Leaving nursery and starting reception? How to manage this when you both work?

[Canadian876]

First child question. Our child starts reception in mid-September with staggered days. We are trying to work out how to manage around work and thinking about transition from nursery.

I'm a bit worried as child is nervous about starting school. Is it a good idea to take annual leave and give him a couple of days at home before his first school day (a Wednesday) rather than have him leave nursery one day and immediately start school the next? Is that too antibody or will a couple of days at home be more confusing? (I'll also have to take leave to be there for lunchtime pick up for the first few days).

Basically I'm trying to work out the best way to manage leaving nursery and starting school that supports our child emotionally, but factoring in that we still have jobs.

What do other people do?

What will your childcare arrangements be, once he is at school ?

If the Nursery are doing his wrap around care, I'd just leave him at Nursery.

If he is moving to a childminder - I'd start him there before he started school

If he is using the school wraparound care, then I'd have that discussion with them, as presumably it will be an issue (the not starting until 1/2 way into Sept and then starting 1/2 days) for all the dc with working parents.

You have a legal right to a full time reception place from the start of term
There is no research to support th benefits of a slower transition or staggered days
You contact the school and insist on your full time place quoting the office of the schools adjudicator and the schools admission code.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60ebfeb08fa8f50c76838685/School_admissions_code_2021.pdf

paragraph 2.17

I didn't know about the legal right.

Once he's at school full time then he'll be attending school after school clubs 3 x a week and I'll pick him up at 3.15pm other two days which I can do with my work.

It's mainly the transition I'm thinking about. Both logistics around work and the transition for him emotionally as he is quite anxious about it already.

Do the after school club cover the extra time during the settling in phase? Ours do which was tremendous.

I can't really remember what we did tbh! I'd say take a day or two off around the first day and then just go from there.

People are right about your legal right . However as your child is anxious I would definitely consider the half days for at least the first week .

based on the fact you work covering school holidays is hard enough without leaving early and having two days at home. .

school for most children when they start settle in really quickly

Have you been to the school summer fair on a weekend? Good way for your kid to explore the school with kids around. Breakfast and after-school club really helped my daughter settle in as they all loved the new little kids. You could maybe do it the school run and so they know the route but if they are happy at nursery I would maybe keep with some happy consistency for the first part of the week.
Good luck you have got this!

We are in a similar position to.you with a September reception starter.. in our case, however, he finishes nursery the week before, then has a single settling in session the first week before starting the following.. we are going to take some annual leave that week, with one day together and then when he starts I have already spoken to work about doing a couple of shorter days to accommodate drop off and pick up.
After that he will be at wraparound.

Our nursery have offered childcare for that first week, but as it won't be covered in the funded hours it would be £78 per day!!!

Hi OP, we had exactly this. My eldest is in Y2 now and my youngest is just finishing Reception.

Personally I found a bit of time at home beforehand was good so we did finish them in nursery then have some time off with them at home. DH and I both took annual leave over the settling in period too so we were around for drop offs and pick ups, then started them in after school club once they were in school full time after a week or so.

They honestly adapt really quickly. DD1 was fine from day one, DD2 had a few wobbles at the start at drop off but was completely fine after I'd left. My biggest advice from working in primary schools is to be positive and upbeat about them starting school and not to linger too much at drop off. Some parents would be hanging around looking through the windows and it would make the children more upset. Once you're out of sight they tend to settle very quickly.

I took a week off, allowed DS a week with me to go out and choose his uniform and just do fun stuff before starting big school. We went on walks past the school talking about how he was finished nursery and would go there next week and actually asked on a local fb group about any other kids starting the same class and could we have a meet up at the park etc so he knew someone on his first day (we'd moved areas so noone from his day nursery was going to his school)

The first week wasn't planned to be staggered, only if it seemed like they needed it. We got a call one of the days but that was it.

DH arranged to pick him up every day that first week, even though we'd booked and planned a childminder - just to help ease him in.

For a start stop worry. Your child has natural anticipation of something new on horizon. Do be careful not to feed her concerns. Presumably there will be some visits beforehand. I would say if its not possible to fit it in round your jobs utilise other support, eg grandparents etc , future child care. Also ask school if they can help in any way. I really didnt think this staggering of entry still existed. Children don't need it and parents find it so difficult. (35+ years in reception here!)

Give child a break. Its too much all at once.

People get really annoyed about staggered starts but it sounds like it'll really benefit your child (... all children benefit really...). If you can take annual or parental leave I really would.

DS finished nursery on the Friday and started school on the Monday or Tuesday the following week. It was staggered for 2 weeks which was actually really annoying and not needed for 2 weeks, 1 at most is fine and is incredibly hard to manage for working parents.

Use whatever are your arrangements for when he is off sick or school is closed.

If you haven’t got this in place, you need to be thinking about that as well.

Ours was staggered for 6 weeks it was a nightmare. I know about the legal right to full days but if they are the only one doing it that might not be a great option. I would talk to nursery about when to leave, see if they know what the others going to that school plan to do, if they've got anything special planned as a leaving celebration etc.

I'd probably leave nursery Friday and have a couple of days break before starting school, the staggered start thing is annoying to fit around work but sounds like your DC will benefit if they're a bit nervous.

An aside but ... Check whether after school club is available straight away when your child starts. At our school they can't join after school club until after the October half term

If they start on the Wednesday it's a nice break to have the Monday and Tuesday off as a break between nursery and school. But check you have enough annual leave because you might need it to manage the school settling in sessions depending on how your school mange it and how long to lasts. Plus save enough for October half term and the Christmas break

I def plan to have a break between nursery and the start of reception and the staggered start would also suit DD - I would book annual leave to make sure they have my full attention. You only get one first start at school and I want to make sure it’s a positive experience as possible.

I would have a few days annual leave and let them have a bit of chill time, maybe a nice day trip together.

Mine went to nursery until 31 August, then we had a week of no school which we shared annual leave between us, then 1.5 weeks of short days where we either took time off or worked at home depending on how much time needed covering. We'd saved our holiday up that year so we could cover it.

What are your plans for school holidays? Do check when school holiday club runs, ours is fairly minimal.

Annual leave is a precious commodity when you have a child in reception - expect phone calls to pick up your DC in the first first year .
I might take off one day between school and nursery if you have plenty but I don’t think more is needed.
Be aware that they will be pretty tired the first few weeks even with school days being quieter and they don’t always start clubs right from the beginning of term.

I would think about taking a few days off with your child, the uniform buying trip is a good idea also. Re the staggered start - a lot of parents said their kids were very tired when they started school, so it’s beneficial for some to not be in full days. It’s a lot for the teachers too! The system is at fault here, parents should get some paid hours off when their child starts school.

For many children who are already use to the routine of nursery, a staggered start is not helpful to their setting into the school schedule.
We rejected the staggered start and they finished nursery on the Friday and full time school on the Monday with breakfast and after school club.
Better to save your annual leave for the school holidays. Wasting days of annual leave on a staggered start would have might more days in holiday club later in the school year.

What are the school's transition arrangements? Where I work, the foundation children start with half days and build it up. At my current school, they do a full day by the end of the week but at other schools I have worked, it's been after two weeks. You may have to take leave to accommodate this.

As many of us have posted your child has a legal right to full time education from day one. It’s a parents decision , not the school. No one has to take precious annual leave to cover the start of school.