Elementary school teachers

Hi, my name is Marilena.  I am an Italian living in the Los Angeles area with my husband who is american.  I have a 5 years old daughter who is in Kindergarten.
I wish to move to the UK in the next couple of years and of course I am worried on how that would affect my daughter.  I am not impressed with the school programs in this area of the country but my daughter loves school and the teachers are very sweet and patient and they never yell at the  kids. I heard that the teachers in the UK are more strict but I hope that they are also sweet.  So my question is" How hard do you think would be for a child to move at a very young age? And what do you think of the teachers in the UK compared to the teachers in the US?"  I understand that every teacher is a different person with a different personality , I am just wondering of what kind of enviroment there is in the schools over there.
Thank you so much
I love this site
Marilena

P.S. Sorry for my bad english

Hi Marilena,

Sorry I can't really answer your question, but I can tell you I have the same concerns...we are planning our move for next year (fingers crossed) and since our daughter will have had almost a full year in the public schools here, I'm also wondering if the adjustment will be OK for her.

My hubby started school here and then moved to the UK, he has nothing but good things to say about it but that was quite a while ago.

I know we have members here who have done both-this seems to be a very slow weekend, so I'm sure you'll have more responses as time goes on.

(And I thought your English was excellent!  )

I much prefer British schools to American ones.  I think the younger you move the easier it will be for her to adjust. My daughter spent one year at an American school and the transition for her was very easy. My son who had spend 5 years at American schools found his first year much more difficult to adjust to.  I can't say whether the teachers are more strict or not, I think that varies from teacher to teacher, but my kids have had some lovely, wonderful and caring teachers (and 1 really horrid one! -hmm maybe that was why my son had a hard time adjusting!) I love the way they keep the same classmates from year to year when they are younger and get to meet their teacher and spend a few days in their new class before they break up for summer holiday. I think it takes away a lot of the first day of the new school year jitters.

Rosie

I just moved my kids over here who have just turned 5 and 6.  Neither were in formal school yet, and since we're in Scotland, and because of the way the kids were arranged at the schools, were put a year or two ahead of what they would have been in the US.  I was very concerned, but things seem to have worked out OK so far.  I think the important thing was that they were kept with their appropriate peer age groups.  The teachers are also very involved and committed it seems, and the school has a strong sense of identity.  Hopefully these things would be a bit apparent when you tour the school and talk to the teachers and headteacher.   Kids at this age are resilient so long as they feel very secure in their personal lives.  In my experience, if the family core stays strong, then the external things can change a good deal without everyone imploding.  That's the idea anyway , my kids have certainly had their meltdown days since we got there and have needed all kinds of reassurance.  But starting school and becoming more and more their own persons is stressful in any situation.  Best of luck in your decisions.  Let me know if you have more specific questions.

Thank yuou everybody for your answers. I will definally ask more questions when they come up. What I want more is for my child to be in a nice and positive enviroment  with caring teachers. I hope to find that when we move there.
Thank you
Marilena

Just wanted to say, thanks for posting this thread, as some of my own concerns about my son Jackson are reflected here.  He is only 2 years old, but by the time I finish my nursing degree and we move over there, he will be close to 4 or even 5 years old.  I don't worry so much about him adjusting to the move, just whether or not he will be on the same academic level as his peers.  But it sounds like the teachers over there may be very supportive and willing to help cover any differences or deficiencies he may have in his education.

Also, another question:  since we plan on staying indefinitely in the U.K., I've considered that when starting Jackson out in reading and writing, just teaching him the standard spellings used in the U.K. and pretty much every English-speaking country in the world, except of course, the U.S.  It just seems to me that teaching him different spellings so early on will only confuse and frustrate him.  So I should just teach him the British way and not the American.  What does everyone else think?

Rebekah

Just as an aside.. I have good friends who are Italians living in the UK.  Whenever I metnion this place, he tells me he wished the Italian community had something like UKY.  Anyway, there are loads of Italians in London. 

Good luck on the move...

I will definally try to create something like this site for Italians expatriates when I move over there. Even here in Los Angeles I did not find any support groups for Italians.
Thank you everyone

Kiddies start school here at 4 years of age. When we moved here my eldest son was 5 and my youngest was 2. I was so worried about Jordan (5 year old) but mostly because I was worried the kids would tease him because of his American accent. I thought he would have a major problem fitting in.
I remember that day dressing him in his school uniform choking back the tears. I didnt even feel like I fit in yet and heres my little boy going at it all alone! I walked him to the school trying to avoid eye contact with the other staring mothers. I kissed him goodbye and my happy little boy went to his first day of school. I sat and watched the clock all day and went down to the school 20 min early so I wouldnt be late. Jordan came out of school surrounded by tons of kids. Kids of all ages. They all heard there was an American boy at the school and they all wanted to meet him. Instant popularity! He has always been happy in school. He is nearly 10 now.
As far as the teachers/education go, we have no complaints at all. My other son started school at 4 and I was really worried about him as he didnt seem to be as bright as his older brother but by the end of his "reception year" (Kindergarten) he was reading little books! I was most impressed.
Also the teachers are very friendly and approachable. We have never had a problem with any of the teachers and the headmaster is also willing to chat about any problems/concerns you may have.
I think your daughter is at a perfect age to make a smooth transition!
Best of luck
Ricki