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AIBU?

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Original poster

Staged/part time starting of school is unfair?

282 replies

FurierTransform · 08/09/2023 14:36

My DD has just started reception.
The school she's attending have this system where the children don't all start on the Monday full time, but have 4 x 2-3 hour sessions, spread across 2 weeks, to 'ease into it' before attending full hours.

AIBU to think this is totally ridiculous?

I'm sure many people have had to take 2 weeks holiday from their work to bridge this gap between their children finishing nursery, and actually starting school full time, so potentially now will have to forgo a summer holiday, or work over Christmas etc!
Luckily we have flexible jobs so have just about coped.

Seems so ill thought out and inconsiderate to families with 2 working parents.

OP posts:
BetterInBlack · 11/09/2023 11:57

bluejumping · 09/09/2023 07:57

It honestly is a huge transition for the children. Even going from year R to year 1 is tough on some of them. Ive seen a lot of kids this week crying and clinging to their parents at drop off. These are in year 1

So even if they have been in nursery, do not over estimate how your kid is going to settle in

The school know best

‘The school know best’

Why do so many schools not do this then?

bluejumping · 11/09/2023 21:16

Dont they? Thought it was common

bluejumping · 11/09/2023 21:33

Reugny · 09/09/2023 12:40

@bluejumping The school doesn't know my child. They have seen her for 3 hours in June.

Her former nursery and childminder do know my child, particularly the childminder, as they have looked after her for years.

In fact even the people we have used as baby sitters have had more contact and knowledge of her, and a few of them have/had jobs dealing with children with additional/other needs.

No. They don't. They have to get to know your child. Plus 59 others. All with different needs, abilities

So that's possibly why they need a staggered start

Amrythings · 12/09/2023 10:54

VestaTilley · 10/09/2023 22:25

YABU. And I say this as a working DM. The settling is in the child’s interest - not your convenience.

Sort out childcare. Plan in advance. Juggle it between you. Yes, it’s hard, but it’s not fair on your DC to go straight in to primary with no settling. My DC went to nursery 4 days a week from 14 months, but I wouldn’t have wanted him straight in to school with no easing in. Far too big a shock to the system.

Hahahaha. Sort out childcare.

I got his school place end of April. Nurseries fill up their after-school places in MARCH. And we got a different school to the one we were expecting, so had a mad scramble because the nurseries that take for one do not take from the other. We have also lost eight nurseries/after-school facilities in the immediate area in the last two years because they couldn't keep the lights on.

And again, none of the schools are doing the same thing so none of the after-schools can cover totally randomised pickups/staff random numbers of hours. If crèche were trying to pick up their P1s they'd have a driver on the road from 10am (they did it one year, wrote strongly worded letters to the schools and have refused to ever do it again). If him and G and F were all finishing at the same time, they could have their own little P1 club and it would be awesome. But no, we have fuckery.

Reugny · 12/09/2023 12:30

bluejumping · 11/09/2023 21:33

No. They don't. They have to get to know your child. Plus 59 others. All with different needs, abilities

So that's possibly why they need a staggered start

Show quote history

There is only 30 in her year as it is a one form entry school.

In previous years they were under subscribed and so they are between 20-25 in the years above.

Anyway she started full-time yesterday. She went to breakfast club and stayed for part of after school club.

HateTheView · 12/09/2023 13:23

Doesn't sound like it will settle them with 4 random sessions.

My child's school had the teacher come and visit in their nursery in the summer term, then the children all had a 1 hour session in the classroom just before the summer holiday. They did half the class at a time. The parents stayed in school for a meeting and cup of tea so we could meet other parents. Then in September on the first day of school half the class went in, in the morning and the other half went in, in the afternoon. From day 2, the whole class was full time.

Georgeandzippyzoo · 12/09/2023 13:28

When I taught early yrs we offered
10-2 first week
9.30-2.30 second week
Full time 3rd week
OR you could do full rrime from day 1. Over 18yrs I'd say +95% of parents chose full time straight away.

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