So what is reception? How do schools work now days?

[BumperliciousNeedsToSleep]

God that makes me sound old! But when I was at school we didn't have reception. We had first, middle and secondary school. We went to middle school at 8 and secondary school at 12.

DD is only 10 months so a long way off yet, but just wondering how schools work now and what reception class is?

children go into reception in the school year in which they become 5, then it's infants yrs 1-2 and juniors yrs 3-6, for primary school.

dd goes to reception, she plays with playmobil, sand, water, does a lot of colouring, painting, cutting....she has lots of friends (can't keep track who is her best friend at the moment). I know she loves PE, singing...
Somwtimes they go on trips around the village (plants, study different kind of houses).
Uh, they do games with numbers, letters, words.

I know our school is very relaxed and they seem to play a lot more than some nurseries!!!

ds will tell you that it's really really fun!

they also do school work though - it's not all play and stuff..

well, yes, but it is "invisible", whilest she is having fun, she has learned to read, write etc. Their work is fun, like writing a postcard, menu etc. They learn about plants/flowers whilest painting

Is it accurate that you have to put their name down for school in the school year in which they become 2? Do you receive forms from the LEA or do you just contact the schools yourself?

Oh no, you have to put their name down in advance? I'll never remember!

Plus we live in rented accommodation so that's a long time between choosing a school and actually going!

So more questions...when do they start school? DD is born in June, will she go the september before she is 5?

I only registered dd1 for primary in the year before she was going - closing date was Feb for September intake iirc. Our school is single intake, so bumperlicious yes your dd would start September. In other schools it would be Christmas if they split the intake.

Bumper, your dd would start school the September after her 5th birthday. I believe you only have to fill in the forms from the school by the April of that year.

in my experience reception was a little more than just playing - it seemed quite full on.

no she'd enter Reception sometime during the school year she turns 5(most often September or January), but is not legally required to be in education until the September after, although she'd then go into year1. Unless you're in Scotland !

I am teaching reception at present. It's kind of a bridge between nursery and Y1. The children get used to routines and also learn how to write their name, recognise, write and order numbers etc. We don't 'do' subjects individually but rather have a theme for the week and cover all areas of learning through that theme. The children are not usually all 'working' at once. It is more usual for the teacher and TA to have put out a range of activities (some of which relate to the theme) and this usually includes sand/water and some sort of role play corner (e.g. made up to look like a shop). There will also be construction, a writing table and creative play (playdough/painting etc). While the children 'do choosing' the teacher and TA can work with small groups individually. We have more formal teaching of phonics which is taught as a separate entity and as a 'lesson' each day.

Hope this helps!

So, just out of interest, what would have happened 20 odd years ago when I first went to school? Can't remember? But I know that a lot of people think it is weird I went to first, middle and second, but that was normal for our area.

we still have first, middle and high schools here. all changing though in the next couple of years.

When I started school (30 years ago, gah) it was two years in infants then four in junior school (collectively known as primary) then secondary school. I started school at 5 - my mum thinks DD is terribly young to be starting in September, but Reception seems to have become so normalised now that it seems okay to me.

Most of the primary schools round here have seven years from Reception to Year 6 ... a few are still separated into infants and juniors, ie actually called 'X Infant School' and 'X Junior School' rather than 'X Primary School'.

I'm a bit unimpressed by our LEA - the paperwork when DD's place was allocated says about how we can accept or reject the place, but to remember she must be in school from September. Erm, she doesn't have to be in school at all, she has to be in education, and even that's not till the following September!

DS1 is in year one, reception was last year. They played a lot and just learned their letters, basic words and handwriting and numbers, adding up etc. It was lots of fun and year 1 was a bit of a shock to him as there's not nearly as much play time.
He had a wonderful reception class teacher who adored all her children.

DS1 is in reception and they do quite a bit more than playing. He has homework every night and a spelling test most weeks! Having said that, he absolutely loves it so it must be fun.

Bumperlicious, my DS2 is also a June baby and he starts reception this September. He will be 4 and a bit.

Pinkjenny, it's different for every area but in ours you can't put their name down in advance. You apply in the January of the year they're due to start reception (the September after they turn 4). Have a look at your council website for more info.

Do children learn to read in reception?

There is another thread asking what ORT reading level your reception child is on. Or does it depend on the school.

In ours they learn to read and write in reception. But they play a lot too.

A Child's Plea Original Author Unknown

Today I did my maths and science.
I toasted bread, I halved and quartered, counted,
measured, and used my eyes, ears and hands.
I added and subtracted on the way.
I used magnets, blocks and memory tray.
I learned about a rainbow and how to weigh.
So please don't say -

'ANYTHING IN YOUR BAG TODAY?'
You see. I'm sharing as I play, to learn to listen and speak clearly when I talk
to wait my turn and when inside to walk.
To put my words into a phrase, to find my name and write it down.
To do it with a smile and not a frown,
to put my pasting brush away. So please, don't say -

'WHAT NOTHING IN YOUR BAG TODAY?'

I learned about a snail and a worm.
Remembered how to take my turn.
Helped a friend when he was stuck.
Learned that water runs off a duck.
Looked at words from left to right.
Agreed to differ, not to fight.
So please don't say -

'DID YOU ONLY PLAY TODAY?'

And yes they learn to read AND write too.

Yes, they definitely begin to learn to read in reception. Things vary partly because of the recent move towards synthetic phonics teaching in schools. Some schools are still teaching ORT etc but lots are doing explicit phonics teaching as a separate entity and teaching children to read in this way. May reception class (with just over half a term left to go) know most of the first set of phonemes but have yet to do vowel digraphs (such as 'oo', 'oi' 'ai' etc). The average child can read simple words such as 'pin' and 'cup' and are learning how to form each letter correctly alongside phonics teaching.

Hope that helps?!

Sorry that should say 'My' class!

Yes that helps thanks AP, and LS. Ds is three and at a nursery where there is only learn through play right up until reception.

When I saw the thread with all the different stages I thought, cripes ds will only have started learning sounds by then.. maybe, not sure which system they use. Am having a dilemma over choosing schools. But thanks