Big school

My four year old son Joel is starting big school in September. Were trying to take a gentle approach in preparing him for all the changes ahead and the school has organised a fantastic programme of play sessions that he'll be going to over the next few Fridays. He’s attended private day nursery since he was 6 months old so he’s well used to other children and adults but it’s still a massive upheaval.

This week we went for our first look around the school. Joel’s behaviour was exemplary and we were really proud of him. The teachers were lovely and he got patted on the head a lot. I wonder if kids ever get fed up of that? As we were shown around the various classrooms he gripped my hand really tightly and looked up at me with his wide, doe-eyes. He’s still so small and sweet and there have been several times this week that I have found myself fighting back the tears.

On Wednesday the school arranged a parents evening and we were given Joel’s information pack complete with his start date of Thursday 10th September, although he won’t start full time until Monday 21st September. Juggling childcare for those first few weeks is going to be difficult but the teachers assured us that this is what's best for the children.

We have been incredibly impressed with the ethos of the school and everything the teachers talked about resonated with us. I am now confident that we have made the right decision. At the end of their presentation they showed some pictures of pupils enjoying their school life with the caption “We’ll be alright”. I got a lump in my throat and a tear came to my eye.

We also got the opportunity to buy some bits of school uniform which we showed Joel when we got home. He seemed fairly unimpressed so I’ve stashed them away.

The control freak within me has also decided that I want to become a school governor. I have worked for the learning disability charity Mencap for ten years and one of the things that really impressed me was how inclusive the school is. They have a number of children with learning disabilities and difficulties which is excellent. If all children grew up with knowledge and understanding of disabilites I'm convinced the world would be a much more tolerant place. Maybe my expertise in this area could be a welcome addition, we'll see.