Reception start

[Blueysmum2026]

Little one starts primary this year. They don’t start full days until 14th September!

This week of 7th consists of:
Monday - 10 minute meeting with teacher, Tuesday - only 2 hour session in the morning
wednesday - not in
Thursday - half day
Friday - half day

They also have 2 weeks for October half term. They don’t seem to make up these dates throughout the rest of the academic year? Can they get away with this? I thought they had a minimum number of days they had to be in school?

I have a relative who is in SLT at a different school and even she has said they are taking advantage and teachers are being a bit lazy!

No the issue is children not getting the education they are entitled to.

With a staggered start, even those children with non working parents are not getting the full time education they are entitled to.

That’s literally not the issue of this thread though. OP has said the words childcare about 50 times.

I think OP was pretty clear there is no childcare, and you're just refusing to listen (because of course you know better).

We've been trying to get childcare for the beginning of each term because our kids nursery closes for a few days every time, it's impossible. Childminders have their term time only children so are generally full and not interested in taking in new kids just for a few days.

Nurseries of course don't take children ad hoc.
Clubs are not running.

Baby sitters are ok for a few hours but if you WFH then it's an issue because they're in the house with you most of the day. It only works for us because we can afford to pay for them to go to a farm or something and the weather has been ok. We also have babysitters we know very well, it's not easy at all to send your kids out for an entire day with someone they don't know!

It's normal. My dc school did 4 weeks part time and then full time if they were ready. My ds2 and 2 others in his class were part time until Easter.

The issue is the school is not meeting DfE guidance. If it were the child would be at school full time.

This has the added bonus of the family not requiring child care.

OP, if it were me, I would ask that my child starts full time, providing the school, trust leaders and trustees (governors in a maintained school) with the three guidance documents listed. This may also influence decisions on transition for next year and onwards.

There are other ways to make sure that transition is smooth, without breaking DfE guidance.

The teachers do not go home when the child leaves for the day, they continue with further planning, preparation, professional development that benefits the student. In the case of our school, the teacher spends each afternoon of the first 2-weeks of half days doing home visits to each child to get to know them.

Teachers are not lazy and have limited input on the school calendar, which is actually a decision made by leadership teams and approved by the Governers, education board etc.

Parents who think teachers are there for childcare above everything make my blood boil. We are not glorified babysitters.

OP doesn’t have childcare because they didn’t arrange or book any! They’re looking at everyone else for a solution rather than themselves. At the end of the day it might be inconvenient but the only person responsible for looking after your child is you!

I can’t believe that people on this thread can see a post like this and still think the teachers are lazy. School staff work so hard for your children!!

Yes definitely do start the term being “that” parent who can’t possibly do what everyone else is having to do for ONE week!!

Make it really difficult for the school and teachers. Throw some threats about the DfE around.

I’m sure that will bode well for your relationship with the school for the next 7 years….

(oh and don’t forget to call them lazy to their faces!)

Ours alternates morning and afternoon for two weeks. In the first week they’re not there tor lunch regardless. In the second week, the morning session includes lunch.

Theres no holiday club or after school provision until
the third week.

It’s not the most working friendly pattern! When he’s in on afternoons, he’s literally gone for 2 hours and 10 minutes.

All the people bleating about a child being entitled to full time schooling from day one are not thinking about the actual child!

Children start school so early in this country already and now they have to attend wraparound care too - at 5 years old.

What a long and tiring day at such a young age.

I get it's not the parents' fault though, gone are the days when families could afford for one parent to be part time while their children are small.

Poor kids are the ones who lose out here because of the crazy costs of housing, energy, food etc etc.

It's not about whats best for parents its about what's best for the children...

@Blueysmum2026 ranting about CHILDCARE!

Which can be:

Family
Friends
Babysitters... (the norm)

Before thinking about Nursery or After School Clubs...

But they'd be in nursery instead.

But it's silly when they are in until lunch then the lunch break is driving them to nursery for the rest of the afternoon.

Especially if they were doing 8-5 previously

6 weeks of that nonsense when my DS started school. Was half days for the whole term for those born after January

And don't get me started on kids that can't use the school transport due to that

No they wouldn’t. The nursery children would be in nursery, not reception children who would leave after 2 weeks. And not all schools have nurseries anyway.

What a weird thing to say.

My son stayed at nursery full time till the Sept and part time till Oct half term ( also half days at reception) . Why is it a strange thing to say

I have never heard of a child being in nursery and reception at the same time, @Timeforachange26 , as they will be registered to a particular year group.

Your experience is not the norm.

Perfectly doable with a private nursery. The only issue is not getting 30 hours funding for nursery anymore.

I was that teacher. I am that headteacher and Chair of Governors at another school. I would never describe a parent as ‘that parent’ for wanting a school to meet national guidance.

I would not be accepting arrangements that do not follow DfE guidance. I would not want to justify our decision making to the DfE, OFSTED, the LA or parents.

More importantly I want all children to have the full time education that they are entitled to.
I need to ensure, for instance, all children are provided with the best opportunity to learn to read, taking account of other DfE documents, such as The Reading Framework (DfE) which states ‘Daily phonics sessions should begin as soon as children start their Reception year’.
Staggered starts delay this.

(as well as setting poor patterns of attendance).

HTH.

Was that because they were SEN?

Much better for children to be in one place all day than have to deal with a hodge podge of temporary childcare arrangements and different routines every day on top of getting used to starting school.

If @Timeforachange26 was talking about private childcare (I don’t think she was) then it is a completely different thing to being in the same school’s nursery and reception at the same time.

I’m giving up now because I’m too tired for this level of weirdness.

What's the point though of having national guidance on this matter, if schools are free to individually flout it while the "you don't know you're born" crowd try to socially shame mums into not making a fuss (it's always mums...like the dads are bothering their heads about this boring but essential planning ahead).

The DfES are literally the paymasters here with taxpayers' money. If children are entitled to be in full time from the start, there is nothing wrong with expecting it.