I spent an hour calming angry (normally very placid) ds down today. Entire class in tears at hometime! Aaaarrrrggghhhhh!

[Aero]

Yes, honestly, they all came out crying and we had no idea why. What happened?

Well, they had 'moving up' day on Tuesday. Enjoyed the day. Everyone happy to move up to Y6 together in September, and happy with new teacher.

This afternoon, they finally emerged at 3.30 (15 minutes late), clutching letters and most of them either crying or venting.

In their infinite wisdom, HT and teachers have decided to split the classes again into three groups. These groups will consist of both Y5 and Y6 children. DS has no previous experience of being in a split class. This will be their 'base' class. For core subjects, they will be in different groups and will move around much like in secondary school (apparantly). They will not have the teacher they were supposed to have, and so all feeling angry/upset and very unsettled.

Late release of good SATs results has been given as reason (ie last years split class achieved well), but IMO, surely the teachers should know by now who's good at what and SATs results shouldn't make any difference at this stage.

Parents now having to deal with frustrated unhappy children and teachers seemed shocked at how badly they took the news!

AIBU in thinking they are really messing us (and our children, who've had a pressured enough year in Y5 re 11+ preparation etc) about and at this stage (3 days before term ends), this is a total outrage?

Ds is normally a very placid boy, and accepting of things in general, but I've never seen him come out of class in this state. Not ever.

I am livid. Not so much about the arrangements, although not great, but about the way in which it's been handled and how unfair it is on the children two days after their settling day for their new class!!

I think that sucks, big time. As you say surely they don't have ot wait for SATs results to ahve an idea of a child's abilities?

Unacceptable to do this at such a late stage, no wonder all thechildren are in bits

for you

Thanks mamaG. It was also the end of term production tonight, so had opportunity to speak to other parents re arrangements. most very annoyed and one in tears as her child has SEN and change is one thing which throws him completely, so she's feeling like they are back to square one with his behaviour.

I'm trying to find the good points in the arrangements (ie, his bf is still in his class, but will probably not be working with him in many subjects as they are on different levels). Also, the teacher he will have is ok, but he was really looking forward to having Mrs *, who is a fab teacher and now feels upset that he will never have her as a teacher.

I'm pretty sure there will be many complaints about this. We just don't need a miserable summer spent annoyed about the last second changes to class arrangements.

I just feel that the HT just doesn't have a clue some of the time! The childrens emotional well-being is as important as their academic achievement IMO, and this just hasn't been considered.

I actually think that mixed classes work really well (from experience with dd's) however, the way they have done that to your ds is disgusting!

Poor lad - no wonder he's gutted

Ds really doesn't want to be in a split class, but I'm sure in reality, it would work fine.

I think he might feel he's waited all this time to be at the top of the school and now that isn't going to happen as such because younger children will join him in his class.

I think if this had all been explained earlier and then we had moving up day, it would have been better and they'd at least have had a chance to get a feel for how it will be. It just seems that meeting 'new' teacher who isn't going to be teaching him was a total waste of time.

Judging by what I've heard about the reliability of the SATs results this year, this sounds like a pretty daft decision - what if they find out they weren't so good after all when they are validated?

There has to be more to this than just SATs results surely. To have all the arrangements in place, hold a moving up day (nice idea) and then change their minds is fairly appalling. I would be concerned about how they will manage all the traditional yr6 activities without upsetting the yr5s, and how the yr5s are going to cope with all the moving around (fair enough it might be good preparation for the yr5s). I would be more upset if I was a yr5 mum though, as they will all have to be resorted next year. Is anyone going to ask for an explanation for the change?

My son is in a split class. His school is mixing year 1 and year 2 (reception is last year of preschool), year 3 and year 4, year 5 and year 6, and year 7 is on their own because they need the stability before moving up to secondary.

Seems odd to introduce this in the final year for your dc.

I don't know rusty. i just don't see what SATs results have to do with anything. the teachers know the children by now - they've done reports so are well aware of their abilities.

The only reason we've done so well is that our last OFSTED was crapola and we weren't far short of special measures, so the school was given an almighty kick up the backside and everyone has worked very hard to achieve better results this year and it's fair to say, in this instance, they've done very well, but who knows where we'd be if OFSTED hadn't come when they did!

I just don't understand why they have come to this decision at this late stage. Someone, somewhere can't see past the end of their nose re being organised! And the children's feelings just haven't been considered, or worse still, have been thought about and dismissed!

I believe many people will be asking just that nooka. Other children are upset because they've been put into a class where none of their good friends are going. At least ds1 has some good chums in with him.

I don't get the moving around bit either and will want this fully explained before we break up. I was thinking the same thing myself re the younger children next year and how they'll feel with the changes this time next year.

HT is inconsistant and communication between home and school is poor. Not so much that we don't get letters, just that they are rarely clear as to what they actually mean iyswim.

Ds just wants to enjoy his last year at primary and he doesn't want it to be like secondary right now. He feels he'll be ready for that next year, but now he just wants school to be fun and this feels like pressure and he's just not happy.

I am sad for him and his friends tbh and I will be making my concerns known next week.

This sounds as if it has been done very badly - especially having the moving up day followed by a complete change of plan three days later.

How did the current Y6's split class work?

There were big changes last year Idris and some of ds1's then class moved in with the present Y6s.

When ds started this school, it was smaller and his was the first year to have a second class in the same yeargroup, but there were not enough of them to make up a full class, so ds was in a reception class and the other reception went into a R/Y1 split class and they moved up each year in the classes they started in until last year when many of them were moved around. At that stage there was a Y5 class, a Y6 class and a split Y5/6 class.

Now it will be three split classes of Y5/6 children and children feel that they've already had to put up with big changes last year and now they're doing it again (just as they've got used to things), but after a settling day which is just plain thoughtless imo.

So they're basing this decision on the results of half of the year 6 children - did the children in the Y6 only class do worse than the Y5/Y6 class?

Sounds completely daft to me - and to have had the "settling" day first is the daftest part of it.

Schools don't normally do a big change like that without meetings and parental consultations first. Are you going to speak to the Head?

aero - this is how it works in our school and I have to say it seems to work fine. They will still be in their own year group I should think with a class teacher and their own classroom.

More notice would have been better though.

Am I missing something?
Settling in day? Why on earth didn't they break it to them then?

however

Am unsure as to total outrage..

My ds is a year 1

In reception they split the class for the last term (had the letter last day of term)
His best friend was moved

Next year will be split
Don't know who his teacher will be (long term sick so depends on that otherwise ??)

No tears
They still play together at lunchtime
Not so much of a drama

Sorry he was upset though

I really don't know Idris. I'm not too worried about the split class tbh, just the delivery of the situation. I can see what they're trying to do, (better after sleeping on it), and that the teachers teaching Y5 & 6 are all good teachers.

Ds is lucky in that his best mate is in his class, but not so for others and they are more upset.

Some parents have spoken to HT today. I decided not to as it was sports day and not the best time to get her attention. I will be writing instead as I feel I will be better heard then! My complaint will be regarding the messing around with the childrens emotions after settling them into their new classes a few days ago. This is the biggest part of the problem. The moving around between lessons is also something ds isn't happy about, but I'm sure he'll get used to that and it won't be the drama it seems right now.

That is an awful way to treat the children and I am not surprised everyone was upset and outraged. Surely they cannot have made such a big decision overnight? If I were you I'd also be asking how long the school had been planning this change because IMO I don't think it will have been made in a day. The sats result thing just seems a bit of a convenient cover up.
Fuming for you, but on the positive side the practice moving round for classes will mean he is used to it before it happens at secondary.
All the best to him.