2 questions to ask about education in the UK

[bsg]

Firstly we live in Portugal and are looking to return to the UK next summer. My dd will be 4 in May and I would like to know if she will start fulltime in the Sept 2006. She is already at school here 09.00 - 17.00 and I can't imagine her getting use to being at home all day (me either). Next question DD will be 5 in April. Anybody with children this age, please advise as to what your children are doing at school at the moment. In Portugal they do not start to learn any letters, reading until they are already 5 so he wouldnt start until next sept. Is he going to be behind the others and should I start teaching him at home. We havent started yet as he is also learning a second language at the moment and do we teach him in English or Portuguese etc etc.

Sorry very long and very badly written. Really would appreciate some advise.

Thank you

[Hulababy]

Depending on where you live in the UK depends on how many intakes the school has each year. So, your 3.5yo daughter will start either in September 2006 or January 2007. Often this is a short period of PT (a week or two) and then FT. However, some schools, for the younger children, do PT for first time.

[calpopscalum]

My ds will be 4 in feb and starts school in Sept. he will go half days for the first half term and then full time. You could look into getting anursery place for the afternoons if you thisnk that would suit you better.
Wouldn't worry about teaching him at home as they all start reception with differing levels of knowldege - ie some can write letters some have no idea. Reception is really like an extended year of nursery leading up to the first proper year of school. There is more emphasis on learning through play. My opinion and experience of course, no doubt it differs in different places!

[bsg]

It will be such a step back for dd if she can only go half day and ds is all day. They dont really regonise the age difference between them. Only 13 months. They are more like twins and she loves being in the big school with her brother. Fingers crossed. Thanks

[jenkel]

My dd will be 4 in August, she will start school in Sept, will have 2 weeks of part time and then full time. The school that my dd will go two runs the 'other fours' scheme, these are the schools that seem to go full time straight away. And in our area they generally seem to be the smaller village schools.

[LIZS]

" she will start fulltime in the Sept 2006 " ? possibly but would depend on LEA (assuuming it is a state school) and/or individual school policy. Legally she needn't start until Septmeber 2007, but into Year 1. nb. some areas will have already allocated Reception spaces for next year and you usually have to be resident or have a local address to apply.

dd(4 in August) started Reception in September. They have spent this term covering phonics sounds (Jolly Phonics), starting to read simple sentences, sharing stories, basic numeracy to 20, crafts, physical and social activities. Nothing too taxing and anything your dd may already be interested towards this would stand her in good stead, but it is not essential to make a specific effort as they really do go back to the basics, plus practical things like dressing/undressing, changing shoes, toileting on her own, fine motor skills and concentration. Chances are her experience at the nursery will give her confidence and cover much of this in some form anyway. btw dd had also lived abroad prior to starting,where she attended an English speaking playgroup, but has made the adjustment to both UK and school well.

hth

[bsg]

I will be moving back to surrey hopefully. The schools where I live though are C of E and my two are in a catholic school now as DH is catholic. Yet another problem. I would really love for them to do another year in the portuguese school because of the language but I dont think I can take another yaer living in Portugal.

[LIZS]

Oh sorry now see that you have 2 children. Your elder one would be the same year as our dd so it might be helpful to do some phonics work and numeracy with him in the meantime but tbh the other children will forget much of what they have covered this year over the summer holiday so they do tend to cover it again at the beginning of the next year, or so I'm told. Some children will read by the end of Reception but by no means all, boys especially.

[LIZS]

We're in Surrey but Primary School applications closed at end of October... can you give the potential schools a ring as they may not be actually allocating spaces until the Christmas holidays (at least that was what we found last year) and should at least be able to tell you if they are already oversubscribed. The Surrey LEA policy tends to be moving towards summer birthdays going full time earlier in the academic year than a few years ago but dd would still have been part time until after the New Year.

[snowydelight]

Around here (Sussex) your DS would do two terms part-time, then start full time in the term in which he turns five, i.e. Summer term.

[bsg]

Thanks. If applications have already closed then I will have no chance. Maybe we will have to stay here.

[LIZS]

I wouldn't give up yet - they may simply not be fully subscribed. Trouble is it may be harder to coordinate spaces in both Year 1 and Reception at the same school. Even if they are "full" spaces may come up later in the year - we only cancelled our two state school places in May , having by then got confirmed places at the same private school for both ours. Deferring your move by a year may not necessarily make it any easier.

[Shimmers]

Go to: www.direct.gov.uk/EducationAndLearning/fs/en