MagsB

We are planning to move back to the UK sometime next year (in South Africa at the moment). My daughter has turned 6 in March, she'll be 7 in March 2012. Am I correct in thinking that she will go into Yr 2 if we move in the first half of the year and Yr 3 in the Autumn? Will she still go into Year 2 if we move before she turns 7 in March 2012?

The curriculum here in South Africa is about 18 months behind the UK. She is only in Reception now, next year January she will move to Grade One, when they will start with reading, writing etc. She's very ready for school. She has taught herself to read when she was 5. She reads very well and with understanding and does so in English and Afrikaans, which is our home language. They haven't really done any 'writing' yet, but dd is keen and I am practicing with her. I can't help worrying that this will be a huge jump for her. She will basically miss out on the whole of Year 1 and a big chunk of Year 2 as well.

I am fairly stressed to put it mildly. And then I've not even mentioned my worries about finding a school place for her mid year. At the moment it looks like we'll be moving to Bromley (London-Kent borders) but this might change.

Dashie

In situations like this, where the education happens at a different rate, I would imagine that they would assess her and either place her in the appropriate year for her level, or give her some help to catch up. I don't know for sure though, that would sound sensible to me, but they don't always do the sensible thing...

Could you look at the curriculum and maybe get some UK age/year based workbooks and try to help her get to that level before you go?

MagsB

Yes, that's what I intend to do. Been looking at some Math worksheets and it seems way more difficult than what she would be able to do at the moment, so we have a lot of work and catch-up to do. Where we'll find the time, no-one knows! I've got no doubt that she has the ability, I'm just really amazed at how far advanced the schools in the UK seems to be (I'm not sure that it is a good thing for such small children, to be honest! At her current school they are focusing far more on play and building up general knowledge anout the world around them than literacy and numeracy).

aries_bird

Please please don't worry. When my son was in year 2, two little girls came to his school from South Africa. One in his class, her sister a year younger. Both were very shy, had strange accents (to the rest of the kids) and were unable to read or write. Only a couple of years later they were indistinguishable from their peers, at the same grade, with loads of friends & broad yorkshire accents! Of course, yours won't get the yorkshire accent moving to Bromley

MagsB

I can just imagine! Thanks Aries_bird, I'm trying hard not to worry, but there are just so many things to think about. It was far easier for us to ping-pong between the 2 countries before DD came along!!

Mummy in the foothills

I wouldn't worry too much kids catch up so quickly and I'm sure they would give them some extra help if needed.
Have a look here http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/key-stages-1-and-2/ Theres a FAQ button too.
Theres also some things on the BBC that my 6 year old has enjoyed.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/website...literacy.shtml
She also like the ceebeebies http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/
It'll all give her some fun time learning and she'd be exposed to the same shows and style of learning the UK kids are.

formula

Bromley is well and truly in London, zone 5 I believe. It's a few miles drive from Bromley to Kent.

You might want to check out schools in the Bromley area. Kent has some nice schools, but places are in short supply.

Squirrel

Bromley is not London, the postcode for Bromley itself is BR1 which is not a London postcode.

reeni

The primary school i have sent mine to has been amazing. The focus here is by Key stage. The LEA here placed him according to his age, even tho i told them he was likely to be behind. HE has fit in rather well and the school has been wonderful in helping us along. WE landed in Feb and he finished the year on target. As long as the child can operate in they appropriate Key Stage they are fine and most schools will do what is needed to help the child along.

The cut off date for school entry is the age they are as of sept 1 of the school year ( in Canada it is Dec 31st of the calender year).

Another good site for school work is: http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/
there is a lot of work on this site - but you will need access to a printer. My children have spent alot of time doing educational stuff online, but it does not help their writing skills and recording things down. Unfortunately over here they focus on the written work. My youngest is in year 4 reads at a year 7 and responds verbally to issues at a year 7/8 ....but sucks at anything that is written. HE can do it just takes longer than is allowed >.< he likes everything to be perfect.

Most kids are pretty resilient, my sons biggest complaint was the uniforms, coming from Canada he did not have to wear them. HE told me he did not feel individual anymore >.< lols I told him I am sure it will be fine.

good luck,
reeni

formula

Wrong. Bromley is in South East London and it became the London Borough of Bromley in 1968. I was living in an area close to Bromley, when it moved from Kent to London (I was at primary school and the school made a big thing of it). Areas like Bexley and Sidcup also moved from Kent at the same time and became the London Borough of Bexley.

If you travel from Bromley South railway station, you will be travelling from Zone 5. London has 6 zones. Central London is zone 1, with the outermost area of London being zone 6. So as you can see, as I said, Bromley is well and truly in London.

London often swallows up surrounding areas; Clapham and Walworth (both now zone 2) use to be in Surrey. Greenwich use to be Kent until 1889.

There are only two areas inside the M25 ring road that aren't in London, and that is because both of those areas fought to keep their County status. Eventually, I assume they will have to become London too; at least the fares to London will become cheaper from those areas when they do as, at the moment, they are classed as travelling from out of London when then travelling into London.

EDIT: I just checked, and I was wrong with my guess: it was 1963 when Bromley left Kent and became south east London; nearly 50 years ago!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bromley

Squirrel

I know about the zonal system in London having lived here since 1983. It's natural that this transport system would extend beyond London itself to surrounding counties. Many areas that are actually counted as London councils and in the London zonal travel system are still not officially Greater London (or they'd have a London postcode denoted by compass point of London eg N1, W1, SE20, SW7, NW2, E17 etc). This includes not only Kent but Surrey, Middlesex and Essex. For example Croydon, though in zone 5 London Transport Zone, and considered a London borough is actually in Surrey not London, hence the CR postcode.

I'm sure residents of places like Beckenham or Kingston-on-Thames would hate to be denoted as living in London.

formula

Therefore, Bromley was already part of SE London when you moved to London and had been for 20 years.

I'm glad you're learning something about my city My family have lived in London for over 400 years and I'm still researching back on the family tree. Although when they lived in what is now known as zone 2; it was then the County of Surrey; but it isn't anymore. London keeps moving her boundaries out.

Wrong. Croydon use to be in Surrey, but in 1965 it became south London. Again, before you moved to London. It's easy for me to know all this as I lived near Croydon when it moved to London; but it's quite easy to google all this information.

"Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated 9.5 miles (15.3 km) south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 11 metropolitan centres in Greater London"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croydon

I take it you didn't read that link I gave about Bromley becoming south east London in 1963? Here is a quote from it:-

"Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London,[1] England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley."


As part of the suburban growth of London in the 20th century, Bromley significantly increased in population and has formed part of Greater London since 1963.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bromley
Do you mean Kingston upon Thames in South West London?

I have 100s of relatives in the Bromley area and they all know it's London. Perhaps it is just the migrants to London who get confused?

formula

Here is a map of Greater London. The 4 places you have said are not in Greater London (Bromley, Croydon, Kingston on[sic] Thames and Beckenham) 3 of these are all shown on this map, as being in Greater London. For those who know what area Beckenham is, you can see that Beckenham is also in Greater London.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater...ndon_Authority

Here is a map of the county of Surrey. Croydon and Kingston on[sic] Thames are not on it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrey

Here is a map of the country of Kent. Bromley and Beckenham are not on it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent

I hope this helps.

Edited to say:

There is no such county as Middlesex anymore. That county dissapeared in....................the London boundary changes of 1965.

Geordie Lass

Yes you are right with your year groups that she will enter.

I'm not sure about how she will catch up - but I am sure teachers will have plans for things like that. My son has just completed year 1 and he couldn't read at all at the beginning of the year and now is fluent so with the right help I am sure she will catch up fairly quickly. Saying that there are a few kids that still can't read very well so it might be that she will be fine anyway? Writing I think comes with practice and like you say you are doing that with her already.

I wouldn't worry about finding a place mid year. Doesn't matter whether it's the beginning of the school year or not. In my son's class we have had several kids start in the middle of a term so that's not a problem.

Once you narrow down the area and the school you want I imagine a good chat with the school secretary would help. I rang mine a good few times (we moved before my son started school and therefore weren't registered with the council). They can ask the teachers how to get your child up to speed and be able to advise you if there is anything you need to do.

Hope this helps.

x

DDL

Formula, out of curiosity, which areas are these? Interesting history.

We're near Windsor in the TW postcode so technically I probably shouldn't refer to where we live as being 'Greater London'...or is it?