[sarahM]

My daughter turned five in November and is currently in reception. She is one of the oldest children in her class which I think is quite nice. I was wondering how this is worked out in New Zealand. It would be really nice to find out how children have settled when starting a new school. My daughter has made some really nice friends in her current class and I think it helped that they were all new children starting school together. I wonder what it's like when a child starts school later as a new child.

[Sam B]

My daughter was the oldest in her class in the UK, and she is still one of the oldest in her class here. It is more flexible here though - no hard and fast rule about the 31st August cut off. It is a little harder to make friends when you are not all new together - when she started here in February, the children had all known each other for a year. There was one other new girl and so at first Sorrel was friends with her. In the first term we did have the occasional "nobody plays with me" but her teacher said this was not her perception. However, by term 4 (now) she is fully integrated and has made friends with everybody.

[thezorbster]

Our little girl turned 5 at the end of Oct so started school then. I have to say for the first 3 weeks I was really worried about her as she seemed to want the company of her older 'buddy' all the time (her school gives yr1 entrants an older yr 6 child as a kind of mentor) as opposed to the kids in her class. I had visions of her sitting there at lunchtime like billy no mates and I was getting quite upset about it. She said they kept telling her she was only 5 whereas some of them were 5 3/4 etc (typical kids, trying to get the upper hand) so I think she definitely felt the youngest and most of the other kids seemed to have 'best friends' etc as they've been there a lot longer. This week, she has not mentioned her buddy once and has been asking if she can have kids back on play dates so all of a sudden she has turned a corner. In the new year I think it will be even better as lots of kids will be moving up into yr 2 so she will then be one of only a few kids at the start of the school year and I think she'll start to form even closer attachments.

I wouldn't worry about your daughter, kids are forever 'making friends' and 'breaking friends' and she will fit in, it may not be a day one thing though!

[snailandthewhale]

They can start any time between age 5 and 6 here, which is nice as you can send them when they're ready, though most do start on their 5th birthday. My daughter had done one term in the UK as a 4 year old and was too young for school when we arrived here, it then took her a while to settle as school here was dramatically different, buddy system, outdoor lessons and outdoor pool! She loves it now.
The good thing about here is that you're never the new girl for long, as there's always another one starting after you!
K

[shakyle2906]

Hi

We moved over in April and my little one had done nearly 2 yrs in school already and was nearly 5 - nursery at 3 then reception at 4.

I too had my doubts as he is a fairly quiet child........

We went to the open day about 2 weeks before he started and there were about 12 or so that would be starting the same day. He hit if off with a few of them then and has never looked back since.

He is doing very well at school and is vey popular, going to after school care, as we both work full time (grandparents had him after school in UK). Again, we have had no problems with him at all.

Hope this helps

Sharon