Literally couldn’t make it up! Any advice appreciated.

[LivingInTheTrumanShow]

DD not happy at current school - is an Estyn Outstanding out of catchment. Children are just miserable but the results are obviously great.

Decided DD happiness is worth more than anything so rang our catchment school agreed they had a place in reception. Great! Put the in year transfer request in, accepted the place.

Turn up at new school DD has been put in the reception/nursery class! Asked why this was and was told that the reception class was full!

What’s worse is the reception students in the nursery/reception class are summer born or less able!

My DD is a winter baby and very very forward, is reading and doing KS1 maths already. Is there anything I can do now? I spoke to the head who was adamant the reception class is already full, it was filled in September!

I want to move schools again asap AIBU?? or do I see how it goes and have faith that her class teacher will differentiate effectively?

My summer born child didn’t even start Reception until after Christmas, and is heading for a first (based on exams last year and course marks this) in a STEM subject from Imperial.

Bloody impressive for a five year old.

@2bazookas

My summer born child didn’t even start Reception until after Christmas, and is heading for a first (based on exams last year and course marks this) in a STEM subject from Imperial.

Bloody impressive for a five year old.

Never underestimate the power of friendships that can be formed from friends living near by who you go to school with,
Sit it out at the school and let your baby enjoy her time playing games and just knowing she is doing ok at school.

Leave her, play based learning is best for that age group anyway, and in my experience being one of the able ones aids self esteem.

She was at her first school for what, a month or two? Then you moved her. Now you want to move her again. Poor kid, just let her settle somewhere.

Is your DD 4 or 5, I really don’t understand your post, what age children are in reception. When will your child move up.

Did ye, aye

@LivingInTheTrumanShow

She came out of the new school saying mummy I absolutely loved it! It does feel like a really nurturing environment much more than the previous school but now I’m worried about the academic aspect.

She's bloody 4!! Let her be nurtured and happy Plenty of time for academics later

Seriously chill out and stop pressuring yourself

Can someone explain the difference between nursery / reception and reception ?

She's four. Stop hot-housing this poor kid and let her enjoy life.

@LivingInTheTrumanShow

She came out of the new school saying mummy I absolutely loved it! It does feel like a really nurturing environment much more than the previous school but now I’m worried about the academic aspect.

My friend's mum had to flee domestic abuse and so went to ground in another country with my friend and her siblings for two years. I think they just played in the dirt outside in the sun, literally! Then came back to England, enrolled them in school. I met my friend at Cambridge. Her brother was at Oxford a few years behind us. Her sister? well, she married rich. Haaa! But seriously. It will be a-ok. It's all unstructured play at this age anyway, and if she is the clever little star in her class, it will do her confidence a massive pumping! It's probably the best place she can be right now.

Don't worry at all.

She is happy. She will be involved in the same curriculum that all reception children are, including those "less able". Honestly I'd quite like you to remove her just for the sake of the teacher and other children having to deal with you. But for her sake, relax, allow her to enjoy being a 4-year-old without worrying about KS1 Maths or whatever. Your genius child will still be a genius in September when she moves to Year 1.

@Mamacarrot

Can someone explain the difference between nursery / reception and reception ?

This school has a Reception class and a separate Nursery/Reception, which will be for the older 3-year olds and younger 4-year olds. A great idea, they will be doing exactly the same thing as the Reception class, for the older children. When a child is born in September they may be too old to get much out of standard nursery but won't go to school for an entire year. A child born just a month earlier will usually be expected to go straight into Reception and be the youngest in their class. I've never worked in a combined class like that but I love the idea, seems to be tailored to the individual needs of the child.

The OP's issue is that their child is a winter-born child, therefore not one of the youngest and therefore automatically (?) more able. Although they were told that the main Reception class was full, and their child will be enjoying the same play-based curriculum.

Your daughter has been in reception for how long? Less than three months? Is this right? Sorry not sure how you can decide in that time all the children are being over pushed and miserable.

I really thought I was reading the OP incorrectly! OP, your DD sounds like she enjoying her new environment, so I'd count that as a win. You don't need to worry too much about academic standards at this stage. Children this age need to learn social cues, the routines of school, hygiene basics, and how the pay attention when asked. They don't need to memorise their times tables just yet. If you're reading with her at home, that's great.

Your child has been put into an age appropriate class. There will be children in there, as in all classes, of various academic ability. It´s absolutely fine. Your daughter needs a chance to settle and enjoy her new school without you stressing and making it negative. It´s not a big issue at all.

Don’t stress… She will be ahead for her age for now and can focus on socializing and playing. This is great for self-esteem and building speech. Just keep reading with her and focus on fun. Seriously, I was pushed UP a year and it was the absolute worst thing that happened to me at school. It crushed my self-esteem and although I was G&T in arts subjects, I was shy and introverted by nature, and my reading skills had been developed early as I wore callipers. I was destroyed by the bigger kids as I was crap at sport, had wonky legs, used big words, etc… Then I finished school being too young to drink alcohol, drive a car, etc like all my peers. I had to move to the other side of the world (scholarship) with the weight of that on me. I can tell you that in an effort to fit in, bad things happened. Your girl will be confident, socialized and ready. Hopefully she won’t be so naive or stupid.

What’s worse is the reception students in the nursery/reception class are summer born or less able!

What?

Born 27th August, no-one sent me the Memo that I should fall into the less able group.

Why did you pull her put of a school where she was barely settled!! Hates it!? She's only just started at school, why not address it with the school not pull her out. Very weird

Your dd loved it. She will be fine. It sounds as if she needs more of a nurturing environment. She will learn better and learn the skills she needs to be a well-rounded human in a place she loves.

My secondary school child moved from an outstanding state school to a small, more nurturing school. Will she get better results? I hope so because she feels safe and has found herself in her new school but results are not the only reason for sending her there. It is pointless going somewhere you hate regardless of the results.

Who told you that the children in that class are less able? Unless this was a member of staff id count this as heresay. I do think that you can't jeep chopping and changing without giving her a chance to settle. Also with young children myself, many parents feel that their child is " gifted" when they just ordinary. I say this as a mum of a distinctly academically averag...ish child (a little behind ) but that is fine wuth me😁