Page 2 | 'Now we are six' documentary

HarrisMcCoo · 2021-06-26T18:13:21+00:00

Would highly recommend folk to watch this... Absolutely could change the whole landscape of education. Thoughts?

Isolatingperhaps · 27/06/2021 10:05

Thanks for the suggestion, I just watched it!

The Forest school looked wonderful. Is that in Scotland?

Also does anyone know which Steiner school that was?

Isolatingperhaps · 27/06/2021 10:08

Oh just saw that it’s Edinburgh Steiner!

PostedBefore · 27/06/2021 10:09

I agree with some points, but not others. DS3’ class started learning through play this year and comparing my older two to him, I’m not impressed.

They had about twenty minutes of teacher time a day. The rest of the time they were playing and supposed to be collecting wee velcro pictures when they had completed set tasks.

I have always sat with my children to do homework and it was clear to me that this isn’t working! DS wasn’t being reminded to form letters properly, took much longer to cover the phonics sounds and really wasn’t challenged.

He’ll be ok because he has a pain in the arse, pushy mother, but standards aren’t going to rise with that start to school.

Grellbunt · 27/06/2021 20:45

@PostedBefore

I agree with some points, but not others. DS3’ class started learning through play this year and comparing my older two to him, I’m not impressed.

They had about twenty minutes of teacher time a day. The rest of the time they were playing and supposed to be collecting wee velcro pictures when they had completed set tasks.

I have always sat with my children to do homework and it was clear to me that this isn’t working! DS wasn’t being reminded to form letters properly, took much longer to cover the phonics sounds and really wasn’t challenged.

He’ll be ok because he has a pain in the arse, pushy mother, but standards aren’t going to rise with that start to school.

Yep and it is one of the reasons we have a growing attainment gap

Kids from homes without books won't "choose" books, so why the emphasis on "choosing"?

We now have a McDonald's drive thru at nursery, I was informed. In response to the children's interests.

felulageller · 27/06/2021 21:28

First all children should have the right to 30 hours of nursery as soon as their 2nd birthday.

Then roll back the school start age. First- make the Jan/Feb birthdays automatically start at 5 instead of 4. Give all sept-dec birthdays the right to another year in nursery if the parents choose this.

charliebrown59 · 27/06/2021 22:45

Flexible start ages would make more sense, I wonder with all the choice in our lives why we are stuck with such such a restrictive model of everyone starting at age x or y, we are not all the same.

To that point, learning through play doesn't suit all children, especially given the myriad ways that's interpreted across schools but there is no choice there either.

RailingOnandOn · 27/06/2021 22:53

My son did not like nursery much. Was so much happier moving into school.🤷

McDonalds drive through..honestly?

RailingOnandOn · 27/06/2021 22:55

And yes this interpretation of child led will further fuel the already far too big attainment gap.
(Though if they stop with the pesky exams
in the Senior stage that's that problem solved.😏)

RailingOnandOn · 27/06/2021 22:56

Having said that the forest school idea and outdoor play of all sorts is a very good idea imo.

PostedBefore · 27/06/2021 23:04

I definitely would support high quality outdoor play and indoor sports from a young age.

I suppose the problem is that anything is good when it's high quality, but the same approach carried out averagely or poorly can be so negative.

RailingOnandOn · 27/06/2021 23:07

Yep.

cocoloco987 · 27/06/2021 23:26

I agree with you but Scotland is streets ahead in comparison to the rest of the UK. I have friends in England who's dc started just age 4 and although reception is meant to be play based, in reality it's really not. Friends in wakes who's dc wear uniform and come home with reading books at 3. It's far more formal with higher expectations than even the old p1 model here. I don't know if it's Scotland wide but city of Edinburgh now allow automatic deferral to all dc starting as 4 year olds from August rather than just January and February birthdays- it's a massive improvement. There has always been leeway outside this too. DD's friend in her class was nearly 6.5 when she started p1 and got fully funded nursery the previous year. Moving in to p4 dd will be 8.5 and her friend 9.5 while many are still 7. There's lots of flexibility if you choose to use it. Our school does play based learning until p3 so dd was over 7.5, and mentioned friend was 8.5 before more formal learning began. Even further up the school there is a huge emphasis on outdoor learning, even with dd1 who has just finished p7. Still a way to go but we are on the right track.

Undersnatch · 28/06/2021 07:32

I am intrigued by those whose kids are so much older than others in the class - how do they/you find that? Is it ever a barrier to their friendships? Maybe I overthought it but my DD would have towered above peers physically and been so verbally and academically different had I deferred her, and I thought that was a problem. If there were others like her I’d not mind but we don’t live in an area where many would share our views. So we felt like we had to go ahead and start her.

Callisto1 · 28/06/2021 09:20

For January and February birthdays there really isn't much difference in age. In our school deferral is quite common so I would say it's harder for the little ones. But it will probably vary a lot depending on school.

Our eldest is very tall and wore clothes for 7 year olds by 5. But being very impulsive and struggling with emotions I was sure that waiting a year would be better.

charliebrown59 · 28/06/2021 13:48

Since this is generally about education - what explains the huge difference in spend per pupil across areas?

The chart on the face of it makes me think anyone with a child with ASN (which is 30 percent!) should move to Shetland islands:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-57636716

Original poster

HarrisMcCoo · 28/06/2021 17:22

[quote charliebrown59]Since this is generally about education - what explains the huge difference in spend per pupil across areas?

The chart on the face of it makes me think anyone with a child with ASN (which is 30 percent!) should move to Shetland islands:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-57636716[/quote]
Sickening isn't it?

OP posts:

charliebrown59 · 28/06/2021 17:39

I don't know how scot gov can justify allowing that level of post code lottery on ASN funding per pupil to carry on.

A per pupil difference in spending per year ranging from £1700c for the lowest (Edinburgh pupils being robbed) to more than £5000+ for Shetland.

Imagine if that disparity was allowed for health care spending or non ASN education funding per pupil?

Original poster

HarrisMcCoo · 29/06/2021 07:27

Deferrals have been making the news yesterday. Was on Good Morning Scotland on BBC Scotland radio, then Afternoons with Isla Traquair. Then on The Nine show!

Glad it's getting air time.

OP posts:

motherstongue · 29/06/2021 14:25

More flexibility in the early years sounds great. Some children are ready for school at 5 and some aren’t. However, a 5 year old and a seven year old at the start of school life is very different to being 15 & 17 in 4th year. The 2 year differential at that stage could be quite marked.

My DS loathed nursery, it was like a punishment in his eyes to send him every day. He loved the structure of P1 and the ability to just learn as he was an academic child. The idea he would have had to wait until he was 6 or 7 to receive that structure would have been hell for us. However, I appreciate he was an exception to the rule. My DD on the other hand loved nursery. Would she have benefited from an extra year? Perhaps. There are so many variables it is hard to please everyone

mummywithtwokidsplusdog · 08/07/2021 21:17

I have two ‘winter time baby’ kids- deferred both. Now teenagers and haven’t regretted it for a minute- although youngest is quite tall so does ‘stand out’ a bit, but not enough to have ever made it an issue. Both a bit more mature than some of their peers- but it’s what they are used to from age 5 so don’t know any different. I think everyone just has to weigh everything up and go with their gut feeling /equivalent etc…being older has benefitted our two, but that doesn’t make it ‘right’ for everyone.

Flossy05 · 08/07/2021 22:14

My boys are Nov/Dec birthdays. I deferred the youngest as he wasn’t ready but the eldest was most definitely ready to start school at 4. It was definitely the right decision for my youngest but I never considered it for my eldest as he is very bright/mature etc. However, he is the youngest in his high school class and the first few years of high school were a challenge from a social perspective. Although he is happy now and doing very well, I often wonder whether it would have been easier for him had he been a wee bit older.

Fundays12 · 09/07/2021 14:24

I deferred my eldest son so he started P1 at 5.5 years. Best decision I made. The older he gets the more I realise how much this choice helped him. My middle child starts play based P1 this year at 4 years 10 months. He is absolutely ready but playbased is much better for younger kids and I feel it was the right choice to put him to school this year. I know plenty of other parents who deferred entry which is absolutely right for there child.

We push kids to hard to fast in the UK. Thankfully our school has now gone to fully play based P1 which I love.