This is the time of year that infant and primary schools hold their open days for prospective new parents. You may have already visited the schools in your local area and be thinking about where to apply. The deadline for admissions is 15 January 2015 so you still have plenty of time to visit schools and make your decision, however we have a request! Please don’t mess up the status quo here at nursery!
School Admissions and Visits
What do we mean? Well, every year there are a few children who find the build up to “big school” a bit tough. Unfortunately for them this can affect their last months at nursery, and also have an impact on other children too. Sometimes children are picking up on their parent’s worries about school places, other times they get over-excited about going to school and this reduces their enjoyment of nursery.
Your Child’s Concept Of Time Is Not The Same As Yours!
If, like me, you can’t believe it’s already mid-October you may forget how slowly a year passes for a small child. Think about those car journeys with the constant question “are we there yet?” and you’ll understand why making a big deal about going to big school now, can create problems for the next 11 months! While it’s important to prepare your child for moving to their new school, this doesn’t need to begin until much nearer their start date.
In fact, at nursery we are already preparing them for big school, they just don’t know it! Everything from putting their hand up when wanting someone’s attention to lining up to go outside, equips your child with the basics for coping in Reception next year. Of course they are also following the Early Years Foundation Stage to ensure they are prepared for school on an academic level too.
No doubt your chosen school will invite your child in for some settling in sessions in the summer term, until then I think it’s best to downplay going to big school so that they get the most out of their nursery while they are still here.
Anxiety About School Places
Unfortunately many parents are faced with anxiety about whether or not their child will get a place at their chosen school. You won’t find out about primary school places until 16 April which is quite a wait for both you and your child. Once again, it’s best to try to protect your child from any worries you may have and ask your friends and family to do the same.
We all know how easily children misunderstand comments they overhear, and also how sharp their hearing can be at times! Therefore try not to have conversations about school places in earshot of your child, or their friends – who may also have keen hearing – so they don’t pick up on your anxiety. If school places are an issue for you, it may be best to avoid any mention of going to big school until this has been resolved.
School Visits
Although primary schools need to hold their open days during the autumn term when the local council application process opens, I think it’s a bit early to introduce the idea of going to school to a 3 or 4 year old. By all means visit the school with your little one, but treat it more as an outing than a milestone moment in their lives!
I would suggest visiting without them, which allows you to really focus on the school, ask any questions you want and observe the children currently attending the school. If you want to involve your child in the decision making process, you could arrange a separate visit once you’ve got your shortlist.
Alternatively, why not take your child to an event at the school? Many primary schools hold Christmas fairs and open their doors to the public. This would be a great opportunity for all of you to experience the school and get a feel for it.
We’ll be looking at ways to prepare your child for school next year, in the meantime let’s all make the most of having preschool children, before homework, SATs and other pressures start to mount!
Further details on school admissions can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/schools-admissions