Anyone moved a child from Scottish school to Welsh/English one?

[gaelicsheep]

Were they really behind? My DS is in Scottish P1 but as he has a July birthday he will go into Welsh Year 1. ie it seems he'll be a year behind his peers. If anyone has experienced this, how did they find it? Did the school expect the child to be up to speed straight away? I'm very happy to work with DS, but we only have 7 weeks!

[mrz]

I've had a child join my Y2 class in September really behind. I've put a lot of support in place and she's made good progress (was mid reception now end of Y1 level)

[mrz]

Struggled with pink book band reading and has just moved onto green

[zippy539]

DD moved from p4 to Year 4 but she moved into a composite class so I think that might have helped. DS went in the opposite direction (from being the youngest in his p5 class to the oldest in his Year 5 class (Sept birthday) - I'm worrying because we're going back to scotland in a year and I'm worried he'll be behind in secondary school! Arggg!!!!

[zippy539]

Sorry that should have said youngest in his p6 class to oldest in his year 5 class.

[jubilee10]

zippy539 if he's a September birthday you would have the choice of having him an older child in the year below. Once you know which school you want you could make an appointment and look at what they are doing and make your choice.

[mrz]

I should also say that just because one child is behind it will mean every child will be ...

[teacherwith2kids]

Family of 3 children moved temporarily to England, then back to Scotland. Oldest was young for year in Scotland, old for year England - thrived. Middle one - ended up a year higher in England - thrived. Youngest one went from P1 to Year 1 like the OP - thrived. Usual mix of being behind on a few things and ahead on a few things, but after the first week or so you would never have told the difference.

[Almostfifty]

It depends on the child, the school and how well they are taught I imagine. I know we had friends who moved down south and they were so far ahead in their classes there was talk of putting them up a year. One was a January birthday so youngest in class here and one was an April birthday so one of the eldest in class.

They've both done really well apparently.

[mrz]

A January birthday would be one of the older children and an April one of the younger (although neither would fall into the oldest /youngest grouping)

[habbibu]

Think almostfifty means here in Scotland, mrz? Jan children are the youngest (unless they're kept back), and April would be older end of year, given February cut-off date.

[mrz]

The child in my class is a Sept birthday so the oldest in the English system but mid in the Scottish system

[habbibu]

My dd is an Oct Scottish baby, her cousin a Feb English baby - dd is in p1, and dn reception, and they seem to be working at roughly the same level. So much must depend on individual schools and teachers - and children!

[DamselInDisarray]

We moved, and DS1 went from P3 to Y3. He's a June birthday and it was awful, very traumatic for him. Much of that may be down to the utterly crappy despite what ofsted say school he went in to though. Choose your school carefully is probably the best advice.

[mrz]

Surely he should have gone from P3 to Y2 with a June birthday

[CecilyP]

No, he would have been in P3 if he was about to turn 8 in June, which would have put him in Y3 if the family moved to England.

[mrz]

The child in my class was in P3 in her old school and was 7 in September? Is she in the wrong year group?

[habbibu]

No, she's an autumn child like dd, who was almost 5 when she started p1, so will be almost 7 when she starts p3. I'm can't work out the June one. But I am feeling quite dim atm.

[CecilyP]

To clarify, children who start P1 range from those who were 5 on previous 1 March to those who will be 5 by the following 28 February. Therefore those who start P3 range from those who were 7 on previous 1 March to those who will be 7 on the following 28 February. So children with birthdays from 1 March to mid August turn 8 in P3 or during the following summer holidays.

[mrz]

My pupil was in P3 according to her transfer records but won't be 8 until next September?

[CecilyP]

Yes, That's right! Children with September to February birthdays turn 8 in P4.

[mrz]

Damn I was hoping she should be in Y1 and had another year to catch up

[teacherwith2kids]

Mrz, I too am tearing my hair out about a new arrival who has come in with exceptionally low levels (middle P levels) but is making good progress with intensive interventions. But she has come from the school down the road, not from Scotland...think it is perhaps about different schools, not different countries... (said school coaches mercilessly for Year 2 SATs ...I suspect that as a child unlilely to reach the magic 2b level she was just abandoned)

[mrz]

She's worked really hard but another year would have been good for her confidence ... and she's happier mixing with the Y1 girls

[teacherwith2kids]

Same here. Socially and emotionally 'young' and with a very hard-to-shift view of her own inabilities...

[mollyscarlettmum]

We moved from Scotland to Wales and my daughter had to spend 2 years in reception class due to being a September birthday so one of the oldest in her year. The most difficult thing was learning Welsh though so having an extra year in reception helped her to pick up the language a bit more though.