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).

I was also really pleasantly surprised at the amount of detail the teachers went into at the parent/teacher meeting. Exercise books for every day work, for nature work, for the World Around us etc All the books went through at the meeting.

My dd1 school taught her to read, write, sing badly, show an interest in art (not got from me ), she learns a different language once a week, has PE.

Her primary school also runs a course over a few evenings that goes through the homework/work they will cover in their first year. I think they call it a Delta course. It was invaluable to me, explained how hard it was to learn to read and encouraged patience etc with homework.

Oh and non uniform days are the height of the school year , and a bit stressful

Seeker DS is at school 6.5 hours. Runs around / plays football every break, does PE and is prone to forgetting to drink with lunch so often downs a pint plus as soon as we walk in the door. Perhaps you have not read the reports on adequate hydration and concentration?

Overall, DC's primary school was absolutely bloody lovely...but no school is perfect. Daft to think it is.

I wish I had known...

-DC don't use some of the kit on the kit list. Buy essentials and top up as needed. Other parents will be happy to hand on stuff too. There is s brisk trade in second hand gear.

-There will be far more things to attend than even the most attentive parent can manage. It will become a part time job. You can say no.

-You will be asked to man the library, PTA, sweet stall, sell raffle tickets. Again this can become a part time job. You can say no.

-Most teachers are fab, but some don't have a clue.

-Some parents want to drive their DC like Amy Chua on crack. Others lobby for the banishment of anyhting remotely academic. The teachers ignore both sets, so should you.

• the school will not know your child as well as you.

Iseenodust-it's hardly the school's fault if your child does not drink whatever you provide him to have with his lunch!

I don't choose what is available he has school lunch but that's off at a tangent. The point was why insist (and send reminders) on every child taking water in all year round if they are not going to prompt them. Yr R -2 can be too busy/excited/engaged/tired to remember.

And everyone else is saying that this is not how things are. People see things how the want to see them. Any you obviously want to see them in as negative light as possible.

15. Buy supermarket uniform in two sizes in the summer because it can be very hard to source when your child has outgrown the stuff that fitted last september, especially if you need something at short notice.

16. If you are obliged to buy stuff from a uniform shop, then try to avoid the last fortnight of the summer holidays unless you really enjoy queueing!

Come on, girls. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion. It's not chucking out time on Friday night, yet.

seeker Not everyone else. There are a few people on this thread agreeing with the OP.

I recognise what she says to be so and I recognise them as common complaints among my friends.

17. As far as I can make out, your child has to demonstrate each skill 3 times in marked work in a variety of formats before they can progress to the next micro level. So sometimes, their targets will relate to things that you know they've been able to do for quite a while.

Would be interesting to see what would happen if I started a thread with a list of stupid generalisations about private junior schools.

Seeker, I'd read it with interest, especially if you meant what you wrote and weren't trying to make "stupid generalisations". Why be so defensive? I don't understand where you are coming from.

Read back over what you have said. Should you actual want to send your child to the school you describe? I certainly wouldn't. And you are saying that this is what primary schools are like. Not whatnyour school is like. What primary schools are like.

Not exactly, Seeker. I wrote this too...
meredeux Wed 18-Apr-12 12:29:17
(Nothing is ever a universal experience, so these are only based on what i have witnessed and seen friends experience. We send our children to a range of schools, including good, outstanding, satisfactory, "failing", infant, junior and primary)

meredeux Wed 18-Apr-12 12:57:00
No really I am very happy with my DC's school. I couldn't stand the last one but I like this one. These things I am listing are normal as far as I know.

meredeux Wed 18-Apr-12 12:38:00
(I help out with reading at school and I can see the records for how often the child gets read with at school. This is the second school I've done this at. In the last school, some parents were illiterate and consequently the children reached year 6 still doing the reading schemes from eyar 1).

Well, you have been very unlucky. Or, as I suspect, your negative mindset prevents you from being anything but negative about what you see.

Because what you are describing are crap schools. And if every school bar one that you have ever come across is crap there is something very strange going on.

I recently learnt something new about 'our' primary after 8 years of daily attendance! I have noticed that a couple (say approx 8 out of 500) children do not wear 'proper' black school shoes and wear trainers. I assumed this was maybe because said child had lost shoes or left them in school, maybe financial reasons but I was recently told by a teacher that these children were asked to wear trainers instead of regular school shoes so that when said children THROW THEIR SHOES at the teachers, assistants or other kids it doesnt hurt as much

Where in earth did the op say this was about state schools seeker?

You defensiveness has reached an all time high/low surely?

arfur, surely you're making that up. I don't believe it. Do they supply the kids with blunt machetes too, because the sharp ones cause damage?

Hey, leave seeker alone - she's just pointed out that the OP is talking about the primary school her DC attend, not all of them.

I agree you've been unlucky, OP. My DD is still only in reception, so it's early days. But I love her state Ofsted-satisfactory school (with, euphemistically, a 'mixed cohort'). the teachers are hard working and inspirational, the headteacher is dynamic and optimistic, and the whole place has a happy feel.

And they definitely taught DD to read; we've just supported that.

(waves at seeker; I think we're in the same neck of the woods as you gave me some great advice when we were thinking of moving here).

Nope honest!! Was in school helping out when one little s* in ds's class was kicking off in the corridor and the staff were discussing how he should really be in trainers. I asked one of the TAs why and she told me - I was speechless! Am very pleased ds has only got one and a bit years left. The school is generally ok but the head is totally crap at dealing with bad (often violent) behaviour

Blimey, the trainers thing is a bit scary, arfur! Are you sure they're not pulling your leg?