Mixed for Y1 - upset

[florenceandthemutt]

DD is at a two form entry school and is just about to finish reception. For Year 1 they have mixed the 2 classes.

We have had a bit of a 3 way dynamic for most of the reception year which the teacher thought was too intense, which we agreed with. DD was being pushed and pulled between two children so for Y1 we all agreed that it would be better for DD if she was separated from other 2.

On Thursday we found out the new classes for Year 1 and DD has been separated from the other 2. She is going into Year 1 with a little girl that she is particularly friendly with but that is it. All of her other friends are being placed in the other class and DD feels like she has done something wrong or has been naughty.

The reception WhatsApp was busy Thursday evening and I can see that all of the other girls DD has been placed with are mainly from the other class and with whom she was at nursery with. She was never friendly with any of these girls and I am really worried that she is going to be isolated with just the one friend in the new class.

This morning we've had tears and she said she feels really sad.

Any words of wisdom or has anybody else been in this situation?

Not as many opportunities for actual play or self directed activities in Y1.
Break and lunchtimes are when she will be able to play with her friends.
She might make new friends as they will obviously be more mature than At Nursery.

I’d just reassure her about this and that it isn’t anything that she has done/ not a punishment at all.
School staff work hard on sorting class lists and and some anxiety is inevitable as children often aren’t keen on change.

Put the positive spin on it. How many more friends she'll have in September. Spend the summer talking about what makes a great friend, how she can ask to play with people etc.
there's nothing you can do other than put spin on it

I honestly wouldn't worry.

In Year 1, who you were friends with in nursery doesn't have much relevance really as kids develop and change so much in that first year at school.

My DD joined a new school mid-year in Year 1 and I was worried about how she'd find her feet amongst established friendship groups. It's been fine and the thing I notice is that when DD tells me who she played with at break time the other girls are not fixed in their groups at all as it's a complete mish-mash of names each day who happened to fall into playing the same game.

Also as pointed out by a pp, much more of Year 1 is spent sitting at tables working or on the carpet listening/learning.

My DD's primary mixed every year. It cut down on bullying and cliques, meant that everyone got to know everyone else and also meant they could group children with similar interests. It worked really well and she kept old friends and made lots of new ones.

However, her school had 5 class entry so I think it worked better than it might with just 2.

It will be fine. She has been separated from the two girls you were worried about, she has a friend she knows well in her new class, and also girls who she knew in nursery. Plus some boys as well I assume. I imagine that the teacher will be looking at organising the class in table groups for much of the work, so things will be slightly more organised and less free flow than they were in reception, so she won’t be at all isolated, it will be a new way of working for all of them, but one they get used to very quickly. She will still see other children at break time and lunch time so lots of opportunities to socialise both with old friends and new ones. Be positive, lots of new friends to play with, how much she has grown up in reception, all the things she has learnt, all the things she can do now, and how many new things she is going to learn in Y1 and how clever she is going to be, how much her new teacher will be looking forward to having her in her class because she will have heard from her old teacher how lovely she is.