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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Infants to Juniors how big a jump is it?

26 replies

Neutral1 · 12/04/2012 15:31

a few parents have mentioned that it is quite a big jump - just wondered what experiences other had had.

Thanks

OP posts:

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learnandsay · 12/04/2012 15:34

Do you mean Reception to Year1? Or are you talking about 7+ exams and beyond?

Original poster

Neutral1 · 12/04/2012 15:36

Yr2 to Yr3 so yes 7+

Thanks

OP posts:

piellabakewell · 12/04/2012 15:37

Depends on the school, and whether it is simply a new classroom and teacher, a new school/site, perhaps a mixing of two or more Y2 classes to make new groups in Y3. Y3 teachers should be starting from where the children are at the end of Y2, same as teachers do every September. It can make more of a difference to the child if they suddenly stop free fruit, afternoon play time and all the other little bonuses to being an infant rather than a junior.

Savannahgirl · 12/04/2012 15:41

My DS's both found it really liberating.

I think by the time they got to Year 2 they were bored of being mollycoddled in the Infant school and going up to the Juniors made them feel more mature.

I think even the teaching style in Year 3 is designed to make them more self sufficient and responsible.

Even now, in Years 9 & 5 they talk about how much more they like Juniors compared to Infants.

Incidentally, DS1 is now at Secondary and loves that even more than both!

Original poster

Neutral1 · 12/04/2012 15:43

Yes I can see that would make a difference. DDs school is not split years but they do have more subject teachers and start moving around the building a bit more. I guess it's a bit more formal.

OP posts:

QED · 12/04/2012 15:44

DS is in year 3 and has really blossomed this year. He is really enjoying his learning more and doing v well. I would say that he is now in a much larger class than year 2 due to 30 class size limit not there any more and while he is fine I could imagine children in the middle who don't really stand out could get a bit lost. But that is a fairly individual thing I suppose.

He has to go in through a different entrance and come at the end of school to the infant playground where DD comes out and that is different but a positive thing. DD will never get that as I'll go to the junior gate when she's in year 3.

QED · 12/04/2012 15:45

Like Savannahs DDs I think DS has foubd it liberating :)

IndigoBell · 12/04/2012 15:49

Mine haven't found it a jump at all.

Original poster

Neutral1 · 12/04/2012 15:53

That's pretty positive experiences - excellent! DD is pretty mature so ready for a bit more I think - thanks for all the replies :)

OP posts:

ragged · 12/04/2012 15:58

No big jump at all. DC school is Reception-y6 & the y2-y3 & are now a mixed cohort "middle phase" that cover topics & very similar material. I think it's different if they actually change physical schools.

mrz · 12/04/2012 16:12

No one told me I was meant to mollycoddle infants!
seriously most children take it all in their stride lots of schools have transition days to meet new teachers and see their new class.

Original poster

Neutral1 · 12/04/2012 16:15

Mrz LOL at mollycoddle. I need to ask about transition times etc I'm sure there are though.

OP posts:

Bluestocking · 12/04/2012 16:20

My DS changed schools between Y2 and Y3, because we moved from a big city to a small one. Like QED's DS, he's blossomed and is enjoying the more challenging work.

Iamnotminterested · 12/04/2012 16:28

Does the school have transition activities planned?

Of the top of my head my DC's school pair a year 4 buddy with a year 2, join together for a big picnic before the end of year 2, do infant links, phys kids, share celebration assemblies, plays, whole school "Topic" days with everyone from nursery upwards taking part - so quite a lot really.

Savannahgirl · 12/04/2012 16:34

mrz - sorry no intention to offend .

Just our experience of our particular Infant school.

It was quite over protective, which I know isn't a bad thing, but I have two, generally good, but boisterous, boys who found it quite restrictive at times. It was a feeling shared by many of the other parents too...

Their Junoir school was bigger in terms of area size, so more physical freedom, and a very different attitude from the staff in terms of responsibility and taking ownership one's own actions.

Clearly not all schools, or teachers, are the same!

Original poster

Neutral1 · 12/04/2012 16:35

I think so - I'd be really surprised if there wasn't. Will find out more next term. The Buddy idea sounds really good!

OP posts:

mrz · 12/04/2012 16:37

I was joking Savannahgirl ... IMHE lots of parents think I should mollycoddle their child and I do think it is a bad thing if it prevents a child developing independence

redskyatnight · 12/04/2012 18:56

DS moved into Y3 from a standalone infants to a much bigger (4 form entry) standalone juniors. He knew about 40% of his classmates.

It was an incredibly positive move for him. I also hesitate to use the word mollycoddling of his infants, but he definitely enjoyed the greater responsibility and autonomy of the big school. He also has greater opportunities in terms of clubs he can do at lunch time, responsibilities he can take on which he can choose to embrace without input from me (e.g I would have to agree before he started an after school club).

I found the juniors harder in terms of not having so much idea of what he was going on, but that wouldn't be so bad if you had a child who talked more about their school day.

In terms of academics Y3 seems to have been a lot of revising and then slightly pushing on from what he did in Y2, so not at all a big stretch.

QED · 12/04/2012 19:03

One thing DCs school does is when the year 6s are on their residential trip, the year 2s practise being Juniors - they line up in the junior playground and have playtimes there and at the end of the day do whatever they will do then ie meet parents in Infant playground, get picked up at the junior gates etc. This was the one thing DS was a bit worried about so was good to practise in year 2.

morethanpotatoprints · 13/04/2012 22:32

FWIW my dd y3 settled really well, but ime it depends on the child and teacher. My ds 2 took longer to settle as he was/ is the type of character not to respond to authority and imo y3 teachers are usually a bit more formal/ strict. More is expected in terms of behaviour and sometimes kids mature overnight. I think as long as the child is looking forward to junior school the transition will be smooth. All mine were a bit apprehensive but soon realised there was nothing to worry about

mumblesmum · 13/04/2012 22:58

There are people around here who admit that they choose small infant schools because they want their children to be mollycoddled in the infants, in cosy mothering environments.

That would be an understandable choice if local junior schools were small and 'nurturing' as well. However, they aren't. So most of these children have to join much bigger junior/primary schools when they're 7. Often, these children are less independent than our rufty-tufty lot, and -often- -have- -inflated- -NC- -levels- are very bright.

mumblesmum · 13/04/2012 22:59

Damn... often have inflated NC levels

meeliesmum · 13/04/2012 23:24

It depends how much of a jump the school or schools make it.Our infant and junior schools are totally different, but as they have the same name,you wouldnt really find this out till your child is late yr1 or yr2. The 2 heads despise each other so do not communicate,which makes the transistion even harder for the more sensitive child.

MrsHeffley · 14/04/2012 10:36

My twins found it a big jump but I do feel that wasn't enough preparation from school(big primary).It was just kind of you're loosing your playtime,you can bring in pencil cases-get on with it.

Dtwin2 is very academic,loves school etc and we had the worst wobbles from him. Tears every morning etc. He's a perfectionist and I think not finding everything easy,being the youngest in the KS shook/scared him.His teacher has been very kind and patient and he's loving it now even more than KS1.Seems to be doing well academically I think and has matured massively.Coming out of his comfort zone in the long term has been good.It all seemed to click about half way through.His teacher has been very patient and kind though with both him(and me)and he really likes her which helps.

The other twin(more of a boy boy,less mature) loves it socially,loved it from day 1(quite vibrant sporty teacher) but they expect a lot of writing across the curriculum which he hates(left handed) so I'm concerned that he's not being pushed in topic areas or literacy as it seems to be more writing focussed.He's quiet too so another problem.Having said that he's a bright lad(albeit a daydreamer) and I think when(hopefully) we get in a rhythm with his writing he'll be fine.

Kind of hoping Y3 is a reinforcement year but my knowledge of KS2 is limited so others may be more clued up as to if this is the case.

juniper904 · 14/04/2012 13:53

In my school, it does seem to be a big jump.

We are suddenly the smallest in a huge playground, we have to wait an extra 15 whole minutes for lunch, we get no afternoon break and no fruit. And we do proper PE outside.

Apparently lots of the parents say the academic expectation has gone up too. I'm not sure that's strictly true- just that they don't get to choose as often!

In my class this year, I'd say there have been 2 or 3 that struggled to start with. Especially with the indignation of no free fruit! By October half term, they were all settled and happy.

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