To think the Reception settling-in period is way too slow?

[MerryMarigold]

It struck me today as I work in a preschool and had 2 of my summer leavers come to visit me, who are starting Reception and neither of them were in school! Chatting to mums they told me of the very slow start to Reception and I was really surprised. I had a 2 year old start today (about 28 months), who was in from 9am-12pm. The only time she cried was at pick up time because she didn't want to go home! Now, I'm well aware not all kids are like that, and sometimes we call parents to pick their children up if they are very upset and they build up to longer periods maybe over a week (max) but to be honest, this is quite rare. Others who are a bit older, like two 3 year olds who started yesterday, will stay till after lunch for a couple of days and then do a full day (no tears or clinginess from them either), just having loads of fun.

So why is the default Reception settling-in so ridiculously drawn out? These children are 4 going on 5 and the majority have been in a preschool or nursery for at least a year already so used to being in a setting for a decent length of time. I said Goodbye to my 4 year olds in the Summer and they were more than ready for school, yet for Reception they are going in for 1 hr a day for several days then 2 hours, then lunch, very gradually building to a whole day. I'm just shocked it takes so long (sometimes 3-4 weeks) to go to a full school day. I'm sure kids are well able to handle much more than this so it feels like really low expectations to me. Obviously if a child was really struggling the school could be flexible on hours, but I believe the majority of children could go all day within a week without a fuss. My own kids are now in Y10 and Y8 and it definitely wasn't that slow for them.

Is there a decent rationale for this? Do other countries do it so slowly? Do parents prefer it this way? What do you all think?

My D's school has no settling in period, they have gone straight in to 6 hr days, he isn't 4 going on 5 either, he only turned 4 2 days before starting reception. He seems to be coping but is utterly exhausted by the end of the school day, he probably would have benefited a week or 2 of half days to ease him in.

We've talked about this in our NCT group a lot recently.

My son is only one who has done full time since day 1. They had half the class in one day, half the class in the next and all in all day from yesterday.

All the other schools have this 3-4 weeks of part time muddle. It's really hard for the working parents. They are having to juggle between friends, nursery, childminders the lot. It's so stressful for them.

I'm not sure if helps the kids either really. They've all been in preschool and or nursery until now.

In my son's school it depended on when your birthday was.

Autumn born: one week mornings, one week afternoons, one week mornings with lunch and in full-time.

And then there are longer lead-ins for the spring and summer borns. I don't think the summer borns were full time until Christmas.

My son went to full-time nursery and I thought it was all a nonsense. However, when he came home that first day he went straight to sleep! So school is more tiring, I think.

But it's not easy for working parents and I was glad we only had to deal with 3 weeks of it.

(oh and childminder wouldn't help because she said that although he was entitled to be in school full-time, he wasn't and therefore she had to treat him as if he wasn't for ratios. Once he was in full-time she could magically take him - crazy rules!)

Our reception is Monday to Fri. No half days or drawing lessons out

We've got two weeks of 2hr sessions (half the class in the am, half in the pm) a week of all in for morning plus lunch and they'll go full time at the end of the month. It's a right pain, not least because the 2h session finishes before older DC so we have to hang around waiting for him. I don't remember it being this drawn out with older DC, I think they'd be better just cracking on with it.

100% percent to slow.
My son attended the nursery attached to the school full time.
This week he will do 2 hours, IN TOTAL.
Next week mornings.
Starts full time the last week of Sept.
it's crippling us finding childcare.

When my eldest started reception, his first day was the 20th of September. 😬 I think they did home visits for the first week or so and then they had a few children start each day (nursery children started first).

@sunshineandshowers40 20th September, try the 27th September here 😫

Yea it’s a bloody nightmare!!!! We have three wks- 1 single hours this wk- I’m on Mat leave but fuck me if I wasnt!

My daughter is due to start reception this time and no, it's not slow. Back to school today, 45 new starters. Half in today for the morning session then lunch, half in tomorrow for the same, then all start full time on Thursday. It was (school) nursery that was very drawn out as they took one new child per day and it was October before she actually attended.

We are exhausted here from accommodating this. Had to take leave I can’t afford to take. Still have the work to catch up on.

You can't easily compare starting nursery and starting `school. The expectations in school is much greater for the children, and they do often become overwhelmed and tired. Many children who have been in nursery full time still find starting school a jump.

We have reduced ours greatly from what it used to be 10 years ago, but it still happens over a week.

Last week reception weren't in at all, only key stage 1. It was only for two days. Reception staff used this time for doing their 'home visits' with parents - although this year and last these were done virtually. Previously they were in person at the child's house.

This week the children do:

Mon/Tues - all children in for 2 hours each day, alternating either am or pm
Wed - group 1 are in all morning inc lunch. They go home after lunch. Group 2 go home just before lunch. Afternoon used by staff to do admin re nursery and home visit feedback.
Thur - Wed - group 2 are in all morning inc lunch. They go home after lunch. Group 2 go home just before lunch. Afternoon used by staff to do admin re nursery and home visit feedback.
Friday - all in all day from now on.

We have had numerous meetings/feedback with parents over the years and the majority have always voted to keep some form fo staggered start, though kept short - as we now do.

Since you asked about other countries--they don't do this in the US generally. There's a welcome to kindergarten day before school starts and on the first day it's up on the bus/drop off in front and straight to normal hours. No fussing about, no parents in the room. Same if they offer PK (which is the year that's really equivalent to reception).

Kids tend to be tired the first week or two but then they get used to it.

These children are 4 going on 5

Some have literally only just turned 4 a few days ago in our reception this year. They were 3y still only a fortnight ago.

@alphabeticalabc it's ridiculous! It felt like we were waiting forever. It amazes me how every school seems to be different.

@PepsiHoover

Do these schools not have a nursery attached to the school I wonder? To me, that was the point or nursery, to get them used to school.

We don't and many of the local infants and primaries locally don't either. Our children come from a range of pre schools, private nurseries, childminders and some who have been to no childcare at all.

I suspect if you have a preschool attached to your school, which follows the school day/term forma, and staff are in and about the area, it's somewhat different.

It seems even more ridiculous in current covid times. The children are being shuttled around all sorts of arrangements day 1 granny, day 2 dad takes child in lunch break to old nursery, day 3 with friends mum, day 4 mum (and friend), day 5 granny again.

It’s really tough for working parents, especially as most nurseries/preschools can’t take them for the remainder of the time.

Thankfully DS is in full time straight away, but if I felt he needed shorter hours they’d accommodate. He’s only just turned 4.

@Abraxan

These children are 4 going on 5

Some have literally only just turned 4 a few days ago in our reception this year. They were 3y still only a fortnight ago.

My daughter just turned 4 and honestly she was fine, if a child is going to struggle a broken hr here and there doesn’t help

One of the ladies I work with, her daughter has gone in for an hour a day this week then half a day next week then full time the week after.

I voted YABU because there's not a 'standard' settling in period.

My daughter's school has one half of the class in on Mon, the other half Tues then swap again Wed/Thurs with everyone in on the Friday.

That seems to work well, the children are being exposed to the longer day and new expectations of school routine in small doses without a massive impact on the parents needing to arrange extra time off. All normal wrap around care is available on the scheduled days in too.

I'm always amazed at posters who say the Reception settling in takes weeks, that can't possibly be a better situation for the children or parents

DDs primary school do the first 4 days as half days slowly building up so start 8.45am-12pm, then to 1pm then 2pm, then 3pm. Or you can keep your child on half days until Christmas if you want to. Most parents have the children full time by half term, certainly by Christmas there was only 1 or 2 still part time.

It was a nightmare 15 years ago. They still do this? Three half days maybe, but weeks of it? I remember the kids not knowing whether they were coming or going.