Family Groups

In the busyness of school life, with everything we need to fit in, there is not always as much time as we would like for children and adults to pause and spend time engaging in meaningful conversation. KTPS is a close-knit community, with most children knowing the names of pupils in year groups other than their own. However, in an ideal world, children would spend more time conversing with children across year groups. There are so many benefits to this; social, emotional, cognitive, and developmental and it is with this in mind that this new initiative, Family Groups is being introduced.

What are ‘Family Groups?’:

Family groups at KTPS comprise of small groups of children (between 5-15 pupils in each group) from Years 1 to Year 6, led by a school adult; the adult leading the group remains the same throughout the academic year to ensure consistency for the children and to allow positive relationships to be forged.

Every child in Years 1 to 6 belongs to a family group. Children have been grouped so that no child is with their class teacher; enabling children to build a relationship with another member of school staff who can also be a trusted adult to the child.

Family groups meet twice a week – on a Monday morning to ‘Check-in’ with one another and again on a Friday, to ‘Check-out.’ Sessions are 20 minutes long, allowing time for meaningful discussion about a range of topics. They also provide opportunities for children to ask questions, share something exciting that has happened or to seek support about something they are unsure of in a safe environment. Most importantly, they are a time to stop and fully focus on conversation. 

Some of the key benefits that come from this initiative are:

·         Improved communication, language and social skills.

·         Younger children learning to interact with older peers, developing communication and empathy.

·         Older children learning to be patient, kind, and responsible.

·         Older pupils taking on mentoring or leadership roles, boosting their self-esteem and sense of responsibility.

·         Younger children gaining confidence from having older “buddies” to look up to and support them.

·         Greater sense of community.

·         Helping all children feel more connected and supported across the school.

·         Encourage a culture of kindness and peer accountability.

·         Older children reinforce their own understanding by teaching or helping younger ones.

·         Younger children can benefit from explanations or models of behaviour.

·         Mixed-age groups often require children to adapt their language and expectations.

Development of Key Life Skills:

·         Interacting with children at different developmental stages encourages empathy and understanding of others’ needs and abilities.

·         Encourage greater teamwork and collaboration.

·         Support children in learning to work with people of different ages and abilities, preparing them for real-world social dynamics.

Support for Transitions:

·         Younger children who build relationships with older peers often feel more comfortable moving up through the school years.

·         It helps demystify what lies ahead for them in older year groups and can reduce anxiety about change.

·         Older children model positive behaviour, routines, and school values.

·         Younger children gain informal mentors who they can approach for guidance and reassurance.