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Original poster

Transitioning to primary school...this is not enough?

76 replies

OnToTheNextOneOntoTheNextOne · 16/06/2023 14:14

If you have a child starting primary school in September this year, what are the transitional arrangements to ensure your child settles in to the new school?

My child is starting at a school where the majority of children will be coming from the school nursery and there is not much in the way of transition...

We have a 2 hour transition event coming up, when DC visit the school and meet their teacher and peers (without parents). The plan after that is that DC start full time in September.

I thought it was normal for a phased start in September and for teachers to visit children in their preschools?

OP posts:

shakeitoffsis · 16/06/2023 16:04

3x 45 min stay and play sessions with the parents there and then a 2 hour moving up session without parents in July. Starting full time in sept. I'm happy with this.

mindutopia · 16/06/2023 16:58

When both of mine started (different schools), they had probably 5 sessions of a few hours at the school during the summer term (now). I am pretty sure the teacher also came to visit them at their nursery and/or they took a trip over to visit the school (neither was a nursery attached to the school but local-ish). Then full-time start in September.

So yes, ideally there would be more than one settling in session, but these do require extra staff, so it may not always be possible, but they would be ideal.

LockIn · 16/06/2023 17:01

BreakfastGold · 16/06/2023 15:45

@Reugny@ReugnyI'm tempted but worried about how it would actually play out, I imagine with no other kids in they'd have to... I don't know, stick her in with the Yr 1s for a couple of weeks? More likely I'll book our annual holiday in early Sept and simply miss some of the phased intro because I can't afford to waste the amount of annual leave I'll have to take (which I wouldn't do if she was starting full time, I'd be sure to accommodate that).

It may be that other parents are in the same boat and would also prefer for their DC to start full time but aren't aware that they have the right to this, so would also ask for theirs to start full time once they heard that you had. It may start the ball rolling for there to be enough reception DC in full time to put a class together of just them.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Childcare & nursery General education

WhatNoRaisins · 16/06/2023 17:01

Sounds like our primary school. I actually preferred the no staggered start, I think it's often best to start as you mean to go on.

LolaSmiles · 16/06/2023 17:04

BreakfastGold
Your child is entitled to full time education from the start of reception. Some schools don't make this clear to parents and instead try to present lengthy phased starts as the norm.

Have a search for the other thread that's running about this.

LockIn · 16/06/2023 17:09

@BreakfastGold Here is the other thread. In it you'll find screenshots and quotes about your legal right to a full time education from day 1: www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4825697-3-weeks-of-half-days-for-reception-children

Caterina99 · 16/06/2023 17:21

My DD started p1 last year (we’re in Scotland). She went to the nursery attached to the school. As did the vast majority of the children.

There were various times in the summer term where the p1 teacher spent time in the nursery room. They had a day in June when the nursery children went up to the p1 classroom for a whole day. Then another few days where they went and ate lunch in the school dinner hall.

From day 1 they were in full days. I’m sure it would be possible to request a phased start, but my DD was fine so that wasn’t an issue for us. And half days for weeks on end sound like a logistical nightmare. I have to work and have another child at the school.

Caterina99 · 16/06/2023 17:23

Also I think there were short group visits to the p1 room prior to the moving up day and they starting playing in the infant school playground for breaks rather than the fenced in nursery playground.

Rockbird · 16/06/2023 17:36

Thank God my dds' school just took them in full time from day one. What an awful lot of faffing around and mollycoddling. Unless there are specific reasons, and in which case talk to the school, just get the children in. They will very quickly settle in.

HiAlisonItsCookie · 16/06/2023 18:10

They do this in school nursery, a week of a couple of hours gradually increasing until the Friday and they do a whole day. Second week they're in full time.

95% of the kids then transition to reception where it's full time from day one but they're used to the school timetable by then.

Smartiepants79 · 16/06/2023 18:12

You only need to read the many threads on here each year moaning about staggered starts in reception to see why it’s less and less common.
This is a battle school cannot win!

Barbie222 · 16/06/2023 18:13

When I was a reception teacher, I offered full time from day one but always offered half days if parents wished for the first week. I wasnt keen on half days after that as the dynamics of lunch and who plays with who start to set at that point.

If you start from the premise that everyone has half days more people complain, and I'm in that camp too I'm afraid - many children are already in full time day care and are actually having a shorter day in school.

toomuchlaundry · 16/06/2023 18:13

Has your DC gone to the school nursery?

Catbumps · 16/06/2023 18:17

We did two x 1hr visits then full time. Half days would be an impossibility for me as a single working parent and they’re really not needed.

Twizbe · 16/06/2023 18:18

Sounds like our school. DD starts in sept and they have a morning week after next and then full time from day one.

she goes to the nursery so does know a few who will be in her class.

it’s way more than DS got when starting the same school. He’d not been to the nursery and due to covid couldn’t do any transition activities.

he was fine though (and he’s super shy and at the time a selective mute) he flourished at school.

if you want a longer transition you just have to ask. A few of the summer borns in his class did early finishes for a few months at the start.

hungryh1ppo · 16/06/2023 18:44

My ds' school did the first half term of mornings/afternoons/staying for lunch/starting just in time for lunch - it was an absolute nightmare and made the whole transition so much more difficult for him.

Dd did one morning then one morning plus lunch then in full time - she is a late July baby who had never been in childcare and she was absolutely fine.

HigatusFigatus · 16/06/2023 20:32

DS starts in September and although we don't yet know the exact arrangements, it'll be a staggered start.

We're not thrilled about about it as we've very little annual leave left and I think it'll set him back as he currently does full time at preschool and gets very confused if we change routine at all.

They've got loads of bits this term to help them transition - 4 x 45 minute sessions in reception with parents, a 2 hour session in reception without parents and the teacher has already been to visit them at their preschool.

Usernamehell · 16/06/2023 20:38

DC1 had an hour in the classroom with reception teacher in early July then full time from early September. No nursery or home visits thanks to covid

Teacher visited nursery for DC2 in Spring term but didn’t appear to do much with them, had just under 2 hours in classroom with whole class and reception teacher early June followed by full time from first day of term.

Both absolutely exhausted in the first term but settled fine and love school

Ginandrosemary · 16/06/2023 20:43

Reception teacher- we visit nursery's and introduce ourselves to the children then we have three transition afternoons.

CoodleMoodle · 16/06/2023 20:45

DD had her reception teacher visit our house for an hour, and then two or three afternoons of transition sessions in the classroom. She was in the preschool next door (not part of the school) and they took her in and I picked her up at the end, which was brilliant as I was very pregnant at the time! It was for about 90mins each time I think. This was in the summer of 2018.

DS had one very short play session in one of the school playgrounds whilst the parents had an introductory meeting (about 45mins), and then one afternoon session (90mins) in the classroom. That was it! No teacher visit that time. He started reception in 2022.

Youknowaboutthepaint · 16/06/2023 20:46

Staggered starts are really unpopular with parents

mrsed1987 · 16/06/2023 20:47

1 hours Teddy bear picnic next week
1.5 hours stay beginning of July (that we will miss as we are on holiday)

Home visit beginning of September
Starts full time 11th September

I thought it wasn't much prep tbh bit never mind.

CoodleMoodle · 16/06/2023 20:47

Oh, and both DC started full days from September. Neither were too tired after school, not like people had told me they would be! I was slightly worried about DS as he's July born but he's been fine.

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 16/06/2023 20:51

Dc2 starts in August. She had teacher visits at preschool in April, followed by weekly stay and play sessions from May. Been invited to school disco, sports day and for lunch one day. Stay and play sessions are still running.

She and all her peers are at preschool/nursery for the equilivent of the school day or longer most of the week already so they're all starting full time the first week back.

APurpleSquirrel · 16/06/2023 20:53

My DS started reception last year - our school does:

3 half days in June & July, one a week over the three weeks
In September they aren't in at all for the first week of term to allow the existing children to acclimatise to their new class.
2nd week of term they do a week of half days (mornings not including lunch)
3rd week they start full-time

Parents can request they have a longer part time transition but most don't.

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