scottish school or english school

[horseymother]

Calling all parents who moved from scottish system to english one.....

Would love to hear feedback/views on a tricky dilemma.

We live on scot/eng border and my 4yro has really enjoyed playgroup, ante-preschool and now pre-school at the nearby village schools and would be due to start school (P1) where the pre-school class is currently run come august. However several months back an older child with quite a rough history (poor soul) joined pre-school group (held back a year in the hope social graces might be acquired) and totally dominated my child in a real controlling way to the point of nightmares, loss of appetite etc and of course the other children avoided my once very popular child like the plague as they knew that the new child would be there too like a shadow and all the children were frightened/wary - especially when the new child erupted kicking furniture, shouting at teachers etc. Said new child is now with the p1s and the parents/teachers plan is that the child will attend the school ongoing.

Despite the fact this was the school I wanted my child to attend it would be too distressing and the teachers and head have not filled me with confidence by the way they failed to handle the situation as mentioned above and I fear the same thing would happen again and my child would just end up dreading school. So! I find myself at this late stage looking at alternative schools. One is a stones throw from our house with the same headteacher as the one mentioned above. Has a total of 38 kids (P1 - P7) limited facilities, teaching staff that come and go but its local/handy or there is a good school over the border in england (20mins drive from house to school) fab set up, great energy about the place,lots going on for the children, 90 kids in total attending until they are 9yro. Met head teacher today and she was super but suggested my child start after easter hols so there is a breaking in period of reception class (albeit for a few months) before starting year 1 in september. Basically the kids in reception have been in there together since september gone. Am I expecting way too much putting my child in after easter and expecting him to cope then handle year 1 in september without the good grounding of a full school year of reception class beforehand? Of course had I know events would turn out like this I would have had him start in september. Do they rise to the challenge and with support from home it will be OK or is it too much too ask or is there not that much to catch up on? Help!

thank you in advance

Okay not your situation but relevant. In my youngest's year there was one little girl who joined in year 1 from a Spanish speaking country, with about 5 words of English, she has integrated fully and is doing fine. There was also another girl who joined in year 1 having never been to school before, but English speaking. Her mother was full of praise for how quickly she "caught" up with the rest of the class.

I think you need to think clearly about what you are going to do after age 9? Stay in the English system or return to the Scottish? Where do the children from the English school go on to?
How practical is that drive in winter?

But starting in the summer term is often really good as it tends to be "fun", and will give your little one time to get to know the other kids in a fun environment. Friendships at this age tend to be quite fluid.

Personally (and don't have any experience of this), I would try and stay within the scottish system. OR be prepared for some quite difficult transitioning at 9 yrs old. All the English school kids will be changing, but presumably your DC will return to the scottish system then ? I have an 8yr old DD and wouldn't choose to move her to a different school at this point - esp when you'll have to do again for secondary.

Thanks for that. I think if I make the decision of the english system I would stick with it. I think jumping back and forth between the two would be a bad move. Thank you! :-)

As the English school really appeals to you, if the practicalities with travel and transition are OK, I would go for it. FWIW, I started school after the Easter holidays and think it is a really positive time to start as the days are opening out and getting warmer, and, as another poster said, the summer activities are beginning.

If the child is in P1 now, surely he'll be in P2 when your daughter starts P1. I wouldn't be too worried if they're not going to be in the same class.

I wouldn't let a single child put me off the local school to be honest.

We are far south, but in our school, and I think in most schools they differentiate, so those children who don't know their letters might have different work to those who do, so your child might find at first they are doing some of the easier work, but with some support etc at home I am sure that the diifferences will iron out, and they will reach their potential. After all in recption they have about 5hrs, 2hrs of which has to be free play, some of the time is taken up with assemblies, PE, learning about their project, etc. I'm not saying that these things aren't important, but you can't catch up with a nativity play. There is still such a mix of abilities in my childrens' classes.

It is tricky, how many per year in first school? Is there is some mixing of year groups, so the child will be encountered again? The child though might have lost interest, having been apart for a some time, they may not want to play with a younger child. My dd didn't even recognise a girl she had been to preschool with once she had been in a different school for two terms. The English school sounds nice, but you need to look at your options for secondary etc.

Thank you for this everyone. True - I shouldnt let one child dictate where my own goes and the head mistress at the english school seemed bemused/mortified that it was even cause for concern (I sensed she would have nipped such behaviour in the bud immediately). However, after meetings with nursery staff re this older child a while ago and the inability to actually do anything to address the situation...even the headmistress of the two small schools just shrugged her shoulders about the situation and didnt once even moot that she would take the situation in hand and not to worry). I dont havwe much confidence they would protect my child sufficiently (from an emotional point of view I mean). The older child will indeed be a P2 when mine starts as a P1 but they are composite classrooms and the p1's, 2's and 3's are in together so my child would have a few years of this older one who he is actually terrified of. (My child saw him from afar in the local supermarket the other week after not having seen him for a while and mine was just about on my head trying to escape before this older one spotted him and was twitched for the rest of the day).

The school which adjoins the pre-school where he is at present has a total of 47 children in total. If he went into this school (with the older child) he would be in a class of 9 (2 p1's, 7 p2's). The school a stones throw from here (again another real country bumpkin school) has a total of 38 in total and mine would be in a class of 15 (5 p1's and the rest a mix of p2's and 3's) then theres the english school with a total of 90 kids my child would be in a reception class of 27.

I think Im beating myself up too much about all this. I just worry for him on an emotional aspect with the english school suddenly being thrown in at the deep end with a bunch of kids he doesnt know (but who all know each other and their routines etc)...academically i know he will be just fine...

Secondary school wise in england there is a school a stones throw from the first school where the first school children go swimming every tuesday now anyway fromreception up over so I guess they get familiar with that school from the start. In scotland he would be at the same school til he's 12 then would go straight to high school 7 miles away.

Im going to go back to both the english school and the little school very nearour house and take my child with me and see how we feel then maybe think again about the school where hes at pre-school now....sometimes too many choices isnt so good on the old brain!

thank you again everyone