Is there anywhere that I can get information on the NC topics likely to be covered in order to give my ds a head start?

[StarlightMcKenzie]

The class teacher promised she give us the topics and likely vocabulary 10 days in advance so we could work on it with ds at home before it is introduced at nursery, - but whilst she started with enthusiasm at the beginning of the year she takes a huge amount of chasing and I'd rather not go through that again at reception, just figure it out for myself.

Any ideas?

nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/earlyyears

This is what schools are delivering in the early years of school - it is a massive site but will have everything you need on it. Unfortunately the schools can do pretty much any order of work/topics any way they like within the EYFS.

Not really, as others have said, the learning is skills based rather than content-based and is often child-led. That said, if the teacher agreed to keep you informed, she should think of ways of keeping that promise in some form.

Goblin, it is really for her that I want to find out. She tried really hard for the first term, started flailing during the second and kind of avoids eye contact and hopes I don't mention it now.

I think she agrees it is a worthwhile thing to do but wasn't used to working like that and found it a tough addition to her workload. I really rate her as a teacher (even though we had a rocky start) and don't especially want to go back to the early days of trauma caused by the result of the tribunal.

I just thought that perhaps their was an easier way for all involved.

Thanks candle.

So my best bet then, it would seem, would be to do a straw poll on MN every week or so to ask what topics their children have been/are working on and go from that in the hope that sometimes I'll strick lucky!?

I think talking to the school will be much more helpful than a national website - it sounds to me like you need to find out about the topics the teacher is planning to use to deliver the various learning objectives, rather than the objectives as laid out in the national curriculum.

Eg at my DCs' former primary, in Bristol, they have a 'Brilliant Brunel' topic at some stage in KS1, which uses Isambard Kingdom Brunel and his creations to cover various science/history themes. I presume that is not something that is rolled out nationally - it is designed to be relevant to children who are familiar with or can be taken on walks to see the Clifton Suspension Bridge/SS Great Britain/Temple Meads station. That kind of stuff you are only going to be able to get from the class teacher.

It sounds like your relationship with the nursery teacher hasn't quite worked in that respect, but lesson planning in reception should be more formal so you may find the teacher is more geared up to be able to help you. But I really think building up a good, friendly relationship is going to be crucial - are you planning to request a meeting with the teacher before your DS starts to discuss his particular needs?

Not sure how to advise as most schools have a rough idea of their topics & where they are going, even if they do plan retrospectively.

It is fairly common where I work, for some children (usually sn or new to English) to be pre-taught in school. So before a topic or new book is introduced to the class, a small group or even just one or two children, have the new story or topic read/shared with them first.

This is the sort of thing I assume your DS school should be doing with him, if he is to fully access the curriculum. I also assume, that this is on his provision plan/IEP/whatever jargon your area use.

Maybe ask to speak to the SENCO or just become a PITA parent and keep bothering the CT. Seriously, it cant take her more than a few seconds to tell you what they will be doing next week! And she will have some idea - even if it changes at the last minute!

exe, I doubt it. The school that ds is starting for reception is appealing against his attendance their.

What is wrong with my 'there's tonight?

On what grounds Starlight?

Actually, getout for the first half term there are supposed to be weekly 10 min meetings to support 'tranisition' into reception, so perhaps I can ask there and possibly get a routine going, for when the 10min meetings are no longer.

On the grounds that he'll be the 4th child attending that reception class with a statement.

You can understand it really.

They have no rights in law though but they don't appear to know that.

That does complicate things, but just because the school thinks it shouldn't have to cope with that many statemented children doesn't automatically mean that the teacher will be unreceptive or hostile. One would hope, anyway....

I'd just try going in with a friendly, cooperative attitude and hope that it's reciprocated - presumably you can make the point that if you have a chance to work with your DS in advance it will actually make life easier for the teacher in terms of him paying attention in class?

Oh well. I have a plan, even if it is an unsatisfactory one.

Perhaps I can ask the other mums at nursery too what their children are telling them they are doing.

Wow, it sounds like you are having a really hard time with this.

I understand more about what you mean now about topics, cross posted earlier, and I think you really do need to know more directly from the nursery.

In the nursery I work at, just to give you an example of how we plan, we decide at the start of each term what 'topics' we will cover and we choose some focus books, as well as leaving some weeks free of any topic so that we have time to be a bit spontaneous and respond to the children's interests. What and when we cover these things are free for us to choose, and as long as we provide for the 6 areas of learning and development that I mentioned earlier, we can do what we want.

So we might choose a book which will be read most days one week, then choose different activities connected to it. Like if the charachter is eating a certain food we will cook it, or if it's about aliens we would get the space toys out. We do more than that, but this is just to give you an example.

It really wouldn't be very hard for us to give you the information you want for these pre planned weeks, especially when it comes to things like religious or cultural festivals that we inted to cover. After all, the dates for them are known!

I think you need to talk to the nursery manager SENCO or your child's key worker and reinforce how much your child will benefit from this information. They are obliged to work in partnership with you on things like this, so don't take no for an answer, and don't worry about increasing their workload. It really doesn't need to give them too much extra work, and that is their problem anyway, it's certainly not your's or your ds's problem.

exepat, I'm kind of hoping that the agressive appeal is their own attempt at protection but once they have to live with it they'll get on and be professional rather than hold it against ds.

Their appeal is based on the idea that ds being in that class with the other 3 will have a significant affect on the learning of the other children. They told me in no uncertain words that if we send him there they will NOT be applying for funding for any 1:1 as they wouldn't get it for more than 3 children in a class and there will be too many adults as it is.

It's all very silly really.

getout. that pre-teaching thing might be helpful. If I can get it established that it happens i.e. the TA does it, and then offer to take it off the TA's hands once established practice that might work?

You might be luckier in Reception. One of the teachers we had gave out a sheet every week saying 'this week we'll be discussing fairies' etc.

Often reception classes have that kind of stuff posted in the window, sometimes they even have 'soft starts' so that you get to go into the class for the first 10 mins and 'settle' DS - and look at his books.

We always get a 'curriculum map' each term saying what topics will be discussed this term in each subject. This would probably be enough for you, and I think is fairly standard practice in schools.........

His TA will also know, and may be an easier person to talk to than this very busy teacher......

Other than that, Mums with older kids at that school often have a good idea of vaguely what's being covered when....

I get a scribbled note in the school/home book telling me what's likely to be coming up.
Clearly teachers can't say exactly how the day will pan out but they will know if they intend to bake or paint or cover a specific topic.

Basically teachers are making up the curriculum as they go along and following the interests of the children (as if very young children know what they're interested in at this age!) - good grief, things are really bad.

No - that's not what people are saying at all.

They're saying that the teacher has to teach numbers. They can do that anyway they choose, and can decide on the day, based on what the children are interested in, how to teach numbers.

(You can count shoes, or fairies, or trucks, or books.....)

However, things like a trip outside the nursery, will have been planned in advance.

But whether the teacher reads Jack in the Beanstalk out loud or the 3 Little Pigs won't necessarily have been.....

Do you have some sort of home/school contact book? Maybe you could write in What topics will be covered today? As a question to jolt the ct into action, she will have a lot of other things to do during her day and a gentle prod may help remind her.

I don't understand why you don't just go and ask the teacher what main areas they are covering. Although the foundation stage is "child led" the nursey should have some kind of plan which usually includes a "topic"

Magdelene, it's not like that. We have to ensure that children can do certain things, and have the opportunity to learn those things. The way we choose to do that is up to us, but for every single activity we provide there has to be clear learning outcomes and links to the EYFS.

Allowing children to learn in a child led manner may mean that a child who needed input with numeracy and had just enjoyed a visit to an aquarium with his family could be given all the sea creatures toys to play with, and count, and separate into groups. Then you could say a little fish got eaten by a big whale so how many fish were left in the fish group now that one was gone.

If you had a child that was scared of the sea or really didn't like sea creatures, you could teach exactly the same skill by using dolls or finger puppets or whatever.

Obviously that is just one random example out of thousands that there could be, but I hope it shows that a child led approach can actually aid childrens learning by getting them to learn the same skills just in a way that engages and interests them.

It's not quite as bizzare as it sounds at first, I promise!

Is the teacher deliberately not following your ds's IEP or just forgetting to do so. If the latter then you need to arrange a meeting with her and the Senco so you can reiterate the need for her to do what is required. If the former I would be more concerned as it could be the school are hoping you will move your ds because of their failure to provide for his needs. If that is the case you will need to take it to the LEA, school governor levels.

Don't know what your ds's needs are but in reception and yr 1 ds was a nightmare. Wouldn't sit and listen, wouldn't do what he was told, never sat on the carpet (wouldn't do anything in nursery either). Now near the end if yr 2 he has really matured and his sitting still and paying attention have improved hugely. Still not perfect but much much better. I think it coincided with more interesting work and topics. He will also talk about what he has done at school (something he previously refused to do even if I knew what he had done and asked leading questions!).

No magdalene the teachers are not making the curriculum up as they go along they are following the EYFS curriculum (NC doesn't start until Y1 starlight) and one of the guiding principles is Personalised Learning (following the child's interest - so not all children in the class may be taught the same thing in the same way. Another principle is independent learning (which is where retrospective planning comes into play)