to think that the school system is vastly overcomplicated

[diminishedresponsibility]

I started learning how it all works about 2 years ago when my ds turned 1.
I still don't fully understand it.
KS1, KS2, levels, SATs, Primary Framework, PSHE, CIT and FFS why can't school years be named their age i.e when a child is 4-5 etc.
It just seems to get more complicated the more I get into it.

DD1 is 11 and in her last year at primary and I've still not got to grips with it all, it's taken me all this time to remember what year she's in!

I takes her.

I fetches her back.

That's all you need to know really

but they conscience you into learning every morsel about it. I feel like I'm a failed parent if I stand back and have faith in the 'system'. I think maybe I have to go full circle and end up with the 'I'll leave it to them attitude'. Has anyone ever experimented with their own kids - the first you learn it all the second you let them get on with it? What happens? Perhaps I could just skip to the second child route right?

eh?

It's really not that complex when you're there doing it, don't worry.

I don't set much store by the tests and grades they give them, they're only guidelines to make sure they're on the right track.

Not worth doing any extra work or anything because you want them to pick up where they need help.

I just do whatever the teachers ask me to do re homework etc, you tend to teach your DC 'other stuff' that's not on the curricum just by talking about things as they come up.

I think the OP means she feels she might be being a bit PFB about it all and will unclench when it gets to her second child trois?

I'm on the inside and I still can't remember how old the kids are in yr's 7 through to 10! I know yr 11's are 15/16, but only because DD is in yr11!

The other bonus for me, is I've only got one. So once it's done - it's done!

BTW - KS1 is infants, KS2 is juniors, KS3 is lower school 7, 8 & 9, KS4 is 10 & 11 and you forgot KS5 which is post 16, formally known as 6th form! Simples!

OP, I'm a primary teacher and a parent.

Foundation stage - nursery and reception (up to 5)
KS1 - years 1 - 2 (5 - 7)
KS2 - years 3 - 6 (8 - 11)

The Primary Framework is easily found online but only necessary for teachers. It's for planning purposes. You can also find the National Curriculum online but it won't mean anything. Again, it's for planning purposes. It won't help you as a parent to understand anything.

Hopefully you won't need to worry about SATs by the time yours starts!

but they conscience you into learning every morsel about it who are they?

It's true that once you're in the system it makes more sense because they tell you what you need to know at each stage.

If you really want to help your child prepare for school then there some pointers I can give you that will be useful and don't need the PF/NC/EYFS or any other number of abbreviations/acronyms to understand

Unless you're in Northern Ireland, FolkGirl. We don't have reception. And it's P1 - 7

And I'm American and none of it makes sense to me. Also I think they start way to young here in the UK.

But off to pre-school he goes in September, provided he gets in. 2.5 months after he turns 3. I'd be more worried if he hadn't been in nursery 3 days a week already.

Ah true Tee! I'm feeling all confounded now!!

I was assuming that OP was using the English system - sorry!

But even then, it's not that difficult to get your head around it once your children are in it!

And to be fair, you only need to understand your child's current year.

I agree that they start too young here.

I wouldn't worry about it.

My dc are 10 and 7 and I still don't pay attention understand levels and stages. Doesn't matter a jot. They are getting on very well and we are interested and invested in their learning.

You're overthinking this, it is simply jargon. Frankly once you are further into it, as your child is only 3, the system becomes much clearer !

Absolutely Proudnscary.

I am more worried about the admissions system. Dd is not christened we are not religious, if she doesn't get into the closest primary school the next best is a catholic school closely followed by a church of England one.

If she doesn't get into those the next school is miles away and shit

Bloody faith schools admission policy.

YABU... there are a lot of stages and measurements but they are really for the benefit of the teachers. You only need to understand one pupil i.e your child, and make sure they get to school ready to learn, are happy, keeping up with the work and managing the homework. If something seems wrong, talk to the teacher directly.

Euphemia I totally agree that the admission system in Scotland is much easier.

Certainly in the area of Scotland I'm in, children do go to their local school. It seems very complicated in other parts of Britain and parents seem to have to jump through hoops to get a place even in primary schools.

Also, hope your DD is settling in well.

errrr thanks everyone, if you wrote a comment that deserves thanks that is and makes me feel slightly better. I am sure that I will relax a bit once my DC comes home with homework that I can't do myself that would surely mean he is being taught well right. Oh no, just thought the day he knows more than me, how do you deal with that one.
Anyway FolkGirl this is for you: "but they conscience you into learning every morsel about it " who are they?
'They' are sometimes other parents but mostly those in the system or those who understand it already as well as the authors writing books for you to learn about the pigging school system. Oh and I didn't realise we had to be grammatically correct on here to get a statement understood, oh wait a minute - we don't.

Another American here that is totally confused by the school system here Tee. DS2 has SNs as well, so that's another whole level of stuff to learn (statements, IEPs, etc).

I also think they go to school far far too early here. I've been contemplating keeping DS3 out of preschool as I think 3yo is too young to be going to school 1/2 day for 5 days a week, and all I received are horrified responses from anyone to who (whom?) I've mentioned it. This is basically the equivalent of kindergarten in the states, which is started at 5yo, so 3yo seems unbelievably young to me.

Sorry, OP, have read my post again and think I was having a bad moment. I wouldn't normally pick up for grammar. I was only asking who the 'they' were because I didn't know who you meant.

In the rest of the post was trying to be lighthearted because I think that everything to do with children, from the minute you find you are pregnant, is designed to make you doubt yourself. Clearly I failed and so if you took what I said as a dig, I'm sorry.

I personally didn't read any books, so have no idea what they might have said. Once you are in the system you will also understand it. It is as clear as mud tbh, and I had to think before I put the ages down. Other parents will only understand more if they have older children or inside knowledge, other than that they will be repeating hearsay. What I'm trying to say is that there isn't a secret club that everyone else is part of that has passed you by.

A lot of the stuff around primary framework/National Curriculum/EYFS is only really understood by teachers because we're the only ones who use it. We generally only know and understand the specific areas we are working in too, because it is complicated - and big. Oh and changes on a whim of the current government - the online primary frameworks and QCA schemes of work are currently archived.

And understanding a lot of the acronyms etc is just jargon that you will either come to understand or realise isn't important for you.

The school admission system had changed by the time my DD started school, so my prior knowledge was useless! I think I'm just a bit jaded because I see so many parents trying to prepare and being made to feel that they're just not doing enough - when generally they are and things change so much anyway.

The EYFS is freely available to anyone online, for example here which covers development from birth to 5.

Sorry again, if I came across as a bit of a bitch - I'm not!

All the things mentioned in the OP are for teachers benefit rather than parents.

For example I teach KS2 & KS3 RE using AFL and AT1&2 making sure I take note of SEN including G&T. PLEETS are a recent thing but known as STRIPE here which alongside ECM makes for rather long lesson plans. Then there is H&S to consider with NQT framework (quite why it is relevant in RE unless you count lighting the occasional candle) and PSHEE oh yes an extra E. SATs are a nightmare for all concerned but luckily I don't teach English anymore except now we have LitAC. Not to be confused with LAC which come under a different set of paperwork with FSM, PSPs and CAFCASS.

Confused yet? Sadly for teachers in here that will be all too familiar and I know I've missed a couple off but I have my Sunday morning brain on.

It's dead easy to pick up the bits you need to know about.

And specialist jargon is only really used as a precise way of describing features of any particular system.

It's only a problem if it is used to

a) exclude. That is, deliberately leave many floundering or require them to be junior learners to the "experts". Expertise in the actual action may be vital; fluency in jargon is not the same, but the effect of casting out from the secret garden is much the same.

b) insult: Something seen on here quite a lot. Two variants "Oh, that term's changed. If you were up to date you'd know this" (PA attack on competence); "I use this term to mean XYZ, other have abused it so it's meaningless" (especially when it's a common term, readily understood in identical or closely similar ways by the majority of parents) - again a PA way of establishing superiority by discrediting (near insulting) the interlocutor.

It's a bit like the "grammar police" (who are not the lovely posters in pedants' corner, but posters attacking grammar on the main boards).

You might be able to tell - I've been involved in Plain English initiatives!

And I've seen far too many incidences of jargon used to patronise.

So OP, don't worry. Te jargon that is genuinely useful is easily explained. Watch out though, for those who misuse jargon (or attack ordinary terms because they are not jargon) and question (at least in your own mind) that user's motives carefully. If it is widespread in a particular school, think hard about whether you want your DCs there.

Diminished, I'm having the exact opposite problem. I had a very hard time getting anyone to explain the NI system to me because they all just know it!

I very nearly missed the pre-school app deadline because it isn't published until 6 weeks before it comes around and I had don't nothing to look at pre-schools. Not all children in NI are promised free pre-school anyway, the criteria is completely different from the rest of the UK, or at least England. No one try to explain Wales or Scotland to me, my head will explode!

Triggles I think it's way too young, especially, as I said, my son will be 3 in June and then start in September. I am not so much worried about him as everyone else!

Tee - mine will be 3 in July, so right there with you! Then again, DS2 was a July baby as well (he's 5yo now) and we didn't put him in preschool until the spring prior to his reception year. I delayed it as I didn't want to send him to "school" so young.

Still trying to decide whether or not to send DS3. He has a secure place in one, but still hesitant.