Lyra, Berrie, Zeb, Binkle and Oggsfrog - new chat thread here.

[LyraSilvertongue]

Hope you all find me.

Sorry Berrie, I can't really be any help. It's a totally different scenario up here, and I'm at the other end of the scale. Dd is the youngest (she could legitimately have had another year in nursery if we wanted).
Is this for when he starts school in Sept? How old will he be? I presume Y1 is our P1 (Primary 1?)
Why will his 'group' be seen as any different from any of the others his class in Y1?

Right, Reception is where they go in the academic year when they are 5. They move into Year 1 the following year. There can only be 30 children per class in England so because there are 37 children starting, ds, as one of the oldest, will go into the next class up. Apart from him and the 6 other reception age children, the rest of the class will have been there a year already.

Ah. I see. Does he know any of the children who've already started? or just the ones he'll be moving up with?

Oh bum. There's a bird in here with me. It's just flown 3 circuits of the room and vanished.
Bloody cats. Will have to try and track it down.....

Haven't forgotten you, but I've got to go and get dd in 10 mins too, so if I don't come back soon I'll be back later.

He is very shy, doesn't know anyone really.

Berrie, that's awful. There's no way I would have wanted DS1 to go straight to year one. They do so much more playing and less learning in reception and I think they need that time to adjust to school. Also, it would make him the youngest in the class which is what you wanted to avoid. And won't the year ones already all know each other?
DS1 is one of the youngest in his year and tbh it has been a problem.
Do they absolutely have to do this? Can you have a word with the school?

Sorry, I don't want to make you feel any worse about this.
But i would be very, very unhappy about this if it was DS1 (or 2).

It's one of the schools I work in which is how I know. I feel sorry for the other 7 parents who won't get to know about this. There is nothing the school can do as they legally have to have 30 or less per class and the year 1 and 2 classes are also over.

I have put his name down at the last minute for he further away school. It would be loads more convinent for him to go to the closest school not least because I work there and will most likely do a fair bit of supply teaching there when both are at school. Also I want him to go to school with the children who live around us so he is not an alein in his neighborhood. Lastly, I was looking forward to the exersise. I know that we will end up driving to the other.

What a rubbish situation
How can they not even warn the other parents?
If the year 1 classes also have too many chidren why are they moving ds up?
Is this definitely going to happen or could you wait and see before committing to the other school

They will split the year 1's and 2's into 3 classes to make less than 30 in each.

I have commited to the other school (if they have places left) but there will always be places at the closer school as they are able to take in 50 odd because of the size of the reception unit that now can only have 30. If there were more children then the 2 teachers would have 2 classes in the 4+unit but only 37 have applied.
I need to talk some more to the school.

They should have two lovely small classes of 18/19 in reception. i suppose it's not cost effective or something to do this.
Good luck with it all. I hope it all gets resolved.

Thanks

Berrie is ds currently at nursey at the school? It obviously works totally differently up here. Dd was in nursey at the school at 3and a half and started full-time Primary 1 at 4 and a half. She was, and still is the only one in her year.
She started because she was ready, whereas I have friends who have children months older than her, who kept them back a year because they were not ready for 'proper' school.
Dd was only one in her year and the youngest at the school but being with the older children actually brought her on and she has always worked above her actual year if you see what I mean.

I would speak to his existing teacher and see what their opinion is as to how he would cope.
You know ds best though at the end of the day.

I don't think it's that different Oggs. DS2 is at nursery at the school where he'll start reception in September when he's 4 and a bit. He'll be part time for the first term because he's so young then go full time in January.

There is no nursery attatched to the school here so he has not started schhol at all. He goes to a local private playschool though 3 times a week.

Where is Zeb? Oh actully didn't she say she was in London on Wednesday?
Binkle is not around much anymore either...

Binkle's busy building a business empire.

Oh aye...so she is.

Hey guess what...MFL'sF has a couple of lines in Emmerdale. Do any of you watch it? I don't but it'll be a giggle!

No I don't watch it. But let us know when he's on and I'll watch especially.

Will do

Are you drinking tonight, bottlebin? Or is this a fourth night of abstinance?

Oh no, Red Bush tea for me...I am a saint...(Berrie neglects to mention th bar of whole nut chocolate and bowl of ice cream)

Will you be drinking tomorrow night or are you now officially on the wagon for the foreseeable?

How many weeks do you reckon I would have to do not to be an alcofrolick any more?

At least a year

None tomorrow but I have reserved the right to have some on Saturday...don't know if I will though...