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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

Reception expectance levels.

46 replies

pigleychez · 19/10/2012 14:19

DD1 has recently started reception. She is loving it!

From things I have noticed in the classroom and a couple of class meetings Ive attended it seems that the level is very low in what they expect them to know.
They have been learning shapes which DD knew years ago and my 2.5yr knows and counting up to 10. Again Dd2 knows this!
I know not everyone is at the same level but this all seems very basic?

DD1 is very good at reading and is soaring through the levels at school. She has recently been coming home saying that she cant read till she older. This seems an odd thing to say and she says her teacher told her this. Ive written in her reading record about how she is doing the reading to me and doing well but the teacher either hasnt read my comments (has seen the book as shes written in it) or has read and ignored.
I dont want to come across as pushy as im not, just I know DD1 and she thrives on learning (Nurseries words not mine!) but its true, she soaks new things up and will just get bored and un motivated if she's not encouraged.

I have a parents Meeting on Monday but the teacher and I already dont get on after a disagreement about DD1 being part time.

I shall continue to support DD at home but if things are really going to be that basic (and the teacher no help) then I'll have to look into getting high level books etc for her to look at at home.

Any other reception class parents any thoughts on levels of expectance in class?

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simpson · 19/10/2012 21:38

She is writing shopping lists ATM

They are learning about healthy foods (according to DD) and she has to write her food/shopping list down...

Slight hijack But does anyone know how many jolly phonics book levels there are??? DD is on yellow level and we are finding them slightly tedious so just wondering how many more there are???

mrz · 19/10/2012 21:42

Red, Yellow, Green & Blue (hopefully they have something better in store soon)

simpson · 19/10/2012 21:45

Mrz - nope, after she has finished these it's on to Biff and Kipper

The school has a policy that all kids have to read all the JP books (luckily DD got through the lift the flap ones in nursery)...

Just hope she does not start ORT on level 1 or something.

Is yellow JP the same as yellow ORT??

mrz · 19/10/2012 21:47

No they aren't the same

ladygoldenlion · 19/10/2012 21:49

Just as an aside, my DD goes to school in her PE kit twice a week. This is because last year the teacher said she spent ages getting the children changed into and out of their kits. It works really well!

simpson · 19/10/2012 22:04

Oh, is it higher or lower??

I read with yr1 kids and as I walked to the year 1 class this week I saw DD's class doing PE in the hall, they all looked so tiny in their PE kits

mrz · 19/10/2012 22:06

lower if I remember correctly

Original poster

pigleychez · 19/10/2012 22:12

Annoyingly DD came home with a letter today saying that they are changing the PE kit. She hasn't even used the first kit I bought her 6 weeks ago! So that will be two set sat unused in her bag!

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Original poster

pigleychez · 19/10/2012 22:13

Ladygoldenlion That sounds like a fab idea!

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simpson · 19/10/2012 22:16

Thanks Mrz - I just find these books a bit odd tbh and some of the concepts in the books not the easiest for a small child to pick up and they are quite wordy but not too difficult for DD iyswim.

She is on ORT5 with the reading chest...

Oh well, I shouldn't complain at least she is getting a reading book!!

Pigley - when do you have to buy the new PE kit for?? I would be

mummytime · 19/10/2012 22:17

At my DCs school reception children start doing PE without changing, just taking shoes and socks off for jumping etc. in the hall (and that takes long enough and for my youngest resulted in two girls going home in each others shoes, which were different sizes).

I would complain in writing about changing PE kit during the school year, changes should be phased in and from the start of a school year.

simpson · 19/10/2012 22:17

They are not allowed to go into school in their PE kits in DD's school as learning to get changed is part of the lesson.....

Would make it much easier if they were though!!!

Original poster

pigleychez · 19/10/2012 22:31

Currently is a proposal but the way its written its already been decided. They want it to be part of the uniform by April 2013.

I feel it should be formal uniform from next year. I fear its not going to go down well. We have a for to return saying if we would like have a new uniform. We currently dont have a 'set' uniform.

I feel like returning the slip saying that until her original kits gets some use then I wont be buying anything new!

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Original poster

pigleychez · 19/10/2012 22:35

a form to return.

I really should proof read before pressing post!

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mummytime · 20/10/2012 07:41

If it does change until September then probably most kids will have out grown the old kit. However I would want them to have the summer term, as at my DCs school that is when they get most use out of it. By Summer they have speeded up in getting changed and can spend longer times doing PE outside in preparation for sports day (in the lovely summer weather).

However when DCs schools have changed/modified Uniform they have always allowed old Uniform to be worn for a while afterwards, the only exception being when the primary introduced houses and everyone got a house T-shirt for PE, but that only cost a few pounds.

mrz · 20/10/2012 12:55

If it's any consolation Simpson I find them odd too.
I'm a fan of the original Jolly Phonics programme but think it's gone off in a very gimmicky direction that adds nothing of value to teaching/learning.

simpson · 20/10/2012 14:19

Glad it's not just me then!!!

She can read ORT5 easily and can read basic chapter books like Frog and Toad, Flora the Fairy etc etc but absolutely hates these JF books with a passion.

peppajay · 21/10/2012 12:45

I apologize I haven't read all the replies. My son is in reception and we went to a reading meeting last week and it was very informative and also all about reception being play based these children are 4 and 5 plenty of time for learning later. They said they find it much easier to teach children to read that havent been taught previously as they teach them to read the way they have been taught to teach and children who are taught already at home get so confused!! They also said the books they send home will be a level below what they can read fluently at school so that they feel comfortable reading at home.

MrRected · 21/10/2012 12:57

Pigl - the school sounds a bit slack. Dd is in the prep year in Aus - which is supposed to be behind the UK. We have PE twice a week, dance and drama, library, music, daily literacy, daily numeracy, cooking once a week. At our school all children have individual learning goals which are updated each term - eg DDs for term 4 are : to be able to count backwards from 100 in 2's and to finish all of the books on her level (the kids in our class change readers every day).

AThingInYourLife · 21/10/2012 13:20

If she's loving reception, then she's not bored.

mrz · 21/10/2012 13:49

Traditional PE lessons aren't essential in the EYFS if staff are planning for physical development in other ways. Many schools choose not to have "PE lessons" in reception as there are so many other ways to develop good physical skills in daily routine.

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