Tea Room the Eleventh

[amberlight]

Goodness, we seem to have run out of space on the other one!
I shall assume that we are still in the same premises as for Tea Room Ten for the moment until wiser people tell me otherwise!!

Glad it's helped, Daisy (or, at least, that it didn't send you into a coma of boredom or, indeed, that if it did you've now regained consciousness).

The thing about nose pushed out of joint may be another factor that was specific to MBB and her school. It was single form entry, which meant that roughly half started in September, formed a tightly-knit group and bonded (boy did they bond) with the teacher and then the January starters were pitched into the middle of that. It is different, I know, in other schools around here which have two or more forms on entry, where (as you describe) the September and January starters go into separate classes which are then mixed up for Y1. And reception classes are themselves cosy places.

I wouldn't want to make too much of the being left behind thing, but it was something I noticed. The headteacher of the school where I'm a governor says that it takes until Y4 for the gap in academic attainment between the September and January starters to close. For people like me who are hung up on academic attainment, that matters and for me it's an argument for everyone starting together in September. For calmer, saner people than me - and especially those who point out that in Germany everyone starts school at 6 and still they out-perform us - it's not such a big deal.

Although I am probably coming across now as a cheerleader for starting school, I do understand that is a huge leap but (frankly, speaking as a veteran, ho hum) I think that the children on the whole get far less agitated by it than the parents do. On MBB's first day at school, there I was trembling because the one and only fruit of my womb was going out into the wide world of school, whereas her attitude was "Ok, mater, you can go now. Dismissed!" as she skipped gaily in. I think we all tend to wobble when it's our own child who's about to enter [weeps] an institution, even one as (comparatively) benign as a school. One has to make a decision based on what's best for one's child.

Oh dear, have wittered on for far too long again. Will toddle off now to do some doemstic goddessery.

FWIW as a long-standing school Gov and having friends who are teachers, the unofficial truth is that most children do better by starting formal school later.

Still a bit at the idea of a backwards facing boob. How on earth?!

Here, about to risk going to the nurse for a Thorough Check Up. Arrghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!! There'll be cold tape measures and implements and tutting and stuff. Will they look on their systems to remind themselves What Not To Say and Do? May be back for tea/gin later.

Good luck, Amber. Perhaps just a tiny dose of gin now, for medicinal purposes?

When you've returned, tell us more about the starting school later issue. Are you talking about the September vs January start? Or about starting later than Reception? I'm intrigued.

Hello all -

We are at home today because Milk has a sore tummy, feels wobbly and looks greyish white. Perhaps she has a bug or maybe just in need of a rest after a busy weekend. I am no sure yet... let's see how it develops...?

Anyway - While she lays on the sofa watching copious amounts of telly I am busy working out how to upload pics so I can show off my lickle lubly baby niece!

IMHO - Reception class is a wonderful place to be and the nature of the curriculum and way practitioners plan involves a lot of differentiation through outcome. The atmosphere allows children of all backgrounds and ages to blossom. I am more nervous about Milk entering older years where play, creativity and self driven learning can become less the flavour of the day... but we will jump those hurdles when we come to them.

Do you have specific concerns about your children starting school daisy and racing or is it just an overall negative feeling?

Perhaps a tiny swig of tea room gin, for good measure...

Look up the "Cambridge Primary Review" which is a huge study for the government released last month. It recommends no formal schooling until age 6, so in essence nothing more taxing than Foundation stage.

Good morning all.
Am avidly following the thoughts on early vs later school start as Jackbaby is a February baby and will thus start school either as one of the oldest or one of the youngest.

Banana nut muffins anyone? My friend baked them and they are lovely, if slightly stained (blue) on top from the paper serviette they were wrapped in...

Pic on profile

Amber... good luck with the nurse... x x x

Have survived nurse! Brilliant - she was very kind and even used a plastic tape end rather than the cold metal ones. Tutted at my blood pressure, so that's on monitoring again (sigh) but apart from that I'm definitely still alive, she said, which is good. Hooray!

Must...not...be...too....specific...when....asked....questions as the nurse probably didn't want to know precisely to the last detail what we had for breakfast dinner and tea yesterday

and yes please to a banana muffin as long as they have no calories at all in real life.

Go for anything that starts children as one of the oldest. Makes a huge difference over time. Best advice I can give...

hello.
i´m posting to keep you on threads i´m on. i'm generally lurking t the mo, seeing as one-handed typing is hsrd rk or hard work, even.

All is well. Gatita is feeding all the time but is generally happy.

as for mem i´m knackered, but also hsppy.

Name hint: Compo´s gf on Last of the Summer Wine. Also my grandma´s name.

waves to all.

yay! Hello!

Daisy, finally back to the tea room! Hectic day in RL and forced to eat such a huge piece of walnut cake that I feel a bit .

Anyway, school. Much as I hate to disagree with MadBad (I feel a bit like Dobby the House Elf having to now go and hit myself on the head with a wooden spoon), I don't think that there is such a huge gap and that 'catching up' is an issue. Children tend to change their reletive placing in the class frequently at the beginning, leading to peeved parents of precious y2 children saying 'but she was exceptional in reception.' Well, maybe she was.

Yippee, I have found a use for the biscuit!!

The friendship issue could be a problem; the teacher should see that coming and intervene. Many children move schools perfectly successfully and I have some in my class who have been there for half a term and you would never know they have not been there from the start and others who have been there from the start and still can't make friends and fit into classroom life.

I am of the 'they-don't-start-till-six-in-Germany-and-can-still-read-perfectly-well-at-eight' camp myself.

I would be concerned about a boy (boys tend to find it even harder than girls) having a bad experience by starting too early and finding school tiring, irrelevant and frustrating. Not a good way to begin a sentence career of at least 11 years.

Others have said that reception is a cosy place. If it is, then that is half the battle. It is not in my school, where we frequently witnessed the reception teacher shouting at children who didn't know their number bonds/phonics. They shouldn't even be doing phonic IMO. (CMOTiddler of course excepted.)

Does your school really insist on full time from the beginning? Do you mean that they do 5 whole days a week? Or 3 whole days? Or 5 half days?

The answer is, I think, to move down here, come to the school where Wriggle will go at some point and do anything that suits DaisyBoy from 2 half days to 3 full days.

Off to look at TeaNiece (Milkshake for Two?)

Wow, so much info to process. Still struggling here with the remnant of my cold - coughing lots, which is affecting my ability to sleep!

Got to be fit for Friday, when we are off to Disneyland Paris!

Hi, MaryBS. Would a little alcohol help to fight the germs? Wow! Disneyland! Amazing how owning a three-year old changes your view of these places!

TeaNiece is adorable! And if my surmise about Gatita's name is correct, I luuurrrvvvee it! (((Hugs))) to Catita and a magic dose of sleep or rest or champagne or whatever it is you most crave at the moment.

Yippee for Amber's nurse!

Racing - Please don't hit yourself with a wooden spoon. You have worked in teaching for [cough] years so please do tell us what you think. I actually agree, au fond, with the 'they don't start school in Germany in 6 and still they outperform us' school of thought. When I am Prime Minister and Benevolent Dictator, I shall appoint you as Secretary of State for Education (perhaps in a job-share with Tea as I don't want to leave anybody out) and will be perfectly content if you decide to raise the school starting age to 6. All my hesitation, though, is about whether, in a system which is predicated on children starting school at rising 5, the benefits of deferring entry for a year, and joining the school in Y1, outweigh the disadvantages. For MadBadBaby, I think deferring entry would have been the wrong thing to do, for the reasons I've been droning on about at tedious length. But for other children with other personalities and in other circumstances, it may be the right thing to do.

Sorry again for the long post. Am distracted by James May's meccano.

Bolly???

Alcohol is good, especially as DH has just gone off to hospital AGAIN

He twisted his ankle at the weekend, its been painful ever since. Well he knocked it again today, and its all swollen up

Oh no, poor MrMary - is he on anticlotting drugs after his DVT ? That would make him prone to really excessive bruising.

Could someone help me with the french for Owl and baby owl (if there is a special word) please ? DS wishes to know, and my business french dictionary does not contain such useful words.

It seems they must have started practicing for the christmas concert - going to bed tonight involved a round of Jingle Bells, Christmas pudding, and his FC stuck in the chimmney song that always makes me giggle

James Mays meccano was indeed impressive.

Thank you for the Bolly - I need it after driving for 5 1/2 hours in the rain today, which was a bit grim.

Aaaaahhh CMOT - This is what I know... I am hoping RS can correct add to the information.

I think I am right in saying that in French there isn't such thing as an owl... instead they split the species into two distinctly different sorts of birds. If my memory serves me right it is dependent on the fluffiness of the ear like feathery bits whether they are a 'haibou' or 'choutte'. If it is any help the owls in the book 'Owl Babies" are of the 'choutte' kind... and here my knowledge is exhausted.... over to you RS!

CMOT you'd have to ask Tea the real expert, but I know that the general word for owl is hibou (silent h), and here you can find the names for all the different kinds of owls you could want (but no baby owls). How about bebe hibou? (Accents missing)

Hmm, very obvious cross post there!

Ornithology in French. This is why I live spend so much time in the tea room.

Madbad - If you are thinking what I am thinking and we are right re Catita's chosen name... I agree with you 'tis a fabbytastic name. I squeeled at the loveliness of it!

I can't think of a clever way of telling you Milkshake's real name.... so will just whisper it....

....Isla

Ha ha ha - re owls... I think it is one of those words that influences thought. My DH cannot tell the difference between lime and lemon sauces and I cannot see or remember how owls can be two species.... iyswim!

Wow! Must go and check on Catita's name hints, but in the meanwhile, congrats to Milkshake for having the absolutely bestest ever name ever there ever was.

How annoying! I hate Last Of The Summer Wine so it means nothing to me.