Mixing classes

[florenceandthemutt]

DD is in a two form entry school and we have been told that they will be mixing the two reception classes up going into Y1.

I have welcomed this news as DD has had a few friendship issues this year which the teacher has been on board with and has led to the separation and break up of an unhealthy 3 way dynamic. We have specifically asked throughout the school year that DD is placed in the other Y1 class going forward. The teacher has led us to believe that this will happen.

Can I ask what other factors are taken into consideration when deciding classes? SEN? Age of children - ie not having too many August or September born children in one class?

I have a feeling that they are going to stretch letting the parents know until Thursday due to strikes but there are a lot of anxious children, including DD.

Boys/girls. Numbers of SEN and possibly location of classroom (had this issue at my school because only one room had a door to prevent running off also space for wheelchair). Ability mix. Children who should be separated. Lastly children who want to be to gether but it isn't always possible. Occasionally parents express a preference of teacher but it isn't always possible to go with this - eg when a parent didn't want their child in a class with a male teacher who she thought was gay in case he influenced her DS (I worked with the man for over 20 years and didn't know if he was gay or not because it never came up and was not my business).

I don't even know who the Y1 teachers are, which I am kind of glad about as means I have no preference!

Oh wow that parent had some serious homophobic issues!

My child’s school did it in order to ensure that all classes were balanced by sex and with a spread of: age, ability, maturity, SEN in each class.

They have made sure that each child has some friends in their new class but have split friendship groups (eg my DC was in a group of 4 and 2 of them are in each class).

I think it’s a really positive thing for everyone.

We just finished organising next year’s classes. We considered primarily SEN, ability and even boys and girls while also trying to separate certain children and keep friends together. We didn’t consider birthdays but that reminds me - we have 6 houses in our school and this past year, almost half my class coming up were from 1 house since that’s not something we consider!

I hope your DD is in the class you want her to be in.

Our school it's:

• SEN - Making sure there isn't too many in one class
• Age - Making sure there isn't too many from one month in the same class
• Class Location - if relevant, we have two in wheelchairs in our current Y3, both in different classes and they need the classrooms with wider doors. Also again SN, we have a girl in Y2 who needs a ground floor classroom due to being unable to climb stairs.

Then after all that they consider friendships and the teachers themselves. So for example one of the current Y3 teachers is moving to a composite Y3/4 class and has specifically asked if she can have certain children in her class because she's gelled with them or their parents etc.