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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU reception class start date

107 replies

Fortybingowings · 06/07/2017 21:19

Our council website gives the start of term as Monday 4th September. DD starts reception this autumn having been in the school's nursery for afternoons since Sept 2016. Approx 3/4 of her reception year have also been in the nursery so they're familiar with the school.
We're told today that reception doesn't start until Wed 6th Sept, and even then, a third of the class start on Wed 6th, another third on Thurs 7th and the final third on Friday 8th. DD is one of the Friday starters. So now we need to sort child care for Monday- Thursday that week as both me and DH are working.
AIBU to be irritated (a lot) or is this sort of phased start the norm?

OP posts:
AliTheMinx · 06/07/2017 21:44

Thankfully my son's school started with them in Reception on the same day as Years 1 and 2 and with full days from the start, but most school around here had phased starts - some until the October half term. An absolute nightmare for working parents. After full (longer) days at nursery half days would have been a shock for my son!

Ceto · 06/07/2017 21:45

Surprisingly, they prioritise children's welfare and offering them the optimum start to their education over providing child care. Who'd have thought?

herethereandeverywhere · 06/07/2017 21:45

Surely you have childcare arranged to drop her off and collect her if she had been starting the Monday if you are both working?

Doesn't that depend what hours the parents are working? Perhaps they can manage with one parent doing drop off and the other pick up if the child does a 'normal' school day? Or perhaps their childcare only starts at school pick up time and isn't available any earlier (like the after school help I have).

It's very inconvenient OP. DD1 found starting school a bizarre waste of time after doing 8-6 in nursery/preschool for years.

MarciaBlaine · 06/07/2017 21:47

I find this totally mad. How the deck did we manage in the past?

MyPatronusIsAUnicorn · 06/07/2017 21:48

Normal. In fact that's not bad. I knew people who had a period of time of just mornings, then mornings including lunch, then just afternoons before they started properly. What a bloody faff! Ours is the only school I know where they all start on the same day and for full days. So much better (and I'm a SAHM). There was always a quiet corner they could go if they were tired.

Prometheus · 06/07/2017 21:48

We have three weeks of half days, every other day. It's total madness. DS has been in full time nursery since the 9 months old and in the preschool attached to the school for a year. He is already spending an hour a week at the school as "transition". The three weeks of half days is totally disruptive - I've no idea why they have started to do this in recent years.

Maryann1975 · 06/07/2017 21:48

Another vote for it being normal. My eldest had half a term of morning half days/afternoons/afternoons with lunch. Our village was pretty much sahm so it wasn't too much of an issue (probably how they got away with it) but a nuisance by the end. In contrast when ds started school in a different area he went straight in on full days on the Tuesday. When dd2 started they had changed it to a morning with lunch and then the next day lunch then afternoon with everyone in on the Thursday for a full day.
I work as a childminder and honestly these massively staggered starting reception dates could well be a massive headache in some areas as a child is only classed as school age once they are in full time school, which in some cases could be half term.

Cailleach666 · 06/07/2017 21:49

Surprisingly, they prioritise children's welfare and offering them the optimum start to their education over providing child care. Who'd have thought?

Agreed.

Whatawaytomakealiving · 06/07/2017 21:49

Apart from the training day, all children start full time from day 1 in my school. Staggered starts aren't appropriate if children have already been to nursery. For some the school day becomes shorter when they start 'full time'??
We do make sure the children have ample 'down time' during the day, stories, outdoor learning etc as children can get tired in the first weeks. We also make it about the individual child and family; all children full time from day 1 but if that isn't appropriate for your child then a staggered start can be arranged to suit.

Footle · 06/07/2017 21:50

Hasn't it been the norm since current parents were children? My youngest child is early 30s and this pattern is totally familiar to me.

Sirzy · 06/07/2017 21:51

I would like to see the evidence that long drawn out inductions do benefit the child.

I know for DS it would have simply made him more confused and made the whole thing much harder. He needed to get into routine as soon as possible.

LeannePerrins · 06/07/2017 21:51

Very much the norm. We have counted ourselves lucky that DD starts on the 7th and goes straight to full days. SIL had an absolute nightmare with her DC as they go to a school with no nursery class and were 'eased in' with nearly a month of short days.

For future reference, don't rely on the council dates. There are almost always one or two teacher training days at the start of September so you need to ask the school for their calendar. There will be a total of five training days throughout the year (unless the school disaggregates one or two as twilight sessions).

musicposy · 06/07/2017 21:53

You're falling into the trap of thinking that school is for childcare. It isn't. It's for education. You're going to have lots and lots of instances like this, so maybe get your emergency childcare in place now.

YANBU to find it a pain in the neck, though.

TalkinPeece · 06/07/2017 21:54

The VAST majority of children will not have been in full time nursery before starting school.

For children who turn four in late August feed in is essential

at many schools, significant numbers of pupils arrive still wearing nappies - it takes a while to settle them in to the new systems

DisneyMillie · 06/07/2017 21:54

Is it really that bad to just start school full time though? Why do so many spend so long with the half day thing especially when most parents work (yes I know it's not childcare but the government want both parents in work).

My dd goes to a private school and they just started full time reception on day one. None of them seemed bothered by it - they were always happy and bouncy after school - pretty much everyone had been to the preschool at least 3 days a week anyway.

GetTheGoodLookingGuy · 06/07/2017 21:54

At our school this year, Reception didn't start at school until the second week (they used the first week for home visits), and then they were half days for a week, or maybe two.

Mind you, when I started school (same school), we didn't start until mid-September, and then my class (the classes were sorted by age - mine was the oldest) did half-days until October half time, the middle class til Christmas, and the Summer Borns didn't do full days until after Easter.

NukaColaGirl · 06/07/2017 21:55

Really? 4th DC about to start Reception in September and we've never had phased starts and don't have them now Confused

Cailleach666 · 06/07/2017 21:55

Sirzywell you know your own children- as do I.

We had phased school until half term. It really helped my kids get off to a good start. They settled in easier with a shorter day and for the first few weeks found school very tiring, even going back to having a nap in the afternoon when they came home.
It was the best thing for my kids.

TalkinPeece · 06/07/2017 21:56

Disney
Private schools tend not to - they are less likely to need to.

user1497480444 · 06/07/2017 21:56

normal. Children rarely go to school on the first day of term

superfluffyanimal · 06/07/2017 21:57

Ours doesn't start until 11th for half days. I have cancelled childcare from 6/09 due to start date being advertised (including on school website!) as 07/09!

I feel your pain OP

BewareOfDragons · 06/07/2017 21:59

I believe you are entitled to demand that your child be allowed to start full time in reception immediately, as in the first day that Reception starts. No phased in half days, etc ... they have to accommodate your child if you want them to start fulltime education immediately. There are rulings/guidelines on this. There was a very good thread on this issue not to long ago ... surely someone can find the link?

LeannePerrins · 06/07/2017 21:59

Get makes a good point - certainly when I started school in the late eighties there were at least two admission points in the year, if not two. I have no idea how the practicalities were managed but the children who were born later in the year certainly didn't start in September.

youaredeluded · 06/07/2017 22:02

Sounds normal. Try not to be so angry... not long until your totally free childcare is available to you!!!

HainaultViaNewburyPark · 06/07/2017 22:02

DD (summer born) was expected to do half days for two terms (September to Easter). It was a complete PITA. I spent my lunchtimes driving to her school, and then back to work (she spent the afternoon in the nursery there).

I was so glad that DS (autumn born) didn't have to do the same, and just went FT from day 1.