To expect some info on starting school?

[HerbertsHanky]

It's my pfb starting in September, so not sure if my expectations are off.

Since being told we have been allocated a place, we have been sent one letter from the school asking if we will be accepting the place. This letter mentioned that the dc will have a period of a few weeks' part time attendance but no further detail. Since then we have heard nothing.

I popped into the reception of school and asked but they said to wait for info by post. I have mentioned it to a few other parents at nursery but they are mostly familiar with the school due to older dc etc and seem unruffled.

Is this usual? I am someone who likes to have information - I read up on anything new to me, so I'm frustrated that I'm in the dark about when they are starting, the uniform/pe kit etc. Friends have managed to get this info from the website or special info sessions but our school doesn't seem to have these.

Have you checked the website? Usually pretty good at uniform/times etc.

Sorry didn't notice you'd mentioned the website. Do you anyone going there too/ already there?

I work in two primary schools and I know that there is still some movement with regard to places being accepted / declined and final numbers still being uncertain.

Most good schools will send an information pack out to parents when they know the names of children who they know are definitely coming. You could phone the school and ask when the information pack will be sent out and when the parent information sessions are. Your DC should also be invited to induction sessions to get used to school, so you could ask about these, too.

Don't worry about uniform yet - your DC may have a growth spurt before September

The school my dc attend are only just sending the letters out this week. Normal for them. I think its way too later. People need time to make plans esp for that settling in period.

Perfectly normal.

I've only today received a letter regarding going to an evening in 2 weeks for DS abd that was received via DD so those without siblings haven't received that yet.

Could you phone the school and ask if there's a parents' evening, if a pack of info will be posted soon, if there are visiting days before summer holidays? We have all this at our school coming up, but most of the info the parents have received has been through the village pre-school (where nearly all the incoming children attend).

I think most schools only get around to dealing with the Sept newbies onc they are in the last half-term before summer.
Drop a nice email to the head asking when details will be released so you can start planning.

We knew nothing until the induction day :-(

Gosh we've had a new parents evening. Our first taster session for parent and child. Uniform list. Information on after school club. We have 4 more child only sessions in June and July. And we know his part time schedule for starting in September.

I thought this was normal. Obviously not. Quite pleased the school appears super organised because getting leave from work is a pain in the arse unless we give tonnes of notice.

I hate to say it but get used to it! The flow of information will be haphazard and assume you know stuff from here on in!

We have also already had a parents induction evening and received a full information pack. I have a home visit with the teacher scheduled for this week and settling-in play dates at the school start next week. I guess some schools are just slower than others.

Got my letter yesterday about information parents evening and my ds new class settling in sessions before he starts in September. Although I'm already in pfb panic mode over him starting school so probably best they have left it so late.

Many schools are all about SATs and phonics screening tests at the moment, once they have all that out of the way they will concentrate more on the new starters, especially of its a small school with only a limited number of staff members to deal with anything.

You've been told you will get information by post. There is still plenty of time for them to give you the information you need.

I completely agree with PicaK. We had some information but it struck me as very random. There seemed to be a pervading belief you'd know what was what by virtue of having older children at the school. I didn't and it was a struggle, particularly as one of the few families who have two full time working parents, there's just not the chance to ask those small clarifying questions that aren't worth arranging a meeting for.

I too was starting to panic (both DH and I work full-time so really needed to know Sept dates) and I hadn't heard anything since replying to the primary school offer email from the Council on 16 April. But I received my letter and info pack yesterday so yours may be on its way too.

How to work around three weeks of random half days attendance in Sept when both parents work full-time is a whole different quandary

Our school = letter sent out before half term stating parents evening next monday, where there will be an info pack and a brief inroduction into the world of EYFS followed by PTA rep and school council rep talk then any questions etc .
3 induction sessions( 2 afternoons and 1 morning to include lunch)
EYFS staff have been to visit all children in their nursery setting giving each child a pic of the teacher and TA to take home to familiarise them....

Info pack in July by post but school did have a new parents evening.

YANBU. We had a coffee morning where we could go and sit with some of the infant teachers and chat. We also had a uniform list.

I work in an infant school.

The packs for new starters went out a week ago iirr, or maybe just before half term(???) I assume this has some info on such as dress code as I have seen new starters come into school to order uniform items.

There has been a new parents assembly and another one planned this month - they have two as things change, different parents come to different ones, gives more options to parents, etc.

We have transition days coming up later this month where children will visit for a short time.

Staff are also doing nursery visits at the moment too. Home visits happen in September (unless they have changed, def did last year) as our EYFS start a little later than the rest of the school, with some part time days over a fortnight.

Such a variation. reassuring to know I'm not the only one with a slow school - the info packs and coffee morning ones seem more my style though!

Fingers crossed stuff comes through this week. I will email but I'm nervous about being that parent before we even start!

YANBU. Sadly OP I think you will have to adjust your expectations. The standard of communications from my DCs' school is abysmal. I don't think they have even considered communication with parents as a strategic part of what they do. If I had tried to get away with the shoddy way they try to engage key stakeholders in any my previous jobs I'd have been sacked. If only because I wouldn't have delivered nearly as much as I could have if I'd actually bothered to think about the information others might need in a timely fashion.

For the incoming parents meeting we had they went to great pains to tell us how enthusiastic they were about teaching our children. Which was lovely. However they hadn't confirmed the uniform policy, the homework policy, or what their procedures for drop off or pick up were going to be. So the big things parents needed to be able to arrange over the summer holiday - childcare and buying uniform - they had no information on. It even seemed to confuse the teachers who were speaking that we might want infromation on these things. Very frustrating. Things have been no better since starting. Notice about events is often only one or two days. Letters come out asking for volunteers but give no contact details, once with an email address that bounced emails back to the sender, with the wrong dates on, or so vaguely worded it is unclear what they actually want (unless they are threatening us for not bringing our children into school sick, they were very clear in that letter). This is supposedly an outstanding school, it has lost a lot of my goodwill though and I don't recommend it to friends who ask (though not just for this reason).

I have lots of friends and family who are teachers and they work incredibly hard, but they are pretty blind to the how the school is experienced by parents or students.

I feel your pain - I'm also waiting for info from school and am finding it additionally stressful as when we got the formal email from the local authority offering the place it didn't 'to require us to do anything to formally accept it (I have checked this a million times as have heard so many other people in other areas say they had to email to accept place). Just feels odd not to have done anything and then not to hear from school is making me nervous, although when I spoke to them they said nothing has been sent out yet as they are still working out arrangements as new deputy head has come on board. I just want to know now!!!

Awful isn't it?!

Afraid that this may be indicative BoomBoom. I work but can arrange stuff to be there for sports day etc, only if I'm given notice. I'm worried that with such a rubbish website and lack of info now, communication may not be their thing.

I think that you're assuming a lot. Schools obviously vary a lot.

When both of our ds's started we were told the term dates and sent a uniform list and school handbook.

There were no parents evenings or settling in sessions, and they all went full time from day 1 of reception.

They are now in years 1 and 3 so not all that long ago.