One hour Reception visit - thinking it's me that should be preparing!

[bluegiraffe]

I am taking DD for her settling/meet the teacher session at her new school tomorrow. The visit is only 1 hour long which will fly by for both of us so I'm thinking I should really prepare a bit more so I can get the most out of it - DH isn't able to come unfortunately, so it will be just the one brain trying to take it all in!!!

Am pretty confident DD will love it, she has been pretty much full time in nursery and holiday clubs for last couple of years and we went to the Summer Fete at the school a couple of weeks ago and had free access to all the classrooms (all two of them - tiny infant school!! ;-)) and grounds. She always gets excited when we talk about her 'big school' ..

But I know what i'm like with things like this! - other more outspoken mums will lead the questions and i'll be scribbling notes and trying to remember everything and then i'll get home and realise i'm thinking of things to ask and it's too late ..

so,please - anyone with experience or teachers out there? - what questions should I /could I ask? - and what shouldn't I be asking too?

and what can I expect to be told before the questions from me time? we have no details about what happens other than DD will spend the hour with new teacher and children and we will meet headteacher and representative of the catering people in the hall ... will we even have time for questions??!

[xalala]

I took DD to one of these a couple of weeks ago. She spent 2 hours in her class, the parents were talked at (with about 2 questions raised) in the school hall during this time.

We heard from: headteacher, SENCO, LEA attendance officer, school meals bod from the council, and a couple of parents from the PTA. We were given a massive file of information to bring away with us, including a bunch of forms to fill in and return, covering school policies, arrangements for September's staggered start, ordering school uniform, school milk, school dinners, permissions slips for school taking photos of the kids, going on trips, copies of the prospectus, a copy of the home-school agreement which DD and I both had to sign, how to sign up to get the school newsletter - in short, there was far too much info to cover in one meeting!

And it's not too late to ask questions after the event - just phone the school office and ask them, or leave a message for the class teacher/head teacher/whoever is most appropriate.

Hope your DD has fun tomorrow, mine had a fab time but was exhausted that afternoon, despite being used to full days 9.15 to 3pm a couple of times a week already.

[bluegiraffe]

goodness xalala - that is a whirlwind of information, even in 2 hours!!! they will have to be on speed to get through all that in 1 hour - hope they don't attempt to!! :-)

I'm hoping that tomorrow won't be the first time i've heard it'll be a staggered start - already being scuppered with after-school care being fully booked/not operating for 3 of 5 days, before I even start worrying about her not starting 9-3 from the beginning of term - calm, deep breaths ....

that is all useful info though, I love forms and leaflets and gumph! ;-)

DD will hopefully love it and I have already planned that she won't be going back to nursery afterwards, but unfortunately I need to make up my hours by working at home the rest of they day, so she'll be even more delighted when I stick her in front of a DVD when we get home! ;-)) all her Christmas's ;-))