What does your child do between 8:45 and 9am at school?

[Newbie887]

Just had a parent consultation where we were told off for being “late” every day. Apparently my daughter is unable to complete the work they are mean to be doing between 8:45am and 9am, and is often upset because of this. She is 6 years old and in Y1.

The school day starts at 9am (or so I had assumed). Doors open at 8:45am for drop off and shut at 9am. They school has requested that children be dropped off at 8:45am in order to be ready to learn by 9am. I had assumed this meant coming in, sorting out bags and coats, and generally transitioning into the classroom.

My problem is I can’t get my daughter there any earlier than 8:50-9:00 due to having to drop my son off at his school. A lot of the other parents who have older children who have moved on from this infant school to their nearest primary have the same problem due to it being a rural area.

Is it unreasonable to expect learning to start at 9am rather than 8:45am? What do other peoples kids drop off / starting school schedules look like?

Ds school start at 8.50

Totally agree with you! Reading this thread hardly believing it, but then I’m not in the UK nor had my children in a UK schooling system.
I think OP is in her full right to protest essential work being given before school starts. Change the start time to the actual/secret start time then, which seems to be 08.45, and open doors earlier. (Another thing that blows my mind - what doors?)

@Foolosophy this is a zombie thread but I feel I have to ask -
Why is your "mind blown" by doors? How do people in your country get into the school building if there's no doors 🤔

We do have the actual doors but there is no formal opening or closing of them, if you’re late you go to your classroom, that’s it, doors are always open. Children will play outside on the playground or grass or any nearby football pitches until the bell rings and then rush in. Same for all breaks during the day. Would be similar for most of Scandinavia, I think.
Didn’t mean to derail - sorry - but sounds like a very rigid system for much too young kids and I was glad to see someone else with the same thoughts.

Ah ffs didn’t realise this was a zombie

I realise this is a zombie thread but I wanted to highlight how jam packed the curriculum is and how important it is that children are there for when the door open.

I have a ten minute settling in period at the beginning of the day. The children who arrive as the door opens have ten minutes to chat to friends in the cloakroom, find homes for their things, read the timetable on the wall and settle with their books at their table ready to start the register task.

Those who arrive as the doors close miss all of this and have to settle in while I'm doing the register. No chatting with friends or me, no time to complete all of the register task the other children are completing while I'm doing the register as they're packing their stuff away.

Anyone who is late has even less chance to settle in.

The curriculum is so full there is no time for any leeway with this.

I really feel parents need to understand how important those early moments are and how busy the days are.

Blame the government for all they put on schools plates.