Class re-organisation Parent’s presentation 30th April 2018

The plan for this evening How we currently re-organise classes at SMPS The rationale behind re-organising the current P5 and P6 classes The positives and negatives Comments from parents and P7 children The plan and time-scale How you can support your child

What have we done in the past at SMPS? Classes always mixed at the end of P1 Some classes mixed at the end of P3 Twice classes mixed at the end of P6

What is the rationale behind this re-organisation? It’s a cluster decision Some classes will be different sizes and have an uneven gender mix next session if we don’t re- organise it teaches children the skills that they need as they move forward to high school.

What are the positive aspects? Children widen their circle of friends in preparation for high school Children learn the skills of making new friends and maintaining existing friendships Children learn these skills in a supportive, nurturing atmosphere Feedback from parents and children about the last re-organisation was overwhelmingly positive

What are the negative aspects? Change is uncomfortable! It is unsettling initially for all children More unsettling if a child has one close friend or finds making and keeping friends challenging

The morgan family experience

What parents thought….. New friendships have formed and old friendships continue It has encouraged wider social groupings across the year group I’m all for it- change in a known environment is great preparation for transition to high school While the old class was settled and happy, this has opened up new opportunities and has been a good thing It took her a while to find her feet and Term 1 was a bit painful, but she is more confident and has better friendships as a result I think it has been a positive experience for my son. Life is about meeting new people.

What P7s thought…. I think its good preparation for high school- I definitely have more friends now I thought it was a silly idea at first but I have made lots more better friends I used to be quite shy and now I’m not so it has helped me overcome my fear of meeting new people I’ve definitely grown on the idea because I have made loads of new friends as well as keeping old friends I felt positive, but I felt nervous about the change. It has turned out a lot more positive than I had originally thought. I used to be shy in my old class but now I get along with everyone.

How will the classes be re-organised? We will look at: GenDer mix Ages twins Even mix across 3 classes Existing friendships

What is the time scale? Classes will be re-organised by Mrs Morgan by the end of may New classes will be shown to class teachers and adjusted in light of comments and suggestions Children will be told about their new classes before the end of term they will have the opportunity to spend some time with their new class doing team building activities They will meet their new teacher as a re-organised class before the end of term

How can I best support my child? See the ‘big picture’ – concentrate on the long-term gain for your child Be positive about the change- don’t share your anxiety with your child Model a growth mindset about how to manage change Empathise with your child’s anxiety, but don’t be overwhelmed by it Build in as many opportunities as possible for your child to practice the skills of making new friends- and support them Contact Mrs Morgan if your child’s anxiety is seeming unusual or extreme

Thank you for coming! If you have any questions, or want to alert us to a particular situation, then please complete a slip and pop into the box by the door and we will contact you.