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Is my child ready for P1?

Sunrise Christian School encourages a beneficial partnership between parents and teaching staff. We want to provide an education that is God-honouring and thus suitable for your child’s needs. One question that we face is when children should start at school. The answer to this question is more to do with maturity than chronological age and therefore there is no blanket answer. We do, however, recognise that it can be detrimental to a child if they start school when they are not mature enough which can badly affect their confidence or cause them to become withdrawn. However, in a school like ours where we purposely want small classes and more individual attention, these difficulties can be lessened.

Understandably, this is an important decision and can be an emotional time for you as a parent. If you are worried about it, we want to encourage you with two thoughts. First, as the parent, you already know your child best, and second, if you want advice, we are happy to help.

In Scotland, children start school when they are aged between four-and-a-half and five-and-a-half. However, your child may be in that seemingly awkward category where deferral is an option. Every child is different. Some children in this category would find P1 difficult and others would find an additional year at nursery boring. There is no one solution.

Your child’s readiness for school cannot be judged simply by chronological age. We have assessed various children’s readiness for school and are willing to help do the same for your child. The word assessment may sound quite daunting, but our assessments are very relaxed. The child has fun while we ascertain if they are ready for school. In a typical assessment, your child might enjoy activities such as colouring in, jigsaws, and identification games. We don’t remove the child from the parent, so you have nothing to fear. We are here to help you make this important decision.

Below are some questions that you might like to consider as you wrestle with this decision:

-Can your child listen to instructions and follow them?

-Can your child put on their own coat?

-Can your child go to the toilet by themselves?

-How are your child’s fine motor skills? Can they hold a pencil?

-Is your child curious and wanting to learn new things?

-Does your child get on with other children? Do they take turns?

If you would like any further assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.

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