Er excuse me, i have just been informed my child gets less education than yours cos of where i live

[nailpolish]

here children attend playgroup aged 3, preschool (for my dd's the preschool is actually in the primary school building) aged 4, then start primary school aged 5

i now understand in England children start school aged 4

i feel like my children will be missing out on a years education!

or am i talking shite

[Fimbo]

Don't worry NP - Reception is like a glorified nursery with a slight emphasis on the basics of reading/writing. Remember in some countries children don't start school until they are 6 or 7. My dd couldn't read properly until she was in Year 2 (age 7).

[nailpolish]

do they wear the uniform in reception?

is it 9 til 3?

here pre-school (age 4) is 9 til 1130

[tiredemma]

in ds's reception, it was quite clearly and extension of nursery- the emphasis was on 'play learning'

[nailpolish]

ok

have calmed down a bit now

[hana]

reception children sometimes wear a uniform in England, but not all do - would depend on teh school
Some schools only do 1/2 days for one term and they start full days in January, but others do a week or so of half days, then go right to the full day

[nailpolish]

so they do miss out, if reception is full time, but here pre-school is part time

[Beetroot]

move to denmark adn they won't school until 7

[oliveoil]

dd1 goes to playgroup from 2.5, then goes to school the year she turns 5, which will be next year.

If she went to the Catholic School, she would be in their PreSchool now, in a uniform. But probably doing the same stuff she does at playgroup, ie drawing, playing, learning letters etc

[foxinsocks]

reception is part time in some schools here - ds is part time till he turns 5

[nailpolish]

as a side, nothing to do with this, but beety just reminded me, did you know that in Hungary women get 5 years maternity leave? paid? my Hungarian friend told me. She is moving back to Hungary specifically for this reason

[Fimbo]

It probably depends on the school but yes dd wore the uniform. Her school only have one intake in August. DD was just four in the June when she started. She went from 9-12 until Christmas, then full time after that, but she didn't have to. Some of the boys in her class were tired and went home at 12 on a Friday afternoon. When ds starts he will 5 in the December and will do two weeks of 9-12 then straight into full time.

The above is a synopsis of dd's school but it can vary.

[nailpolish]

thats the other thing that confused me - it depends on the school. every school in scotland is the same (i suppose apart from very expensive private schools)

also, how many schools do they attend? here its primary and high - thats it

[Fimbo]

They don't have to do full-time until they reach the age of 5.

[Fimbo]

Here is what ds will do:-
Playgroup
First School (Reception (4) to Year 2 (7))
Junior School (Year 3 (7) to Year 6 (10))
High School (Year 7 (11) to Year 11 (I think)
Six Form College

[Fimbo]

*Sixth Form College

[nailpolish]

is it all in the same building fimbo? or at different sites

you know, they are building a brand new primary just 5 mintues walk from my house

i feel really lucky, there is even going to be a path from my street to the playground, no roads to cross or nothing

dd's will be there til they are 12

[Fimbo]

. I wish dh could get a job in Scotland but there is fat chance.

Playgroup is in the church hall
First School is on one site
Junior School is on another
High School is on another
(Junior & High School are very close together though)
Sixth Form College - not one in my village so they both will have to get a bus, which I have been reliably informed is subbed by the council - but parents still had to fork out £220 this year for a bus pass! And that's only going to the next village 4 miles up the road.

[CaptainFlameSparrow]

NP - an extra year of only half a day school is probably a good thing, and not missing out... they go too young.

Its all playing.

[mysonsmummy]

ds has just started reception. he wears same uniform as reat of school (as he did in school nursery) and goes 9am - 3.30pm. i dont see if as the same as last year when he was in school nursery 9 - 11.30am. i see it as the first year of school education when he will begin to read and start learning things - not just playing.

[Fimbo]

Some parents are currently dashing between playgroup/first and junior schools

[nailpolish]

mysonsmummy - from what you saidm children here do miss ou then

is it different curriculum then in engalnd and scotland?

we dont have sats or anything (whatever they are)

[lucycat]

ah but you get summer holidays when it is actually the summer - not August when it peeed down - constantly.

[expatinscotland]

yeah, but would you want to live in England?

[CaptainFlameSparrow]

lack of sats sounds good too... testing kids constantly