Primary School Decision Made?

Confused and exhausted, but I think we have made our decision about which school we are going to apply to for Jamie to start next September.  

We saw the (final) two schools today on our list, and were certainly impressed with the one this morning.  It had a lot in common with the larger of the two we saw last week - both had very similar facilities and set up -  but discussions as we left seemed to favour that one rather than this.  This mornings school just seemed a bit more chaotic and it was the 'feeling' from the one last week that had stayed with me!

This afternoon and we visited the school that initially - pre-visits - that we had favoured.  This is the smallest of the schools and although not the nearest to us, it is the nearest to Nana.  Whereas we have seen two schools with 3 classes of 30 in each year, this one has only 5 classes in the whole school.  This means smaller class sizes with often two year groups in the same class.

Do we choose a large school with fantastic facilities where Jamie might be 'drowned' amongst the other children, or a small school with a family feel that might actually feel oppressive as there would be no hiding amongst the other children?   I do like the idea of everyone knowing everyone else, and I also liked the idea that the school have a series of 'induction' evenings for the children prior to their start.  This means Jamie will know names and faces before he starts.

What was weird was that mummy knew a lot of faces this afternoon.  A couple of the teachers / teaching assistants go to the same Zumba class as me, and one of the 'Friends of School' said she recognised me.  The headmaster was at the same secondary school as me - although a few years older! 

Numbers

Since starting pre-school, going on holiday with Lucy, and thinking about Jamie starting 'real' school this time next year, I have begun to wonder about Jamie's intellectual development.  I admit to letting him watch too much TV and so decided this week to try to limit TV and increase his reading.

This didn't last very long as a DVD I had bought him of Superted (remember him?) arrived and then we ended up borrowing another DVD of Dora's Halloween from the library (well we do need to get in the mood for the party!)

We stayed quite a while at the library on Monday and I was able to pick up a number of books relating to numbers and the alphabet (Ladybird First Steps abc and First Picture Dictionary).  Daddy has been teaching Jamie the letter J but any further than that and we are struggling. 

We are however, having better luck with the numbers.  A few months ago I bought a BBC magazine for Jamie and it came with a set of 'NumberJacks'.  Jamie enjoys playing with these and he has started to recognise what they represent.   He even asked to watch NumberJacks yesterday but unfortunately it is not on the i-player. I have just however, discovered they have their own website at:  www.numberjacks.co.uk/kids/ 

Jamie still has a tendency to just count very quickly once he is past 4 and then all numbers seem to merge into each other.  I think this is just a lack of concentration and possibly being lazy.  However, after only a day or two with the new book - Making Numbers: A Very First Counting Book, published by Andromeda - I do believe the numbers are beginning to make sense to him. 

"Don't want a new nursery mummy"

This morning we had a few tears prior to Nursery as Jamie thought that we were taking him to a different nursery without his friends. I tried to explain that he would not be changing schools until he was much bigger, but he still seemsed confused.   I don't think we will take him on another school tour.

Two down....

....two to go!

Yesterday Daddy and I visited two of the local schools that Jamie could attend when he starts school this time next year.  The first school we visited was the only school of the four we have chosen to visit that doesn't have an open day, so we had arranged a tour with the headmistress.  As Jamie was not in nursery we took him with us. 

This school was the primary school I attended throughout my junior years.  It is also the school that 'the girls' go / went to.  Had much changed in 30ish years?  It has been extended and did look very different as classrooms have changed, the library has moved, and there is no longer a dedicated canteen.  That is now the room where Jamie would start next year.   What did I think?  Wasn't quite sure at the time, but Daddy thought it looked 'scruffy'.

However, a couple of hours later and Nana arrived to look after Jamie for just over half an hour while we visited another school. This time as part of an open evening.  This school certainly helped us make up our minds about the first!  There was no comparison.  I was very impressed with the way the headmistress greeted us all individually (she recognised me from Park Nursery) and we were shown around by one of the year 6 pupils.  All the children we met seemed very well behaved and happy, and the teachers also seemed happy.  I was really impressed with what I saw in the ICT suite and the teacher who we spoke to there.

This school is the school that Jamie's cousin currently attends as well as a few other friends children.  They all seem to love it and it has done wonders with Alannah!

We have two more open days next Wednesday.  After which we will need to make a decision.....

I have seen the future....

....and I don't like it!

Just taken Jamie for his first pre-school session that is not included in one of his nursery days.

I was a little bit early and ended up queueing outside the Pre-School room with all the other mothers (and fathers).

I felt quite intimidated and I could see Jamie didn't like all the people around him.

Is this what it is going to be like at the school gates next year?

I don't think I like it.

First Joke

Last night, while I was having a bath, Jamie came in and asked:

Why was the chicken on the road?

He was looking for his house!  came the reply.

I think that was his first attempt at a joke!!

Butlins!!!

Just come back from a fantastic week at Skegness Butlins.  Jamie and Lucy had a wonderful week.  The grown ups? Well, its not about us anymore is it? We were shattered and my back may never recover from the state of the beds!!  

The swimming pool (Splash Waterworld) was full of excitement.  Jamie took a while to get used to it, but loved the crocodile and the turtle in the small wave pool.  Mummy even went on the big slides!!  Jamie and Lucy loved BobsVille as we called it with the Bob the Builder rides, the fairground, the amusements and their first time Bowling (Daddy still very upset as Jamie beat him!)  We had a couple of trips into Skegness and went to the Seal Sanctuary which they both loved. 

 

The only drawback with Butlins is the amount of large characters that wander around - people dressed up.  The first time I saw Billy Bear, I did not have time to turn around before Jamie was out of the Skyline Pavilion and into the arms of a RedCoat.   'Billy Bear?' she said.  And one breakfast was nearly ruined after Jamie came face to face with the Butlins big green dinosaur.  This made it difficult to watch a lot of the shows.  Jamie didn't know what to make of a life sized Fireman Sam and Norman.  I have spoken to a few people about Jamie's 'phobia' and it seems it is not uncommon.  However, I have yet to find a girl with the same phobia.  Lucy loved all the shows and on the last night we did get Jamie to sit down at the back and watch the Halloween Spooktacular.  He was drawn in by the music and even announced This is ABBA during Mummy, Mummy, Mummy.

 

The highlight for Jamie I think was seeing I Can Cook Katy in the flesh.  She did two shows while we were there and we were lucky enough to get tickets.  When we arrived we ended up sitting towards the back but still had a good view.  Both Jamie and Lucy wanted to go on the stage with her but I think both were too young.  (It was amazing how many older children were there seeing as how we went during the school term!).  It was a good job Jamie didn't go on the stage as there was another character - SALT - which seemed to frighten him with her appearance! 

 

Will we do it again?  Let wait and see....  The price was very good as Dean got 40% off the brochure price.  So, for what we got it was great. And did I mention Mummy and Auntie Chrissie had a lovely morning in the Spa?   We just need to do something about Jamie's 'phobia'.