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Original poster

Bloody bloody half days for reception kids

400 replies

Icylightning · 28/07/2019 11:08

Why?!! WHY?!!

Don’t the school realise what a nightmare this is for working parents, I’m a single working parent so it’s even worse. TWO weeks of half days. To ease the children into full days apparently. DD has been doing 5 full days at nursery for 18 mths. Longer hours than she will be doing in school.

I’m using most of my annual leave in the holidays but now need to ask for two weeks of leaving at lunch time ffs. I thought they couldn’t do this anymore?!

Her nursery won’t take her back for those two weeks and is nowhere near her school either. Bloody nightmare

OP posts:
Reallybadidea · 28/07/2019 11:41

When so many children are in nursery 8-6 every day it makes no sense to start with half days. I think it's one of those things where "it's always been done that way" so they carry on without considering that times change.

Stuckforthefourthtime · 28/07/2019 11:42

People haven't read the posters updates. It's mornings only so no improvement in regular ratios or option for full day.

With 30 free hours (or at least 15) for the preceding year and with most parents doing at least some paid work, these children will be used to formal settings.

Especially given this, I cannot see how it's in the childrens' best interests to miss out on 2 weeks of full holiday days with their parent(s) in order to have 2 weeks slow start.

x2boys · 28/07/2019 11:43

I have never understood this my son goes to a special school and has done from reception , they start all the children full time from day one and these are children who have significant learning disabilities, and they seem to manage .

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Sirzy · 28/07/2019 11:44

Our school has never done more than 3 half days. This year they are having full days from day one as so many have come from a full time nursery situation. They have made it clear that there is flexibility around the needs of the individual child and how they settle.

MoreSlidingDoors · 28/07/2019 11:46

Why?!! WHY?!!

Because it’s a gentler introduction for the children.

Don’t the school realise what a nightmare this is for working parents,

No, because their responsibility is to the child.

Utter bastards to consider themselves anything more than free childcare.

Bwekfusth · 28/07/2019 11:47

With 6 weeks off and then another 2 weeks of half days, that is ridiculous. How are working parents meant to cope? Some don't have family at hand to take over, some can't afford 8 weeks of time off work/childcare, but this is where I will be told 'if you can't afford kids you shouldn't have them' 🙄

Mrsjayy · 28/07/2019 11:47

We don't have reception here but when mine started in P1 it was half days from August till end of September Shock I do think yabu im assuming you would have got information when you registered for school or was this just sprung on you ? I get that is a total pain in the arse for you and hopefully your annual leave covers it or you can maybe get a chilminder

IceRebel · 28/07/2019 11:48

With 6 weeks off and then another 2 weeks of half days, that is ridiculous.

Surely most working parents will continue to use nursery during the 6 weeks holidays?

gotmychocolateimgood · 28/07/2019 11:49

It's not for the staff. The children will have been used to a 1:4 adult to child ratio and now have a 1:15 ratio, assuming they have a teaching assistant. This means they need to learn to listen, wait their turn for help and be more independent than they were in nursery, even though the classroom may still look like a pre school setting. It also helps the teacher get to know the children if they are splitting the class for mornings and afternoons.

What makes you think teachers would decide to make life difficult for parents because they'd rather have an easy start to the term for themselves? Don't you think that professionals who are trained in education have a right to decide what's best for the children? Because se they might actually know best, having successfully inducted children into their schools for years and years.

If it's only a couple of weeks, do what everyone else does and muddle through. Beg favours off friends, family, local childminders. You won't have the same issue when your child starts year 1,2,3 or any other school year. By the way, if you're a teacher with a child in year R it's extra difficult as you can't take annual leave in September.

dementedpixie · 28/07/2019 11:49

I'm in Scotland and our school did 1half day and then straight into full days

YouJustDoYou · 28/07/2019 11:50

You can ask to do full days from the start.

Dizzylin · 28/07/2019 11:53

My DM works in a school and has always said this type of start is harder for the children. Her experience is that kids think that half a day is normal and get upset when they suddenly start full days.

My DS starts this time and we have 6 days of this, luckily my PIL are retired and are able to help otherwise I don't know what we would do.

Original poster
Icylightning · 28/07/2019 11:53

Again, it isn’t split days or done on the kids ages it’s all the class in all morning and then all of them go home.

Bollocks to “school isn’t childcare”, such a ridiculous thing to say. Of course it isn’t the primary purpose of school but the secondary effect of them being at school is that childcare is covered from x hour to y hour on certain days fgs.

Not sure who said about the costumes but YES. I give you “your child will need a mop cap, multicoloured spotty skirt or trousers and a shirt” in 3 days Hmm

How do I know most of the mothers are SAHMs? DD is my 4th child. It’s a small village school. I’m well aware of the employment status of other parents. Out of DSs class of 30 kids at least 20 of the mothers do not work. No judgement but it’s a fact. The same reason the school have parents evening sign up sheets in the office. They presume most parents (mothers) are physically there for drop off and can sign up when they open the bookings at 9am.

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 28/07/2019 11:54

Ironically, one set of people this is most difficult for is full time teachers as there is no flexibility at all to take leave, leave early and so on. I do feel your pain OP and don't really understand why teachers themselves in primary schools aren't more empathetic about such things.

I was lucky : my local school was bit of a pioneer in wrap around care so children on half days went to the care club for the afternoon ad then on to the After School Club. I do wonder now , with all the budget cuts in education whether that still happens at that school as it must have been expensive staffing ratios wise.

Original poster
Icylightning · 28/07/2019 11:55

No after school care at all. Two childminders in the village who are full. They do have a breakfast club and my DC are sometimes the only ones there!

OP posts:
gotmychocolateimgood · 28/07/2019 11:55

The point is that's its very tiring for 4 and 5 year old children to be in their new classrooms with the very different ratios for 6 plus hours. A few hours a day is preferable for them to adapt to this. Never mind the new setting, new social setting assuming they haven't come up from nursery as a whole class etc.

Believe me, the teachers will be extremely busy even if they don't stagger the children through the morning and afternoon. The reception teachers I know spend 12 hours a day in their classroom. Setting up paperwork etc will be very time consuming.

RedSheep73 · 28/07/2019 11:56

This is just the beginning unfortunately. Welcome to 7 years of being expected to drop your life and come running to school at the drop of a hat, because obviously you've got nothing better to do.

FamilyOfAliens · 28/07/2019 11:56

How do I know most of the mothers are SAHMs? DD is my 4th child. It’s a small village school. I’m well aware of the employment status of other parents.

So it comes as no surprise to you that this is the school’s arrangement. Did you complain with the other three? Or consider looking for a school that starts all reception children on full days from day 1?

MoltoAgitato · 28/07/2019 11:57

Yet again: why are these schools unable to manage full days from the off when many excellent schools can do full time from day 1?

SolitudeAtAltitude · 28/07/2019 11:57

Count your luck stars, my summer born DS had 6 weeks settling in period of half days Grin Shock

It brings home that school is not child care (it is not) even though it is seen as that, and to make suitable childcare arrangements.

super annoying though, and have not seen this in other countries where I have lived

gotmychocolateimgood · 28/07/2019 11:57

OP if this is your 4th child surely you know how it works by now?

FamilyOfAliens · 28/07/2019 11:58

I do feel your pain OP and don't really understand why teachers themselves in primary schools aren't more empathetic about such things.

I doubt they aren’t sympathetic. But the OP asked the head, not the teacher, so we don’t know what the teacher’s response would have been.

formerbabe · 28/07/2019 11:58

If it's only a couple of weeks, do what everyone else does and muddle through. Beg favours off friends, family, local childminders

Not everyone has friends and family who can help. My dc are older now so I don't have this issue but all my friends work full time as do my limited local family. I've never heard of being able to book a childminder for two weeks worth of half days and them picking up from school.

Actually, I think many primary schools seem to operate in general as if all mums are sahms. Honestly, there seems to be things every single week to attend, open mornings, reading mornings, assemblies, sports days and other random events.

FamilyOfAliens · 28/07/2019 11:58

Yet again: why are these schools unable to manage full days from the off when many excellent schools can do full time from day 1?

Parents are free to send their children to any of these excellent schools, should they so wish.

LatteLove · 28/07/2019 12:00

It is a pain, my two had 3 weeks of half days. At the time my kids were at a childminder and she did pick up from the school so that covered my eldest and my parents had retired by the time my youngest started so they came over in the afternoons we needed to cover. We were lucky to have solutions.

I hate the snotty “school isn’t childcare” posts. Of course it isn’t but it is a proportion of the working day parents generally don’t need to arrange childcare for as the children are in compulsory education!

Are there any mums of your older kids you’re friendly with who might help you out?