3 weeks of half days for reception children.

[Tohaveandtohold]

So my child is starting reception in sept and we got an email on Friday of their plans for
their transition and the new term. My main issue is they expect them to do 3 weeks of half day so half of the class will do 9-12 the first 2 weeks and then at week 3 they’ll be there for lunch so 9-12:45. The other half of the class will do half day in the afternoon.
I just feel this is out of touch. My child currently goes to nursery 4 days a week doing 8-6 though she’s picked up around 5 anyway and has never been clingy, so I can’t see how 3 weeks of half day will benefit her. Also we both work, luckily I’ll only go to the office 2 days a week so dh will pick up those days and we’re not using up all our annual leave unnecessarily. Can I request she only does half day for a week and that they have to provide her with full time education.
Like I don’t want to be ‘that’ parent at the beginning of her school journey but I feel 3 weeks is just ridiculous and out of touch

At least the school communicated this with you, though totally ridiculous time scale. My son had increasingly longer days over the first week, though that was over 3 days (never quite worked out what happened to the first 2 days of term!) Our school was very vague and very late communication.
Husband an ex head and said it's completely unnecessary to have staggered starts.

How will you juggle work with 4 weeks of half days?

This was a thing when I started in the 80's. Just because your child is ok being left doesn't mean every other child in the class is.

Which is why there are options - it’s not all of one for everyone.

@Tohaveandtohold you can insist from day 1 but be aware your child may well be the only one and have to join another year group. At my school we offer a staggered start but it’s full time from day 5. Days 1-4 we’re home visiting in the afternoons (until 4pm) and had a parent request their child do full days from day 1. Absolutely fine but they would have spent the afternoons in year 1 as there were no reception staff available, parent understandably changed their mind after finding this out.

Half days at the beginning is perfect for children to get used to the rigors of Reception.
There are times when you have to do what's best for the child.

The idea of breakfast club and after-school club for little 4 year olds is awful. They will be utterly exhausted and stressed out.

I feel your pain, but at least you have the ability to demand full time. When mine were reception age, the policy in our patch was based on term of birth - so autumn borns started full time, spring borns had to do 3 months of half days and summer borns had to do 6 months of half days. And no, they wouldn't budge on that because it was LEA policy.

With my oldest, I had to defer her start to January because there was no childcare that did midday pickups - and we were both working full time. The assumption was very clearly that there would be a parent (mother) at home. With the youngest we did find childcare that collected at lunchtime, but she was so ready for school that she hated the half days. She had to leave and watch her friends stay for school dinners and do more fun things. For 3 months we had a very angry, sad, resentful child on our hands and it affected her behaviour both at home and at school. As soon as she went full time, we got our sunny, easygoing child back.

I can't believe schools are still doing this stuff. It should be an option, not a rule.

You are entitled to ask for flexible working hours for this

How does home visiting work at your school when both parents work full time . We declined the visit as it was whilst we were both at work.

They should have - all children of this age entitled to free nursery hours

Should have suggested that to DH - a GP - I’m sure his patients would have appreciated having their appointments cancelled

You're entitled to ask. Not to receive.

And you can't say that half days will be better for all children across the board - some children are fully ready to move on.

As for 'oh the poor 4 year olds in after school care bla bla bla' - my two were in full time nursery. 7.30 till 5. Because we had to work. They were in an excellent nursery with virtually no staff turnover and they thrived. And yes, they were raised by us.

Can't believe these stone age attitudes still exist.

Some jobs can not be done flexibly.

Going to school full time from the start of term was the best for DT’s. A structured day and with the breakfast and after school clubs it was the same hours they had been at nursery. They had no difficulties. Reception is play based so not onerous.

Private schools start full time day 1.
Monday grandma, Tuesday dad rushes out of work drops you at old nursery, weds Tom’s mum who you don’t know, Thurs mum rushes out of work and drops you at old nursery, Fri next doors teen daughter is far more confusing and disruptive to a 4 yr old.

A much better approach would be to make half days optional so parents who are concerned can collect at lunchtime for the first few weeks. Our school does full time from day one thank god.

Any parent making the decision to not use any forms of preschool should absolutely be dedicated to preparing their children for reception (unless intending to homeschool). AFAIK its a tiny minority of children.

Our school do 3 days

1st Day, Class A in morning until just before lunch, Class B in afternoon until just before usual pick up
2nd Day Class Stay for lunch then go home, Class B come in have lunch then stay til end of the day
3rd Day Choice of either full day or half day.

Then from the following Monday fulltime or half days until half term (up to parents).

Class A was the Autunm and Spring Term 1 birthdays, Class B Spring Term 2 and Summer Term birthdays. Class B tended to be the ones on half days longer.

But our Headteacher always says to parents that if they need full time from the start to let her or the teacher know and this can be accomodated as well.

I think thats a much better system. My own DD did half days for a while then we added an hour a day until she was full time, but it was done over 3 or 4 weeks so by half term she was full time and she was used to 4 days a week in Nursery 8am-4.30pm.

I agree with this wholeheartedly.

Children only start Reception once in their lifetime.
Unless you are a single parent struggling on minimum wage, you can plan for this.
Maybe that year is the one you use annual leave and don't go on holiday?

Most GPs I know work very flexibly.
And were you not able to sort it between you?

Couldn’t agree more! My daughter is moving from a private nursery to a school nursery. They are claiming her 30 hours but doing a phased return. I’m a teacher as is my husband so we can’t book time off to accommodate this! We are attempting to beg borrow and steal childcare, calling in every favour but our relatives are having to use their holiday days at work and work extra bank holidays to make this work!
To be honest I’m on maternity leave so I think my only option may be to extend my maternity leave.
This will mean I’m losing a couple of months wages so that they can do a phased return!
I have no idea what I will do when my youngest starts as I can’t always be on maternity leave!

if this is the case why don’t they just make the first few weeks a bit easier on the kids with less expectation and more breaks, like a soft intro with a bit more play at the start, rather than faff around with this half day situation.

We did plan and ensured we kept our annual leave for school holidays (and supplemented with holiday clubs as school holidays are so long compared with holiday entitlements). Better for our DT’s to have family time over the school holidays than a disruptive start to their education.

Just shows how inadequately they are caring for child's needs