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Elated after KJ01 has been offered a place at a top and our first choice school. 😀
How about you, all good?
Slightly deflated after calculating the cost ok school dinners, breakfast club and after school club on top of KJ02's nursery fees all happening in parallel. 'king e'll how much? Still, its very much worth the sacrifice.
We got into ours, she was already at nursery there though. It wasn't our first choice nursery.
It's annoying, because it's a drive away, but we did want her to go to a Welsh school. It's pretty cool hearing her come out with a second language at the age of 3 so I guess it's worth the driving.
[i]It's annoying, because it's a drive away, but we did want her to go to a Welsh school. It's pretty cool hearing her come out with a second language at the age of 3 so I guess it's worth the driving. [/i]
Even funnier than your overtaking post...
My In-Laws are all Welsh, and the only Welsh spoken is when the MIL is gossiping to her one Welsh speaking mate on the phone. Waste of (public) money IMO.
Racist 😆
Still, its very much worth the sacrifice.
Got this weeks lottery number to hand? 🙂
As with anything - past performance is no guarantee of future outcomes
Waste of (public) money IMO
Do they also think it's a waste of money? I've met some that do.
In any case, it's widely acknowledged that being fluent in any second language is a major educational benefit - even if it is Welsh 🙂
Plus, if you're looking for casual work as a student, you get some great opportunities if you speak Welsh and live in Cardiff - lots of people having to provide services in Welsh and not very many speakers.
Wouldnt it be better to get your child educated in a language more widely spoken internationally? Rather than one with limited appeal outside of one small nation, where most people there speak english anyway?
Tell you what is scary
The fact that little Miss Ro5ey will have done her first year at school in a dozen, or so, weeks.
Wouldnt it be better to get your child educated in a language more widely spoken internationally? Rather than one with limited appeal outside of one small nation, where most people there speak english anyway?
Thing is that learning languages is a skill that can be learned, so by learning Welsh she's learning that skill. And learning languages does good things to your brain (haven't heard that Welsh is an exception). And learning dead languages can be useful in an archeological way.
I hope so I dropped them off at 8.45am...
Yep, my daughter got into the school we wanted her to go to. The ones we looked at all had good Ofsted reports but this one just felt right when we visited. So I hope she is happy there.
Tell you what is scaryThe fact that little Miss Ro5ey will have done her first year at school in a dozen, or so, weeks.
Agree with that sentiment!
We got our second choice. No hardship, its a bigger school a bit further away, 1 mile vs 500m. Still judged outstanding.
Twins here, so the big childcare bills stop, means more disposible income for me 🙂
However, it does make balancing work more tricky, afterschool club closes at 5:30 and I work almost an hour away..
We find out tomorrow. Bit of a double edged sword for me personally as the best school in the area (and the one that is our first choice) is a faith school.
I am happy to compromise my principles in pursuit of the best education we can offer our son, but it is frustrating that in order to get into a school rated 'outstanding' as opposed to just 'excellent' (or whatever second place is) at least one of you has to subscribe to the church.
I'm all for freedom to worship but this sticks in the throat a bit.
FWIW, I wouldn't chase the ratings too much. I had a right hassle last year as my son didn't get any of our choices but went to a school which was well rated but further away.
Eventually we got to a closer school which according to the assessments isn't quite as good. Thing is the new school is MUCH better academically and for my son I can't see anything that isn't so good. I suspect that the other school progresses kids more given that a lot of their intake didn't speak English as a first language but isn't so good for the other kids...
but it is frustrating that in order to get into a school rated 'outstanding' as opposed to just 'excellent' (or whatever second place is) at least one of you has to subscribe to the church.
God smiles on the righteous 🙂 . (God also smiles on fools and drunks though - its a broad church)
Agree with clubber, best to, go with the school you like and feel comfortable with. We were offered places in two primary schools locally when we moved, one close and outstanding, the other a mile away and satisfactory.
We felt a lot more comfortable with the satisfactory school when we visited, and chose that. Last month it had its first ofsted for several years, under the new no 'no notice' rules, and was rated good.
at least one of you has to subscribe to the church
Can you not just buy it in WH Smiffs?
Can you not just buy it in WH Smiffs?
They need your subs up front otherwise after one issue you realise it's a load of rubbish and never bother again.
To balance it my mother was head of a Church school for over 10 years without really believing in any of that...
Yep. We chose more by feel than ratings, happily the one we liked best is all of about 50yds from our front door. We could chuck a zip line from the kids' bedrooms straight to the playground if only they'd let us 🙂
As mentioned above, I can't believe Jnr W2K MkI is already heading to school. We're going to do a lot of stuff this summer! 😀
I think in Scotland, if you live in the catchement, you get a place. Do you guys think this is better or worse than what we have in England now?
We got ours in our first choice.
Slightly deflated after calculating the cost ok school dinners, breakfast club and after school club on top of KJ02's nursery fees all happening in parallel. 'king e'll how much? Still, its very much worth the sacrifice.
Still cheaper than 2 sets of nursery fees though! We had 2 at nursery for about 18 months, saved us a fortune my eldest starting school last sept.
I am happy to compromise my principles in pursuit of the best education we can offer our son, but it is frustrating that in order to get into a school rated 'outstanding' as opposed to just 'excellent' (or whatever second place is) at least one of you has to subscribe to the church.
We did this. But my wife being in church (well, in the creche) twice a month with the kids opens up more riding opportunity. Every cloud etc... 😆
Like MR P above, our was our first choice on merit, but also on instinct so good news all round. Its also the only school in 5miles that does a fully organic menu cooked on site.
Now, I'm not a parent, so I couldn't possibly understand but...... When i was a lad, you went to school. That was it. You didn't have to choose a school, or compete to get into a school. You went to the local school, your siblings, friends and neighbours were there.
Its strikes me that the only outcome from offering choice is people don't get what they want - don't get to go to a the most convenently local school, don't get their kids in the same school, put on a faith act to get into a certain school (or not get their kid into a faith school). I've got friends who've got kids in different schools with different term dates - so not only do they not go to school together, at half terms they don't even get to go on holiday together. The younger kid was denied a place in her sisters school on terms that were both so arbitrary and so utterly revolting that I won't go into it.
So is this better for anyone or just shit for everyone?
Yeah my youngest got in but as her big sis is there already it was not likely to be an issue. some parents were getting stressy though!.
breakfast club and after school club
This I do not get. Sorry.
Surely you have kids and make some sacrifices in order to have at least one parent with them for periods of time whilst they are actually awake?
Its strikes me that the only outcome from offering [s]choice [/s] [u]a rating on how well the school performs[/u] is people don't get what they want
FIFY
Regarding having different kids at different schools, that is really bad. I actually thought schools were supposed to give preference to children with older siblings to avoid precisely the reasons you've highlighted above.
That really is pretty shocking.
That really is pretty shocking.
its the least shocking thing about it sadly.
Regarding having different kids at different schools, that is really bad. I actually thought schools were supposed to give preference to children with older siblings to avoid precisely the reasons you've highlighted above.
That I don't get either - someone in our area is in that position - how on earth are they meant to get different kids to different schools at the same time?
by making sacrifices?
by making sacrifices?
Come on Clubber, you must know how hard it is. Both parents working and you want to make life even harder by having to do two drop offs at different times not to mention the increase complexity of making child care arrangements during out of term time.
[i]Plus, if you're looking for casual work as a student, you get some great opportunities if you speak Welsh and live in Cardiff - lots of people having to provide services in Welsh and not very many speakers. [/i]
No, its because a couple of folk wityh self-interest have managed to make it a requirement to work with the Welsh Govt (sic).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_Language_Board
So they're trying to force your children to speak Welsh to each other:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-20677528
[i]Earlier, First Minister Carwyn Jones said the next challenge for the Welsh language was to ensure young people spoke it outside the classroom.
Mr Jones said his own children speak English to each other, despite going to a Welsh-language school.
"Cracking that is going to be crucial to the future of the language over the next 10 years," he said.
[/i]
[i]Do they also think it's a waste of money? I've met some that do.
In any case, it's widely acknowledged that being fluent in any second language is a major educational benefit - even if it is Welsh
Plus, if you're looking for casual work as a student, you get some great opportunities if you speak Welsh and live in Cardiff - lots of people having to provide services in Welsh and not very many speakers.[/i]
The other plus being that when she is a stroppy teenager she can abuse you in front of her mates without you realising what she is saying 😀
I was pointing out how silly and full of assumption his original comment was geetee...
blimey Mister P school already!
I was pointing out how silly and full of assumption his original comment was geetee...
Not at all. Two utterly and completely different things.
One decision is controlled 100% by the parents, the other decision is 100% controlled by the LEA.
That I don't get either - someone in our area is in that position - how on earth are they meant to get different kids to different schools at the same time?
does this question not go some way to answering your earlier one?
johndoh - Memberbreakfast club and after school club
This I do not get. Sorry.
Surely you have kids and make some sacrifices in order to have at least one parent with them for periods of time whilst they are actually awake?
Schools start at 9 and end at 3 - its not always easy to manage two people jobs around those hours including travel to and from, especially when yu need those jobs to earn money in the first place - isn't this obvious?
I was pointing out how silly and full of assumption his original comment was geetee...
Ah OK forgive me, I misunderstood.
Regarding kids not getting in to the same school as their older sibling, I don't know how it works in other areas, but there are at least 5 kids in my oldest son's class who have younger siblings applying for school this year. The thing is, all of them apart from us are outside catchment, which puts them lower in priority than kids without siblings who are in catchment. I think they should all get in given the amount of out-of-catchment the school takes, but no guarantees and it's easy to see how such a situation could happen - the politics will be interesting if all but one of them get in (I think of the 4 the furthest away, so the least likely to get in is the one who's dad is a governor!). Of course policies vary from place to place.
Schools start at 9 and end at 3 - its not always easy to manage two people jobs around those hours including travel to and from, especially when yu need those jobs to earn money in the first place - isn't this obvious?
I'm with you on this. The length of a school day is based around how long a child can sustain academic endeavour. It has the spin off of freeing teachers up to prepare lesson mark etc when the kids leave. It's still a royal pain in the arse for parents doing normal jobs to have to collect them or be at home for them. Kids still can have plenty of capacity to be away from home in this part of the day without missing out - they have just had their fill of "learning". Schools don't have the resources to en mass supervise the entire cohort and society seems to have moved on from allowing kids to roam free at the end of the day like we did in the 70s and 80s so paid after school clubs make perfect sense. From what I've seen a lot of them are great with opportunities to get homework done in the right environment, social engagement and physical activity. So much better than most kids get at home at that time of day plonked in front of a telly.
I don't think any parent should be made to feel guilty for using the services of a good after school club.
It depends on your LA.
In Bristol there is no catchment, just distance and siblings factor higher than distance so that if/when you get your first kid into a school, you're near enough guaranteed the second,etc will get in too.
its not always easy to manage two people jobs
Surely one person's job? It doesn't take two parents to take children to and from school.
In Bristol there is no catchment, just distance and siblings factor higher than distance so that if/when you get your first kid into a school, you're near enough guaranteed the second,etc will get in too.
That's pretty sensible when you're in a city and the next nearest school isn't that much further away. Here in the country our local school is a half mile walk, the next nearest school is several miles away. Not getting your kid into the local school is as much of a nightmare as having your kids at different schools. As you say policies vary.
Surely one person's job? It doesn't take two parents to take children to and from school.
Not all children have two parents, which you might realise if you pulled your head out from up your arse and observed the world around you.
Don't be silly, it's far easier to make sweeping generalisations about the nasty people whose kids are forced kicking, screaming and miserable to go to breakfast/afterschool clubs than actually consider that real life isn't quite so simple in all cases...
Just to add, I remember writing a paper years ago on choice in schools. There's plenty of evidence (I'm assuming there still is) that overall choice is a bad thing for the make up of schools and leads to increased "ghettoisation", which leads to more demand for choice as the contrasting demographic of the cohorts becomes more distinct which leads to increased levels of dissatisfaction. There was also interesting stuff about the effective increasing of the catchment area of the school (by allowing more students from outside of the traditional catchment to come to the school) having negative effects on the community feel of the school and the take up of after school activities and sports teams.
johndoh - Memberits not always easy to manage two people jobs
Surely one person's job? It doesn't take two parents to take children to and from school.
It often takes 2 peoples jobs to pay the mortgage, bills, childcare etc... And before you ask, yes one of us could stay at home to look after the youngest. By while its achievable Nursery can be a education both morally, socially and literal point of view for kids, rather than hang around adults for their first four years.
Surely he's trolling....
Not all children have two parents
Nope but I was responding to the post that said two parents can to arrange their jobs around drop offs.
It often takes 2 peoples jobs to pay the mortgage, bills, childcare etc...
And that's my original point. If it takes two people working full time to afford their lifestyles then perhaps it wasn't the best idea to have kids.
Nope but I was responding to the post that said two parents can to arrange their jobs around drop offs
that point handnt been made, come on please try harder if you want to play this game
breakfast club and after school clubThis I do not get. Sorry.
Surely you have kids and make some sacrifices in order to have at least one parent with them for periods of time whilst they are actually awake?
If it takes two people working full time to afford their lifestyles then perhaps it wasn't the best idea to have kids.
who is suggesting they both work full time?
This is Bliars fault innit? Get every one into work, working tax credt etc, we are breeding a nation of kids who are not being brought up by their parents.
Nobody answered my q about the scottish system, am I right in thinking its a guaranteed place if you live in catchment?
Get every one into work
What a despicable concept!
we are breeding a nation of kids who are not being brought up by their parents.
You are saying that like it's always a bad thing! I've worked with plenty of kids where the very worst aspect of their upbringing is the bit done by their parents! I'm about to meet one in a minute - god awful woman! Sadly there is not some latent built in switch that's activated at the birth of a child that makes you automatically the very best person to be responsible for bringing it up.
Perhaps get them to make there own pack lunches at breakfast club.?Slightly deflated after calculating the cost ok school dinners
Luckily I earn enough so my wife can do the drop off and pick up in the Audi Q7, wouldn't want my boys picking up up bad habits from the naughty kids in after school club.
Very poor troll I know.
No convert I think work is a great idea, but I don't like the idea that staying at home to look after your kids is not considered a job. Housewives/husbands should be given working tax credits, and other benefits. Then there is choice. Right now most people have no choice, its work or poverty.
I don't think all parents are as bad as you so, most are in fact rather good.
johndoh - MemberNot all children have two parents
Nope but I was responding to the post that said two parents can to arrange their jobs around drop offs.
It often takes 2 peoples jobs to pay the mortgage, bills, childcare etc...
And that's my original point. If it takes two people working full time to afford their lifestyles then perhaps it wasn't the best idea to have kids.
You are Edukator and I claim my £5.
Let me tell you now, you don't have to have an extravagent lifestyle to need to earn enough money to afford put your kid in a nursery.
My bills in September will be 6/8th of my income, steadily getting better as KJ02 get older / nursery fees reduce - I won't be doing to much thats extravagant with the remaining 2 8ths....
Don't feed the troll guys!
steadily getting better as KJ02 get older
Aha, ha, ahhahahahahahahahhahahahahhh! 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆
You reckon?
Oh boy is real life going to surprise you, seriously.
This is Bliars fault innit?
also Thatchers for helping make housing so expensive 😆
Surely you have kids and make some sacrifices in order to have at least one parent with them for periods of time whilst they are actually awake?
we are breeding a nation of kids who are not being brought up by their parents.
I was neglected by two working parents and turned out fine, in fact one was working long days and the other was working 12hr nights and 4/2 shift pattern so were were only together as a family one weekend in 4 as well. Lets try not to get two spiral eyed about it, a breakfast / after school club is about the hour or two between school closing time - 3ish- and the end of the adult working day -5/6ish.
If peoples kids were being delivered home asleep by taxi at 11pm that would be something different. But its not that is it.
I think the school day should be extended (its a shorter school day than when I was a kid - I can remember my school day being cut from a 4.30pm finish to a 4pm and a whole hour has been shaved off since then)- not in the sense that the lessons should be longer but there should be more, longer breaks and more things than lessons - like daily assemblies. You know - fun, being a kid, that stuff.
I'm just coming to the end of a project with a school and their school day is shite. No assembly, 3 long class sessions, one 15 minute morning break, 45mins to gulp your lunch,the whole afternoon without a break, kicked out 3 hours before adults finish work...thats shit frankly, the days has had all of the kids' time sliced out of it.
theres a third option where you get to have your cake and eat it: Work [i]and[/i] poverty 🙂Right now most people have no choice, its work or poverty.
Crikey - I've put one through this process already I'm aware... I was talking specifically about descreasing nursery fees per age of child.... My 4yo already wants his own ipad 😯
Crikey - I've put one through this process already I'm aware
I've got a 20, a 19 and a 16 year old; seriously, nursery fees are pocket change...
maccruiskeen, yes I'm not saying working parents is all bad, but I jsut dislike the idea that most middle/lower income families do not have a choice.
I have been lucky and my wife had the choice, so is not working currently. The kids are 6 and 3, she wanted to be at home with them. I like it too, and hope we can stay in that position until they go to uni.
It is the lack of choice that bugs me.Children enrich life and it is dad for a parent (especially a mum) if they cannot spend lots of time together.
And yes I recognise the third option...
Crikey, All the more reason for Mrs K to work 3 days a week and keep her career alive then, rather than stand by the kitchen sink as perhaps Mrs Johndoe does...
Indeed and that's what I often notice - blokes saying that sacrifices need to be made which translates into "the wife should stay home". fine if she's happy to do that but I reckon that a lot of the blokes suggesting it wouldn't fancy giving up work entirely.
Similarly a lot of 'the wives' prefer to do some work to retain some adult contact and a career to some extent. Kids in a breakfast/afterschool club for a short time for some days each week is hardly neglect is it?
No - and in my case its only for three days a week (as Mrs K is avialable the other 2 days) plus 8 - 5.30 has been the case since he started at nursery at 1yo so he knows no different.
I'm just coming to the end of a project with a school and their school day is shite. No assembly, 3 long class sessions, one 15 minute morning break, 45mins to gulp your lunch,the whole afternoon without a break...
That's nothing new. It's the same set up that I had when I was at secondary school in the 80s.
thats shit frankly, the days has had all of the kids' time sliced out of it.
Not really, the kids now have loads of time available to them after school.
the Scottish sytem has its points. Actually IMHO it should be the only option. Kids should go to local schools. the choice issue is wrong. Think of the school runs complaints that would drop if more people walked.
mattsccm, I agree, but the converse opinion is that schools in posh areas tend to be better, so poor people cannot buy into that.
You have to ask why schools in posh areas are better, I personally think it has nothing to do with the money...
I don't think all parents are as bad as you
Just so you know I think this is one of the worst things I've read on this site and I've been here a long, long time.
Just so you know I think this is one of the worst things I've read on this site and I've been here a long, long time.
I'm sure he can speak for himself a_a, but I think this is a typo somehow. My first reaction was that it was a pretty horrible thing to say, but I'm sure he meant "suggest" or something afterwards.
Anyway, he should correct it if he did. Let's not get the pitchforks out yet. 🙂
Which school Kryton?
You're Enfield way rant you?
MM
Thanks DD, AA cant get past his hatred of me so he has to quote everything I say out of context. Its a bit sad.
Convert and I were having a civil conversation, he mentioned
I've worked with plenty of kids where the very worst aspect of their upbringing is the bit done by their parents! I'm about to meet one in a minute - god awful woman! Sadly there is not some latent built in switch that's activated at the birth of a child that makes you automatically the very best person to be responsible for bringing it up.
Which I was responding to.
There was nothing in what convert wrote that alluded to his parenting style, so I cannot see how I could have commented on his parenting style. Its just typical STW, particularly AA, only reading that which makes you froth, instead of understanding the context of the conversation.
And convert, if I insulted you I am truly sorry, I meant to say as bad as you think or something along those lines. Apologies for the mistype.
(In fact I dunno how the "so" got in there, I think I was being a bad parent and ignoring my 3 year old whilst she was hassling me, and messed up my edit).
I am mortified to think that I have upset you convert with what was written there. Apologies.
, so I cannot see how I could have commented on his parenting style
so why did you?
My youngest son got an offer on my one and only choice of primary school.
I will use after school clubs because I have to
As a single parent , it is damned if you do and damned if you don't work.
If I chose to be a full time parent, like plenty of your wives are, would I be doing what is best for my children, or would I be a lazy benefit scrounger?
I am working full time, but does this mean I am neglecting my children by using after school clubs, or am I doing what should be done by not claiming benefits?
Can't win either way 😐
My youngest son got an offer on my one and only choice of primary school.
I will use after school clubs because I have to
As a single parent , it is damned if you do and damned if you don't work.
If I chose to be a full time parent, like plenty of your wives are, would I be doing what is best for my children, or would I be a lazy benefit scrounger?
I am working full time, but does this mean I am neglecting my children by using after school clubs, or am I doing what should be done by not claiming benefits?
Can't win either way 😐
anagallis_arvensis - Member," so I cannot see how I could have commented on his parenting style"
so why did you?
Posted 3 minutes ago # Report-Post
Yes aa I didnt. Try and be civil.
and it's so good it came up twice 😀