Starting primary - settling in

[welshycake]

My child has two afternoon sessions in their first week. That's it.

Then it just builds up from there to include lunch and longer days.

They aren't fully at school for the whole school day until week 4.

Is that normal?

Yes thank you that's what I'll do, thank you all very much

Where are all these employers where you have that much annual leave you can take in September - I’m assuming you then use holiday clubs for the large part of other school holidays because you used so much on a staggered school start?

I'm ok for this year as my holiday runs jan-jan and I've saved so I can take unpaid parental leave. I am also fortunate that I am still with my child's father. I have no idea how single parents manage

But unpaid parental leave has to be approved by your employer. DH is a GP - he was local to the school but it would have meant cancelling surgeries. I didn’t work near enough to be able to go back and forwards to school on random days and times.

Ironically teachers also can't take leave very easily. My husband had to do all the running about over the staggered start (and we were fortunate to keep a nursery place for a couple of extra weeks). I really hope it had changed by the time my next child starts school.

It can be in some schools. Thank god, not in either of the ones mine went to! They had settling in days throughout the summer term before and straight to full days from day 1. Both of mine were in FT nursery and the school days seemed short in comparison. They came out bursting with energy, not tired or overwhelmed.

Has there ever actually been any research done on this. Given the importance of the school start and massive variation in practice, you’d have thought someone would have studied it and come up with a recommendation re what actually is best for the child.

Probably not because there are so many variables.

Individual personalities, teachers personalities, back grounds of children and their previous experience full-time, part-time, no, nursery, child minders, nanny, granny and who knows what else.

Do they know other children in their class. Have they seen them over the holidays. Do second children settle quicker than others?

How do you even define settled or most successful?

My view is its an old fashioned idea that harks back to children being with SAHM who were able to facilitate it. And who'd never had the preschool experience of current children.

I don't think any of my sons class struggled with the move to primary. To me it seemed cruel, drop them at the door of a building they'd never been inside. But the kids coped with it.