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Original poster

3 weeks of half days for reception children.

614 replies

Tohaveandtohold · 11/06/2023 23:04

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

OP posts:
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8
Sirzy · 12/06/2023 09:48

TheMoistMaker · 12/06/2023 09:39

My friends that are teachers say it really helps with getting to know the children, having less of them there at once in those first few weeks. I definitely agree with that for my own children who were very quiet in bigger groups when they were young.

One week of half doing mornings half doing afternoon would allow for that though it doesn’t take three weeks

Parker231 · 12/06/2023 09:48

TheMoistMaker · 12/06/2023 09:44

Who do suggest looks after the children of working parents if they use a staggered start?

We used a childminder. When my son started, the childminder had 2 other children starting reception and when my daughter started, she had one other child doing it.

No childminders near us. We used a nursery from DT’s were six months old. Their spaces were filled at the end of term.

Growlybear83 · 12/06/2023 09:51

Many schools do this, and as others have said, there is a very big difference between nursery and Reception. Also, not all children attend nursery before starting school.

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SpringBunnies · 12/06/2023 09:51

School isn't right. My DC attends a primary that has full day from day 1. Both my DC were at nursery full time before because I work full time. They did not suffer because they didn't start with half days. In fact, many of the children went from school to after school club and didn't get pick up until 6. Mine went to childminder at that time, so similar.

TheOrigRights · 12/06/2023 09:54

I was so thankful that my school didn't do this madness.

My sons were at full time work-place nursery 1/2hr from home/school.
It would have been so disruptive and confusing for them to go to school for a couple of hours and then be schlepped back to nursery.
Not to mention that I was not wfh then so it would have been an absolute pain for me.

Strawberrycocktail · 12/06/2023 09:55

My children’s school did this. It wasn’t necessary for my children as both had already got used to full school days in a nursery school setting in the previous school year and then attended full days at holiday camps some if the time in the summer holidays.

However, I think the teachers used the afternoons to carry out base line assessments on each child a small number were asked to stay for a full day on one day in the three weeks of half days so they could be assessed. So the teachers were working but using the time differently in the afternoons. However, it is really difficult for working parents and causes all sorts of inconvenience. It is, unfortunately a taste of what is to come throughout primary school when there will be days when children finish early or parents are invited to school events during the day and you will be disappointing your child if you are not in the audience to see their big moment. There are also intermittent teacher strikes to add to the complications at the moment! However 3 solid weeks of half days is probably the worst it gets apart from lockdowns.

SavedbyAirConditioning · 12/06/2023 09:58

The teachers I know think it really helps with the kids settling and getting to know them. One of the schools did stop doing it and said it was awful. Lots more tears and behaviour issues so they went back to half days for a few weeks last September and it was much better again. It can be hard for working parents, my teacher friends both went through it with their own children so they’re aware of the difficulties.

We hired a babysitter/nanny through an agency for a couple of weeks. Lots of grandparents and friends helping or parents have to book annual leave, work from home where possible.

Phineyj · 12/06/2023 10:05

It is very unsettling for DC to be looked after by a random and changing selection of care givers - that's the reality of any kind of fiddly staggered arrangement.

Private schools do not do this...

SavedbyAirConditioning · 12/06/2023 10:05

No childminders near us. We used a nursery from DT’s were six months old. Their spaces were filled at the end of term.

I don’t know why you think it’s on @TheMoistMaker solve your childcare issues. Many schools that do this believe it helps the kids. Childcare is part of parenting. As I said, we hired a babysitter/nanny through an agency for the majority of week 2 and 3 of staggered starts as we couldn’t get a childminder. We booked annual for the first week. It’s a few weeks, you get through it like everyone else.

mindutopia · 12/06/2023 10:08

I know of schools that do this and it sounds like a nightmare. Thankfully, both schools when mine started reception, they were full days right away. With my eldest, she was still zipping about with energy and bored by the end of the day as the school day was quite short for her. She'd been in nursery 9-5 for 3 years at that point. I think if parents are concerned that their children won't adjust to 6 hour days, they need to find a way to settle them into full days before school starts, particularly as all children are funded for 15 hours at that point.

MrsSkylerWhite · 12/06/2023 10:10

We chose to send our youngest in for half days only then half days with lunch for the whole of the first term. It worked really well for him.

Iris1976 · 12/06/2023 10:10

My youngest was in that year that they trialled half day for the whole year,so had to take her and older DD to school in morning,pick one up at 12 and then another at 3 and lived a mile away with no transport

Shelby1981 · 12/06/2023 10:11

Wow 3 weeks seems long!

If I remember right ours did for the first week:

1/4 of the class mornings only mon & wed
1/4 afternoons only mon & wed
1/4 mornings only tues and Thurs
1/4 afternoons only tues & thurs
Everyone in all day Friday

Full time for everyone from week 2 (but I'm sure there was flexibility for anyone struggling)

Tbh that was bad enough and I felt like "just get on with it" and my son was like awww why am I not going tomorrow? He started reception in 2020 though so possibly more gradual because of covid 🤷🏻‍♀️

Parker231 · 12/06/2023 10:12

SavedbyAirConditioning · 12/06/2023 10:05

No childminders near us. We used a nursery from DT’s were six months old. Their spaces were filled at the end of term.

I don’t know why you think it’s on @TheMoistMaker solve your childcare issues. Many schools that do this believe it helps the kids. Childcare is part of parenting. As I said, we hired a babysitter/nanny through an agency for the majority of week 2 and 3 of staggered starts as we couldn’t get a childminder. We booked annual for the first week. It’s a few weeks, you get through it like everyone else.

It something we wanted for DT’s which is why we sent them full time from day one - together with breakfast and after school clubs

AnneElliott · 12/06/2023 10:12

DSs school didn't do this. They thought it ridiculous as well. They staggered the days that the kids started (so not 30 new ones all on the same day) but once DS started it was full days.

PerfectSmile · 12/06/2023 10:14

My children’s school did this and I’m glad they did. Yes, it’s hard when you’re both working but we managed with annual leave and a friend who was a SAHM helped us out on a few days.

BelindaBears · 12/06/2023 10:15

Yes I think 3 weeks of it is excessive. Our school did 1 week, with the option to continue half days for another week if parents really felt their child needed it, but I’m not aware of any who took up that offer. Better to get stuck into the new routine IMO, rather than a hotch potch of mornings or afternoons at school and the other half of the day with family members or parents WFH or nurseries or childminders. That’s far more disruptive.

Twilightstarbright · 12/06/2023 10:15

Same here @Phineyj they know that almost all the parents work and that it’s so impractical for parents, especially as some love quite far away.

We had the same as @Coolblur a 30 min later start on the first day then straight into normal hours. Individual agreements are in place for children who need it.

user50316 · 12/06/2023 10:17

I agree, it's ridiculous!

crackfoxy · 12/06/2023 10:18

I can't believe this is still happening. I had to do this with my eldest 20 years ago! Luckily I worked locally so I had to use my lunch break to pick her up and drop her to childminders then go back to work. So stressful for a whole month!

YouBoggleMyMind · 12/06/2023 10:19

Yup this happened for my DS last September when he started primary school. I was on maternity leave so it didn't have much of an effect on us but it was ridiculous to drag out the transition for this long and doesn't help working parents at all.

Whinge · 12/06/2023 10:19

PerfectSmile · 12/06/2023 10:14

My children’s school did this and I’m glad they did. Yes, it’s hard when you’re both working but we managed with annual leave and a friend who was a SAHM helped us out on a few days.

Why are you pleased that your school made your children do 3 weeks of random half days, that meant you had to use precious annual leave and rope in another parent who was a SAHM? Confused

What benefit did your children get out this?

Sunnysunbun · 12/06/2023 10:22

I’ve been a reception teacher for years. Three weeks is mad. I think 7 days half is enough - then full time.

NewNovember · 12/06/2023 10:22

TimeToRecover · 11/06/2023 23:16

Being in a nursery and starting reception are very different

Just because you think your child ‘will be ok’
Doesnt mean all children will be

You cant ‘request’ that they ‘have’ to provide her with full time eduction

Yes you can, legally a school has to provide a full time education from day one. It's parental choice have a read up on the law.

ChocChipHandbag · 12/06/2023 10:22

Phineyj · 12/06/2023 10:05

It is very unsettling for DC to be looked after by a random and changing selection of care givers - that's the reality of any kind of fiddly staggered arrangement.

Private schools do not do this...

Fully agree. If the point of having half days is to help children settle into school life, how does introducing a brand new temporary person to collect them at home time aid that settling?

My son was in full time nursery and used to being cared for outside the home, but the relationships were consistent. On the odd occasion we had to book a babysitter hadn't met before he was very anxious and unhappy about it. I don't think that is unusual.

Grandparents dead or 3 hours away. Annual leave is needed to cover the holidays!

(Fortunately moot point for me as school was sensible).

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