I have become confused about what "Reception" is.

[TheSurgeonsMate]

I am Scottish. My child is growing and getting nearer starting school. I am reading more and more school threads. And I've got muddled up.

Is Reception just the first year of primary school? Or is it some sort of optional extra?

I thought it went Reception, Y1, Y2, Y3......Yx (where x is some big number at the end of secondary). But now I don't feel so sure. I'm sure nearly everyone can explain this, including most Scots.

Hi TheSurgeonsMate:

Right Wikipedia had a nice summary comparing Scotland vs. other systems in UK in a table here en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Scotland:

I've copied key info:

AGE ENGLAND/ WALES SCOTLAND/ Northern Ireland

Ages 4 - 5 Reception (start age 4) P1
Ages 5 - 6 Year 1 P2
Ages 6 - 7 Year 2 P3
Ages 7 - 8 Year 3 P4
Ages 8 - 9 Year 4 P5
Ages 9 - 10 Year 5 P6
Ages 10 - 11 Year 6 P7

So basically Reception = P1 in Scotland = pre-school elsewhere in the world.

Many countries do not start primary school formally until the year you are turning 7 (so age 6-7 = England/ Wales Y2 and Scotalnd/ NI P3).

In England/ Wales Reception is part of ages 3 - 5 Early Years Foundation Stage (info here: www.foundationyears.org.uk/early-years-foundation-stage-2012/ - you have to scroll down a bit - but there is a parent guide you can download) and is basically an extension of nursery school (if your DC attended) but also an introductory year to the school setting, with emphasis on learning to read and counting skills and lots of learning through play.

HTH

Oh dear my nice spacing disappeared;

England YR = Scotland P1
England Y1 = Scotland P2
England Y2 = Scotland P3
England Y3 = Scotland P4
England Y4 = Scotland P5
England Y5 = Scotland P6
England Y6 = Scotland P7

Thanks, it looks like I did understand it after all. I'm not sure where my doubt about whether all children did reception came from .

The year equivalents vary depending on child's birthday, which doesn't help. So my 5yo in Y1 would be in P1 in Scotland, but his 6yo Y1 classmate would be in P2.

I think the oldest child in a Scottish school year has a February birthday, is that right? whereas the oldest child in an English classroom has a September birthday.

The oldest child in a English Reception class is September born 4 yo. In DS's case he started school on the first Tuesday of Sept and was 5 later the same week. The eldest in the class actually had her 5 th birthday the day before term started. At the other end of the spectrum, the youngest in the class was born on 31 Aug the following year. The difference in maturity and development between a just 4 yo and just 5 yo in the same class seems huge at this age.

BikeRunSki,

not only in Reception. DD is a July-born in Year 2 now and you can still spot the Summer born ones compared to Autumn born.

It got better and you obviously always have children more advanced/a bit behind but I had the pleasure observing them for 25 minutes on a school trip where they had a talk with a museum curator and you could see it.

Horatia I don't know! Also, I think it's more complicated than that. I think, though, that I don't need to get my head round it because dd's birthday in May means that she has an obvious cohort and we needn't make any choices for her about when to start. I'm clinging onto the thought that this is all I need to know...

Huzzah!

TheSurgeonsMate not all children do attend reception

AArgh!

Reception is not compulsory (compulsion comes in once they have turned five, and nearly all children spend at least some of that year still four).

In practice, though, most schools are full. If you don't apply for and take up your Reception place, you might struggle to get a Y1 place at all.

School isn't compulsory HoratiaDrelincourt only education

I deliberately didn't say it was

sorry by saying reception isn't compulsory it seemed as if you were limiting it to one class my appologies

No offence taken!

Basically the law says that your child only has to start school the term after they turn 5. So, legally, a child with a summer birthday can skip reception.

In practice, pretty much every child goes to reception and it is considered important as it is the first year of school and a good introduction to school although it is mainly learning through play.

Have I understood correctly - you are Scottish but living in England?

bertie no! I live in Scotland, but a lot of my info about little people comes from mn threads, so I wanted to be clear I was understanding them.

Ah I'd not thought of that Nancy! So true. I think at my daughters school they just call it'the office'.

Actually it's not quite as simple as Reception = P1. Not least because when DS1 moved from a Scottish to an English school he went from P3 to Y3. If he'd been a couple of months younger, he'd have gone into Y2.

The English school made no concessions for having just put him up a year.