Extra help for my 6 yo? Returned from UK should be in SInfants but now in JInfants.

Complainer said:

Hope the meeting went well. Can you push him to put you first on the waiting list for 1st class, in case another pupils drops out or moves from the area?

There are already 4 children ahead of her. But these children just started school a year later ( parents didn't want to go to another school, so they decided to keep them back a year ) where as my daughter has been in school this past year learning. I'm also a bit peeved because when i informed them the children wouldn't be back at the start of the year because we would be in england but there was a chance i would be back, i was told their places would be kept open untill the start of the next year. I'm actually back a term early, i haven't mentioned this dont really see the point, whats done is done.


If this issue is having as big an impact as you suggest, I would think you seriously need to consider moving school, even if it means going for an English-speaking school.

it's not just about moving schools it's getting a place in another school. I live in balbriggan i think there's even a few posts on here about the kids that had no school place a year or so back, every school was full, and about 20 or so kids we left not going to school at the start of the term. And also another problem would be getting and collecting 2 children from different schools at the same time.


Not so much. Schools still discriminate based on religion, where demand for places exceeds the number of applicants.

Click to expand...

slightly said:

Number one, regarding other children being prioritised ahead of your child for entry to First Class, you should ask for a copy of the school enrolment or admissions policy which should contain the criteria on which new admissions are given preference. This should include new entrants to the school entering Junior Infants and entrants to other classes. You are entitled to see this, as are all other parents so don't accept no for an answer. Read this carefully and see if their policy on paper matches their policy in practice. Should this not include existing students skipping classes bring this to their attention.

Didn't know about that, i will ask when the school term starts again.
When she told me that the 4 others that were ahead of her arn't actually attending the school but awaiting places, it didn't seem right. Especially when i know someone 2 years ago that was refused a place for 1st class because her son had very little irish. That was the schools policy. My son started there in 2nd class but he had come from another irish speaking school. Could of also been that neither parents spoke irish. Speaking from someone that can only just about string a sentance together in irish, it is difficult.

In a related matter, while the maximum maximum average as outlined by the Dept. is 30 students per class, while one class had 20 another could possibly have 40, and the average would still be 30. The Dept can force schools to enroll above this where they deem there is physical space for additional students. If there is not, then tough luck!

There is only going to be one 1st class this year. Junior and senior infants both have 2 class because of demand. I did ask would they think about having 2 1st classes, but there's no hope of that. Unless anyone leaves i think there are 34 in the class at the moment.

Number Two, should your child continue ahead to Senior Infants, outline your concerns with the class teacher at the start of the year, of course making an appointment to meet her at a mutually convenient time and not ambushing just before school. Outline her ability and her need for more challenging school work. As with students with special educational needs, he/she should differentiate instruction and learning for children with exceptional ability also. Ask for a copy of an I.E.P for your child. (Individual Educational Plan). He/she will probably be surprised at this.

Regarding spelling and reading, the teachers would probably prefer that you don't just use the next book in the scheme currently in use in the school as this makes things harder for them, instead ask for the names of similar or parallel schemes which would be similar in content and difficulty. Also ask is there a reading scheme in use in the class and what level or standard is being used. Your local library is a great resource for free reading material including audio books etc.

She will be having a totally new teacher this year, i'm sure she'll have enough on her plate as it is, but i'll arrange a meeting. I doubt she's going to be very happy with me.....i was told not to continue with the 1st class books, but i have anyway.

Ask him/her for the titles of suitable software and/or websites which you could use with your child at home. There are some very suitable titles available, including Irish titles which could help your child with regarding to Irish reading and vocab. As this is an English speaking school, Formal Irish reading instruction wil not start until Second Class, informal in First, this would be beneficial and maybe motivational to your child as she will have an extra challenge which other younger students in the class will not have.


It's actually an irish speaking school, so she is already learning irish. She was determined to improve her irish speaking and she has. 3-4 months ago she could understand, but she would mainly reply in english. Herself my son and partner are now speaking mainly in irish and having a great laugh at my expense talking in irish and i have no clue what they are on about!!

If this does not suffice, you can check out what exactly is expected of children in each class level, for each subject by accessing the Primary School Curriculum, from the NCCA website.

Also, there are a number of online tools which you can use to access, download or create worksheets, exercises etc for FREE which you can use at home.
You can also download fonts which would allow you to create your own handwriting exercises to print off. If your child is bored with single letter formation, you could print off whole words, or the spellings you are doing with her.

Do you have a link for a website? Although 2nd thoughts maybe not, i dont want to annoy the school anymore. They are already going to know she has still been doing the workbooks. I got her the 1st class books in april and she not far off from finishing them. She probably not learnt everything that she would of done in 1st class if she was being taught by a teacher, but she's going into senior infants after completing 1st year books!

Personally, I would encourage lots and lots and lots of reading with her as this will help to alleviate her boredom in the long run. Ask the teacher if she was finished her work early, if she could read a book quietly. This would help alleviate her boredom and minimise the risk of disruptive behaviour due to boredom, which the teacher would appreciate.

We do reading every day together....wont be long and she'll know words that even i dont know! Thats one thing that her teacher will never have to worry about, she's never been bold once in school. She saves all of that for when she is home lol. I got her new books the other day while i was in town, there for an 8 year old, and she doesn't get stuck on many words.

I'm still at a total loss on what to do about her school. I know i shouldn't of let her carry on with the work books, but the other side of me doesn't want to stop her when it's something that she really enjoys doing.

I suppose the only thing i can do is wait and see how she gets on when she starts back school again, and have the meeting with the teacher.

Click to expand...