Moving to England yr2

[Ixia]

We are being relocated to England from the Isle of Man. My daughter is 7 and currently in yr 2. Schools here do follow the uk national curriculum, but are more laid back and we don't have sats. Her school is lovely, there are 18 in her class (2 form entry) and is more child driven than results driven.

I'm really worried about the move for her (none of us want to move) she's not very streetwise and maybe a little immature and am worried she might be behind aswell, by English standards, although she is doing well according to her teacher here.
She is reading at lime level, knows some of her tables, can add up 3 figure numbers, but her spelling is still totally phonic based.

We may be moving to the north west.
Any advice you can give?

She's not behind! Lime level is good for a Y3 child.

Most Y2s would only know some of their tables.

When are you going to move? I guess she will be going to Y3 in September? How much control do you have where you live? I would start researching schools - and where has places now - schools will differ quite a lot in their size and approach -and it might be worth trying to visit a few to get a feel.

England is not one homogenous inner city ghetto! Even in such areas primary schools are often nice, warm, caring places.
She sounds lovely and I am sure she will be fine.

Indigo - Thanks, I guess I'm more worried about her being immature emotionally than academically. She is the youngest in her form and I think it shows, so I worry it will seem even worse across (in England).

An0therName -Yr 3 in Sept, yes. At the moment we have been told to suggest somewhere, for various reasons Lanc's would be best (we are tentatively looking at Lytham). When? well DH was told on Thurs that he would be leaving today by his bastarding company (one of the major retailers) , he's since negotiated a little more time and I won't move DD until the end of yr 2. But at the moment it's all a bit up in the air.

mummytime - :) I am English, so I know that, but it's the fact that I have relatives in English schools that I know there's a difference. Sats especially. Also I guess I read too much Mumsnet....

Kim - 3 digits on paper, certainly not in her head - she still uses her fingers to add up!

My dd is Year 2, in Lancs, just a little further South than you may be!! and moved schools at end of Yr1 - Lancs/Merseyside. It is interesting to see the difference in schools (I am still in touch with a lot of her friends mums there), so I wouldn't worry too much, they are all so different.

DD has only just started thinking about spelling things correctly - new school has spelling tests (old school until end Yr1, didn't have these and her old friends still spell a lot of things phonetically), DD has had a lot of catching up to do with spelling, new school was much further ahead.

She knows her 2x 3x 5x 10 x and has just learnt her 4x for next week - similar in her old school, but not sure they have done 4x yet.

Adding two figure number only, both schools, starting to subtract two digits up to 100, working on subtracting teen number by nearest 10. DD can do these mentally now, but will revert to fingers now an again! Old school using number lines/squares etc., apart from top table!

Handwriting, improving!!! This was pretty bad, but old school didn't worry about, new school does handwriting practice and puts a lot of emphasis on it.

Bascially it is on the line, legible, full stops, capitals, speech marks, questions and exclamations and sometimes, if we are lucky, a comma. Working now on the possessive ' . Being aware of using adjectives and similes and good time connectives. Old school maybe doesn't work on this side of things so much, they like the output and full stops/capitals, adjectives and connectives, but don't worry about writing/spelling. (one of the things that worried me about it!).

Reading, sounds similar to dd, who does various different schemes, but gets Level 10 books (Lime I think is 11). Old school most friends Level 9, some more some less.

Honestly the range is so varied, that I don't think you will have much to worry about. If she is slightly behind in some things, she will catch up, my dd has had quite a lot to do, but has, in 8 months, with very little extra work really.

I hope the above helps a little, I was terrified at moving dd, but it was so much easier doing it than thinking about it, just don't let her pick up on your reluctance and disappointment that you are moving, or she may take that with her to her new school. I am amazed at how adaptable kids are.

Argh, have been Google earthing. We had been tentatively looking at Lytham, but looking at the schools I feel really dispirited, DD's two most important requests are for a school that has play areas like her own school and that it's a kind school.

Her school is rural, has a huge climbing frame (the highlight of her day) with 3 sets of monkey bars, slides and walkways, field, woodland area, green house and gardens. As far as I can see, the schools in the area have little in the way of play equipment :(. Also the schools were we are have grounds open at weekends/holidays for children to play in.

Does anyone know of a similar school in the NW?!

Oh and also was a little surprised at the amount of faith schools.

Sorry, meant to say thanks for the replies :) have found quite a pointers as to what a child should know at the end of yr2 on various school websites. DD should be OK, with the exception of this high frequency word business, she would be able to read them , but spelling them is another matter, especially as she has speech issues which can impede her spelling.

And I mean where, not were.

I would (southern prejudice) have thought there might be a lot of faith schools in the Liverpool area. However, as is often pointed out on MN, just because a school is a C of E school doesn't mean it is more religious than a community school.
You may also have to prepare her, that she may not get a place at the school you most want.

Gawd, don't say that Mummytime, she's already heartbroken. I had hoped not to tell her until nearer the time, but because of Dh's job people here know and I didn't want her to hear from someone else. We've been trying to push the positives, even though we are upset ourselves, but she loves it here and is really upset.

Find out some things she could do that she can't where you are. Ballet or Gym lessons, soft play? maybe some ideas from here.

There are plenty of fairly rural schools on the fylde/wyre - places like great eccleston, singleton, hambleton, st michaels - which may be slightly smaller than the schools in lytham.
I don't think many schools have big play equipment but there are some good playgrounds - the one by Booths in ?Lytham is great.

Have Pm'd you...

you can download the admissions booklet for Fylde & Wyre here (Obviously this is for reception entry, but it gives you the list of schools, location, size etc)

As TVR says, I would look at some of the more rural schools in the area - schools in the lytham area are full to bursting already (I'm told the LA run a minibus to take some children out to rural schools as they couldn't find places for them locally, some urban schools are now expanding), so you would probably have to appeal to try & get a place (in Y2 the infant class size regs still apply (max 30 children per teacher) but these are relaxed from Y3 onwards, so you might have more of a chance for a place for Sept on appeal)