AIS Class allocation and class change requests
1. Purpose
The purpose of this procedure is to ensure that class allocations are made and maintained in a way that promotes:
The psychosocial wellbeing of all students
Balanced and stable learning environments
Fair, transparent, and consistent decision-making processes
Long-term student development, including social and emotional growth
The procedure ensures that individual requests for class changes are considered carefully, while safeguarding the overall stability and wellbeing of the full student cohort.
2. Guiding Principles and alignment with our Mission and Values
Class allocations are made based on a combination of educational and wellbeing factors, including:
Overall cohort balance (academic, social, and behavioural mix)
Psychosocial wellbeing of all students
Stability of peer groups and learning environments
Safeguarding considerations and relevant social dynamics
Operational structure and staffing requirements
While student friendship preferences and social connections are considered where appropriate, they cannot be the sole determining factor in class allocation decisions, as this would compromise cohort balance and educational integrity.
Our mission is to develop global citizens for the world of tomorrow. An important part of this is helping students develop the confidence, adaptability, and resilience needed to thrive in an ever-changing world.
At AIS, we believe that positive experiences of change help students grow both academically and personally. Learning alongside different peers encourages students to build new relationships, broaden their perspectives, and strengthen their social and collaborative skills in a supportive environment.
Thoughtful class reorganisations also reflect our core values. Students are driven by ambition as they embrace new opportunities and challenges, guided by integrity as they build respectful relationships with a wider range of classmates, inspired by curiosity as they learn from different perspectives and experiences, and strengthened by diversity as they become part of new learning communities.
By providing carefully planned opportunities for students to experience change, AIS helps prepare them for future transitions with confidence while ensuring the best possible learning environment for all students.
3. Rationale for class allocation and class mixing
Class groupings are designed and reviewed to support the overall development, wellbeing, and learning of all students within a year group.
In many cases, the school may intentionally mix classes when forming or reviewing groupings in order to:
Create balanced learning environments that reflect the diversity of the cohort
Support positive social development by broadening peer interactions
Encourage students to build resilience, adaptability, and interpersonal skills
Ensure that no student is overly dependent on a narrow friendship group
Promote inclusion and reduce the formation of closed or exclusive social groupings
Support long-term psychosocial wellbeing through exposure to varied social contexts
These decisions are made as part of a broader educational approach that recognises that students benefit from learning to navigate a range of social situations and relationships over time.
While continuity and stability are important, carefully considered class mixing can play a valuable role in supporting students to develop confidence, flexibility, and social competence in a rapidly changing world.
Class changes or restructuring are usually considered at key transition points in the school:
The start of Grade 2
The start of Grade 5
The start of Grade 8 or 9
However, in some cases, the teaching body (either the Primary Years Programme (PYP) team or the Middle Years Programme (MYP) team) may determine that a reorganisation of classes at a different point in the learning cycle would be beneficial. This decision would only be made where there is a clear educational or wellbeing rationale and where it supports the overall needs of the cohort.
All class allocation decisions therefore aim to balance stability with intentional opportunities for positive social development across the cohort.
4. Procedure when whole class mixing occurs
Identification of Need
Teachers identify concerns or opportunities that may warrant a review of class composition.
Professional Consultation
Teaching staff and school leadership review the situation and consider the potential benefits and impacts of any proposed changes.
Decision Making Changes are approved only when there is clear consensus in the teaching body.
Communication
Families and students are informed of any changes and the reasons for them in a timely manner.
Transition Support
Staff provide support to help students adjust successfully and develop positive relationships within their new class group.
5. Rationale for managing class change requests
Requests for class changes may arise as part of a desire to support student wellbeing, strengthen positive peer relationships, or ensure that students are placed in environments where they can thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.
The school recognises that such requests are usually made with the intention of supporting the child’s best interests. Where concerns are raised, they are taken seriously and considered carefully within the wider context of cohort wellbeing and educational balance.
The school operates within a rapidly evolving social and educational environment. Students are continually developing their ability to adapt, build relationships, and navigate change as part of their wider learning journey. For this reason, class structures are designed not only to support immediate wellbeing needs, but also to help students develop resilience, flexibility, and social competence over time.
All decisions must therefore balance individual support needs with the long-term development of students and the stability of the cohort as a whole.
6. Rationale for limiting class changes
While class change requests are considered thoughtfully, unrestricted or repeated changes are not supported for the following reasons:
6.1 Cohort-wide wellbeing
Adjustments to one student’s class placement can have unintended impacts on the psychosocial wellbeing, stability, and learning environment of other students.
6.2 System integrity and fairness
A consistent approach ensures that decisions are fair, transparent, and not influenced by individual preference alone.
6.3 Limits of friendship-based placement
It is not possible to accommodate all friendship preferences while maintaining balanced and effective learning environments across the cohort.
7. Approach to Psychosocial Wellbeing concerns
Where psychosocial wellbeing concerns are raised:
The school will assess concerns carefully and proportionately
Pastoral interventions may be implemented where appropriate
Class composition may be reviewed as part of wider cohort planning
Any adjustments will consider the impact on all students, not only the individual concerned
Importantly, psychosocial wellbeing concerns do not automatically result in individual class changes.
8. Limits of class adjustment
The school recognises clear limits to class reorganisation:
Class changes will not be made to accommodate individual friendship preferences alone
Once class allocations are finalised, changes will only be made in exceptional and clearly justified circumstances
Any adjustment must demonstrate clear benefit without disproportionate impact on other students or class stability
Where a requested change would negatively affect the wellbeing or stability of other students, it will not be approved.
9. Decision-Making authority
Final responsibility for class allocation decisions rests with school leadership, who are responsible for:
Balancing individual needs with cohort-wide wellbeing
Ensuring fairness and consistency across all families
Applying professional judgement in line with safeguarding responsibilities
Maintaining the integrity and stability of the school structure
10. Complaints and Escalation
Where parents disagree with a class allocation decision:
Concerns may be raised through the school’s formal complaints procedure
Class allocation decisions are not subject to ongoing informal negotiation once finalised
External escalation routes, including Board review, are available where appropriate
11. Summary Statement
The school’s approach to class allocation is based on the principle that student wellbeing is both individual and collective. While individual psychosocial concerns are taken seriously and may inform review processes, class changes will only be made where they are consistent with maintaining the overall balance, stability, and wellbeing of the full student cohort.