Preparing to leave Year Two

Preparing to leave Year Two

I can’t believe that Monkey is preparing to leave Year Two.  It just doesn’t seem possible that he’s going to be old enough to be moving to Key Stage Two in September.  I know that for some of you, that means a different school, it did for me back in the day as I had a First, Middle and Secondary school in Surrey.  Thankfully for my change resistant child, he remains in the same school.  The Year Three classes are just further round the playgrounds here.

We received Monkey’s report on Friday, and there were so many positives to take from it.  He has come so far, in so many ways this academic year, and I’m so proud of him for every step he’s taken along the way.  He finds school a challenge at times.  He’s very quiet, struggles to let others into his world and finds sharing his thoughts and feelings difficult.  He does everything in his own time which doesn’t always sit well in school where there are so many boxes to be ticked and criteria to be met.  He doesn’t fit the norm, and at times its heart breaking, challenging and frustrating.  One day he flies and does brilliantly, and the next day, not so much.

I decided a long time ago to skim over the tick box elements on school reports.  They don’t tell the story of my son and his progress through school.  They don’t show the work he’s put in or the support he’s had from his teacher.  As we’re preparing to leave Year Two, I have once again, just been concentrating on the comments from his teacher and the head mistress.  They tell the true story of my son and his achievements.  They tell me about a boy who wouldn’t say boo to a goose in class but now stands there and joins in singing a song in class to the parents.  They tell me about a boy who joined in with Sports Day this year and loved it. I have a quiet boy who seems to love art, and definitely the art elements in school projects.  I have a son who loves nature and a child who will now happily share his encyclopedic knowledge of topics that he is interested in.  I have a son who is starting to show others the boy I see.  A boy who is funny, caring and kind.

We had an inset day here on Monday, and I decided that as we are preparing to leave Year Two, and would have Transition Day on Tuesday, that we should get away and have some fun.  So on Monday we headed off to Legoland Windsor for the day.  The weather forecast had been a tale of clouds and showers, but on the day itself, we had sunshine and it stayed dry.  Monkey’s been having lots of unsettled nights and has been telling me he doesn’t want to leave Year Two, he doesn’t want to be in Year Three.  I’ve tried to play it all down, but clearly he’s starting to get anxious about the changes ahead.

Preparing to leave Year Two

A day of fun, was very much in order.  I’d asked him where he’d like to go for the day a while ago, and Legoland was his choice.  We’d not been this year, so it seemed liked a good choice to me.  He’s not a big thrill seeker, and to be honest, he’d be very happy to spend a whole day chasing train in Miniland. There are certain rides that he does love like Sky Rider, Atlantis and Coastguard HQ but he couldn’t be persuaded to try the new Lego Ninjago ride. But that was fine.  It was his day, a treat for trying so hard in Year Two and a day for him to leave all his worries at home.

Preparing to leave Year Two

Of course, like all children, he can be rather contrary.  All weekend he’d been talking about having fun in the Splash Safari.  We always save this area until later in the day, so he can get as wet as he likes in his swimming stuff and then he can get changed as we head home.  So that wad our plan again, and after having carried his stuff around for him all day, he then decided he wasn’t fussed this time around.  Got to love a 7 year old!

Anyway, we’d had a lovely day, just the two of us, minimal queues and lots more sunshine than expected.  Somehow I got talked into buying him a Lego Bus (not the new £100+ set due out next month) and he picked a couple of key rings out in the shop.  A Lego Batman for him and apparently Mummy had to have the Lego Catwoman.

Preparing to leave Year Two

Yesterday was his Transition Day.  I’d had a meeting with his current teacher a few weeks ago.  We’d talked about his progress and the plans in place to help him as we start preparing to leave Year Two.  She knows him so well and is aware that moving class, teacher and TA is probably not going to be easy for him.  I don’t want him to spend the whole of the first term just getting used to being somewhere else, with a different team.  The change in him this last year, with being in the same room with the same teacher, was amazing.  He was up and running from day one, which helped him catch up with his peers.  Something we’ve never seen before, something I’m positive we wouldn’t have seen if he’d been with a different teacher in a different room.

She told me who his teacher was likely to be, although at that point it wasn’t set in stone and wasn’t to be discussed with others.  I’ve spent the last couple of weeks with my fingers tightly crossed.  I’ve seen so many positive comments about the teacher, who it now has been confirmed, will be Monkey’s teacher in Year Three.  I’m praying that he clicks with her and that she sees him for the boy he really is, and can help continue to nurture him.

Preparing to leave Year Two

I was so pleased when Monkey came out of school.  He was full of it all.  Happy with his new teacher, Miss W, even though she wasn’t as good as his current teacher Miss P.  Poor woman, she has a lot to live up to from both of us I think.  He was telling me all about where his new class is and how we can find it from a different entrance. I’d been really concerned that the class didn’t open up onto the grounds.  No Mummy, you’re wrong, I’ll show you tomorrow, you just can’t see it from where we go on at the moment.  Phew! Then to find out that his first term will be all about the Tudors, bingo.  He knows that that is my favourite period of British history, and he already knows loads about it from our trips out and about and from Horrible Histories.  Brilliant!  He even wants to do the homework we’ve been given, result. This should make life a little easier.

Preparing to leave Year Two will have a few challenges, and a few tears along the way.  But right now, I’m just concentrating on the smiles and the distance we’ve travelled this year.

Bubbablue and me school days linky

7 thoughts on “Preparing to leave Year Two

  1. It’s been lovely to hear how he’s got on and progressed this year. Having a supportive teacher is so key, and I’m really hoping N gets the same next year when he moves up.

  2. Thank you, I’m really praying that he clicks with his new teacher quickly and she’s as supportive, otherwise all the hard work will be undone. Fingers crossed for N too, Year Two is so different from Year One x

  3. I do love reading how Monkey is getting on. I feel your pain too as I know these struggles and feelings well even if they are from a different place. I’m so glad he had a good transition day and is happy with what’s to come. We are moving this year too. Our first time since starting school. I will be thinking of you as I will also be keeping everything crossed in September.

    Thanks for linking up with Small Steps Amazing Achievements
    x

  4. Well done to Monkey! You must be so proud of his progress. And it’s great that he’s happy with his new teacher and excited about his first topic in Year 3. Even though Year 3 is a different key stage, it really is no different from moving up from Year 1 to Year 2 – it’s only ever a very gradual change, so hopefully he won’t worry as much now he’s met his teacher.
    Good luck to you both and enjoy the summer holidays!

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