Scotland P1 worries

[wellhelloyou]

Hi

Could anyone walk me through what P1 is actually like? I have visions of children having to sit in chairs with desks just like a usual school class, but not sure if they will do that immediately?

My DD will not be 5 when she starts so would be good to have an idea about what actually happens in the first few months of a P1?

Thank you

P1 in Scotland that is - unsure if the same in England

They sit in big group desks at our primary school. There's lots of different, non desk based activities through the day: reading down on the mat with the teacher; easels for art; sensory section of the room for doing their letters; gym hall. They mix it up. It's not just sitting at an individual desk the whole day.

Speak to the school and ask if you can come and visit if you're worried. Why are you worried?

Primary 1 is like the rest of primary and pupils do spend a lot of time at desks. It's very different from nursery.

Speak to the school. It's so very different everywhere.

The majority of p1s in our council are play based now so not a lot of time at desks. Some don't even have enough desks for all children to be seated at once. They might use the desks in small groups for short periods to do writing/drawing etc. All learning is 'active' so very interactive.

When they are doing whole class learning, the kids are usually sitting on the carpet with the teacher.

Thanks all.

We're moving back from abroad so not sure which school as of yet (so can't ask anyone as of now) but wondered if there was a 'general' to P1 in Scotland.

I suppose worried is the wrong word, just that my DS is still very young in my eyes and I felt may have issues sitting at a desk for the entire time however as you'll all pointed out it's not 7 hours of sitting at a desk and more play based. I don't mind sitting at a desk and learning this way of course, just concerned how a very energetic four year old would go doing this!

Thanks all.

you all not 'you'll all'

School day for p1 6 hours were I am and then there’s lunch and break so no more than 5 hours - could be doing PE for some of that, or the daily mile. I know some p1 classes are more play focused than others. Loads of children will be 4 at the start of p1, cut off is Feb I think? Understandable to be worried but they will meet your dcs needs just fine.

Thanks @Tunnockswafer. I didn't really mean 7 hours - was more meaning 'all school day'. That's comforting knowing some are more play based. We'll be behind the rest a bit as we won't be moving back for a few months and I'm conscious most parents have applied for and received their place but nothing we can do until we arrive back. Thank you for your kind comments.

PS I can't wait to be back to have a Tunnocks teacake!!! @Tunnockswafer

Remember if your child is a January or February birthday. You'd have an automatic right to defer and get nursery funding for the deferred year.

Thanks @EdtheBear, they're November born

You can defer Nice/Dec birthdays too but whether you get additional nursery funding is at the discretion of the council.

As others have mentioned many schools around my way have adopted a play based learning approach. In practice at our local primary this means that P1 is more like a cross between nursery and primary. The children have no desks at all and technically no classrooms. They join groups for literacy and numeracy and art. It works really well particularly for those children at the younger end.

At our school they have their own chair at a table which is made up of 6 desks put together to make a table. There is lots of variety and group work, lots of practical learning by doing. Very little “chalk and talk” as it used to be and completely different from when I was in school.

Children work in different groups for maths and language . They usually do this in the morning when they are fresh. Also PE, art, French, Topic work etc.

After lunch, the primary 1s have “ structured play” , so the afternoons are very short.

I am a parent helper for this age group for one morning a week. There’s often a classroom assistant or a student teacher there as well, so there are three adults and one works with each group of children ( about 8 in each group ) . I do story bags or listen to reading or spelling, which is always practical eg working with sand trays, letters , rainbow writing etc.

They mostly use worksheets based around their reading books.

I don’t do maths with P1 but I’m sure it will be similar.

If you can teach your child to dress herself , change her shoes and go to the loo without assistance, that will help your DD and her teacher. Don’t worry about teaching her writing, reading or numbers, beyond what she will learn at nursery anyway.

the youngest child is 4.5 and if your child is a Jan / feb birthday you can automatically defer, ( if you defer they stay in that year group for rest of school life) you can legally defer for earlier birthdays( sept-Dec) but there is no legal guarantee you would get funding for an extra year at nursery

As you are moving from abroad I think it is unlikely you could defer and get funding for a december or earlier birthday so your child will start p1 in this year august if born before 31st december 2014,

P1 is generally not quite so play based as YR in England generally maybe 1-2 hours at tables doing maths or writing but lots of other stuff is not at desks.

Some areas do just morning for a few weeks but this is getting less common as most kids have done just mornings or afternoons for past two years

IF possible, try to get your dc into the nursery attached to the primary (they don’t all have one) because it is a chance to meet other children who’ll be in your class while still in a totally play based environment.

Thanks all for your input.

DS will be four and eight months (approx) when they start. She can dress herself, put shoes and socks on (and off and on and off again ha!) and also go to the toilet. She started writing her name, letters and numbers and is asking how to spell words so we felt she is probably 'ready' for school but as we felt still very young and full of energy just concerned if it was 'sitting at a desk for lessons all day'. If we had stayed in the country we're in she wouldn't start until January 2020 thus having a few niggling thoughts. I'm sure she'll be fine. They all have to go through it after all.

Thanks all - you've put my mind at rest. Still can't believe it's come along so fast!

@Tunnockswafer we'll be moving back in a few months so unfortunately won't be able to get her into a nursery attached to a school - it will be more like start school straight away when we know where we're living and have an acceptance for her to start.

My youngest is a Feb birthday so started when he was 4 - he was really ready because he said nursery was getting boring as it was all playing - I think he felt he was hanging out with toddlers and he's always had delusions of grandeur.

He started P1 and I was prepared to pull him out if it didn't work out - but he loved it. It was a lot of "structured play" compared to when I was at school. The first term was very much about learning how to be a pupil - where to go for lunch, how to stand in line quietly, how to ask a question, etc., etc. There was a gradual introduction in August - first it was an hour a day, then home before lunch, then home after lunch until he was FT.

I refused to do homework with him unless he chose to - I may be lambasted for that...

He's now P3 and although the youngest in his composite class (P2/3) he's doing very well and loves it.

The schools in my area are moving towards a much more play based P1 and P2.

I've just deferred my youngest and she has a December birthday, you can do that automatically, you are really applying for an additional year of funding from the LA, so if you want to she can do a year at nursery and then start school. Get in touch with the Early Years team in the council area you hope to move to and have a chat with them.

Thanks @DonDadaOnTheDownLow that's reassuring. Glad your boy is doing well.

Apply for a school place for her as soon as you know where you will be living. You are not guaranteed a place at your catchment school because you are applying after the closing date, but most LA keep back a few places for children moving into the area. They will need to see a tenancy agreement / proof of address.

It’s only a problem if the school is over subscribed of course.

If you move back before June, your DD might be able to attend the induction days for the new P1s at her new school.

Do you have any idea what part of the country you might be living in ?

It just occurred to me to check that you know this - nearly all primary schools in Scotland have a uniform and most P1 parents stick to it religiously . Mostly because it’s cheap, practical and cute !

Our P1 has become very play based. Learning is done on the carpet, and one small table set up for any work to be done. Pupil Support Assistants will work with small groups on literacy or numeracy A's guide by the teacher and we have an EYP who runs the play area for them with play like nursery or activities. P2 is heading the same way. They often borrow resources from us in nursery and we are doing P1 transition so visit regularly.

Used to work in P1 but went back to nursery when the play was basically removed.

nearly all schools in scotland have a uniform and wear it but education is not conditional on wearing it, there can be no disciplinary action for not wearing it even at secondary school
also in Scotland the uniform tends tojust covers jumpers trousers/skirts and cardigans/ sweatshirts so something like grey trousers/skirts or pinafores with white polo shirt and red school jumper ( with shorts and t shirts for PE) some schools like indoor shoes as often children wear wellies or boots to school because of weather. there are generally no rules re coats bags or shoes or hair accessories apart from being weatherproof

Where we live very few of the kids wear uniform for primary. I’d never noticed that it was different to elsewhere. P1 is very laidback and as everyone else has said it is still quite play based, interactive and active. DS is a Jan birthday but will go up as one of the youngest in his year because nursery think he will be ready.