Settling in days and drop offs for Reception - what is your school doing?

[Icantrememebrtheartist]

Thanks to Covid the school my DD will be starting at has had to hold all intros in Sept and they all feel very “cold”.

We had a family explore day last week - only one parent with child could attend. We spent about 3 minutes in their classroom with masks on then back in to the playground.

We have two x one hour visits this week, the idea is for parents to leave the children there.

And three morning visits next week, again children left there.

My DD suffers with separation anxiety, beyond normal levels, GP thinks she suffers with general anxiety. We had a meeting back in January about how the school would support her to help her settle but it’s changed. School has a no parents on site policy now so drop off will be to queue at the gate keeping 2 metres apart, TA or teacher will take child to classroom and parent leaves. You’re not allowed to walk child in to their classroom and stay 10 mins and help them settle in the first term.

If you have a child starting Reception now what is your school doing?

Thanks

[Orangedaisy]

Preschool not reception. We’re allowed in for the first 3 days for the whole session but it’s only 45 minutes per day. Then they are on their own for the whole 3 hrs. We’re allowed to the classroom door.

[Looneytune253]

Wow that's actually pretty generous for your dd within covid. The ones round here are having no visits just straight in. To be fair tho I think it's the way forward. I work in childcare and there worst thing for a clingy child is having their parent hanging around. It just makes them worse.

[MaryBoBary]

My sons just started reception full time with no parents allowed in the building. We just drop him at the door and the teacher takes him in. Bit strange that your school is allowing all those parents to wander round the school during a pandemic.

[Aroundtheworldin80moves]

The only time I ever went in either DDs classroom in Reception was when we went on a tour. The classrooms are busy enough without 30 parents plus younger siblings in there. Overall, I think a calm environment is better for them.
The schools are doing this for safety, not to be cruel. The staff will have more time to help your DD settle without parents around.

[Octopuscrazy]

My dd has just started reception. It's been one induction day (full day, half number of students) last Thursday and starting every day from Monday.
Drop off at the classroom door. No parents in.

I didn't really expect that they would let parents in. I would have liked to see her class and get her settled in but it is what it is for now.
She has been fine and is excited for tomorrow

[FurryGiraffe]

DS2 starts tomorrow. Drop off in playground, full days from the off. We've had Zoom calls and video intros to the classroom but no on site visits/settling in.

DS1 is at the school and DS2 knows the school and staff well so we're pretty chilled out about it but I imagine I would be much less chilled if he were my eldest!

[Eccle80]

Mine started on Thursday. Class split in half, and did one afternoon and one morning each on the first two days. No parents in the classroom, but we could go on the playground where there were activities out and we could stay for 5-10 min to settle them before they went in. It seemed to work really well and they all went in without upset. They are then full time tomorrow

[TakeMeToYourLiar]

Half the class for an hour last Thursday, same half the class for 2 hours last Friday.

Tomorrow they all go in until lunch

Tuesday onwards they are full time.

We drop at the external door to the classroom

[TheABC]

We are expected to drop off after the first visit. However, DD does not have anxiety. Is there a pre-school friend attending that your DD can walk in, with?

[Aragog]

Video call instead of home visits last week.

Monday/Tuesday

• half classes (15) in for 1.5 hours each day; half in morning, half in afternoon (alternate next day)
  
  Wednesday/Thursday
  
• full classes in in morning; day 1 half class stay for lunch then go home, and rest go home before lunch. Swap on day 2.
  
  Friday
  

• all classes in all day inc lunch
  

Week after

• all in full time from them in (unless parents have opted for part time)

[Aragog]

Forgot to add - no parents in school this year and only one parent per child allowed in to the playground wherever possible, including for our new reception starters.

Teaching staff will meet children outside the reception door(s) and take them in, in small groups. Additional staff/adults on the main gates and doors to support with this in the first couple of weeks.

[FromTheAllotment]

Similar to PPs, drop at the entrance now and the teacher/TAs take them in. But if it helps, compared to my DD starting the same school with parents coming in to the classroom, I’d say there are a lot fewer tears doing it this way! I think a cleaner and quicker goodbye helps a lot. Especially if the first few are confident, then it helps the others to follow their example and be confident too. So your DD may benefit, fingers crossed.

[BillyAndTheSillies]

DS1 starts reception on Wednesday, we had one zoom call last week to meet his teacher and then he's straight in 9:00-1:30 for just over a week and full time from there.

No parents allowed to the room, drop off is at the gates in an allotted zone at an allotted time.

DS1 seems fine about it, he's never been inside the school but we've been past it and had a look at his classroom through the gates.

[Sewfrickinamazeballs]

Half days next week, then full time week after. Teacher visited our house for 20 minutes last week. Apart from that, that’s all. She’s never been to the school, only seen photos of the classroom, and only one parent can drop at the gate.

[Tfoot75]

Had 4 half days ending tomorrow (one class of 30 at a time) , then full time all 60 pupils from Tuesday. Children go in by themselves one at a time from the gate next to the reception classroom, teacher on the gate and the tas walk them in, or go in by themselves if confident. Haven't seen any crying yet actually, they are all loving it, but the majority have already attended the school nursery which is right next to the reception class rooms.

[Findahouse21]

Our school never allows parents into the classroom except for the parents tour which happens months before they start. I think it's much easier on the children that way. Taking them in to settle them gives mixed messages in my opinion

[Trinpy]

DS2 starts tomorrow. He had 1 15 min look around the classroom without any other children there back in July and there was a zoom meeting too that he couldn't attend as both dh and I were working. For the first week he can choose whether he does half days or full days and after that it's full days only. Parents are allowed into the playground but not in the classroom or any covered areas in the playground. It's all so different to when ds2 started school 2 years ago and I do feel a bit sorry for all this years reception children who are thrown straight into it. Anyone would feel a bit anxious at the thought of going to a new place with new people and not really being sure what you'll do when you get there!

[HandfulofDust]

DC's are at prep school. KIds at the adjoining nursery met the teacher last term I don't think new starter did. Other than that they're not really doing a settling in. Older years parents can't get out of the car at drop off but reception children can be brought to the door. No other measures really. Most are fine with it. If a DC had a particular issue like yours I'm sure the teachers would make a real effort though to help her with the transition.

[Hophop26]

Full time from day 1 and a social distance queue to drop off at the school gates and then whole class taken through to the classroom together. Was a bit overly abrupt as a drop off on the first day but most seem to be coping with it

[BendingSpoons]

We had a Zoom call and a doorstep visit. Later this week DD has a 'stay and play' for 40mins, just children in groups of 10 (normally parents would stay). She starts half days and they are doing staggered starts, a few children starting each day. Full time from end Sept. It is hard if you have an anxious child and parents aren't allowed in. Could you do shorter hours to start if it's tricky for her?

[Icantrememebrtheartist]

Thanks everyone for replying. I have to be honest and say I’m shocked at how little time some of your schools are giving for the new children to settle in.

It’s such a contrast to the experience my sister had with her children. She walked each of her children in to their classroom and hung up their coat and bag on their peg. At pick up time the parents would chat to the teachers.

We had our first drop off session for an hour this week and it was awful. We had to stand 2 metres apart at the gate and then a TA I’d never met before told the parents to say a quick goodbye and send the children in. My DD wouldn’t go in but maybe that’s for another thread.

[Icantrememebrtheartist]

Bending - The school promised so much earlier in the year. We had a meeting and I was reassured she would be given time and we’d take small steps but that’s all changed.

[Pud2]

That’s an awful lot of time for parents to be in, and seems very drawn out. TBH, the system that works best is not to allow the parents in at all. Once you allow parents in, you then have to wean the children off that. Just lining them up and the teacher bringing them in is by far the best way. The sooner they’re in full time, the better. I’ve done it for years, believe me! Interestingly, we normally allow the parents to line up with their child but this year we can’t for obvious reasons. The children are just walking through the gate on their own and they’re the most settled class I’ve seen in along while, with no tears. The less fuss, the better.

[unicornparty]

My ds is 10 now but when he joined reception all children went in the classroom on their own. No parents were allowed in the classrooms at all. Surely it's just delaying the inevitable having parents spend time in the classroom?

[Pud2]

Absolutely unicornparty