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Primary education

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Original poster

Wondered if hand holding for Sept newbies would be nice?

990 replies

treedelivery · 19/06/2009 16:50

Just that really. Like an antenatal thread but for parents of children starting primary in Sept.

We have our taster afternoon in a couple of weeks - it all feels so alien. Haven't felt this out of it since I bought my 1st pack of nappies and got the giggles at the checkout!

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pigswithfludontfly · 15/07/2009 22:36

Where is everyone ....it's gone very quiet.

Maybe too busy surfing the net looking for the elusive polo shirts in age 3/4/5?

Ds skipped in to the settling in session today barely saying goodbye - what happened to that shy little boy I used to know? He's also gunning for teachers pet as rushed over to her and grabbed her hand eagerly. Seems to think she's rather marvellous bless him.

Awaiting the (no doubt laughable) report from nursery this week. I can't wait. Wonder if I'll actually recognise the child they're writing about given past experience....

dee0468 · 16/07/2009 08:19

For along time we thought my dd lunchtime supervisor was Mrs Rasberry. Was quite reclieved to receive a Christmas card with correct name.

golgi · 16/07/2009 08:43

I think we're about ready here - boy was saying "I think I can handle reception" - trouble is after 6 weeks holiday he'll have forgotten all about it!

LtEveDallas · 16/07/2009 11:30

Hello all, haven't been back for ages, but have FINALLY got an offer for school for DD. It's a church school which has made me (I really didn't think she would be allowed as she hasn't been christened) but has had lots of good reports so I'm happier

Can finally buy some uniform - grey and red but be buggered if I can find any red gingham dresses online - they all seem to be sold out. I think Nana may have to get the sewing machine out!

We are still moving into new house the day before DD starts school - AND she goes full days straight away, so that is my new stress.

Looking forward to displacing my stress over the move/dd starting big school with stress over uniform choices

Acinonyx · 16/07/2009 11:41

LtEveDallas - if M & S has sold out I got a nice one from Next

golgi · 16/07/2009 13:20

LtEveDallas - mine are going to a church school too - they have not been christened and neither have I.
So why are they going to a church school? Well we live in a small village, the village school is a church school as are all the ones in the neighbouring villages - so no choice. I don't think it's too churchy!

Acinonyx · 16/07/2009 13:35

Dd is going to a church school for the same reason as golgi. It does seem quite churchy actually but there is a seperate junior school later so it's only 3 years....

LtEveDallas · 16/07/2009 15:00

Hi, The school dd is going to is the only one within 4 miles with any spaces. Apparently they had 47 first choice applications but only accepted 27. This is part of the reason I am that she was offered a place - I hadn't even considered this one - thought there was no chance.

Mind you I think this one is a bit 'churchy'. On the website it says they have 'daily worship' and 'Godly play' (?)

Terrified DD is going to be the only Heathen LOL (or she will be lecturing me on my heathen ways)

(Acinonyx - Next was one of the first places I looked - they are OOS online. Almost certain Nana will be doing some sewing!)

Acinonyx · 16/07/2009 17:00

Wow - things are selling out fast! I had better get the rest of her stuff quick.

DDs school is right next to the church and from yr1 they go once a week for a proper service. Some of the stuff on the school walls makes me a bit but I am already planning counter strategy of alternative belief systems.

Maybe I should try the school run wearing a 'Church of the flying spaghetti monster' T-shirt and see who smiles

fatzak · 16/07/2009 17:32

Hello - I need to come and hold hands now We were going to hold off starting DS until January as he isn't 4 until August 25th and will have to start full time, but have just decided to go for it in September.

Gulp. He's my youngest so seems such a baby. I work three days so keep trying to cheer myself up with the luxury of having the other two days to myself!

golgi · 16/07/2009 17:50

Acinonyx - I too have been touched by his noodly appendage.

I did say "atheist" on the school information form - well they asked and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. Son is very much "Mr Takes Everything Literally" so will wait and see what he makes of the Godly play!

Fatzak - I'm sure your little boy will be OK - we'll be in the same situation next year with son 2 (28th August). At the time, I was wondering why everyone was telling me to cross my legs until September.....

fatzak · 16/07/2009 18:23

I know golgi - DS was three weeks early so we should have another year at home with him

Having a last minute taster tomorrow - will be very odd as DS1 is in Class 1 so he'll be there too although thankfully he'll have moved up a class next year!!

BHS online has been suggested to me for teeny polo shirts - you need to look under sports wear. They also don't seem to do blue for us Adams used to do them - they're not even online anymore are they?

Acinonyx · 16/07/2009 19:26

Ah - a fellow believer. May the sauce be with you Golgi

swissmiss · 16/07/2009 22:43

Aciononyx and Gogli and with you too - another sauce believer here!

Back to the transition forms I was wittering on about before. Just came across this link on this reception grades thread. Basically here the pre-school completes it so the school can see what stage the child has reached on entry to school and then at the end of reception when the school do the same form they can see what progress was made. Iirc they will be assessed within the first few weeks at reception anyways, I'm assuming using this same form. Nothing like duplicating!

pigswithfludontfly · 16/07/2009 23:16

Another one in the atheists with a dc starting at a CofE school club here. At one of the settling in sessions the reception kids were doing a prayer at going home time. Sigh. I shall have to remain patient and keep my views to myself around school.

Aranea · 16/07/2009 23:26

Oh, that's interesting swissmiss. I'll be fascinated to see it (assuming we do get to see it??). I bet their picture of dd is completely different to mine!

Acinonyx · 17/07/2009 10:11

Ah Pigs - dd went down to the church with her preschool and was heard enquiring loudly what a prayer was.

I was thinking of volunteering for the PTA. But can I manage not to offend anyone for 3 years?? Dh was talking about being a governor but I pointed out that they are appointed by the bishop and probably need a passing involvement with the pointy-roofed place down the road.

It's otherwise a really lovely school. Repeats mantra: it's a great school and it's only 3 years..........

pigswithfludontfly · 17/07/2009 10:28

LOL similarly they had to show my ds how to put his hands together in prayer. Oops that outed us as a non-Christian family me thinks...

pigswithfludontfly · 17/07/2009 12:45

Got ds's nursery report.

It's probably a fair reflection socially (he still plays along with other kids or monopolises the adults so needs to work on that) but not on the academic side.

Although he gets "exceeds expectations" for the literacy and numeracy targets, the targets the reports have as standard seem very low e.g. use number names to five, and then the comments don't really reflect at all what he can do at home.

So he either doesn't demonstrate these things at nursery, or they haven't asked him to e.g. they say he can count to 20. Is that because they didn't ask him to go beyond that or he didn't want to? (he can count to 100)

And then they say his next step is to start blending words but he can read sentences and I've even spoken to the teacher about this in the past at our parents meeting thing so she should know.

He is moving to a different school for reception. Will the existing school pass on the report or is that up to me? Because if it is I don't think I'm going to bother!

golgi · 17/07/2009 13:23

Boy's nursery report said he could count to 20 too - I think that's the target they need to meet. He can count to at least 316 (that's as far as he got last time before I lost patience and told him to stop!)

Pigs - I'm sure his new school will assess him when he starts Reception.

Mine said the same about playing with others - "he doesn't like joining in rough and tumble games".

DidEinsteinsMum · 17/07/2009 13:31

Ok I can put people's mind to rest - they generally test them in the first couple of weeks to establish where they are at. I have been told this in hours worth of meeting with ds' new headmistress . I beleive it is a requirement (?! i could be put right though) Not sure what they are going to make of my ds. I suspect they may have a few coperation issues Does anyone one else have a child who is already worrying about starting school (sorry if it has been previously discussed - i've not had time to read thorugh it all

Aranea · 17/07/2009 17:46

Mine worries occasionally but at the moment seems to be mostly feeling quite positive and excited. Her two most exciting prospects, apparently, are: 'making lots of new friends, and packed lunches.' I pointed out that she will be eating school dinners. She said, 'well, but when we go on school trips I can have a packed lunch. And you can carry it with you.'

I think the whole thing is a bit of a mystery really to her.

Treedelivery - are you ok? Just read that you have swine flu?

ChocHobNob · 17/07/2009 18:02

Last week some time the receptionist at the primary school my son will start in Sep rang and asked if he was still coming in September as she had an information pack to send out. I haven't received it and it only occured to me today ... but the primary school broke up yesterday!

I know I'm a prat and should have rang earlier but I have been given absolutely no information about him starting school.

Panic!

pigswithfludontfly · 17/07/2009 18:22

Have been asking around locally and it seems we are among the latest at starting full days round here (only starts FT the week before half term) - sigh. Very annoying for work and he's used to being at nursery more than 2.5 hours a morning so it's going to be a big step backwards and might make the switch to FT harder.

What are all the arrangements with yours?

golgi · 17/07/2009 19:09

ChocHobNob - try ringing the school on Monday - there will probably be someone there. If not - do you know any other children who will be going?

Pigs - mine is going full time straight away. I think arrangements seem to vary between individual schools - mine is a small village school, only 16 starters.