Moving on and growing up!

We have just returned from an induction meeting at Tom's new school. It was an opportunity for us to go and meet his form tutor, see his classroom and meet some of the other children who will be in his class.

Where we live, we have a three tier school system. First schools (Reception to year 4), middle school (year 5 to year 8), and then college. It is all new to me and hubby. I went to a primary school until I was 11. Then onto secondary school, then a grammar school. Hubby did the same.
I have always taught in primary schools. So it is all very new and slightly daunting!

Tom is nervous, I can tell. He says he is looking forward to it one moment, but he is anxious and snappy at other times about it. I felt for him this evening as he sat with his friend at a table waiting for his name to be called, surrounded by lots of other children, from all the local schools (about 10 other schools). My baby is growing up. It was scary. In fact I bumped into some mums I met at anti-natal group when Tom was a new born and that i had lost touch with.

He is going to have two teachers, a job share! Nothing wrong with that I thought, until they announced one of his teachers is having an operation in the holiday and therefore won't be in until October at the earliest! So they are recruiting a cover teacher at the moment! It's not ideal, but not a lot I can do about it.

The school itself has a very good reputation in the area, in fact this year they are oversubscribed. 184 year 5 children will be starting in September. Tom is currently at a lovely somerset village first school with a total of 89 children! There will be a shock to the system somewhere along the line! Probably with the homework!!!

The headteacher started the meeting with an inspirational talk, I was very impressed. He explained that the school with give you all the opportunities you need to succeed if you work hard too! Hopefully, Tom will. He is a clever lad, but a typical one in the sense that he will only do the bare minimum he needs to! The staff all looked friendly, the facilities are great with specialist music, sport and language teachers. There are far more choices than the normal primary school can offer, but at the same time it is so big and so much like Secondary school.

Anyway, Tom is there again on Friday for the day. It's transfer day, he will spend the whole day at his new school, with his new teacher and his new class. I am definitely more nervous than he is, but both hubby and I are putting on brave faces and being very positive about the whole thing.

It's hard work, children growing up! Watch this space, I will let you know how he gets on on Friday!