Moving classes

[jumpingjackrabbit]

DD attends a 2 form entry primary school and is in Year 1. It's a good school and overall we are happy with it.

At the end of the reception year, the school made the decision to mix the two classes. It was a long process and they said they needed to get the balance right. DD found herself separated from her best friend who was placed in the other class. DD was in a bit of a three way dynamic and both DD and another girl wanted to be best friends with DD's best friend, which created a bit of a dynamic hence the 3 of them being separated.

The 2 girls still meet up for playdates, but DD has never been particularly friendly with the other girl who made up the group of 3. At the start of year 1, DD started to come out of school upset. She told me that the other girl who is still in the same class as her, has been hitting her and also telling her that she is not allowed to talk to other girls in the class and has to play with her. Each time DD has tried to walk away, she has been hit, pulled, pushed and dragged. In addition to this, she has also been verbally sworn at and had the finger signs given to her by this other girl.

I thought initially that it may have been a one off, but second term into Year 1 and it continues and the hitting is on an almost daily basis. Last week my DD was hit in the face because she tried to play with other children.

At a playdate, I had a chat with DD's best friends mum and told her what had been happening. At first she didn't say anything, but then told me that her DD had experienced exactly the same last year and as a result they had requested that their DD needed to be separated and put in the other class to this girl. At the start of year 1, their DD sustained a head injury and the response they've had from their teachers couldn't have been more different. The girls are being kept apart during playtime as well to safeguard their DD from any more targeted bullying.

DD has developed school avoidance. Is not wanting to go into school in the morning and has actually told me she is scared of this other girl. She was off sick the week before last week and said she was glad she was sick as it meant she couldn't be hurt by this other girl.

I have raised this several times with the school who are not doing anything about it. The class teacher doesn't seem interested in sorting it out and it feels like the school are just letting this girl behave like this. I have asked for DD to be placed in other groups, moved on the carpet etc, but the teacher said she can't do this! I feel that the school are not safeguarding my DD from this. Last weekend at a party, this girl pushed DD from a high climbing frame. I worry that she is going to really hurt DD.

I have now escalated this and have asked for DD to be moved into the other class. I know it will vary school to school, but has anybody else been successful in requesting this? If they say no, where do I go from here as I am not confident the teacher is safeguarding my daughter.

No, the only zoned part is the reception area. The rest is shared space between all of the year groups so it will be very difficult for them to zone her, I think.

I have a meeting later with the HT to discuss our concerns so will see what they have to say.

EY area should be separate. Often ks2 is away from ks1 too. They should have an area for Dc they want to keep an eye on.

Not always, depends on the size of the school. Many mixed early years, KS1 classes around.

In really small schools there is just one class 4-11 years.

In tiny schools, yes, separation is tricky but is still desirable to try to avoid coercion and inappropriate play. Eyfs is different in that an outside play area is a learning space and should be suitable for this. Letting eyfs DC play with y6 Dc is not desirable and supervision should be greater for the young Dc. Good practice is not carried out everywhere but in this case it’s desirable to separate these Dc because it’s a safety issue.

They're moving her from Monday.

The teacher we had complained to hadn't even told her job share what has been going on.

No idea how they're going to sort behaviour out as I suspect she will now move on to another child and do the same. Will the Deputy Head be speaking to the parents?

We were just so euphoric about the move we didn't think to ask!

Well done OP! That's great news for your DD. Hopefully she'll feel better about school now.

Any child who has behaviour problems should be identified and parents contacted. This could well be sen - behaviour can be. Strong emotional and behaviour responses are often SEN and the school needs to act to improve the situation if they can. They should work closely with parents. People tend to think SEN is being educationally challenged but emotional and behaviour issues are SEN too. It could be the parents do know there are problems and are desperate for help. The school cannot keep moving DC though. So they must work on how to improve the situation. Certainly some primary Dc will go to units (prus) to help.

@TizerorFizz I hope so as from messages sent to other parents, they seem to blame other kids.

The parents send messages?

From my experience there will be a head of steam building up about this within the parent body. School will have to do something to improve matters.

Y es to other parents saying how their DD is being left increasingly alone at school as nobody wants to play with her abd what was going on citing bullying.