Are they expecting too much of my 5 year old in Year 1?

[foxinsocks]

dd has just started yr1 and was 5 in August. She had the option of doing French at lunch break once a week (we pay for it and someone comes to the school to teach). The first lesson, the teacher went and collected her and the others in her class who are doing it. The second lesson, they were reminded in the morning then at break time, they waved a French flag (this is their signal) and those doing French go and line up in the playground and go to their lesson. Dd did not see the flag and missed the lesson. I was very pissed off (we don't get a refund) that they hadn't bothered to go and get her. A few factors

1. All parents were supposed to get a letter in the first week of term saying which day their child was doing French. We didn't get that letter (the school's fault) so I didn't remind her as I didn't know.
2. Apparently, every day there is French so a flag is actually waved every lunch time (so if you were unsure and didn't ask, you could easily get it wrong).
3. Dd's school is big - 3 class entry so there are literally hundreds of kids in the playground.

The french teacher has called and apologised for me not getting the letter and has told me to get dd to stick to another child in her class doing French so that she remembers to go. But I am concerned that they still expect her to remember she has French, look for the flag and line up in the right place all on her own. Am I being a bit unrealistic and should she be able to do this?

should say that although this is arranged through the school, it is run completely by an outside company

I think she's a bit young to be able to look out for this flag all the time in a busy playground. I ran a lot of lunchtime clubs when I was teaching. I always went out to the 4- 7 year olds playground, rang the bell (so all children stopped) and asked club members to line up for me.

sorry, puff here btw

I think it's too much to expect a 5yr-old to take on the responsibility of getting to the class themselves. My ds1 is 5 and in Yr1 and would never be able to cope with that kind of set-up.

I wouldn't trust my DD to remember, also an August 5yo.

Why are you having to pay extra tho? And why at lunchtime? My DD has been doing french since reception and it's during class. I'd consider the school to be taking the p*ss if they charged extra for french at lunchtime.

thanks - yes I think it's too much for her. I'm going to ask them to go and get her.

Is your dd at a state school Passionflower? I think there are very few state schools here in London that do French in infants. I think some schools do it from yr 3 or 4 in juniors as a class (i.e. not extra) but there are a certainly a few schools who don't do French at all at primary level.

Here we go - according to this, modern foreign languages are not compulsory in primary schools and only a quarter of primary schools in England provide the opportunity to learn them. modern foreign languages in primary school

It's a shame isn't it - dd loves languages which is why I don't mind paying but I'd hate to think some children miss out because either the school doesn't offer it or they can't afford to pay extra.

foxinsocks, if by any chance your dd has lunch before french, and has a lunch box, how about putting a little note or picture on the day she has french to remind her? She will get used to it though and start remembering. I used to teach french clubs at lunchtime and it is very difficult getting all the children quickly to go to class, in a big noisy playground. Do you know if all the children in her french group are from one single class? In which case maybe the parents could ask the teacher to remind the children?

My DD had art club after school in year 1 for half an hour. One day she forgot and the teacher let her leave the playground to the parent's area. I wasn't there of course and DD was upset (1) cos I wasn't there but luckily my friend was and grabbed her PDQ, (2) cos she thought she would be in trouble.

She was just 6. I was livid that the teacher didn't ask the children as they lined up in class if anyone had a club they were going to and to wait behind.

I got a call from the headmistress the next day saying that she was horrified that it had been allowed to happen and procedures would be reviewed.

The next week I went to the gate at 3.15 in case it happened again which it didn't but I was so worried as I didn't feel she was old enough to remember.

Anyway, sorry, in answer to your question, your dd certainly isn't old enough to remember clubs and they should review their procedures too.

thanks for that you two. That's a brilliant idea Frenchgirl, I will put a note in her lunchbox. I think there are around 5 in her class who go to the same session but dd very much has her head in the clouds and I'm afraid, she'll probably need someone to actually grab her and point her in the right direction!

Like your dd Kbear, she was actually really upset that she missed the lesson because she was terrified she would get into trouble. I'm glad your school changed their procedures - it's an awful thought to think your dd could have got out of school on her own. The French teacher was very apologetic and I think dd will certainly get 'hand-held' for the next few lessons. I can't believe this hasn't happened before though (the teacher seemed to imply that only dd had ever managed to miss a lesson but I bet that isn't true!).

foxinsocks, yes, my dd1 at 5 yrs old would completely not have managed that!

Nope, not a state school, but I think all 'state' primaries do french from juniors here (Guernsey) and some do portuguese also. I still think it's bad that a state school should charge for an academic subject though. If an additional subject is offered by a state school it should be offered to all irrespective of ability to pay!

I assumed from the fact you are paying that yours would be a private school, quite shocked about this really.

Hope the note/sticker thing works for you - brill idea!

thats terrible theres no way my dd would of remembered that in year one, & probably still wouldnt in year two either.
thats one of the reasons we changed her & her sister from a massive 3 form entry school to their current tiny school (best move i ever made even though i have to drive them 40 minutes each way until we move to the area)
big schools just dont seem to have the time to properly meet the childrens needs in my experience.

yes I know what you're saying Passionflower but to be honest, I was so pleased that she could do French at all, that I didn't mind paying!! It kind of classifies as a 'club' - last year she did it off premises and we had to cart her back and forth so in a way, I'm quite pleased it's at lunchtime but it is a shame that languages aren't compulsory for primary school children (and then everyone would get the opportunity). I think in that article it said everyone in primary school in Scotland has to do them so England must be the exception.

I don't blame this on the school (which we're very happy with) because it's completely run by this outside company but I'm going to have a word with her teacher anyway just to give her an extra reminder (poor child will be reminded all day!).