mixing the two form year six classes

[neveragainmum]

Ive just found out that my ds primary school has announced they will be changing the children around and mixing the two forms in year six to prepare the children so they say for their secondaries. My ds has told me what children are going into what classes and it is a very mixed range of abilities in the proposed new classes with streaming for maths and english. A lot of the children are distraught including my son as they have been with their friends since reception in their respective classes, and many close friends have now been split. I am so angry with their shortsightedness of distressing children in their final year at primary, when they should just be able to enjoy and relish this year with the view of major change occurring at secondary.

All three of my ds best friends are now going to be in the other class, as indeed many other children affected. Has anyone heard of this before, is this common practice and why?

Almost feel like totally boycotting the damn school and withdrawing ds, as have often thought about home schooling. Yes Im just fuming right now and will calm down, but surely this is just plain stupid and rather cruel to the children.

[Tinkers]

DDs school mixed them up every year. At the end of each year they would be asked to write down the names of three friends they wanted to be with. They would usually keep them with one or two of them. By year 6 DD had a selection of friends in both classes. There wasn't one girl she had been in the same class as for every single year.

If they had done it from the start then the DC would all be used to it but it does seem a bit unfair to throw this at them in their last year.

[doodles]

Is this the first time they've done this? It does seem a rather odd thing to do without prior warning or precedent.

In primary my DS's were shuffled every year for years 4,5&6 but this was how the school did it every year and the boys knew it was going to happen.

[loobylou]

Dd was in a school with small year groups therefore mixed age classes. She was with her best friends on the same table in the same class from reception until year 5 and then was separated from them because it was the only year she fell into the younger group. It was the best thing that ever happened to her. SHe learned to make new friends and get on with a whole range of people. It absolutely prepared her brilliantly for her secondary school start. My year 5 ds is also this year separated for the first time from his best friend (although still with some friends). Again it has been the making of him. Both were very distressed beforehand though. In my experience it was entirely positive so maybe see how it pans out before pulling him out?

[neveragainmum]

Yes this is the first time they have done this with no warning etc. So no preparation for adjustment. I was just venting when I said Id pull ds out.

[RedVelvet]

Yr 6 can be particularly tricky with friendship groups, mixing things up may well help those children who have been struggling with friendships (and those who may over the next year). Also I'd think it would be great preparation for secondary when they will have to mix with new people. Also children are great at feeding of the distress of others, parents and friends, these things can spiral quickly.

[neveragainmum]

I absolutely hear that, and have completely played it down with ds saying that he can still play with his friends playtime etc and telling him there are positives to the change even though I don't really think so. Good to hear that its not just my ds school that does this, all for various reasons. Feel bit better now.

[RedVelvet]

I guess I'm looking at it from a slightly different perspective. I do think learning to choose your friends is a skill. My son's primary was tiny, 12-15 in a year, for 7 years he'd had to get on with the children in his year and be friends with all of them. Then he went to secondary and had to find his own friends, of course he was drawn to the 'alpha males'. It took him a while to find 'his people', it wasn't easy at times, it would have been great if he'd tried this out in yr 6.

Wishing your boy well.

[Peridot]

I do think class mixing is a good idea. Our (two form entry) primary now mixes at the end of year 1 and year 4. This allows the children to make new friends, but it also enables teachers to separate children where there are troublesome relationships, if necessary, and to create classes that are more evenly balanced by ability etc. But the first year of mixing they also did what your school has done, neveragainmum, and mixed the children at the end of year 5 (because the classes were very unbalanced). It caused an outcry amongst parents and pupils at the time but once year 6 started they soon settled down and the children worked together much better in their new groupings.

[Guest55]

I think the main issue is that you are being told so late in the term. If they had told you a few weeks back and maybe had a meeting to explain the rational you would feel it had been done with considerable thought and for the children's benefit.

It is a good idea to mix children - in Year 7 there is often a big 'fall out' at the end of term one and a shuffling of friendship groups. This can be a difficult time to manage for the tutor (and children) so learning to get on with a wide range of others is all good preparation for secondary.