School Allocation Day for Willem

‘It’s not like it was when we were children’, this is what I’ve had to explain to my dad two years on the trot now. When we were younger you wandered up to your local school the year before you were due to start and your parents put your name down and that was it. Now it’s like a lottery, you pick your three choices and hope for the best.

Today I found out Willem got our first choice of schools, and I was so relived. This time last year when we found out where Roran was going I wasn’t all that bothered. We lived near two very good schools, although I preferred one to the other I was happy with either really. However this time I got a little worried as we had temporarily moved out of the catchment area, so what if we didn’t get Willem into the same school? How would I be at two schools at the same time? I can’t move Roran he loves his school/friends/teachers, but how would I explain to Willem he was going somewhere else?

These were obviously all irrational fears created by my own mind in my own little imaginary world, but to me they could be real. Everyone told me to not worry as he was clearly going to get in with the sibling rule, but what if he didn’t? You hear stories of parents having children at different schools, I just couldn’t manage that, especially with a new baby and a toddler in tow.

These scenario’s all went pop this morning when I found out at 6.30am via an email we had got the preferred school. Now I just need to get my head around my little boy going school. Roran started at the age of 4 years and 11 months, being an October baby. Willem will be 4 years and 2 months, as his birthday is right at the end of June. He will be so young compared to his big brother, but at least he will be there to look after him.`

The Day… Roran started school

Well it has seemed like it has been a long time coming but today Roran finally started school. Being an October baby, he watched a large majority of his friends head off to school last September, and has been counting the months down since then.

So after a summer break of buying, trying on and returning school uniforms, a trip to the local shoe factory to buy a pair of expensive, but hopefully long lasting school shoes and endless evenings of sewing in name labels, this morning we were ready. Our school doesn’t
do home visits or transition days, we had an hour stay and play in July and another hour yesterday, then today he went by himself for the whole morning.

Now I knew he would be fine, he’s a very confident little boy, who easily makes friends but there is always that thought in the back of your mind. We arrived on time and bumped into a friend from pre-school. All the parents waited for the doors to open and when they did, it was like a mass migration. I was pleased to see Roran had waited for me, only for it to be short lived by the realisation that he actually just wanted me to hold his book bag!

First thing we had to do was obviously go for a wee, he always needs to check the facilities. We hung his jumper and coat on his peg and into his classroom he went. He then came back to take his book-bag in and put it in his tray. I said a hopeful goodbye, but he was gone.

While part of me was pleased we went in with no fuss or tears, part of me felt a little sad. He doesn’t need me all the time and has grown in to a confident independent little schoolboy. Let the next chapter begin…