Reception staggered starts are overkill?!

[SMLSML]

My little one starts school in September, we had our first meeting at the school tonight 😊 question... How on earth are you meant to cope with the staggered starts if you both work full time?! She won't officially start until 17th September, all other days before then are half days 🫠 she's been going to childcare since she's 1, she'll be so confused not going more than two hours a day for two weeks 😅 not to mention I have no idea how you make it work with childcare, chuck on top of that I'm meant to be away with work the first two weeks of Sept 🙃 how on earth are parents meant to work around it?! Just seems crazy to me she's not even properly in for half a month. I get all children are different but surely it should be optional?! All suggestions welcome 😅

Our school stopped doing this a few years ago, thankfully before DD1 started!

Transitions are often the trickiest thing, which shorter days do nothing to change, and most children at this point are used to longer days in childcare anyway, so it’s not like they need to build up stamina. Certainly here p1 is all play-based learning anyway so very similar to nursery in those first few weeks especially.

Ideally it would be an option for children who may need it, but otherwise I don’t think the benefit/cost analysis really stacks up.

Yes, they were ridiculous. 'Luckily' I was out of work when oldest started so I could handle it (it was weeks and weeks!) Second time around fortunately nursery offered walking the kids over. But both times was way too long, honestly I think a week of it would be enough.

Until relatively recently in many NI primaries it took till Halloween half term to get up to a full day, such was the ridiculousness of the staggered starts! I think they've mostly cut it back a bit now, but it's still longer than the rest of the UK.

I completely disagree that they "need a staggered start to thrive". We have never done this at my (outstanding) school and Reception children certainly thrive. They come in for a stay and play session in July, we have a teddy bears picnic for them in the holidays and then they start full time from day 1 in September. The children settle in really quickly. This is due to excellent teaching, calm and predictable routines, clear expectations, along with lots of care and kindness. Absolutely no "need" to confuse the children by having them in for a couple of hours here, a couple of hours there, days off mid week and half days for weeks on end like some schools do.

Indeed. I'm always amazed so many people seem to disregard the knowledge that routines are important to small children to help them feel secure and settled when it comes to arguing for staggered starts.

It's also very interesting to me that so many people who insist they are vital don't actually have any experience of working in early years classrooms.

If they were vital I’m sure all schools would be mandated to do a staggered start whereas in reality more schools are moving towards the everyone in full time from day one especially as do many children are familiar with a nursery routine

My child wasn't in at all the first week of term - Reception teachers did home visits that week so they visited for 30mins and that's all we saw them that week. Couldn't believe it, had no idea that was a thing. Then they were only in every second day for rest of the month. Was very difficult to juggle work wise - we both had to take annual leave.

However having now been through it I can understand the rationale. Even for children who have been in nursery for years, school is a big step up. Only 2 adults (teacher and TA) for 30 children so they have to be so much more independent. The quieter early days with only half of them in gives the children a chance to learn the routines with more support. And gives the teacher a chance to spend more time with each child individually.

So it has benefits but it's definitely not easy for working parents.

Benefits for some children and not others. We declined a home visit as DH and I were at work and DT’s at nursery.

Nursery, couple of shorter visits then straight into full days, should be the same with reception and I many schools it is.

As a primary teacher who is also a parent, I can guarantee the Headteacher wouldn't be giving their own staff time off to deal with staggered starts.

Does your school do staggered starts?

No, they all start full time from day one.

I've been on both sides of this. Personally I think 2 weeks is too long but... There is a huge difference for kids from being in nursery to a busy school with 1 to 13 ratio. I've sat with the shattered kids bawling at the end of the day because they are going to after school club. Their parents also said they've been in nursery since 1 etc. School is an adjustment for most kids as they need to be much more independent.

I do think small children can be shattered after the day. As mentioned upthread where I am (Ireland) they attend from 9am to 1.40pm approx for the first two years (about age 5 -7). This follows on from two years of (optional) preschool where they do a three hour day. So the routine is there but they’re not as tired. Difficult for working parents though.

My eldest had 2 weeks of half days in P1. Before that it was 6 weeks. It was a better way to introduce school.

Totally impractical and unworkable for working parents and children use to the routine of a full day at nursery school.

We had 6 weeks of this. I had to come to the school in my lunch break and take DD to childminders for the afternoon then head back to work. Ridiculous!

But what about kids who have been in preschool for a year and used to the routine and after school club until 5pm anyway? That's what my little girl does. I honestly think it'll be more unsettling for her to go to two hours a day for 3 weeks and then get used to longer days again...

@SMLSML
Preschool is 3 hours here, so maybe 9 to 12. Our school or preschool didn’t have wrap around care though some do. Collections done by childminders or grandparents/other family or SAHPs or parents working PT.

It seems odd to me that if a school does provide wraparound care that they wouldn’t extend it to the time the Reception class finishes school at the start of the year. I know…different providers maybe, but they need to work something out between them.

My youngest School was the same, i approached the head and explained my situation as did several other parents, so in the end it was optional. Might be worth explaining to the school. I think it's ridiculous really.

I think school is much more tiring than nursery for most children. It can be mentally exhausting for them and very different to nursery.

We've personally found this reception year challenging overall compared to our nursery years (was open 8-6, 50 weeks a year). It's been a real juggling act/baptism of fire to cover all the days they are not in school. Hard when you've got no local family and both work. It's been a bit of a reality check to be honest.

Oh I feel you on this! I’m in the same boat — working full-time and trying to juggle childcare around all the half days feels like an absolute nightmare 😅. Mine’s been in childcare since she was tiny too, so I don’t really see how these staggered starts help when they’re already used to full days.
I came across this article the other day which actually talks about how parents and teachers feel about staggered starts — thought you might find it interesting: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/news/how-staggered-starts-to-the-new-school-year-impact-children-and-parents
It makes some good points about why schools do it, but also shows how tricky it can be for working families. Honestly wish they’d make it optional!

You don’t have to send them in on a staggered start. They have the legal right to full time education from day one. A staggered start doesn’t work with two full time working parents.

I saw this when I made this post but unfortunately most schools push back and make it really difficult. I was essentially told by the head that was the way it was and whilst they sympathised with the situation I think they know you can't fight it heading into the summer holidays and also knowing you probably don't want to start the school relationship off on the wrong foot 😅 I think this is why the cycle continues sadly 🫠

We notified the school in writing that DT’s would be starting full time from the first day of the term.

We weren’t the only parents doing the same. You’d be surprised how many others do the same. Wasn’t an issue for us and the school had no choice.