Decisions on type of group/age range/size/ ratios
The membership of your group will depend on a lot of factors. These are the things you will need to make decisions about.
Type of group - See Types of group
Age range
Discussions work best with a reasonably small age range. However larger groups can be split for the discussion activities. Ideally siblings should be in groups of similar cognitive ability; a 2 year age range is about right.
At about 7 or 8 children start to notice and question the differences between their own families and those of their friends. This is an ideal time to get them attending a sibling group. See Developmental stages
Teenagers will have more deeply felt issues. They may be more open to discussion. This may be a time when they will be giving more thought to their future.
Staff may be more expert with one age group than another
You may already have a waiting list, or be in contact with interested siblings
It may be helpful to work with the groupings children are used in schools; Infant/Key Stage 1 (up to Y2, ages 4 to 7); Junior/Key Stage 2 (Y3 to Y6, ages 7 to 11); Lower Secondary/Key Stage 3 (Y7 to Y9, ages 11 to 14); Upper Secondary/GCSE (Y10 & 11, ages 14 to 16); Sixth Form/A Level (Y12 & 13, ages 16 to 18)
OFSTED regulations may limit groups with children under 8. Regulations do not apply if you have a ‘duty of care’ for the children for ‘not more than 2 hours’ – but note this includes any transport time. Longer periods but on ‘not more than 5 days in a year’ are also exempt from registration See www.ofsted.gov.uk
Group size
More than 15 may make it harder to feel individually important, impair the feeling of group identity, and lower the commitment to regular attendance
Less than 6 may not feel like a group
Groups of more than 8 will need to be split for most discussion activities
Size of venue may limit
Staffing ratio
- A minimum of two staff is vital
- Younger children need a higher staff ratio
- A high staff ratio allows more individual attention
- Many of the activities can easily raise strong feelings, and it is vital that a member of staff is available to respond on an individual basis
- A ratio of 1 to 3 (or 1 to 2.5) works very well for a ‘Junior’ age group
- Your agency may have regulations you need to follow
Gender mix
- A reasonable balance is probably best, but we have known very successful groups with only one boy or only one girl
Back to Sibling Group Leader Manual contents
