hoveactually

I agree that the UK system demands far too much of young children at an early age - my five year old was having spelling tests However, I do think that the system here is too far at the other extreme. I believe that there is much more discussion centred on early years education now than when we first arrived in Australia so things may be changing.

Japonica

I think you've gotten stuck with a bad teacher. My daughter 5 years old and is in PP (in a PS in Perth SOR) in a mixed Y1/PP class and she's academically advanced for her class...this is her first year of formal schooling. She's been evaluated by at least two teachers now and she's reading past her Y1 classmates and almost at a Y2 level. Her teacher has been very accommodating with getting her adequate reading materials, getting her to do extra projects (like keeping a reading journal, writing reports etc.) and she's been working with me so that we come up with assignments to keep her interested and from becoming bored and disruptive to the class.

I hope you can find a better teacher next year who is willing to work with you and tailor the curriculum somewhat to meet the needs of your daughter. It shouldn't be totally up to you to challenge her academically. I tried workbooks here as well but my daughter and I both get bored (they're so repetitive) so with the teacher's help, we're doing research projects instead...ie. getting her to work on an assignment about a particular topic, read about it, talk about it with me and her teacher, write about it, illustrations etc. that kind of thing. She gets more out of it (and it's more fun for me as well as supervisor) than workbooks (unless there's some better quality, more engaging ones out there that I haven't discovered yet).

HelenTD

It is possible to get good teachers here, but it's so varied from suburb to suburb. Your daughter's lucky with her projects - some of the kids in my son's class were given an extension project on a female Australian sports star. The boys in the group are not too impressed. It was a homework project and they were also expected to work on it in the school holidays, but the non-extension kids weren't given a similar task.

NKSK version 2

You are right in that the variability in teachers is the fundamental problem with Australian primary schools - this is due to a lack of accountability in the system and a fear of the unions.

I am extremely pleased with my kids' state school. They've recently reviewed their numeracy teaching - and it now works very well. Teaching is generally good - albeit with the odd lazy one. And I'm pretty sure (although it's impossible to know for certain) that one of my kids would never have achieved the self-confidence she has if educated in the UK. Both kids are very happy at school.

The key to the school's success though is good leadership by someone who actually puts kids first - above the desires of teachers (unions). Secondly, it is in a very affluent area meaning there are motivated kids (and fanilies) and perhaps, more importantly, parents who push their kids and will push the school into delivering.

HelenTD

I wonder whether a govt will ever be brave enough to take the teacher/union situation. Your last paragraph is key: if the school leader is just intent on building up school numbers by accepting bright kids and thereby using their abilities to score well in NAPLAN, then the priorities get a bit skewed. We also go to a school in a very affluent area, but that doesn't mean that local families have bright kids - in fact they can be quite resentful if others have bright kids and they don't. If they are able to stack up the School Council and P&C, they can quite easily block action, if the principal goes along with them. BTW, the 3 yearly independent reviews of schools apparently talk to principals, deputies, school council and P&C - not the average parent, who just doesn't get consulted.

NKSK version 2

I'm more keen on 'motivated'. Means less distracting behaviour.

HelenTD

My little lad is very motivated, but the dratted teacher has placed him next to a child with VERY distracting behaviour all year (don't know what's wrong exactly, but it's something fairly disturbing). I've asked for my child to be moved, but the teacher has ignored my request. He has a go at my child for not completing his work, but the poor boy can't concentrate. This is a child who has won awards in previous years.

rach28

I have to stick up for the wa education system my daughter thats has just turned nine did reception, year 1, year2 and year 3 in the uk. After being in the state school here for 2 weeks her teacher called me in to tell me she had grave concerns with my daughter. She was then tested and found to be 2 years behind her age group and was classed at educational risk. She has since seen diffrent specialist and has been diagnoised as having dyslexia, adhd and traites of Autism. Now im sorry but all the teachers in the uk made comments about how she struggled and didnt sit still but never came and said it was a concern. One of here teachers was also a senco office for the school. So in my opinon if a teacher picks up in 2 weeks that teachers cant pi8ck up on in 4 years then something has got to be wrong.


Rachael

PoppetUK

Sorry to hear about your experience Rachael. I do hope you are all getting the support needed now. My best mate in Aus (WA) has been fighting for the past 3 years to get to the bottom of her son's problems. I'm hoping tomorrow when I speak to her she'll have some good news (a proper diagnosis) so her little one can finally get the educational support needed but it's been a very painful process. She has had to pay thousands to get this diagnosis to.

I was just checking into this thread as we've been back in the UK for a few weeks. So far we are having good experiences with school. My two little ones are very engaged in school already (year 2 and r). My daughter is rather lucky as there are only 21 children in her class with 1 assistant. She has lots of opportunities to do things during lunch time and after school and most of it's free She does get homework that seems more specific to the learning. It appears that the curriculum helps hold things in place so I can tell where my daughter is at. Parents evening will be interesting.

Just want to add that my son was getting off to a flyer in Australia due to the most fantastic Kindy teacher who was working in a very similar manner to a reception teacher. The school was starting to adopt some of classroom practises we are perhaps used to in the UK but it was still done in a gentle way.

I've always said a bit of both cultures would be fantastic but I've had to pick which one I felt was going to support me best as a person, mother etc so I can then support and guide my three little ones. Will certainly miss some aspects but not others.

Poppet

neil248

Disruptive behaviour in a state school was a massive issue for us in one academic year for our daughters class, the teacher tried her best to deal with the problem but had no support from the school management. She basically implied that our daughter would be better off over the road meaning the private school opposite. She had really lost faith in the stste system.

We did our research and did place our daughter in a private school that suits her needs and is now in a class with a motivated teacher and kids who want to learn. The whole environment is a world away from the previous school.

When viewing the new school I asked outright if disruptive pupils were kicked out. They teacher replied We don't put it quite like that but if any bad behaviour issues are not resolved then there will not be a place for them next term.

Not good if yours is the disruptive pupil or the state state school they eventually end up in which is what had happened in our case.

Regardless of the above our daughter has thrived in Australia and for a country whos education system is criticised so much the economy seems so much better than many other places and the educated Brits now have a currency on its way to being worthless!

snurse42

Hi, I am sorry if I am repeating what has already been said as I haven't read through all the previous posts but I have to stick up for the schools here! I understand that the schooling can vary greatly not only from state to state but from suburb to suburb, that also applies to the UK.
We moved here in April from a very good school in Cheshire, I have 2 boys age 6 and 11.
They are thriving here we find the school to be more disciplined in the classes but has a more relaxed feel and is less results focused. It may be that we have been very lucky in the state school they are in but they are loving it and their work is showing the results of that!!!
In having more focus on social development and self confidence they have come alive in school and are now happy to put themselves forward and participate. While I appreciate that exams and results are important later in life, personality and attitude IMHO is equally as important!

neil248

I have to agree with snurse42. I doubt that our daughter would be the vibrant confident girl she is today if we had stayed in our home town and she had carried on in the schools in our catchment area. Upbeat seems to sum this place up which is not how I remember the UK

Grayling

You must have lived in a crap area then

neil248

No we lived in Shrewsbury which would probably be considered a decent town, but still consider the schools there depressing affairs where the lowest common denominator rules.

Despite your "location" there is surely more choice in how you live your life in what kind of accomodation and how you educate your kids in Australia than in the UK for working class people.

It is nearly 5 years since we were in the UK so are probably not qualified to comment.