SCHOOL- starting in sept..anyone?

[laneydaye]

my ds is........ and wont be 5 till january...
scary..
im exited i think, but a little scAred!
how do you feel?

got dd at home so wont be bored though....xx

I am another one. DS is 5 in September and starts school on 1st September. He goes full time right from the start. He currently goes to nursery 3 full days a week and started pre-school in January for 2 half days each week, but I still think full time school is going to come as a bit of a shock to him.
Was reading through the thread and lost count, there are so many of us!

DS2 starts in September, but we dont know where yet, as we are moving in August- therefore DS1 will be starting a NEW school in September too! And I am starting Uni, and ds3 is starting a new nursery! Should be interesting!

DS2 is 5 on Sep 4th and starts in Sep. He's my last baby and I'm a sahm so I'm going to clean the house first then do a counselling courseplus do the other voluntary stuff I do anyway.

I've just had a look at the school uniform list, assuming DS stays where he is (still waiting to hear from one more school). Items from the "official supplier" include a gaberdine raincoat, rainjacket (as well?), track suit, T-shirt and shorts for gym, pullover, tie and cap - goodness knows how much all that is going to cost. The uniform list also specifies a hankerchief (for some reason I find hankerchiefs yucky). As I'm expecting a baby 2 weeks before he goes to school, I'd better be organised about getting all this.

Good point Pamina. There is a parents evening next month so I may quizz some existing parents about how much of this is really necessary, and whether it has to be bought from the official place rather than somewhere no doubt a lot cheaper.

Yes, do. I bought aprons, school bag etc- then they got sent back with a note saying they didnt have space for storgae... yet they had been on the original list! Do they think we like to throw money away? Or do they get commission from the suppliers (in which case they lost out, got mine on e-bay!!).

Cant buy anything as dont know where they are going, but will have to buy two lots then. Guess I now where student grant (all £300 of non-repayable grant- wow, what you can do with £300 with three kids) is going

Azure , do they have any second hand sale this term ? We're awaiting our kids' lists (got to kit out 2 !) but there is a sale in June and possibly before school starts. However as we are currently abroad not sure we'll make it.

DD1 starts in Sept - don't know which school yet, won't know still July; and I think she is SO ready for it, bless her.

My ds is starting in Sept and I'm in exactly the same position as Azure, with baby 3 due at end of August...... We have been told that there is a new uniform sale at school in June, so I'm hoping that they'll have a second hand one at the same time. When dd started, I got the whole lot for £100 - summer and winter - so I was very pleased.....
It is the same school he is at nursery at, so I don't think it will be a big shock - just moving classes really (and he gets to use the big playground)......
Those September school runs, post CS to two different schools with a baby are going to be a corker.......

ANd personally, what with not knowing which school, I am quite uncharacteristically just going with the flow. As it's the policy in our borough to decide that late, everyone else is in the same situation. It is of course made easier by the fact I work from home, but I certainly can't finish at 3ish on a regular basis and we don't know whether we'll have to go for after-school club or whether it'll be the school our current childminder picks up from. There may be an appalling zigzag to get DD2 and DD1 together. I was getting really worked up about it, and then DP reminded me that he can juggle his hours a bit too if need be...

Actually if I thought about it I would worry

DS has got into our village school. V. pleased and think I have found a childminder I am happy with. She has a son who will be in the same class so a friend for DS - think I will arrange for some settling in sessions beforehand.

don't know what the uniform is so can't buy. Will wait until we have some contact from the school. Admissions letter was from LEA.

Well I feel a bit of a fraud joining in here but ds1 will be startign in the nursery class of his primary school in Sept - full time place so it feels like the start of school what with leaving his lovely day nursery and having to cope with school hours and (omg) school holidays! he will be 4 in November. At least with it only being nursery I can take him out with impunity - and will pick him up lunchtime on my days at home.

It all feels quite scary... Especially dealing with the school holidays - coping by not thinking about it at the moment and assuming it will work out somehow! I do already know quite a lot of the schoolgate mums, which is nice - and 3 other boys who will be in ds1's class.

EEEeeek! I'm a bit shell-shocked! This has been the week to deal with school uniforms. Got the full list on Monday from my friend (not yet sent out to incoming reception parents so am fortunate to have a head start), in preparation for the second hand uniform sale today. Yesterday got dd to try on uniform of friend's child to judge what sizes we'll need that will hopefully fit dd in the autumn.

The list is quite long, and unbelievably, the only store that carries the required uniforms is Harrod's! The prices for what's needed are a complete scandal (54 pounds for a summer pinafore!?!, 135 pounds for the required winter coat?!?), so second hand sale was a must for us. Just returned from the sale, and got most of what's required, though still must purchase tights, socks, extra blouses and ballet gear. It's late morning, and I feel like I could use a drink!

Still not heard here about whether in preferred school or not. Don't hear till 6th May and it's so odd as most of my friends children are going to Catholic primaries so they all have their places and are buying uniform, know term dates, have settling in periods sorted...

I hope I can get uniform to fit ds1 - he's on the small side for his age and is in age 3 trousers still!!

July though MI!? Wow, that is late!

• I just won't feel happy till I have the letter telling me he's going to the school I want!

I've only applied to that one so am seriously stuffed if something goes wrong! Shouldn't though, it's our catchment school and I've been told that applications in the catchment area don't exceed places (they take 70).

Earlybird - you're living up to your name. Well done for getting some uniform already. I'm still waiting to hear from one state school (although DS is almost certainly going to another school) - I phoned them up and apparently they have sent out offer letters already and are waiting to hear back from those offered to before they send letters out to everyone else.

Azure - yes, I'm very early on the uniforms. Partly because I wanted to take advantage of the second hand sale prior to school beginning in September. But also wanted to get it done early as dd and I plan to be away much of the summer and I couldn't face the thought of returning to a heaving department store the week before school begins.

By the way, I admire those of you who are calmly waiting for letters from the schools of your choice. On the one hand, you have no choice but to wait, but I admire your stoic attitudes. Good luck and fingers crossed for all.

Fantastic news Pamina3. Presumably that means that DD2 and 3 will be able to get in alright as well?

Haven't heard from the last school yet, so it's just as well we are lucky enough not to have to rely on the state system. DS is almost certainly going to a private school in Chiswick where he is already in the nursery. That will take him to 7 or 8, when the whole application nightmare starts again with prep schools. I really wish we lived close enough to a decent state primary school, especially with #2 coming along. Oh, and that the secondary schools were decent in the area.