1. Research Reports and determine your top 5 school's of choice for each kid.
2. Fill out a ton of paperwork, including your list of schools, and turn it into the local borough, or council.
2. Upon turning that in, wait 4-6 weeks for a reply.
3. Get a letter in the mail stating what schools have a place for your kid (note: none were available for my boys)
4. Sit with the Head Mistress/ or Head Teacher (like the principal). Emily was totally interviewed.
5. Once a place is offered, fill out more paperwork and accept the place or....
** Decline the place and be put on a waiting list for 2-9 months. Yikes!
This has not been a fun process. Needless to say, it took a long time to finally get our kids situated and into school. We had places for each of them for the day we returned from Spain, October 4th.
Here are some pictures:
It's only been a week today, but Emily LOVES it! It is so different, and maybe I'll make her write a little post about her experiences but she's pretty happy. I think secretly she likes the uniform (shhh!). I already like the kids in uniform, it's so much easier! Their electives are organized so differently here. She's had the following, in her 4 days of school:
- English
- Math
- Science
- History (Which she says is so interesting here)
- French
- P.E.
- Dance
- Piano
- Cooking
After school she has already done the following:
2 Netball practices (like basketball without dribbling-great for working on pivoting and passing)
1 Cross Country Championship race (where she took 5th out of 100+ girls)
1 Girls Football Game (that's soccer, of course: they're the losingest team, but they won last night!!!!)
She says there's gymnastics, rugby, and who knows what else. She wants to do it ALL!!!
So much fun.
Dallin and I were a bit shocked in his classroom to walk into it and see girls and boys changing their clothes IN their classroom for P.E. WHAT???? So different. On the other hand, we were pleasantly surprised to hear that they go swimming on Tuesdays (note: they change their clothes in separate changing rooms for this day, thank goodness!) Dallin's teacher seems happy and great, and Dallin is a happier boy when he's engaged at school!
Jaxon. Oh, Jaxon?! ! What can I say about him. I am just so worried about him. He just started school this Monday. He did alright on day 1. Not so good on day 2. Day 3 was a good day. And now today, he didn't want to go. I'm just so nervous. Kids here go to school all day, it's called Reception, and it's like Kindergarten at age 4! These kids have already been attending Nursery since they were 2 and 3. I think most of the kids here are used to this, but Jaxon IS NOT! And the uniform, taking a lunch, being gone all day, having to listen to a teacher and do things that aren't HIS idea, this is all new to him. So, I'm still very worried, I'll report back in another week or two!