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

You’re making some huge generalisations. DT’s started full time nursery at six months and started full time school from the start of the term without a staggered start . July birthday. Neither of the DT’s had any issues transitioning from nursery to school. School included breakfast and after school clubs. I couldn’t care less if mothers (why not fathers?) struggle.

@Victoriabee01 You are incorrect. The adjudicator was referring to reception, not statutory school age, and the school admissions code is clear about a full time start from the September of reception also.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/296261/ada2479_st_marks_primary_bournemouth_16aug13.pdf

This would ring alarm bells with me as to the ethics of the school with their approach to misleading parents about the rights to not have a staggered start.

Do parents not question schools about their policies and the options open to parents sending their children into Reception? Sounds like many schools hide the options for their own convenience.

This is a very old fashioned approach
It ‘worked’ when more children were coming from homes and not full time nursery. It enabled teachers to visit children in their homes in the afternoon- to help build up relationships ( back in the 90s)
Legally it full time from day one - it’s not on to mess parents about like this

It’s also not a question of schools “letting” parents send their children full time. It’s a statutory requirement to provide a full time place from the beginning of reception.

That is from 5 years of age and no child is of that age starting reception. Therefore you are not obliged to send your child to school till that age and they aren’t ‘entitled’ to full time education till then either.

No, children are entitled to school from the September of the school year they turn 5, this is before they are actually required to be in school.

In addition to the quote from Oxford council someone posted up thread, these are some other councils that make it clear a full time place is what they're entitled to.

www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools-index/school-admissions/school-admissions-guides-policies-and-statistics/school-admissions-policies/community-and-voluntary-controlled-primary-schools-admissions-policy-2021/staggered-intake/
"Whilst schools may choose to continue this practice under the Admissions Code each parent still has a right to a full time place at the start of the autumn term following their child’s 4th birthday. Parents may therefore choose to either access their child’s full time place from the start of the term or to take part in a staggered intake."

www.somerset.gov.uk/children-families-and-education/applying-for-school/starting-school-early-or-late/
"Parents do, however, have the right to request a full-time place for their child from the September after their fourth birthday."

www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-age
"Schools often suggest a part-time induction process, but parents do have the right to request their child attends on a full-time basis from the start of the school year."

Parents know how old children are when they start school, why do they need to adjust and why just mothers?

Why do you think it is usually full time nursery children who struggle more?

Schools must make full-time provision available from the beginning of the autumn term of the school year in which the child reaches compulsory school age, the September following the child’s fourth birthday.

It's why many schools have quite the phased starts ... they know parents can force the issue.

I did say “usually” and “from experience” so not very generalised. However The “mother” one you got me! (Apologies dad’s).

If you read on what text you’ve just uploaded it states ‘a full time place in reception the year after the child’s forth birthday’.

This is a church school from what I gather and it reads as though they were trying to start the child/children in January. That’s a very excessive example of an adjudicators decision on a school that are clearly being ott.

Read paragraph 36. It’s absolutely clear it’s the September of reception that is being referred to.

Children starting in reception are in the academic year following their 4th birthday.

The school admissions code - para 2.17 - also makes this clear.

Is this in a little Northamptonshire/Leicestershire village by any chance?
We had our youngest all signed up and when the head would not be persuaded that we didn’t need the long transition we put our DD in a different and primary school and have never looked back.

My reception don’t do this. They do only go in 2 full days the first week which is a pain but then straight to it. After years of nursery my child adapted straight away. I literally wouldn’t be able to accommodate the hours as I work and an on my own. Do they offer a wrap around service?

It’s called a staggered start or ‘soft landing’ and it’s really important that Reception settings do this, unless you want teachers to be supporting very distressed children most of the day instead of getting to know your child who is ‘fine’. Though many are organized differently, with later start dates, part time days until settled etc. There is often flexibility around this, but it’s based on children’s needs, not childcare requirements. You’d be surprised how many children who are used to childcare struggle with the transition. Also, hate to say it, but this is the start of their school life, a really important time to get right, not only childcare. It’s hard for parents to juggle, life is tough for many right now with work, but it really helps give children a good start.

Children are all different - mine did well going full time from the start. Parents have this option. Unfortunately many schools don’t make them aware of this.

Goodness me, this thread is frustrating.

I am a long-standing school governor, very familiar with the school adjudicator’s 2013 ruling.

Your child is entitled to attend school, full-time, from the start of the September following their fourth birthday. That is the reception class.

Your child does not reach compulsory school age until the 31 December, 31 March or 31 August following their fifth birthday. So you can choose to defer their place until then or attend part time.

The point is that whatever the OP’s school is saying, and whatever the strongly held views of people on this thread, the above are facts. So parents have a choice. If you want to send your child full time from day one you are entitled to do so, and if the school says no, then remind the head about the 2013 ruling and offer to take it up with the LEA or your MP.

if you feel your child needs a staggered start, then until they’re compulsory school age, you can do this.

the thread is full of people dictating what is best for other people’s children. The point is that parents have a choice.

@immergeradeaus - isn’t it just? And all the moreso when you have posters like @Victoriabee01 perpetuating myths because they’re hard of reading and @MoominMama21 scaremongering 🙄🙄🙄

@immergeradeaus thank you for explaining it so clearly - some of us have tried and failed. It’s down to parental choice, not the school.

Mine are 29 and 30 now ..
But the October born child did half days from September until the October half term ?!
The March born child did half days for a whole first term
I line in the south
I wasn't working ..but goodness knows how those parents that were working managed

Schools don't care, they arnt a babysitting service.
And your kid is just one example, there's another 90 kids starting and half of them find it difficult and do need the slow transition.

Thank you immergeradeaus and other posters for being so patient and explaining countless times.

People seem to be missing the point.

Thank you for again taking the time to explain it so simply.

Hopefully all the parents who are genuinely concerned about trying to make arrangements and thinking this is normal and they have to comply will see through all the scaremongering posts perpetuating the myths and see they have the choice even if their childs school is determined to make them think otherwise.

The thing is - I am fully aware we get a choice but I don't want to piss off the school by exercising it. I know the school will do a classic guilt trip. It's shit as I know they are trading on exactly this but, on balance, I would rather keep a good relationship with them.

Ours isn't as bad as three weeks or half days though, just a delayed start to allow for home visits