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

Sorry but this is pretty standard.
My kids are teens but they had the same when in reception- half days to start with, it's not unusual at all

You can absolutely request full time from day 1 ( but you will be 'that parent' for ever more!)

Ouch three weeks is so hard! I agree maybe see if you can speak to other parents I’m sure you won’t be the only one unhappy with this arrangement. Our DD school did half days for just a couple of days and then went straight to full days. You will end up using so many holidays. If they have a before or after school club maybe ask if you can use this facility as you would have to use most of your annual leave to facilitate the three weeks.

I’m an ex reception teacher and I would really advise you stick with the school plan if you are able to. Don’t forget that in nursery you had an adult for every 8 children. In a school you’ll be lucky if it’s 1:15. Sometimes (like on the playground) it may be more like 1:50.

This is a big step and even children who have been in full time nursery from 6month have been tired from the transition.

Think about how you feel when you start a new job that is a step up in responsibility and everyone is giving you loads of new information! Only you’re an adult not 4.

If you do ask to shorten the settling period, definitely don’t do this. Essentially stiring up a group to go and moan will not endear you!

Go and speak to them on your own behalf, others are free to do the same if they choose to.

Dd started reception in September and they did this. It was fine, but I think she would have also been fine with getting straight into it. I think some of the other children did need a slower transition, but more than a week seemed rather a long time.

When my son started last September his school did this too. 3 weeks of 9-12.
But it's very common in the town where I live (several primaries who all do this start period). I don't think you can request they do different hours as this is just how it is. School is different to nursery/preschool so they want kids to get used to it and also the teachers want to get to know the kids - which is why half do mornings and half do afternoons. Smaller groups for the teachers to get to know.
But it is difficult with work etc.

3 weeks of half days is pretty unusual these days, even for schools who have staggered starts. Many schools have a week of half days, and plenty have the reception children attend full time from the start.

I agree it's ridiculous. DD starts in September and her school isn't doing too much of this. But a friend of hers is going to a different school that does three weeks of settling, both her parents are secondary school teachers so can't flex their hours or take holiday etc. They don't have family nearby to help. And as teachers, they want to support the school and don't want to be "those" parents from day one. But they are thinking they'll have to, what else are they meant to do.

Our school thankfully doesn’t do this. Everyone in full day from day one. They can do individual timetables with early finishes for those children who need it.

works fine, even with my eldest who started during covid restrictions and didn’t know a single other child in his new class.

I think for a lot of children a prolonged settling period makes things harder because they aren’t learning the routine properly and it gets confusing.

the default should be full time within a week with provision for children who need something longer.

So glad our school didn’t do this! It was just normal days from the start

But then I believe at our school every child who started in P1 also went to the school nursery, and by the preschool year the vast majority were doing mon-fri 9-3.

You can absolutely insist on the school taking your child full time from day 1.

I've been Early Years senior management in several schools.

The plan that I've always found works best for everyone is to offer all children the option of starting full time from the beginning. If parents feel that their child would cope better with a slower start, then that's fine too. They just need to let us know.

In this scenario i would ask because the teacher is clearly there teaching the class in the classroom.

In some scenarios I think, you can ask, but is your child happy to be shoved from classroom to classroom and largely be ignored whilst their actual teacher makes home visits.

But i think these long staggard transitions are not helpful. Plenty of schools manage to go full time or do two half days and then full time. I actually thought these long transitions had been phased out.

DS is doing one week of the weird staggered days, then straight into the standard 8:45-3 from the following Monday. I've just had to book a grim combination of annual leave mornings and WFH afternoons to cover it which is a pain, but I can suck it up for a week. Three seems bonkers! For the second week we're not doing any wraparound sessions because that seems a bit much for him to process, but from week three he'll be doing breakfast club and a couple of after school clubs too. Lots of families have no alternative when both parents work so it's just something everyone has to get used to.

See I would have preferred this. Dd only went to nursery age 3-4 for 3 hours a day so it would have been a shock for her. I understand your situation but most kids aren't in nursery 8-5 every day?

It really is ridiculous, considering most of the intake will have been at some form of childcare.

Ours did:-
Day 1 - half the class 9.15-2.45 (to miss the mad drop off)
Day 2 - the other half did it
Day 3 - whole class in 9.15-2.45
Day 4 - normal school hours from today

We have settling in sessions (a few 1 hour ones, some with parents and some without) and then straight into full time in September. There is an opportunity for parents who want part time for it to be arranged but it works fine. I'd also find it ridiculously disruptive.

My local authority has sent out a message to all heads saying it's full time from the get-go. ( unless there are significant reasons why a parent has requested a phased start)

But the option of full time for everyone, but allowing a staggered start for those who need it would also work for you. Where as a blanket policy of everyone having 3 weeks of half days might be beneficial for 1 or 2 children, but is confusing for the majority and also a logistical nightmare for parents to sort around work and other children.

As others have said, the default should be full time within a week with provision for children who need something longer.

It's very common but most schools around here have stopped doing it because it is confusing for everyone and doesn't help establish a routine. The vast majority of the children have been in nursery because the parents work. School was not stressful or tiring for them and they settle in fine with one class visit, one half class/half day, and then into the 9-3:30.

@Whinge Yes that would work. Also my dds were born in the summer. One in August. I'd assume September babies would settle in better?

My DD had five weeks of this. Three weeks of afternoons, one just morning, last morning and lunch. Some do take a lot more settling in than others and it gives teachers time to get to know them, but for the ones that don't it's not great. My DD was the youngest in her year, but she just wanted to be full time from day one, she thought she was missing out on getting to know the others and wanted to get on with some serious learning - not tracing over letters and numbers she already knew (again that has to be done for those that don't know them or have struggled to learn them).

We sent DT’s full time from day one. With two working parents a staggered start is ridiculous and not helpful for children who are use to 8-6 in nursery. It ended up over half of the class starting full time - you just have to notify the school that is what you are doing - they may try and persuade you not to.

My DCs school did this though it went on for a whole half term, I’m not a fan, my DCs had been in nursery 8-5:45 and didn’t need settling in time, I think most parents found it really difficult. Once my DCs were at school they went to a great childminder for breakfast and after school, so she had them for mornings or afternoons as necessary during this settling in period. I think you can demand full time education from day 1 if you want to, though what this would do to your on-going relationship with a school, I’m not sure.