10 things you probably would not expect about primary schools

[meredeux]

Come and help me make a list for all those parents out there who are about to send their children to school for the first time. What did know one tell you but you learned through experience?

Here is my first one:
YOU (the parent) will teach your child to read. The school will provide reading books and someone (probably not the teacher) will listen to your child for a few minutes at a time in the first couple of years maybe once a week but your child will learn to read because you will teach them that (using the school's reading books which the teacher will issue).

There are some good points raised here that I had not thought about. Maybe change the list to 20 things... and swap some of my pointers with the others.

13. Headlice warnings. (but maybe these are at nursery too?)

Primary education has changed a lot in the last 12 years and not for the better.

13. Teachers will talk to you during your consultation in a language called National Curriculum. You have no idea what they're talking about.

1. PTA is about fund raising for extras such as playground equipment. there will be several events per year, some of them may even be enjoyable. However, it will be peopled by a small handful of individuals who will almost definitely feel put upon.

14. Ofsted rates the school but your child's actual experience will have a lot more to do with their individual class teacher.

Yes I agree gnome
Do you know what the pig masks sent in 3 months ago were for??

Had no idea how hard-working, sensitive, compassionate, professional and fabulous the staff would be. Am still trying to get over it.

In my experience with three kids (12,8,7) all will go through the same school but I'm having an entirely different experience for each of them. Not least because they're all unique in characteristics, but also down to teachers they have, different sets of parents at gates, or perhaps how they are performing in their class. So I could easily agree with some of the above in terms of number one child, but disagree with the same things for child 2 and 3 - does that make sense.

I've had weeks when I'm so stressed by primary politics, then the next week it's fine - it's such a rollercoaster, and that's where I felt ill-equipped.

It doesn't make any of it easier as a parent, however I do think that schools are generally good at teaching basics like phonics etc, but I do think the work done at home is invaluable for generating a passion for things like books and reading.

On costumes - I would much rather put a nominal amount in to a school dressing up box fund, so costumes could be hashed from what's in stock. I'm not bothered about highly polished or manicured performances, I just want to see the kids having a nice time or the distribution of parts is seen as fair, every child getting the opportunity to experience public performance before they go off to big school.

Have a good day everyone, am new to mumsnet - it feels like it could be a bit addictive?

:)

What is your agenda here meredeux?
My childrens school is nothing like what you describe.

And littlefrieda- information about the NC is freely available, why wouldn't you know what school are taking about? Genuine

And welcome to MN 11plus
Yes... it's. Wee bit addictive!

14. Your child's level of attaintment will be kept secret. You will be given no indication whether your child is above or below average. School reports will be in OFSTEDese and produced by computer. The long computerise sentences will bare no relation to your offspring.

Svrider - they'll be wanting these for Easter bonnets. Bound to be, 3 months ago, timing is right!

My own list, which is definitely not the same as OP's:

1. Lots of incorrect assumptions that you must already understand how school works.
2. Some petty rules
3. So much is improvised or made up by teachers as they go along, it's nowhere as planned & scheduled in advance as I anticipated
4. the school hall was built when the school was 1/3 the current size; being too small leads to all sorts of practical problems.
5. Mixed year classes are fine
6. Look out for newsletters & other letters that somehow your child didn't get
7. Look for newsletters before you leave school gate; if announced there's a desirable club you want your child to get into then run back to the office & get their name down ASAP. Waiting a day means you snooze you lose (the place).
8. Some parents think it's restricted time to eat lunch if child only has an hour
9. Peer pressure doesn't exist in R-y2ish. But really kicks in hard after that & is awful by y5.
10. Check the classroom tray at least once a term (more like once every 2 weeks in reception) for all sorts of lost treasures & party invites
11. Be grateful if your child is finding any of it too easy; almost certainly there are lots of other things they need to work hard on.
12. Some parents are unbelievably uptight about Sex-Ed.
13. Boots are great school shoes (in winter at least) if allowed.
14. PE kit in later years usually allows trainers, encourages them even, regardless of what they say for reception PE kit.
15. School is not the place to develop competitive sport; outside clubs for that.
16. Schools are asked to do too many things.
17. Most children in y4+ eat far less lunch than they should.

I'd I thought so little of my children's school I wouldn't send them there

I don't recognise our school from most of these - except perhaps rushed paretns evening which kinda goes with the territory unless you expect the teacher to devote 3 hours every evening for a whole week (plus the preparation time) so you can get your 30 mins.

DS learnt to read at school and they have 30 mins every morning solely devoted to phonics.

Important dates are published at the beginning of term and reiterated in the weekly bulletin. Costumes are asked for a couple of weeks in advance and are generally pretty easy to rustle up.

What a negative thread. You would have been better to title it "all the things that irritate me about my primary school".
I would say I didn't expect to have made such nice friends, or my kids to experience such diverse activities and trips - from cheer leading to gardening. I am impressed at how much energy is put into teaching, how keen teachers are to encourage and build esteem and confidence. I was surprised how informal it is, kids hug their teachers, the head. I was also surprised and heartened at how much schools encourage and appreciate any help and support they can get from parents - it creates a real community and 'school family' feel. Yes there are things that frustrate me - remembering all the diff things needed, slips to be returned etc. But really I was surprised most of all by the camaraderie and the welcoming atmosphere there and how different it is to my own experience of primary school. Oh and how diff teaching methods are - ie maths. But I think it's wonderful how kids are able to access so many diff kinds of resources which is great as we are all susceptible to absorbing info in diff ways- visually, aurally etc. kids get to use computers and all sorts, work in groups etc, so different to the way I learnt, facing the front looking at a blackboard. So much more colourful.

pleaseputyourshoeson - well bully for you.

RealllyTired - I very much agree.

That some schools are just so bloody wonderful that you wish you could bottle their essence up and share it around, so that every child could experience it.

They still smell the same as they did in 1969 - sort of pencil shavings and wood-y. Well my dc's one does. I love it!

Oh, if it's a lovely one, you will cry your eyes out at the year six end of year play as will all of your ds's friends mothers and everytime you take the next child to school, you will fondly wish he was still there :(

little Frieda yeah bully for me :o - I am not without frustration at my school - at little notice given for costumes, time wanted to help with x or y and feeling like its hard to say no, lost uniforms etc- I too feel in the dark about how my kids are doing at times. But really as a parent with a kid at nursery, I was reading this thread it would make me think it was only all crap, which it's not. A bit more balance ie lets look at lots of the positive surprises rather than just the things to moan about.

You will be asked to ensure your child takes a water bottle every day so they may have a drink any time. School will forget to prompt the child to have a drink so the bottle will come home full every day and the child dehydrated.

Children do not become dehydrated if they go 3 hours without a drink.

Some teachers are great, others less so but if the HT is good there will be more of the great and less of the not so great. So when viewing schools always pay particular regard to the HT.