (not that this means much!) but it is on the small side. Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are taught together then mixed year groups for 3 and 4 and 5 and 6.

There will be two academic years between our children so one would be Year 2 while the other reception, so same class. I’m probably projecting here but I don’t think I love the thought of that - can imagine it ending up a bit of a pain with the kids never having space from one another, tale telling over minor misdemeanours, friendship overlaps - I know I wouldn’t have liked being in the same class as my brother, put it that way!

But I am possibly projecting here so interested to hear others experiences!

My DC go to a small village primary. They will be in the same for one year, in a 3yrs time. I'm not concerned. The school are used it - currently there are several siblings in the same class & it doesn't seem to affect or impact them particularly.
Generally I think they form friendships with different groups (especially if they're different sexes) but in small primaries with mixed classes everyone seems to play across the years, so friendships span the entire school.
Generally I think kids behave very differently in school than at home.

I have twins and all of my options are single form entry, so they will be together in a class until senior school. If I had had the options in reception I probably would have preferred to separate them, but as we finish y1 it is working out really well. From what I have heard, they mostly play with different friend groups, but come together if one is having a difficult time. They are same gender but into different things, and are quite happy to either go their own way or play together. At home they do get fed up with each other sometimes, but no more (actually maybe a bit less) than I did with my siblings who never shared a classroom. I think one of them is a bit more nervous about trying new things without her sister, so we probably need to do a bit of work around promoting independence since they will have fewer opportunities at school to do so over next several years. If it was just one year overlap I wouldn’t worry at all as long as happy with the school and how they manage different age groups together.

Thanks for this - @Labraradabrador funnily enough I was wondering about twins as I was typing my OP! I suppose twins have to have one another in their year group / space to a point, unless you go down the extreme route of separating them in different schools which I don’t imagine many do. I suppose it is just a very insular environment potentially but only for one year as you rightly say …

Small schools will be used to it.
My only concern would be them having to combine the two older classes in the future if class numbers drop.

Years 3 and 4 are together and 5 and 6 are together but there are two academic years between them so this hopefully wouldn’t be an issue - but I would have one in Year 2 and one in reception.

The problem is the perfect school does not exist. There are two local state options, one is quite big but not that great really then the small one. I could look slightly further afield though.

There are schools round here that are similar and parents rate those particular schools highly especially the “one big family” environment and find it very nurturing for their kids

my concerns would be
-small friendship pool. My son is in a bigger school but basically only 9 boys in his class. It’s worked out ok but quite limiting compared to the experience of friends.
-less likely to be provision for extra curricular stuff especially music and sport. There’s no doubt round here that bigger schools have more stuff going on, especially from an after school club pov
-less likely to be wraparound care available . As a working parent that is invaluable.

none of the above are showstoppers but things to consider. My kids are same gap as you and I wouldn’t have personally been bothered about them being in the same class but it depends on the personalities of course.

having a school within easy walking distance, where all kids are within easy distance too, is a huge advantage. We live very close to our school and I’d absolutely hate to be a slave to the car twice a day.

Unfortunately there are no schools within walking distance so the car is a must whatever we decide to do.

I do share your concerns re friendship groups though, that’s the real downside of small schools to me.

There is wraparound on offer - breakfast club from 730 and after school care available until 545, which is fine. Not sure how many children use it though!

Of course if your child is a gregarious get on with anyone type it will likely be fine. But mine are quite shy and mild mannered. They found their kind in our primary but may not have done in a smaller school.

Tbh you can have issues with friendships in larger schools - it's not just in small schools. Yes, there maybe less children in their year, but by combining years they'll probably have a similar amount of children to be friends with.
My DD has friends in her year, & the years above & below.

Oh definitely but it can limit the choices a bit if you like, especially if there’s an imbalance of boys and girls. I have a friend in a remote part of wales and there are six children to a class and only one boy - do feel for him a bit! This isn’t quite that extreme, but it would be nice to know they aren’t limited to one smallish group.

I had 3 kids in a mixed years small school. 2 in consecutive years and then a gap of a school year to the youngest. The eldest 2 have often been in a class together, the youngest 2 have once aswell, (a year 2,3,4 class!)

I would say that be aware in a small school things may not stay as they are because it's utterly dependant on numbers. We had classes R, 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, this then changed to R/1, 2/3, 4/5, 6 (due to that year's yr 6 being the largest group and also a few more needs.) Then numbers were too low and went down to 3 classes R/1/2, 3/4, 5/6, now back to 4 classes where we started!

My kids have always enjoyed the school though, never been a bother being in same classes, and they have both their own friends and overlapping friendship groups. This is similar for many other families.

I met someone whose sons were in a class that had three pairs of brothers in it. Boys can be horribly competitive with each other, so the teacher probably had to be very careful with groups for group work! However I'm sure that teachers in small schools are well used to handling it.

I'm a twin and liked being in the same class as my brother at school. We were supposed to be separated in Year 1 (my parents' sensible preference), but a change in how they arranged the classes meant we weren't, and I remember being perfectly okay with that. Eventually, I even put him down as one of my friends I'd like to be in the same class as them in secondary school!

I think if I had twins I probably would separate them because generally it seems like a better idea in terms of letting them develop separately, but don't assume that they will hate being in the same class either.

My boys are 5 and 6, they go to a small village school. 50 odd children in total. Next year they are reorganising the years and they'll be in the same class. It was R, Yr1 then yrs 2,3 and 4 then yrs 5 and 6. Its changing to nursery and R, then yrs 1,2 and 3, then 4,5 and 6. So both children come Sept will be in yrs 1 and 3 and in the same class. (I dont like mixing the key stages but thats not up to me.) My boys constantly fight, all the time, teasing, barging, being unkind, name calling etc, and I m very concerned ill get daily calls about them not getting along. They've had squabbles in the past at school when they've been mixed.

I cannot see it going well for them, being together all day at home, (including sharing a bedrm) and all day at school including break and lunchtimes. It will absolutely be too much for them. The classes are so small it's very slim pickings for friends which also ends up in lots of clashing overall between children.

For some it may work well, but I also think it can be a recipe for disaster, not having a space or environment of their own and an older/younger sibling constantly there with no let up.

Depends totally on the children and how they generally get on, for us I cannot see a way this will work. Keeping my fingers crossed but I'm very worried as I think I know how it's going to go.

We have mixed year groups at my DDs school. Over the years they have mixed things up I think mainly depending on intake numbers, the current set up is Reception with an occasional mix of Yr1s who need it, YR1 & 2, Yr3 & 4 & Yr5 &6. My DDs have not had to overlap 2 year age gap, but they do overlap with the year between them. I find it works well for friendship groups as they mix with the same kids, so have their own friendship/relationship with their friends rather than just hanging out because x is just hanging out with them because they are y’s sister. There are a few siblings who have mixed (year apart) and things have worked well, I’m close with one set of parents and they have never had issues in school, if anything they have liked the siblings being there for each other if need be.