Your first day at school.

My first day at school was also in 1948. I think my Mother took me. The classroom was at the back of the school. Infants downstairs, Juniors up. It wasn't called Reception then , probably Standard1. I only really remember the smell of the room and a very large rocking horse. We lived above my uncle's shop in Abertridwr, and could see the school across the green . After the first day I think I came and went on my own. Trouble was I had to pass a house which had a large black chow dog always sitting outside the front door. Someone had said that it's purple tongue was poisonous. I was always very afraid of it.
I don't remember my teachers in the infants, faces or names. That came later in a new Juniors

I remember my first day at school vividly ,,the teacher ,her hair style and her name and even her dress with its "sticky out petticoats" and yellow umbrellas on the fabric.I remeber the teacher asking who I would like to sit beside and the Italian boy who lives a few doors away from me thinking it was my younger sister who was starting and saying he would sit with her/me ...lol.I recently came across him on FB and yes he remembers Miss W and her umbrella dress too.School was half days only until the October break so it was home for lunch and a nap with mum and wee sister

My mother took me to the school, the infants classroom was separate from the main building. I knew the teacher , she lived in the same street as my grandfather and we lived about eight doors away from the school. My mother collected me for lunch then took me back to class. We had to lay our heads on our arms - folded on the table - for a nap, more play then we stood and sang 'Now The Day Is Over . We sang this at the end of every school day through
Infants and Junior years .

The infant school headmistress, Mrs. Haigh, taught the 2nd year pupils, and Mrs. Wilkinson taught the 3rd years. Everyone was scared of Mrs. Wilkinson, nobody wanted to go into her class. I can remember feeling very hard done by in a sewing lesson. I`d snipped my gym slip with the scissors, and she gave me the battle board, school punishment in those days, it was like a table tennis bat without the rubber, we got it on our backsides. I was most indignant, because it was MY gym slip, not hers, that I damaged!

I don't remember my first day or any other day in junior school apart from being told I loved it from day one I do remember my Nan picking me up after school but that was probably later I have no idea who took me on my first day probably Nan as mum worked and work used to start 8 till 6
I remember my first teacher and I remember the frieze of alphabet letters round the wall a big rocking horse in the corner a little book corner a Wendy house and a big bay window that looked out onto the beach
I stayed at the same school from 4.5 until 17

I went to twelve different schools. How I hated all those first days although I can't remember the very first one.

I was four and it was a French convent in Egypt. I remember learning to use an abacus and that's about it.

I screamed and yelled all the way to school because I thought my mother was taking me to a ballet class. Once I realised it was a real school I was fine.

I remember it. It was a little village school and we had no nursery or playgroups in those days and no pre visits.
I couldn't wait to go and loved it from the first moment!
I think that too much is made of it these days and it would be better for the child to have it low key. (But preparation and parents in the room etc is much better)

My mother and I sat in the school hall and had an interview with the HT and then I went into my classroom and was given a picture book and a bottle of milk. My teacher was Miss Haverd Jones . I was very happy to be starting school and I could already read.

I can remember shopping for my uniform on Market Street in Manchester and then pulling my first tooth out before leaving home on my first day. We had to sit in the school hall for an assembly with our parents and we sang All Things Bright and Beautiful which was depicted in the stained glass windows - they fascinated me! My problem came at morning playtime, I thought that was it for the day and I took myself off home! My poor mum was distraught and all I could say was that at least it showed I knew my way home! I remember somebody coming to get me and hiding under the dining table. I finally returned after lunch feeling very sheepish and was always known as the little girl who ran home! I'm sweating now thinking about it and what the consequences could have been. It was a very different world in those days.

On my first day at school we were each given a sheet of paper and a crayon (mine was an orange-red, I think). Half of us were told to draw a zigzag line and half a wavy line across the paper. I was in the wavy line set. I duly did as instructed, only to be told that I should have drawn my line at the top of the paper, not in the middle of it. No one had told us that! I was devastated at having got it wrong...

My first day at school was pretty unpleasant. I didn't know that my mum would come and collect me at the end of the day - I thought she'd left me for good!
To add to the trauma, I sat on one of the ancient desk seats and got a splinter in my bottom. I was too scared to say anything, so I just sat and wept quietly, which seemed to be ok with the teacher - she liked quiet children, and only hit me once that day. She used to carry a big ruler and whack everyone indiscriminately just to make sure we knew who was in charge.
I don't think such cruelty would be tolerated nowadays - there would be a court case and counsellors by the dozen!

I remember being allocated my desk and when I lifted the lid there was a tin oxo box which contained red and blue counters. This was a suitable distraction for my Mum to take her leave. Yep, she was allowed into the classroom with me. Don't know if that would happen nowadays. I hear mention of buddies but know little else.

I remember the classroom being so big and the main thing in it that I remember was a Wendy House. I remember the distribution of the milk, with the special thingy to get the top off, and the straw, with a little cloth put on the desk in case of spillage. I also remember that we had raffia mats which were put on the floor for us to have a nap on. Incredible! I have a very strong long-term memory, but forget what happened yesterday.....

My mother is German, and we've always had the "Schultüte" custom which JackyB mentioned. I have a photograph of my own daughter with hers, but not one of me, although I know I had one.

I remember it very well. A boy ripped most of the hair out of my doll's head and I accidentally knocked over the water in art and had to stand outside the classroom door as punishment.

Juggernaut I was astonished when I was sent back to school the following day because I thought you just went for one day! It was only mornings at first too. I had no playgroup, nursery or kindergarten, so straight from all day every day with my mum and brother. I remember a girl in my class wetting herself and watching it flow down from her seat into a big puddle on the floor!

First day at school probably scarred me for life! I remember that I could not believe that my mum would just LEAVE me there! People never bothered to talk to children in those days. However once I had settled in I did enjoy primary education on the whole. Apart from maths, but that's another story......

My first day I was bullied and it continued. Remember her name and face to this day. Had a huge effect on my happiness and confidence meeting people ever since. Found her on Friends Reunited and mentioned it. Needless to say she didn't remember any of it and possibly didn't remember me!

On a lighter note mum would pick me up from school on her bicycle which had a seat for me on the back. There was a very steep downward hill on the way home. The nuts must have detached from bike and seat because I felt myself slowly reaching the ground and watched mum disappearing down the hill. I picked up the chair and stared dragging it down the hill. Mum was unaware of me 'disappearing' until someone at the bottom of the hill shouted to her and pointed to me! Charming! Even mum tried to get rid of me - or dad for not checking the bicycle!

My first day at school stands out in my memory because I dropped my slate and broke it. I don't remember if there were consequences but I still have a remnant of guilt when I think of it.
I also remember wanting to be like the other children who went home for lunch.
Juggernaut - my brother was like you. Apparently on his second day of school he said 'had enough now, don't want to go to school again'.
It would be interesting to see answers to this question in 15 years time. My DS and DIL take videos and photos of my little GS constantly. I'd have loved the opportunity to watch videos of my family when I was a child. How times have changed.

I started school at 4 happily, but remember lots of other chicks crying, there were no nurseries or playschools to break us in gently. It was 9 - 2 30, dreadful school lunch that had to all be eaten. I'm still unable to eat beetroot or custard (they weren't served together)

I started school at 3 - f/t nursery attached to primary school. Remember having a coat peg with a picture on it and camp beds being lined up for after-lunch nap

I'm not sure if I remember the actual first day, but I certainly remember the first days/weeks. It was 1942 so the war was on. We had to carry gas masks in a little shoulder bag (more like a little box) and we had practice sessions when a bell rang to see how fast we could get to a room which was lined with sandbags. Every afternoon we had to rest on the floor on little rush mats, the idea being to go to sleep but I never could and can clearly remember lying there feeling bored. One day I ate a toffee in class, strictly against the rules, and so received three sharp slaps on the hand with a ruler from our very strict teacher. I don't remember my mother ever walking me to school or meeting me. I used to walk with an older girl who lived nearby as the school was just at the end of the road.
In spite of the strictness they were happy days and I loved being at school.

123kitty we had to eat everything on our plates too. Salads with dates - I still can't look at one without heaving. Used to try and hide them in my knickers!

1956 - I was also given a slate to write on, and told that I could only have a book and pencil when I had learned to write the alphabet, which I had by the end of the first week. My teacher was a neighbour, but she seemed like a different person in the classroom - really scary, although I did like her! At home time, the student teacher read us a story "Little Black Sambo".

i can't remember my first day at school although my class were in a photo on the front page of the newspaper - we were the first reception class to go to the new primary school. haven't a clue where the school was before though!
and i can't remember how i got to school or back home again. later on my mother would put me on the bus at the end of our road and i'd get off at school as the bus stop was right beside the school and i suppose i went home on the bus to be met by my mother in the afternoon.
i stayed for lunch and remember vaguely once being the only child left in the dining hall as i wouldn't eat my meal.
the only thing i can remember of that school is standing up on my chair to tell my classmates about my trip to london where i went to stay with an aunt and uncle when the coronation was on - and i was disappointed to "only" see the duke of edinburgh in the official car when he and the queen did a tour of the local streeets - the queen was on the other side of the car so i didn't see her clearly.