To think primary transition days aren’t much help if you work?

[Transitiondays]

Arghh. Three primary transition days, two with pick ups at midday and one full day but obviously finishing around three. I’m guessing this is standard but very difficult to manage!

I don’t really get it when people say school isn’t childcare. Well, yes it’s not. But if school didn’t exist and children weren’t legally obliged to be there weekdays, there would be a whole different system of daycare for older children.

Most preschool kids won’t be allowed back just for Sept and a lot of childminders will have had to take new clients. So this does create an awkward gap. In the normal holidays you have holiday clubs etc

I get why the kids need to adjust gradually though.

YANBU. It's really hard for working parents. I was lucky that my DC's school went straight into full days from Reception, but it would have been really difficult if not, with both me and DH working full-time, no family nearby and with long school holidays to cover with annual leave as well l. I'm surprised at some of the nasty comments on this thread. My son coped really well with full-time days and wouldn't have needed half-days to transition.

No, you weren’t, apologies.

A staggered start isn’t beneficial to all children which is why we sent DT’s full time from day one and bypassed the staggered days.

My older DC went in full time day one youngest spread over two weeks - it does not benefit the children at all - just makes me cross with the school.
Have been told it makes it easier for the school to get to know the children which is bloody stupid as many have been to the school nursery

Book leave

Actually, children would cope. Schools and teachers and parents would also cope. It's a matter of organisation.
Our staff frequently take time off for appointments, additional (unpaid) leave, etc.
We have 20 paid child sick days per parent (single parents have 40) and my school will grant additional childcare days, which are also paid. SLT work hard to organise cover, when needed, and nobody makes you feel bad for being off sick, for example.
Our kids do very well, despite their teachers having flexibility. It's a highly academic independent school, catering for primary and secondary.
I don't understand the mentality in UK schools that teachers have to be martyrs and are expected to just live for the job. They aren't irreplaceable, especially for a day or two. A child's education, which usually takes several years and involves being taught by a multitude of teachers and TAs, will not suffer because they've had someone else for a short while. That's just nonsense.

I'm sorry that the OP's school is so shit at organising themselves.
I've been a teacher for nearly 20 years, most of that in UK state schools. Luckily, I've mostly worked in schools that have been understanding of the balancing act that is work and family life.

@Transitiondays I don't know why so many people seem to be in such a bad mood this morning but I completely feel your pain. We had this with my oldest child plus two weeks in September that were staggered where only half the year were in on alternate days, then some mornings all together, some afternoons. It is hard to manage and you won't be the only one struggling. I'm sure your son will be absolutely fine no matter which transition days you are able to get him to, especially if he already has experience of nursery. In my experience I was more bothered than the kids were about the transition to school! They just wandered on in to have fun with other kids, it was me that was upset/worried!

You can, but OP says she’s a teacher so it’s highly unlikely to be granted

Ours did a week of half days and then staggered up to full days the second week. My kids would have been ready after a couple of half days, they’d been to nursery and were older in the year. Think is designed for younger children and those who have not been at nursery - think a flex approach would be good. Those that are happy and coping can start earlier, those who need a gentler approach have staggered days for longer.

Fair enough that is a very good school as I don't know many that offer that and try to make it work. Or maybe times have changed since I worked in a school. Thanks

At the primary school I work at we have 3 transition mornings in June. Ideally all 3 should be attended but there are always some children who cant, and we ask that they come to at least one, just so theyve had the chance to have a look around and spend a bit of time in their classroom before they start in September. We dont do a staggered start in September, they're straight in full time from day 1.
I can honestly say that in all the years I've worked there, I don't believe any child has been disadvantaged by not having attended all the transition days. In fact, due to waiting list movement, some years we have the odd child who starts in September having never set foot on the premises before, and they still settle quickly.
OP, it will be fine, your child will be fine, and they are unlikely to be the only one who doesnt attend all of the sessions, please dont worry.

They are really helpful for the child so please do try to get your one there. Also, it’s just the start of it not suiting two full time working parents unfortunately….

Teacher here. I am increasingly fed up of posts here and elsewhere about the inconveniences created by schools, We are not childcare to facilitate your working lives, our job is to educate. The rest is your problem to manage, as I, a working parent, do.

I’m sorry you’re having to think about this OP. You’d think heads would be understanding - my head is amazing and would bend over backwards to let you be there for your child’s sports day/special assemblies etc even though I am also a Reception teacher! Are there any other parents you know that could take your child home with them? For a play date maybe? Or have you asked the school? It may be that they’re having morning sessions for some and afternoon for the others? there I’m might be a way for him the stay at school!

Even if the children pal up on TD’s their little minds will have forgotten that by September. Do the full day and ditch the halves or take them back to Nursery at lunchtime for the PM session.

If the school makes it clear many months in advance, ideally before school applications are made, then reasonable. It is only once per child, so planning any annual leave or other arrangements can be made.

You're going to be jn for a shock when it comes to school holidays

Hi OP. I’m also a teacher so share your frustration that people are still saying ‘book leave’!

One more possibility though - as part of our teaching contract, I assume you have the same, we have three ‘childcare’ days per year, that I have had to use occasionally. Usually when a child is sick so you need to be off to care for them. But this would also be classed as childcare. Check your contact and ring in on the day as ‘childcare’. Or, at times I have had to leave work early to collect my child because something has happened. I just let the cover person know and sign out, citing the reason as ‘family emergency’ or ‘personal’. I have never been asked to explain.

edited to add - it may be worth considering moving school in the long term. My school is very good at letting us have time off for family related things. I have been to every sports day, nativity etc for both my children. I am a secondary head of department too. Your current school sounds tough in this regard.

Would be helpful if schools let parents know of their legal rights to send their children full time from day one rather than staggered starts which are not beneficial to all children

Well she won't because she is a teacher

We did have a problem with school holidays. They are fixed and the dates released at the start of the school year. We booked full day holiday clubs when DH or I did not have the annual leave.
We didn’t have any family in the UK to help.

OP is a teacher herself so she probably already knows this.
She isn’t treating school as childcare, she already has the child in childcare that covers all the hours she needs to work. The school is asking the child to be somewhere else at that time.

I saw that was mentioned several posts in. Doesn't mean to say that OPs term dates (or inset dates) will align with her school though.

Luckily for me primary didn’t mess around with this and the kids went to full days straight away here. I don’t see why more primary schools don’t do it the way secondary do here and there’s the standard transition for everyone which fits in the normal school day and then those who need it get an enhanced transition which does involve more staggered visits/starts. Although my child does have SEN she was used to a full day in childcare and coped fine with primary. She won’t cope so easily with secondary as it’s more challenging but that’s fine because she’ll get the enhanced transition.