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

It’s so frustrating isn’t it. DS starts school in September. He goes to the nursery attached to the school and goes to breakfast and after school club and will go to the holiday club at the school for part of the summer which is run by the same early years staff as the reception and nursery team. But for 2.5 weeks in September he just can’t go to wraparound or school except for very short periods and half the time. School/DS1 go back on 4th September but he can’t go full time until 21st! We both work full time and are using annual leave for the holidays!

So much misinformation on this thread. 🙄 to those who think it’s entitled to want their legal entitlement to full time from day (1). Educate yourselves! Half days might have worked 50 years ago when preschool/early years education was very different. Now the majority of children will find school hours very short compared wit 8-6 in nursery. Our local council actually did a campaign last year encouraging parents to take up full time places from day one, and backing parents when schools tried to say no.

@Namechange20222022 - why not ask for full time? You’re enabling the system you’re complaining about!

I think ours do it for 2 or 3 weeks but there is an option to do it until half term if you want. Personally I don't have an issue with it, your child starts school once so surely you can suck up the "inconvenience". I know some will have them in childcare 24/7 from birth but not everyone is the same and the child needs some settling in time, particularly after the summer break. My little girl will only have been doing a few mornings at preschool previously so this will be a big change and I appreciate the school helping with the transition.

I think that length of staggered starts is ridiculous but to be fair it’s an introduction to how primary schools are not really aligned with working parents

Your child may go nursery but that doesn’t mean every child does. Primary is very different from nursery too. You have to remember school isn’t for childcare, it’s for education, and it’s about what is best for all of the children and the teachers

I kept my dd in nursery for the first half term and then she went in full time after the October half term. The school didn't like it but I had to work and didn't have a choice of taking annual leave or wfh. I was on my own so didn't have a choice. The school originally said I would have to do this but when it come to they weren't happy about it, but my hands were tied I needed to work - it was before parental leave was a thing - which you could take OP to assist with this issue.

@CM1897 - reception isn’t actually that different from nursery and many schools combine the two anyway as it’s all EYFS.

This was the norm even 25 years ago. The school for my two children rigidly stuck to the rules for everyone parents and you had to do your four weeks of half days. Of course after that the children were only in for 2 full time weeks before the school broke up for half term!

You have to remember school isn’t for childcare

Tell that to the governments benefits system, as its geared around child age and when parents need to work full time

When you decided to start a family did you ever make contingency plans for if you weren’t able to be a working mother?
what if your daughter breaks a leg or gets an illness? when you become a mum your main job is to be a mum and if it means having to fit work around it or make provisions then that’s what you have to do.

@BridetoBee - that’s unbelievably bad planning on the part of your school. What a joke! You were caught out and didn’t have the staff when - shock horror - a child who was entitled to attend full time wanted full time? Shame on your SLT!

Completely out of touch. I had to pick my daughter up from her 'settling in' session then take her to nursery for half a day- talk about unsettling! Massively out of date approach.

https://www.gov.uk/parental-leave
This would have been really useful when mine went from full time nursery to school

This is a very privileged point of view. Also note the lack of Dad shaming here…

@Plasticplantpot we weren’t caught out, we offer a 4 day staggered start and had staff in school available to have the child, just staff in year 1. Our staffing has been cut to the bare bones so we have a teacher and ta per class, both of which are needed to home visit safely. The benefits of the home visits for the 90% of the cohort we home visit would outweigh cancelling that to support 1 child. I completely understand that extended staggered starts of weeks or more would be a nightmare and would struggle with this myself (both parents work full time) but this is only 4 days before children are in full time.

I forget exactly what my children did (youngest is now in Y2, so reception is aaaages ago 😉), but I think there were an initial couple of half days, then full days but with the option to pick them up early if we wanted to or something. I'm quite certain, however, that the transition arrangements didn't last beyond the first week. Three weeks of half days is a PITA. I have no idea how a single parent with inflexible employment and no local childcare support would cope!

@BridetoBee - neither my school, nor the one my DC attend, feel the need to do home visits. Both have everyone in full time from day one. Works really well! You might want to try it!

When you decided to start a family did you ever make contingency plans for if you weren't able to be a working father? What if your daughter breaks a leg or gets an illness? When you become a dad your main job is to be a dad and if it means having to fit work around it or make provisions then that's what you have to do.

I must remember to tell my paediatrician surgeon friend to fit the surgeries round her DCs' minor illnesses.

It was pita in 2002 and nothing has changed.

DS was used to being at nursery and it was longer. I went on for about 6 weeks

What has this to do with your child’s legal right to start full time education at the start of term?
We - DH and I - as we are both parents manage the sick days as and when they happen - luckily rarely for us.

Those parents shouldn't expect schools to stagger starts if nursery is so unimportant then.

I hate this argument, of course it is a form of childcare.

What was best for both of my children was to go full time almost immediately for the routine. They had been in pre school full time for nearly 2 years by that point. Luckily our school agreed and only had 2 settling in sessions and then full time.

Oxford county council advice here:

*Staggered Starts to Primary School - schools are asked to review their policy on staggered starts to ensure legal compliance

Some schools operate a ‘staggered starts’ policy phasing small groups of children in on different days, or offering half days over the first week or two. While this is often well-established and may be helpful for some children, schools are reminded of the child's statutory entitlement to a full-time place from the first day of the autumn term.

Many children are now attending free early years provision full-time prior to starting school and families have commitments in place which could make a staggered start very difficult to manage and unsettling for their child.

Reception places are funded for the full school year and any additional childcare provision the child attends during a staggered start period will therefore need to be paid for.

Government advice states:-
‘’We do not think that it is practical for local authorities and providers to offer alternative childcare provision for the “settling-in” period / late start. We would advise parents to talk to the school’s head teacher about any problems they may experience in any “settling-in” period / late start bearing in mind that the School Admissions Code is clear that children are entitled to a full time place in a state-funded school reception class from the September following their fourth birthday. The Department would expect a full-time place to be offered to any parent who did not wish to take up the induction offer’’.
Schools are requested to review their entry policy and ensure that this fully supports families requiring a full time reception place from the start of term.*

This is an excellent post.

For all those posters complaining about having to facilitate half days and staggered starts, all those worried about paying for extra childcare or missing work. They can attend full time from day one. I honestly think if more parents insisted on it then the pointless half days and weeks of staggered starts would be a thing of the past.