How much info do primary schools share with secondary schools for year 7 starters

[ConflictedCheetah]

My son is having serious issues with a boy in his school. I've been in to the school a lot to discuss it. The other boy has autism which means his behaviour is more challenging (but understandable) and I've always taken the line with the school that the failure is on their supervision of him at break/play times rather than complaining about the child himself.
Most recent incidents have included pushing, putting his hands around my son's throat and stealing an item from my son's schoolbag after an incident at lunch.

Anyway, my son sat 11+ and got into local grammar school of choice. We initially thought he wouldn't know anyone there at all but it turns out this boy also did (he's incredibly bright and well able for school work but he does need support in class and obviously his behaviour is erratic).

My question is, do secondary schools, and especially grammar schools where the children are likely to come from a wide variety of primary schools and not know anyone, keep children who know each other in from groups or are they likely to separate them to encourage them to make friends with others? And would primary schools pass on info to the secondary school related to the fact that these two boys have a lot of 'history' between them and advise they're kept apart?

I'm trying not to be THAT parent before DS even starts at the new school but DS just wants a fresh start and doesn't want to have anything to do with this other child when they start secondary. His worst nightmare is they're together a lot and the other child attaches himself to DS' newly forming friendship group.

It will vary! Some will ask, some won't - so if it is important, I would drop an email to school to explain. They won't be able to guarantee anything at this stage I would imagine, but it can't do any harm.

I would share your concerns with the school. Better to tell them early when it might be possible to take it into account than when they have already planned forms. Schools vary but grammar schools do sometimes put you in a form with someone from primary, so they have a familiar face.

Yeh deffo let the school know.

IME it varies but when I had new yr 7 students we were given info. It varied a lot and sometimes was v detailed. But yes if child x needs to be kept apart from child y we would be told and it would be actioned when planning teaching groups and forms.

Ok thanks. Sounds like it's worth my while getting in touch with them then. I'd just hate to be seen as if I'm a horrible parent who doesn't want my child with the child with autism, but he really does target DS a lot.

He can have autism and still be a bully. You wouldn't be saying you would like them seperate because he is autistic, it's because he bullies your son. Which is a perfectly reasonable thing to mention.

Yes echo the others. Let the school know. Pre joining the local high school spoke to each child and asked them who they DIDNT want to be in a class with rather than who they did which seemed very sensible as the list was likely to be smaller and easier to accommodate. In your son’s position it might seem the obvious thing to put him in a class with the one other from his school so I would definitely raise it directly.

On the whole there are less opportunities in high school to be THAT parent (not none before someone decided to pick up on that nugget!) as the kids tell you less anyway so I wouldnt worry about raising a biggee now! It sounds sensible to me.

Our Y6 child is off to grammar school in Sept. On the welcome email the school said to contact them if there were children that parents would prefer their kids not to be with for Y7. You could email the school but it may be a bit late, our school had a deadline of 1st May for this.

Thanks all. I'll get in touch with them. We weren't specifically asked that question in the welcome emails so no deadline as such but they're due to go in and meet firm tutors etc in 24th June so hopefully not too late.
We didn't know he was going to the same school until recently and we only have his word for it so technically still don't know for sure! He could be lying (DS didn't see him at the 11+ test but he may have sat it on a different day - although all the boys in DS school went to the same place on the same day). Plus things had got better for a long time but he seems to have ramped it up again lately.

Thanks everyone for your advice on this.

I contacted the school and they've replied to say that they're just organising form groups now so my email was well timed and would be taken into consideration, which is a great relief. They've also mentioned some additional measures they're taking which is really reassuring.

So glad I messaged them about it! And DS will be massively relieved.