carolinebog

Hello Rob I'm impressed how GG governors monitor ED forum. However they reply to different posts with the same quotations from GG Ofsted report. I have no doubt that it is a nice school with good community vibe - many parents say that in their reviews. However, as I said in my previous posts I'm not sure how stretching academically it is. I could not find on GG website any mention of math at the reception year curriculum. Other local schools even through play bring kids at reception year to quite a good level of numeracy, basic addition/subtraction, shapes, sizes and comparisons etc. It also appears as a curriculum goals for the reception year. Same with foreign languages. What about preparation for reading/writing? The website states quite a few books, but even childminders and babysitters, not being a school, read to kids and discuss texts with them, talk about recycling and food (which is in GG curriculum for reception). I'm afraid it might not be enough and I would expect more than this from a school. There is no evidence that children are less happy if taught more subjects. All the information I've stated above I've seen on GG website. If I missed or misunderstood something, I'm sorry, but that was my impression of the school academic curriculum for the reception year and it hasn't impressed me much at all. I want my DD not only be happy and thrive in a school, but get good and extensive knowledge. Please advise. Caroline GG governors Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hi @Caroline, we'd love to answer any questions > that you have about Goose Green. Ofsted inspected > our school in January and their report awarded us > a rating of GOOD, reflecting the fantastic > progress that school has made over recent years. > You can read their report here: > https://www.goosegreenprimaryschool.org/school-inf > ormation/ofsted. > > In their report Ofsted highlighted that: > > ?Goose Green Primary School is a safe, happy place > where pupils achieve well and become confident, > respectful citizens.? > > ?Leaders have put together careful plans to make > sure that pupils achieve well in a wide range of > subjects.? > > ?Leaders have high expectations and plans are > ambitious. Teachers try their best to make lessons > enjoyable and interesting. Pupils enjoy topics > which are planned around well-chosen children?s > literature.? > > If you'd like to arrange time for a chat through > any questions you have then do please get in touch > with the school office and we'll arrange to follow > up. I'm sure a conversation with our excellent > headteacher would reassure you re: any doubts you > have. > > Rob (chair of governors)

Hello Serena Your post is very helpful. It paints a realistic picture even if not exactly the one I hoped for :-((( Fingers crossed you get Harris place for your DC. Could I ask you if Harris were your first choice and which school you have been offered? Its such a shame to fall on a year with more than 50% siblings intake... It seems that our location is surrounded by so many good state primaries, but when one gets into the real catchment figures, options getting very limited indeed. If we don't get Harris, which is the second shortest distance, then our only option would be Goose Green (under 300m). And honestly I'm not sure about this school. It seems to be a local community darling and in the process of improving, but I'm still not sure about GG.

Hello loveED86 I'm at the same situation DD is due to start school next year. We are located almost at the junction of Melbourne Grove and E Dulwich Grove so Goose Green is the closest, but ideally I'd like to have Harris as the firs choice. GG is under 300m on the straight line and Harris is 497m according to Google map straight line measuring device. I'd appreciate an advice on local school catchment. thanks. loveED86 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > in particular harris primary east dulwich. > On southwarks website they only list the distances > for community schools. > Just wondering if there is any point in listing > harris ed as 1st choice for daughter due to start > school next year, we are near goose green. > Thanks

Somerset Wrote: > > Honestly - being bi-lingual is better than JAGS or > Alleyns... the cognitive benefits of learning two > languages from tiny far outweigh a couple of years > perhaps missing out on private schooling. > > You've done the right thing, don't worry x Thanks Somerset. I also was of the same opinion, but now after speaking with the tutor and after looking at the vocabulary and fluency of other, non bilingual kids I realised that DD is a bit behind in vocabulary and speech. An article I've read about bilingual kids said that one language kids can have let say 1k word active vocabulary and bilingual would have at least 500 words in each language. In total it makes at least the same amount of words they know in total, however bilinguals operate with only half words which makes their speaking less fluent and more babyish. "It also saves you more than 30k in fees and you can throw a few grand at a tutor for the year before the exam :-)" This is altogether another dilemma that we have - either to send DD to a private school or to send her to a good state school and then be able to afford to pay for tutors and a ton of extra curriculum enrichment clubs. I think we'll give it a good go at 4+ and then at 7+ and see... I have got a reply from one very helpful mum who advised to improve drawing and scissor skills as this is also being checked at the assessment. DD is still far from drawing a person. She still likes to scribble, but if encourage can draw a circle with eyes and a line for a mouth. Does anyone have an idea what should be drawing and scissor skills for 4+ assessment. I guess we could use lockdown to improve both:-)))

Clutterqueen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Where would your 4 year old be having an > assessment? Hello Clutterqueen. We'd like her to go to JAGS or Alleyns, so she'll be having assessments there. Are you familiar with their 4+ assessments?

Hello Our DD just turned 3yo. She'll have 4+ assessment in January. We do not speak English at home and would like her to speak both languages fluently. She was full time in nursery before the lockdown and where she spoke English and only in the early morning and at evenings she spoke the other language with us, which was not substantial. Now with the lockdown we spend much more time together and her progress in the other language is amazing. Her non English vocabulary has widened and we read a lot of books on different subjects at this language and she learns new words as well as new facts about nature, trees, animals, objects etc. My English has quite a heavy accent and if I read does not sound as well as my native language therefore I prefer to speak and read to DD in my native language. Earlier at the age of 2 she has been diagnosed with Glue Ear and had grommets surgery and some speech therapy. ST thougt that by the age of 3 our daughter will catch up with peers, which she did, at least 85-90%. Still I can see the difference between English and speaking other children who speak correct English at home and our DD who hears a different English and hears English spoken by non English teachers at her nursery. Our DD is quite bright, but not genius. She can count up to 20 and we read a lot of books about nature, Our hearts set on Alleyns or JAGS. I know, you can say those are the most competitive schools even for the brightest kids with good English spoken at home all the time. I asked for an advise from a tutor who prepares kids for assessments and she said that our DD might fail because she won't have extensive enough English vocabulary. She said that at the assessment there is no use of knowledge if it can not be spoken out in clear English. It's no point knowing what the gravity is if DD does not know the English word for it.She said that my DD will be at disadvantage even if she knows a lot because of her English vocabulary. I'd like to ask other mothers whose bilingual DC attended 4+ assessments to share their positive and negative experiences with us. I'm quite confused now as I can see that I'm trying to teach DD all new words in both languages, while still speaking in my native language and it does not work as well as just communicating with her in one language. It is honestly quite stressful to me as I feel guilty that I might put my DD in a disadvantage