IT'S back to school time for Kirklees children this week.

Each school decides individually when it will start its new term, but most children went back yesterday.

The start of term has been extra-special for reception class children, who are going to "proper" school for the first time.

Most schools split their reception classes into small groups of children, who start at different days during the first week of term.

At Rowley Lane Junior and Infant School in Lepton there are 24 new reception class pupils.

They have been split into three groups of eight.

In total, 430 pupils went back to school at Rowley Lane yesterday.

And 2,050 children will start school for the first time in Kirklees this month.

By January, this figure will rise to 4,010.

Added to the 36,726 children now in primary and nursery schools in Kirklees, the new starters will bring the total to 40,736.