Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Original poster

Any other scottish MNers whose DCs are starting P1 in Aug? Are they starting full time?

111 replies

Flier · 05/06/2008 14:47

New "regime" in the highlands is that there is no "slow start" rom this Aug - They will be in school from 9.15am to 3.15pm.

Just wondered if this is happening elsewhere in Scotland and what others think of this....

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Original poster
Flier · 05/06/2008 14:48

Should add that it used to be that they would start on half days for at least a couple of weeks.

OP posts:
purpleturtle · 05/06/2008 14:50

My nephew starts in Glasgow in August. I'm sure he's on the slow-start though. Has inevitably caused my SIL hassle on the childcare front, but she's sorted it, so it must still be happening there.

expatinscotland · 05/06/2008 14:50

We are in Argyll and Bute Council and they are still doing slow start here.

Dd1 will start P1 in August.

I think slow start is a great idea.

muggglewump · 05/06/2008 14:52

I'm in Argyll and Bute too. Our school does half days till October half term

gomez · 05/06/2008 14:52

Stirling started this in 2005 (my DD1 was in the first P1 intake). It was fine. Far easier for working parents and I felt less disruption for the children. Straight in and on with things. Clearly, the work is planned to take into account potential tiredness in the afternoon - lots of free play/drawing type things. Most children will have had at least 1 year of 2.5 hours sessions at Nursery and so not such a transition now.

I am sure your DC will be fine - talk with the school if you have any specific concerns tho'.

HTH

nailpolish · 05/06/2008 14:54

i think the livingston area do 9-3 from day 1

i can see the benefits of both tbh - my dd who started last year did slow start for a month. it was too long imo

nailpolish · 05/06/2008 14:55

hi gomez

gomez · 05/06/2008 14:55

Hi chick!

Original poster
Flier · 05/06/2008 14:57

Thanks Gomez. The thing I'm mostly bothered about is the lunch break - it is an hour and a quarter which just seems like such a long time!. Not sure either how well the school will be geared up for it because it is the first year. Not looking forward to DS coming home absolutely shattered

OP posts:
Original poster
Flier · 05/06/2008 14:58

nailpolish, I suppose they must think that they will always finish at lunch time, and then get a bit of a shock when, after a month, they are expected to stay lol, so maybe it is a better way, in the long run, for them to be full time for day one....just something else to worry about!

OP posts:
gomez · 05/06/2008 15:05

If your DS will be happy going into school then bring him home for lunch. Many did in DDs class - not such a good plan for those who were weeping and wailing but for a some it worked well.

DD1 didn't want to come home - the lure of a lunch box was too much for her . By the time they all trot to the loo, eat lunch and have a run about the lunch hour is soon over. (Was only an hour tho' - what is with the extra 15 mins?)

There will I am sure be staff in the playground to help any wee lost souls. DD1 has been to two primary schools and both have had separate areas for P1 & P2s which helps as it is a bit calmer in those areas.

Don't fret - he will love it. Don't rush around organising loads of after-school activities for his first term. Let him come home, have a glass of milk and a biscuit and chill out for a wee while. By October holidays he'll be full of beans again! It is a but thing for them but so exciting too.

gomez · 05/06/2008 15:06

big thing

prettybird · 05/06/2008 15:07

Glasgow is on half days until the September weekend - used to be until after the October week but they brought it forward 3 years ago.

Original poster
Flier · 05/06/2008 15:09

thanks gomez, for your words of wisdom.

I will enquire about the length of the lunch break. IMO an hour is plenty.

OP posts:
gomez · 05/06/2008 15:17

Sorry did I sound like an old patronising fart? Actually bet you have like 12 kids or something eh,

Is the excitement of being able to answer an be fairly sure I wouldn't really pi** anyone off!

Original poster
Flier · 05/06/2008 15:21

no, I'm genuinely gld you posted your experience, I'm sure you must have guessed this is my first dc to go to school, so I'll probably be more nervous than him! Currently so worried about who he'll end up in class with etc etcand that he's not got enough friends and all the rest of it, so your posts have helped,thanks.

OP posts:
nailpolish · 05/06/2008 15:26

at our school, during lunchtime the wee ones go to the infants playground - its not a seperate playground, just kind of set back with some pot plants in between. it keeps them away from the really big boys who run about bashing into each other and could send a p1 flying

also, there are usually plenty classroom assistants who are there to keep an eye on them and help them to the toilet etc

as well as that there are p7 'buddies' - usually nice girls and boys selected by the teachers to keep an eye on a specific p1. dd1 loves joanne her p7 buddy

i bet your school has the same kind of set up

Original poster
Flier · 05/06/2008 15:40

yes, it is similiar, NP. They have P6 buddies, who they will meet next week. P1-P3 share a playground and there are designated playground supervisors, I suppose its just fear of the unknown on my behalf.

OP posts:
prettybird · 05/06/2008 15:46

Ds (currently in P3) is at a relatively small school (225 kids). Even there, they have split the play times and the lunch times, so that the infants (P1-P3) are out at a different time to the older kids.

It was mostly to ensure that the wee boys didn't have to "share" the footlball pitch with the older boys! Much safer.

They don't have a buddy schem per se - but an onus on all the older kids to keep an eye out for the younger ones (not sure how that works in practice now that they have spearated playtimes).

To be honest - ds was fine once they started on full days - and would have been fine to do it from Day 1. he was hwoever used to a full day at a childminders/combined with a half day at nursery, so it wasn't a big deal for him. In fact - his day was even longer, as he then went to out of school care until 5.45.

aGalChangedHerName · 05/06/2008 16:48

I am in West Lothian and the children do a staggered start so they have a gradual start with small amounts of children each day.

They have 2/3 half days when they start then it's 8.55am till 3.15pm Mon to Thurs and 8.55am till 12.30pm on a Friday.

expatinscotland · 05/06/2008 17:30

Dd1's school has only 60 pupils in total.

aGalChangedHerName · 05/06/2008 17:40

60 pupils

We have 3 Primary 1 classes which have 30 pupils each!!

We have a composite P2/1 class etc and P1A and P1B right up to 7A and 7B.

pointydog · 05/06/2008 17:48

In East Lothian (I think) it's been a quick start over a couple of days for a good few years now. Quite right too. Slow start is unnecessary. Very inconvenient too.

pointydog · 05/06/2008 17:50

hour and quarter is too long for a lunch break but the school will have routines in place. An earlier finish would be better.

nailpolish · 05/06/2008 17:58

our school has one class per year - 180 pupils over 7 classes

its nice having a small school but i worry (already!) that going to high school (the local one is GINORMOUS) will be difficult for the dds after being at a school where they know everyone