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?

Going slightly against the grain here. My DD was ready for year 1 (and she started year 1 in 2021, so missed a big chunk of Reception). In Reception they went from writing once per week, to 3 times, to 5. There were 3 tasks to complete per day and they had to put their peg in a particular place to indicate they had done it. I don't remember what these tasks were, but I think it was often things like sorting objects by colour. They also had 4/5 carpet times per day. They had to look after their belongings e.g. putting their water bottle in the box and collecting at the end of day.

They did have more free play in year 1 though, so the transition continued. But they had a TA in the mornings.

Thank you for that helpful and measured reply!

I used to teach reception and disagree with you completely! We chose an outstanding school for ds that is the opposite to what you suggest. Rather than making reception like year 1, they make year 1 like reception with lots of good play-based opportunities to ease the children in. I think this will be much better for the children.

I was a teaching assistant in a reception class. How do they not do any sit down learning? We'd sit down and do phonics sessions, they'd each have a little magnetic whiteboard and some letters. They'd write on them too. Having them all watch how to write the letters then them having a go etc. There were of course lots of Child Led play opportunities. But surely they must do some formal / group lesson time even if in short bursts?
We'd do similar for maths too,though that was more play based.
A good Reception classroom should surely have some short formal lessons, along with prepared play based opportunities to reinforce, as well as things to develop imaginary play, working together, etc.

Is it different in Scotland?

Ah that is annoying! I'm quite strict with mine with things like that. Today I handed them the mop in the newly flooded water area (I did NOT put out water today!) and told them I didn't make the mess and had no intention of cleaning it up. And they did - and worked as a wee team too- I was so proud! I think your op sounds harsher than you meant it to so apologies if i came across as rude in my reply! I agree that with things like lunch boxes etc, there isn't really a reason why they shouldn't be doing that themselves at this stage and should be helped to develop that independence. (obviously with the caveat of no asn or specific needs)
Do you have a department head you could speak to? We send out a list of skills for parents to practice before p1. Maybe you could do a similar thing - think of some practical experiences for children in p1 to have before p2? So it's not such a huge shock when they start with you? It might make the transition between 1 and 2 easier. Our p2s start very much play based and build up so we don't have such an issue.

I couldn't make my P2 like P1 because

• they have a large open area which is partially outdoors, in addition to the largest classroom in the school
• they have an extra adult at all times
• they have spent £££ on the appropriate furniture and resources.

If I were to try and replicate it, the noise would be unreal, the children would be fighting over resources, the children with additional needs would be completely overstimulated and no one would be learning.

It is not an option for me, in a small room, with desks and chairs and no other adult, to be more free flow. Please stop suggesting it.

@2ndGenerationHomeEducator I think it means sitting at a desk not carpet sessions.

I do agree with OP that the children should learn to tidy up and look after things in Reception. I would always get my Reception class to tidy up the room at the end of the day by breaking the job up into smaller tasks. I took it to be part of their learning (sorting and classifying for example) and no way would I have tidied up after them.

It's a shame the OP has no play resources, though.

There is currently no whole class carpet time in P1. They come in and immediately free flow. During this time they are supposed to be completing challenges (the PSA tells me this doesn't actually happen and she pulls them out in the afternoon to try and catch them up). They can choose when they go to the teaching table and complete one task there before play time and one before lunch.

It seems to me that the biggest problem is the lack of a TA. In my granddaughters school where I volunteer listening to struggling readers even Y2 classes have at least 1 TA.

It's a common phrase in EYFS-
Year One need to get ready for the children coming to them. The children do not need to get ready for Year One.

YABVU for many of the reasons already explained throughout this thread.

Sorry, just realised this isn't AIBU.

It does seem like they go from one extreme to the other with no group carpet time at all in Reception going to desks and chairs in yr1 (using English terminology).

I'm going to go against the grain here and agree (as a parent not a teacher!) with the OP.

DS is in Reception and I'm already dreading the transition to Y1, which I've been warned by multiple sources is a mammoth change at our school. We have the most amazing Reception teacher but the classroom is very much set up for play with quick blasts of circle time to go over phonics or basic maths. It's fabulous, but to be honest it's not so different from nursery. Whereas the Y1 teacher apparently expects the class to sit at a desk with pricked ears from day one. My DS is a whirlwind of energy, getting him to sit still even for a meal is a nightmare and I think the transition is going to be horrendous for all involved.

(Yes, I know it's on the parent as well to instill manners and good behaviour - believe me, I'm TRYING).

Yes.

Whereas the Y1 teacher apparently expects the class to sit at a desk with pricked ears from day one. My DS is a whirlwind of energy, getting him to sit still even for a meal is a nightmare and I think the transition is going to be horrendous for all involved.

That's a failing of the yr1 reacher though, she sounds completely unrealistic in her attitude to what is best for small children.

The way your sons reception class is structured is catering to his needs and how children his age learn best. Yes it's a big jump if done poorly but as a parent I dont understand why you'd want him to stop accessing an environment that is centred around what's best for him and instead be shoehorned into a style of teaching that will set him up to fail.

That sounds like a very strange set up. Are the majority of children able to read when they enter p2? It must have been awhile since the last inspection. It seems to be setting the children up for adjusting badly. Possibly p1 is a very poor provision too?

I think I would tell the children to sit down. Start the day with a good morning song. Tell the children how this classroom works. Do some calender work. Maybe you could make a little display of what to expect each day, a 'visual timetable'. That may help. They'll know what is next

My reception child definitely has a job to do at their desk when they first arrive, and has done since before Oct half term. They also have whole class teaching on the carpet for phonics and maths, plus all on the carpet for a story etc. Despite this, it feels very relaxed and not a big step up from nursery.

I really feel for your OP and think you might have got different responses on a teaching forum. It's also hard to compare the Scottish and English systems. Traditionally Reception was more like Scottish pre-school - children in P1 are older and whilst I know it's very play based now, in the past it was much more desk based. I've long had the impression they updated the expectations for P1 without thinking about P2 very much. It's all well and good parents saying they want their children playing, but those parents aren't the ones keeping you in a job. You have to be meeting the expectations of the curriculum, your line manager and the school inspection system. It's hard.

In all honesty, no, they're not. Numeracy is generally alright, but their Literacy is so poor.

That's exactly how I start my day :)

Yes- exactly. Thank you.

I started school in the mid-eighties and found it a bit of a shock. I wasn’t used to sitting at a table and working and I was rebellious at first. However, going from Reception to Year 1 was no big deal.

My sister started school eight years later in the early nineties and enjoyed Reception, but got her shock when she moved to Year 1.

DD is in Reception now (same school) and she loves it. The children spend much of their time choosing their own activities and they have their own little playground with a mud kitchen and other outdoor toys.

They do have group lessons for reading (30-45 minutes per day) and lessons for Maths and PE etc., but they certainly don’t spend most of their time sitting at a desk writing. They do have regular carpet time, though.

Each Reception class has a teacher and a full-time TA. They try to help the kids be independent by encouraging them to pack their own bags at home (so they know where everything is) unpack them at school and hang up their coats etc.

I think DD will be able to look after herself quite well when she moves up to Year 1. But the difference in learning styles seems huge and I don’t think she’s going to like it.

This.

They're only just over halfway through the one precious year of school where they can learn through play, and you want to deprive them of that?

You should have a TA though, so you can do a proper transition in your first term, when it should be happening.

I’m quite shocked you’ve got no TA. I don’t know if I’ve been spoilt at my daughter’s primary but every class has a TA. No idea how you’d cope without one with loads of 5/6 year olds. Her year 1 was a difficult transition post covid so they effectively did an extra term of reception within the y1 setting and did a gradual transition to more formal learning over the year. That was enough of a shock for many of them (particularly the boys) so I can’t imagine how hard it must be going straight to desks etc. it just felt a bit sad reading your posts re no play resources, no TAs etc. I’d hope that isn’t the norm across most schools now for that age group but I feel for you as must be a tough job as a teacher.

It is hard, but OP is blaming the wrong person: the P1 teacher
I think responses in a teacher forum would have been extremely similar, as most pri.ary school teachers understand child development as the parents on this thread clearly do too.

I am not asking them to start sitting down all the time. I am asking them to think about including table top play or similar for 15 minutes in the morning.

We finish earlier in June and are now planning for the last term, which includes a lot of May holidays.

All of the children in the class are 5 already and the oldest have started to turn 6.