TEACHERS could be forgiven for thinking they are seeing double after a boom in twins and triplets in the same class.

More than half of the 14 pupils in this year’s reception class at Woodham Walter Primary School are triplets or twins.

Claire Cerikci, mum of Ayaz, Koray and Kuzey, became friends with Kerry Smith, 39, mother of Celestina, Sophia-Lorenza and Isabella, when they were both expecting triplets at Chelmsford’s Broomfield Hospital.

Claire, 41, from Danbury, said: “From what I have found, this is the first time something like this has happened in the UK.

“I have researched it a lot. There has been a case of siblings being put across three different classes but never all in the same class.

“Both sets were born at around the same time in Broomfield Hospital and Kerry and I have been friends for past four and a half years since.

“Our children are all best friends, so not only are mine going to be able to go to school with their brothers, they are also going to go into reception with their best friends in the girls.

“I guess the school had expected my three to go there as I have three older children there already.

“Kerry and I had talked about whether to put them into the same school for around six months, and then she finally decided it would be great for the girls to come to the same school.”

Joining the two pairs of triplets are twins Bobby and Freddie Cornett, from Maldon.

Their mum Terrie, 37, has also known the other parents for some time, and her older sons have both attended Woodham Walter.

Terrie said she was “sad” to see the last of her four children head into school for the first time.

She said: “I missed them on the first day. They were very excited to be going and have been absolutely fine over the first few days.

“They understand there are another two sets in the class. We have known Claire and her boys a few years and they have always played with them, so they will be comfortable.”

Luckily for the children’s teachers, the twins and triplets are not completely identical.

Brothers Kuzey and Koray are identical, with Ayaz being non-identical, and Celestina, Sophia-Lorenza and Isabella all have different coloured eyes to one-another.

Bobby and Freddie can also be easily told apart, because Bobby has brown hair and his brother is blond.

Kerry, from Mayland, said she and Claire are excited for what the future holds for their little ones.

She said: “The fact they all have each other means they are going to be comfortable straight away.”

The twins and triplets started their first day at school on September 5.

The Cerikci triplets also have a blog where they post pictures of their day-to-day lives at facebook.com/teampiplets.