Do you feel like your Reception child is getting ready for Y1?

[bigroundbrush]

I am a P2 teacher (equivalent to Y1) and I feel at the end of my tether with the P1 teacher. She has full time TA support, and I have none. She will not contemplate making any adjustments to her teaching to prepare the children for formal learning.

What I've asked for

• all children to complete a sit down morning task, so that coming in and sitting straight down to work is less intimidating in August.
• more independence in writing (currently they only write sentences if sitting with her)
• a big push on looking after their own belongings

AIBU? What happens in other schools?

Why is it your job to tell another teacher what to do. Isn't that the head teachers job ?

Ok I'm not sure how it works in Scotland but as an EYFS teacher in England children are working to the ELGs. They're not there to be prepared for Year 1.
The first term of Year 1 should be where any 'getting used to formal learning' shouts be happening. Though some HTs choose to ignore it.

I've read that on a few posts now and it's definitely the P1 teacher's mindset. The HT doesn't really bother about the day-to-day stuff, but the transition is so, so hard, especially without any TA support.

If P1 started to do it now, the children would have a much better time in Term 1.

I honestly think that if you spend at least the first 4 weeks of Year 1 or P2 transitioning with a hybrid of child led and adult led formal learning it would make more sense. Don't forget that there is much learning lost during the summer holidays anyway.

But I definitely appreciate the lack of a TA definitely doesn't help.

It took much longer than that this year (I'd say it took the whole first half term) and was such a negative experience that I really don't want to repeat it.

Yes, being the only adult is really difficult.

Exactly this.

I just can't understand it. If I were in P1, I would be really working with the P2 teacher because it's such a change for them.

I would normally expect it to take until half term before the class are back where they were at the end of the summer term. Year 1 should be a natural progression towards formal learning - not to come in on the first day in September and be expected to sit down for independent activities etc. reception should be kept as play based learning, otherwise it all just drifts downwards until the expectation is for children to start the process earlier and earlier.

the lack of a TA is hard, what is the reason for this in the school? (Just budget?)

If it took the whole class the first half term to be able to achieve these things when they were in p2 what on earth makes you think they would be ready to do them now just over half way through p1?? Your thought process is all wrong and centred on making your life easier not on what is best for the children.

The LA allocates the minimum number of TAs they possibly can. Usually it's 1 for P1 and then only 1-1s. It's really terrible.

My class this year really lacked independence and resilience. I've been teaching for 12 years, P2 for 6 or 7, so I'm not inexperienced, but their P1 experience is setting them up for failure currently.

My class this year really lacked independence and resilience. I've been teaching for 12 years, P2 for 6 or 7, so I'm not inexperienced, but their P1 experience is setting them up for failure currently.

It's not the p1 experience that's led to this, it's a commonly acknowledged lingering side effect of the time they missed from school and nursery due to covid. Well done on laying the blame squarely at the poor p1 teachers feet though. If it was her fault then surely every year you'd had prior to this would also have been a class that lacked experience and resilience.

Hi, early years teacher here with lots of ks1 experience. As a year 1 teacher your role is to settle them into year 1, not for the early years teacher to change the early years curriculum. Children need the time in provision to learn best at this age. All the research suggests that ks1 teachers should do the transition work i.e adding continuous provision into year 1, especially during the first half term. I can see why you are frustrated but please listen to early excellence podcasts, especially the ks1 transition podcasts and they will help you with the transition. Good luck!

My year 1 son had no prep in EYFS, they all seemed to lose jumpers and bags first few weeks into the year until they learnt they had to be responsible for their own belongings. He seemed to get used to sitting at a table quite quickly but would have hated him to lose the freedom he had in EYFS. Also with the long summer holidays he would have forgotten most of the things he'd been doing!

I'm pretty sure the research shows that it isn't the reception teacher's job to prepare them for more formality but the next teacher's job to recognise that they should still be playing and exploring for much of the time in Y1. (I've used English terminology.) By your reckoning, they might as well start formal activities in nursery if that's the only way you think learning happens.

I can't add continuous provision in. It's impossible. There's only desks and chairs, no play resources and no TA.

Tbh I don't really want my 4/5 yr old sitting down for extended periods of time in preparation for next year! Even by age 5/6 they are too young for that! I m lucky in that my DCs school only expects them to sit down and concentrate in very short bursts in yr 1, so the transition from reception to yr 1 is not that hard for them.

I agree with pp that it's really your job to help the children transition in the first term rather than reception teachers job, they have a different focus I would imagine than you do in Yr1?

This is what I mean though. Why can't term 4 in P1 have a big push on looking after their jumpers and bags? It would tick one more thing off the to-do list for P2.

Why can't you add continuous provision. Move osme of the desks out and make space for them to play.

Honestly as someone who used to teach EYFS I get frustrated at colleagues who think our role is unimportant. Children learn best through play at this age. Maybe they would be more resilient and achieve better if you gave them what they needed instead of what you think they need.

Perhaps it is time for you to move up to an older year group if you find them so frustrating. People fought for years to keep reception more play based and part of the early years Foundation Stage. Formal teaching is not supposed to start until Year 1 or P2 in Scotland. It's called Year 1 in England as it's their first year of more formal learning.

As a retired Reception teacher I wouldn't have a problem.with encouraging children to look after their things by keeping them in a designated place or whatever. I would very much have a problem with expecting them to sit at tables doing formal work.

I can't move any of the desks out because I have no play resources and because I need them all to be able to sit down. I really have no other options here.

What difference does it make whether you do it or the other teacher does it, apart from it would make your life easier and be one less thing that you have to do? It's not like they're studying for exams and need to be on the ball from day one. A few weeks of you helping them to settle in to a new routine will not harm their learning or ability. They are also much more likely to listen to and abide by a new teacher's rules compared with a current teacher changing the way they do things and confusing them.

I don't want DS - who is barely 4.5 at this point in the school year - having his reception year dictated by 'ticking things off the list' for year 1, and I'm glad his school doesn't take this approach. They do encourage the kids to look after belongings but they still don't because, you know, they're 4.