Reception Year Children - how has it been this first year?

[Earlybird]

For those of us with a child currently in reception - how has it been this first year at "big school"?

Are you happy with your child's academic and social progress? Are you pleased with the school, and do you feel it is the right place for your child? What were the good things, bad things, pleasant surprises, disappointments, etc.? Any thoughts about next year?

I'll bite, Earlybird! Can't believe the year's nearly over. DS2 is still not 5 for another 10 weeks...

I've got an older son at the school already, so my views haven't changed much; it is a lovely community, with well-motivated, happy and polite children and caring and involved teachers, but I think the teaching is hamstrung by strict adherence to the letter of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. So it's mainly good, but not inspired, except in topic work.

DS2 has thrived in Reception and done brilliantly both academically and socially (OK, so that's a boast, but he has been fab). I am slightly anxious about what will happen in the more formal setting of Y1, because work has simply been an inconvenient interruption to his play this year. I'm not sure how he will react to a lot more writing.

He told me today that our caterpillars are "metamorphosising", which wasn't quite right, but a good attempt, and has been telling me his 2, 5 and 10 times tables. His big brother has been practising, so he has learned the format....

I can't believe reception is almost over! It's gone so quickly!

Ds1 was a little unsettled for the first half term. He'd only been in pre-school nursery in the mornings so it was a long day at first and he didn't know anybody at all going in to the school either.

Since then, he has flourished and is doing super well in all aspects. He couldn't read on going into reception and now he's working his way through the year 2 reading books!! He is up at the top and performing well above average reception expectations in all areas according to his teacher, so I'm really pleased (a boast but I'm not apologising ).

He has come on socially too and has loads of friends who sees out of school as well as in school. He does football after school too which he is really enjoying.

I can't believe how extended his vocab is either - the stuff he comes out with is just amazing!

I'm totally happy with the school and I've become very involved - I'm on the PTA and get stuck in with the meetings, fundraising, hosting guests in school etc. That's definitely added to my positive feelings and, probably, it's helped ds1 to feel part of a 'community' because I'm such a big part of it too. He sees me having fun and making friends at school just like he is.

Admittedly I don't know an awful lot about the curriculum or what happens next (perhaps that's really a negative - it would be nice to know how things change in year 1 apart from the fact that the classes are mixed up), but I've got an outgoing, confident, happy and very able little boy and that, for me, is good enough right now!

Been very up and down. He is doing great socially, loves going to school, enjoys his friends and gets on well with everyone. Does not seem to be making any progress academically, will not willingly have anything to do with anything that may even loosely be described as learning.
The really strange thing though is his behaviour. Has always been an energetic and noisy child but not badly behaved, never much trouble at nursery. But school seem to find him difficult and we have twice been called into school to discuss his behaviour, and am having to go in again tomorrow but not sure what for yet.
Anyway conclusion of that ramble is that ds mostly likes school but not sure if school is actually doing a good job.

I was looking back in my dd's reading homebook and am amazed at how good a reader she is becoming. I have no idea how she is doing compared to her peers but I am pleased with her progress. She is so keen to get to school and even cried when she had Chicken Pox because she couldn't go! She has loads of friends but one bossy boots one who wants to make all the rules. However just heard she is leaving in July so that sorts that

DS has done really well - his birthday is at the end of Sept so he's one of the oldest. He seems to have sailed through everything and apart from a brief spell of testing the boundaries, he's had no problems. School is great !

DD2 started in September and was utterly miserable to begin with, was weighing up moving her if she didnt cheer up, she looked depressed:(
Friends that she knew from birth moved to the school and away again within a term and really unsettled her...but after that she found a little group of girls for herself and is happy now.
Shes learnt to skip and hula hoop and is coming on well with reading and does some fantastic writing.
She wrote a letter to the teacher with a picture of me and dp on top...it said This is my mum and dad, I miss them when im at school please can you sort it out Miss C**
Made me cry..
Shes looking forward to being in year 1.

Ds is in reception and not 5 until August. Due to our house move he has 2 months ago changed schools and seems to have adapted well and made new friends. I'm pleased with his progress, he reads really well and enjoys it.

DD1 is in Reception. She adores school. Even when she has been upsat by something, she enjoys going still.
She has made a lot of friends, including a couple of boys! And she had gained confidence in herself.
Her teacher went on maternity leave at Xmas, and her supply teacher has been fab. She has orgainsed additional SALT for DD1, and encouraged her in all ways.
Consequently she has just had her report and is above average in numeracy and literacy. Considerign we weren't sure that she'd manag literacy due to her speech problems, she has done amazingly well.
The school seems brilliant, a very caring environment and a good Head who lnows everyone by name.
The Year 1 teacher seems very good too.

Ds1 has loved it from day 1, he is about average ability but the important thing is he loves going to school !!

He was very much ready for school as he is an Oct birth so was one of the oldest.

Ds2 starts reception in September and he is a summer baby , although he is looking forward to school.

I thonk the children will find a BIG differnec when they go into year 1, sitting at desks all the time ,etc .

I am pleased with the school but they are always after money for one thing or another or rather the PTA are. Next year i am going to keep a record of every thing they ask for , with two at the school it will all add up !!

Well my DS has finished REception - they finished on Friday - can't believe the year went so fast! He won't be 5 till August so one of the youngest. Socially he loved it but had already done a year of full time nursery in the same school with lots of the same friends so it wasn't too traumatic.

He struggled initially in the playground as the nursery one was seperate but within a month was fine. Loves football and plays at every opportunity so that helped.

Academically he wasn't that interested at first but seemed to take off after Xmas but then slowed down again towards the end of the year. Am not too worried as I know he is bright and will catch up.

There are two Reception classes moving up to year one and both the Year 1 teachers are great so will be happy with either for next year but have a slight preference as one teacher is Irish and being Irish I would like him to have an Irish teacher for a while - he'll probably end up in the UK so an Irish influence now would be nice!! And two of his best pals are Irish too in the same class.

So all in all happy. Have ended up on the PTA too and also wil be organising book fairs throughout the year so I'll be busy!

We had a rocky start; DD1 found it hard to adjust at the beginning (she's never one to let drama go unwrung from any situation), and the first term was very tough - first her dad was away a lot for work and then he was looking after his dying mother. The school, though, has borne out all my hopes for it. It's a lovely, friendly place and DD1 now has a solid gang of friends (I've made quite a few too). She adores school and her lovely class teacher informs me she's a 'model pupil', about which I am inordinately proud.

We're happy. She's happy. I am so pleased.

DS2 is in Reception - January intake as he's not five until August.

If you had asked me last week how it was going, I'd have said fine, no worries, in top group for literacy and numeracy, very sociable and outgoing.

However this week he has started to complain about school being boring and in particular to complain about having to write sentences in Literacy and how dull that is . Hope it's just a blip.

It's gone really well. Can't say I'll entirely miss her teacher (DD loved her, she set my teeth on edge slightly!) but really only have good things to say.

DD was in f/t "school nursery" from 2.5y and Reception hasn't been a real change. She's looking forward to Year 1.

My twin DD's are coming to the end of their reception year. DD1 settled straight away, loved it and made lots of friends. Academically she isn't terribly interested in reading or writing - can do it but would prefer to jump and run and skip, basically anything but sit down and concentrate. Hoping year 1 won't be too much of a shock for her . DD2 struggled for months, there were lots of tears and it is only the last few weeks that I have managed to leave her with a smiling face in the mornings, which has been hard. She's made lots of friends and is doing brilliantly with reading, writing, and particularly drawing - budding artist in the making maybe.

I love the school - lots of emphasis on sport, music and drama, not just reading and writing and learning. I've joined the PTA as well. The only downside is there has not been as much feedback as I would have liked. We have had no written report at all, just two parents evenings. One in October when the teachers barely knew them, and one in May which seemed pretty standard stuff - "DD is at a level to be expected at this age" etc. Nothing personal about them which I would have loved to hear. Although we do get something called "My special folder" when they leave next month and it is full of photos and notes about them and also little stories and pictures they have written/done, so that kind of makes up for it.

dd1 has absolutely loved her first year and can't wait to go into the second year, sh'e a little nervous at having a new teacher and there is two that she could have been put with and the one she has she said that she wanted the other but I don't think therewill be a problem.

Apparently the homework load increases greatly now so I'm only hoping I'll be able to keep up

DS started reception in January this year, as he wasn't 5 until April. Socially he has adjusted really well and he is enthusiastic about everyone and everything. The school has a lovely community feel and his class teacher is very friendly. I'm not sure how he is doing academicallywe don't get any feedback except at the parents' evenings or if we corner a teacher (she's always busy so I don't like to bug her). I am slightly concerned that whenever I've sneaked a look in his literacy book it's contained uncorrected spelling errors. Not by DSby the teacher! Haven't said anything, but was a bit .

DS started in January, too, and I feel quite bereft that he has only had two terms with his wonderful teacher, living each day to the full. He skipped off today saying 'I'm SO excited today, Mummy, (teacher) is bringing in lots of hay and straw and wood for us to make houses with'. They are doing traditional stories, and visiting the science museum for a session on the 3 little pigs - cross curricular work on the engineering in house building, I imagine!

He has settled happily socially, is making good progress with writing, less so in reading, but we don't do very many of the prescribed word recognition excercises at home.

He has seen a 'bold-headed eagle' fly in his school hall, worked with professional artists, is learning Spanish, has attended a late-night 'bedtime story' session with all teachers in jim jams reading stories, a teddy-bears picnic (* threw his bear so high into the air it landed on the nursery roof and the caretaker couldn't get it down til Monday) and is agog with the experiences he hears other children talk of, good and bad. I want him to stay in reception for ever and ever!

dd2 has struggled until this half-term. She found the number of children and the "free play" environment quite difficult but now they are doing more structured work she is much happier. I think Year 1 will suit her .

KateF - I think that has been the problem with my DD2. I think the more structured environment of year 1 will suit her better too. I think she has been slightly disappointed by school so far. She had great expectations of leaving nursery and being a big girl and learning lots, and it's been very similar to nursery really. Whereas that environment suits DD1 down to the ground. The less work the better.

DS1 is another August birthday. He has settled in well and is enjoying it. I had hoped he would be a little further on with his reading - he's only progressed to bringing home books rather than word exercises since just before half-term - but I am happy for him to learn at his own pace. Some of the kids in his class seem a lot more mature than him, but then some are almost a year older. It's quite a formal school so I don't expect the transition to year 1 to be too hard, but we have a school meeting next week to discuss moving up. I'm please with the school and think his teacher has been great.

it has been ok, with a few hiccups! i am pleased my son has not been pushed to read etc, they are still little and play is learning.

Ds2 has settled wonderfully- we ahd his report yesterday amd it says he is loving, caring, gentle, kind, sociable, imaginative and a real pleasure . I was so proud!

I'm dreading year 1. Ds loves reception, and his teacher is FANTASTIC! But he is young (July birthday) and although I wouldn't say he was immature for his age, he isn't mature for it either. Which makes him a just 5 year old boy going into year 1. I can't see structure suiting him at all yet, and all my fears about him starting school so young, which have proved unfounded this year, have resurfaced. He needs another year of reception I think!

i agree with you beckybrastraps! my son is still only four too.

It has been really intereting reading these reports. DD isn't 5 until August so is the youngest in the class (the school, in fact). Overall we are very pleased with the school and how well she has settled-in - she seems very happy and has made loads of friends. Academically, I am not so sure - she doesn't seems at all keen on reading and we find it very difficult to get her to do any reading at home. However the teacher says she spnds lots of time at the 'writing table'. I am not too worried as long as she is happy and not finding anything too difficult. I just think she is happier playing, doing sport, drama, music etc.
and why not at this age - They are still very young....too young to go to school in my opinion. I try not to get to concern about the academic side of things...that'll come.

She went on her first school trip today and was very excited. I can't wait to hear about it when I get home from work.