To think primary transition days aren’t much help if you work?

Fair enough that is a very good school as I don't know many that offer that and try to make it work. Or maybe times have changed since I worked in a school. Thanks

Ours did a week of half days and then staggered up to full days the second week. My kids would have been ready after a couple of half days, they’d been to nursery and were older in the year. Think is designed for younger children and those who have not been at nursery - think a flex approach would be good. Those that are happy and coping can start earlier, those who need a gentler approach have staggered days for longer.

You can, but OP says she’s a teacher so it’s highly unlikely to be granted

@Transitiondays I don't know why so many people seem to be in such a bad mood this morning but I completely feel your pain. We had this with my oldest child plus two weeks in September that were staggered where only half the year were in on alternate days, then some mornings all together, some afternoons. It is hard to manage and you won't be the only one struggling. I'm sure your son will be absolutely fine no matter which transition days you are able to get him to, especially if he already has experience of nursery. In my experience I was more bothered than the kids were about the transition to school! They just wandered on in to have fun with other kids, it was me that was upset/worried!

Actually, children would cope. Schools and teachers and parents would also cope. It's a matter of organisation.
Our staff frequently take time off for appointments, additional (unpaid) leave, etc.
We have 20 paid child sick days per parent (single parents have 40) and my school will grant additional childcare days, which are also paid. SLT work hard to organise cover, when needed, and nobody makes you feel bad for being off sick, for example.
Our kids do very well, despite their teachers having flexibility. It's a highly academic independent school, catering for primary and secondary.
I don't understand the mentality in UK schools that teachers have to be martyrs and are expected to just live for the job. They aren't irreplaceable, especially for a day or two. A child's education, which usually takes several years and involves being taught by a multitude of teachers and TAs, will not suffer because they've had someone else for a short while. That's just nonsense.

I'm sorry that the OP's school is so shit at organising themselves.
I've been a teacher for nearly 20 years, most of that in UK state schools. Luckily, I've mostly worked in schools that have been understanding of the balancing act that is work and family life.

Book leave

My older DC went in full time day one youngest spread over two weeks - it does not benefit the children at all - just makes me cross with the school.
Have been told it makes it easier for the school to get to know the children which is bloody stupid as many have been to the school nursery

A staggered start isn’t beneficial to all children which is why we sent DT’s full time from day one and bypassed the staggered days.

YANBU. It's really hard for working parents. I was lucky that my DC's school went straight into full days from Reception, but it would have been really difficult if not, with both me and DH working full-time, no family nearby and with long school holidays to cover with annual leave as well l. I'm surprised at some of the nasty comments on this thread. My son coped really well with full-time days and wouldn't have needed half-days to transition.

I don’t really get it when people say school isn’t childcare. Well, yes it’s not. But if school didn’t exist and children weren’t legally obliged to be there weekdays, there would be a whole different system of daycare for older children.

Most preschool kids won’t be allowed back just for Sept and a lot of childminders will have had to take new clients. So this does create an awkward gap. In the normal holidays you have holiday clubs etc

I get why the kids need to adjust gradually though.

Unfortunately schools don’t make parents aware of their rights because it doesn’t suit them.

For us, full time from day one was what DT’s (and DH and I) needed so we notified the school that we would be sending them full time from the first day of the term.

Don’t mind the comments from those who doubt your parenting skills. The world is full of these once you hit school.
Not all of us can be SAHP - for whatever reason - or have grandparents nearby.
Literally school forms part of every working parent’s childcare formula.

One of the days happens on a day I don’t work as I am part time so that is fine; on another I do work and my employer is somewhat inflexible about things like this so I don’t think I’m going to get anywhere asking. DH may be able to do one but for another it clashes with a very big event that is abroad and has been booked for months.

Well, it sounds like you can do one, maybe even two of the three, which will be great for your child.

We often have families that can only do one of the two we offer-that's why schools do a few.

It’s a legal requirement for providing full time education from the term they start in September.

There are threads every year about this which makes me the bj if isn’t talked about enough to parents with preschoolers.

Yes it’s to aid children with settling in but a nightmare if you work as you potentially have three weeks where you have to juggle staggers pick ups.

I get that school isn’t childcare but nothing wrong with acknowledging how hard this is for full time working parents.

I was lucky as at the time I was only doing 15hrs a week. it made the staggered school start much easier.

Yeah I agree. My children's school used to do it for 4 weeks, then they cut it to just 2 which was more manageable. I found it annoying and I'm a stay at home parent. I can only imagine how disruptive it is to parents who work. I'm sure I read somewhere that if you need your child to be in for the full school day during this period then they have to facilitate that. I don't agree that it's in every child's best interests. Some will benefit from that time, but regardless, shortly after they are going to need to do a full day of school whether they are quite ready or not.

Our children found them helpful.

But yes, I feel your pain as a working parent.

Could you make it clear please that I am not making a comment about your priorities?

I agree it's really difficult.

With my DC1 the primary transition days were done with nursery- it was v well organised, she went up to the school from her private nursery with the other kids who were going to that school. Back to nursery, collection as normal.

The New head at the school has stopped this, there's now no communication via the private nurseries in the area and so I need to fetch DC2 from nursery at some random time, take her to school for a couple of hours and then back to nursery. Using annual leave I'd have preferred to use for the actual holidays...

The priority should be housing and feeding your child.

Working parents aren’t treating their child as if they are not a priority because they are struggling to balance work and school.

Many jobs operate in a way that people simply don’t get paid if they don’t go. Parents are trying their hardest but they can’t shit miracles.

Also surely it’s only a legal requirement if they’re of compulsory school age? Most children aren’t when they start.

Honestly after the 6 week hols it will be like they are all back to square one.

How does that work for teachers? The children starting those schools won't get a good experience, because a lot of the teachers will be off.