Hello
I am new here, but I am hoping to get a bit of help and information on how different schools manage the hours/days for children starting in reception.
Our 4yr old boy (5yrs old in mid October) started in reception last week. It seems like a nice school, the teacher and assistants are really nice, and he enjoys it there - until today.
He did 3 days last week (8.50am - 3.20pm).
They expect him to do a full week, with full hours from now on.
The problem is he is totally shattered, his behaviour at home has been awful over the past week with constant melt-downs, his toileting has gone back to how he was a year ago (mucky pants 4 days out of 6 so far), and we are pretty exhausted and stressed too.
This morning he said he didn't want to go to school, and it took us a long time to persuade him to get dressed and get to school (we only got him to the school by saying we were going to the library next door to the school). He got really upset and screamed when we left him there and had to be dragged into the classroom by 2 members of staff.
We had already asked the school to reduce the number of days to 3 days for now, spread out over the week. We had a meeting at the school today and they basically said that as he is ok at school they wouldn't agree to that.
I am aware that they have had a number of the other children falling asleep in the class and going a bit nuts and having to be sent home. So far ours has behaved perfectly.
I am not willing to accept their decision, so I am hoping to get a better idea of how other schools behave and how they treat their new 4 and 5 year old children, before I have another go.
What hours do your school expect the reception children to do ?
What sort of settling in period did you have ?
If feel that what the school are expecting these very young children to cope with is excessive and potentially damaging.
I am very concerned at the lack of attention to the general well-being of the children (they only seem bothered by what happens within school).
What do other people think ?
Many Thanks
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Reception hours and settling in period - what is normal? what is acceptable?
69 replies
disillusionedparent · 12/09/2018 22:04
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