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Original poster

Help Scottish Mnetters and scottish teachers, please reassure me I haven`t made a terrible mistake!

50 replies

figleaf · 27/10/2006 10:47

Some of you have been kind enough to discuss my forthcoming move to Scotland due to DH relocation. We have bought a lovelly house in Alloa and sre due to move in on 16th Nov. We visited the local school yesterday (I have 2 boys Age 5 asnd 8). We liked the head and the school seemed reasonable well resourced/looked after etc and we took away uniform list, various forms and the school brochure.
I`m looking through it now and there are stats I dont understand but I think they look bad. Can someone give me an honest opinion please...

Reading - School 61% LEA 79.6
Writing - School 49 LEA 75.6
Maths - School 57 LEA 81.5

Is that acceptable or rubbish?
There are a few schools in Alloa and we chose this one because its HMI report was Fab. Everything was judged in the top 2 categories ie nothing in the Fair or Poor categories.
What shall I do , obviously I'm worried about everything at the moment and it doesnt help that I dont really understand the Scottish education system but these results dont look good do they?

OP posts:
Original poster
figleaf · 27/10/2006 10:52

Also I expected my 5 y.o to go into P1 but she says that as hes been at school for an English reception year hell get bored so he will be in P2. Won`t he be very young for that year? Our 8 y.o is going into P5 but we expected that.

OP posts:
Peridot30 · 27/10/2006 10:57

My ds is in primary 1 he is one of the youngest as not 5 yet however those in primary1 this year have birthdays between march2001 and feb2002.

taMummy · 27/10/2006 10:57

My gut feeling is that isn't very good, but if you liked everything else about the school I wouldn't worry unduly. It may be that they have a substantial intake of children who have difficulties with academic work- you can't see from those sorts of figures how much they have achieved at school relative to their starting level (not phrasing this very well, sorry). I tried to find the figures for my dd's school and couldn't- I know they were about the same as the LEA average though. If their HMI report was good then I really wouldn't worry.

Yes, 5 would be quite young for P2- when is his birthday?

Peridot30 · 27/10/2006 10:58

Meant were born between these months

taMummy · 27/10/2006 10:59

Actually, an 8 year old on P5 will be on the young side too- dd is 8 and she's in P4, but is one of the oldest in the class (April birthday).

Original poster
figleaf · 27/10/2006 11:01

His Birthday is 25/4 when he`ll be 6.

Is questioning the results somthing that I could do before we moved or does that make me nightmare Mum before the kids even start?

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Original poster
figleaf · 27/10/2006 11:02

My 8 y,o turns 9 the day he starts at the school so I guess he`ll be ok there?

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Peridot30 · 27/10/2006 11:02

Agree with tamummy that the results are not thet high however the school has had a good HMI report.

My ds's school figures weren't that high either but there has been a change in headteacher who has worked wonders and has got the grades up within last few years.

scotlou · 27/10/2006 11:03

5 isn't too young for P2 - although as others have said it depends on his birthday. My ds has a January birthday so he was 5 for the first few months he was in P2

Original poster
figleaf · 27/10/2006 11:04

my 5 y.o turns 6 on 25th April next year.

OP posts:
taMummy · 27/10/2006 11:04

So your ds will be pretty young for P2, but not excessively so. I would push for P1 personally, unless his reading is way above the top reading group- it always seems to me that P1 is much more academic than reception is in England, but I may be wrong.

Peridot30 · 27/10/2006 11:05

going by birth date he would be in Primary 1 in Scotland but it depends what they are taught in reception in England. As most kids in Scotland go from nursery straight into primary school.

fairyjay · 27/10/2006 11:06

A good HMI report doesn't seem to sit with an under-achieving school.

Can you tap into any contacts you have in the area - estate agents, house vendors and pick their brains?

Feel for you - yet another thing to worry about!

Original poster
figleaf · 27/10/2006 11:07

Do I have that clout? ie to get him into P1 not P2. He reads quite well actually but doesn`t write brilliantly.

I said to her (that English reception was quite play based) but she sid he may get bored but that we`d review it in a few weeks.

OP posts:
Original poster
figleaf · 27/10/2006 11:09

Do those results make it an underachieving school Fairyjay?

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taMummy · 27/10/2006 11:11

I wouldn't have thought reviewing it in a few weeks was a remotely sensible way of looking at it to be honest- how's he going to feel being in P2 and then moved back down to P1 if they decide that would be better? Much better to go the other way. Yes, you do have that clout because he shouldn't be in P2 based on the national guidelines. You also have to think of years hence- he'll be starting High School as a much younger child too, and that can be really hard. It's by no means uncommon to keep children back a year before they start school, so there will be lots of 7 year olds in P2 in all probability.

nailpolish · 27/10/2006 11:12

i 100% agree with tamummy

Original poster
figleaf · 27/10/2006 11:14

Oh poo! what shall I do?

OP posts:
fairyjay · 27/10/2006 11:15

Sorry figleaf - I don't have a clue other than it appears from the figures you posted that it was below average (or at least, that's how I read it!), and the general consensus seemed to be that they may be cause for concern.

I just feel that chatting to some local people who know the area and the schools might be your best way of getting some info.

What about dh's employer's - could their HR dept. help you at all?

nailpolish · 27/10/2006 11:15

if i was unsure i would choose p1 and p4

without a doubt

taMummy · 27/10/2006 11:16

Are there other schools in the area with worse HMI reports but better stats? Could you go and visit them and see what they are like? You could also ring this school and say you have decided you definitely want your ds to start in P1 and then see how that goes, and see how the head reacts.

nailpolish · 27/10/2006 11:16

oh and go back to the estate agents about the schools? they should have some info (i hope)

Frogdelalune · 27/10/2006 11:20

Don't think your ds is too young.
My dd was age 4-5yrs in P1, 5-6 in P2 and is now P3 and won't be 7 until Feb.

But at end of day depends on child.

We recently had a new pupil who came in at the age of 6 but had not yet been to school. She went in at P2 and had no probs - it is a very small school though.

Good luck with whatever you decide

Original poster
figleaf · 27/10/2006 12:21

Just spoken to school improvement officer at LEA she said the HMI report was out of date and the school had gone down a little in the intervening years. Sh##T! She said the head at the time of the HMI report left for bigger and better horizons then they went through a period of not having permanent heads whilst a suitable candidate was found.
The head we met has only been in post since April. She was very impressive and is thought capable of getting the school back up to where it should be.

Ive left a message for the head to ring me but Im not sure what she can say to reassure me. What would you do?

OP posts:
seb1 · 27/10/2006 12:36

I don't see why they should refuse P1 if you want it, in Scotland you have the legal right to defer entry to school for a year. Also if you decide on a different school don't worry it shouldn't be a problem, getting school places up here is more laid back than down south. Could you maybe go past your new house today at hometime and see what school the kids round about go to.