September 2011 intake into Reception: What are your school's part-time arrangements going to be like?

[JellyBelly10]

I know that up until now there have been different admissions policies according to different Local Authorities across the country and different schools had their own rules etc etc. But with effect from September 2011 there has to be more uniformity of admissions policies across the country, according to the Admissions Code published in Feb 2010 but relating to 2011 admissions. So I know that all schools have to offer a child a full-time place from the September following their 4th birthday, and I know that parents have the right to defer or to request a part-time place instead. But what I am keen to find out is what are your school's arrangements about how flexible that part-time place is?? In other words, looking ahead at 2011 (not your current admissions policy, but next year's), if you decide to start your child Part-time as a settling in period, how much choice do you have about when they can go full-time? I am making this sound unnecessarily complex!! My school says that when DS2 starts in September 2011 we have the choice of him going full or part-time, BUT that if we choose part-time we have to commit to that for the whole term!! There is no parental choice about deciding when the child will be ready to go full-time, you have to do it either for a full term...or just go full-time from day one! My DS2 will be 4 years and 3 months when he starts, so I would actually quite like him to have a few weeks, or maybe even half a term of mornings only. But a whole term! It just seems like such an unnecessarily long time to be part-time, not to mention what a bind, trekking up to the school and back and then going back to get DS1 at 3.10pm! I thought the new Admissions Code was all about parental choice, so what are other schools doing about their September 2011 intake with regrads to giving the parents an element of flexibility around when children can go full-time if they start off part-time??

Ours let you come and pick your child up at 1pm - you have to arrange which afternoons you want to do this. But you can reduce the number of half-days when you like.

My friend went to pick her ds up at 1 today, and he was in tears - didn't want to go home - so she left him there to do the afternoon.

Part time for first 3 weeks - they decide whether it'll be mornings or afternoons

Two weeks of half doing mornings, half afternoons.

After that, for the first two terms it is completely flexible whether to stay until noon or 3:15 on discussion between teacher, parents, and if necessary more senior staff. Has been that way for years and works very well.

In my experience, once your child nears five years old they start to get more actively interested in getting them up to full days and they do like them all full-time for the last term of reception if possible.

Forgot to say they already only have one intake in September. Everyone starts at the same time .

1st week: Term 1's full time, Term 2 & 3's mornings only.
2nd week: Term 1 & 2's full time, Term 3's mornings only.
3rd week: Everyone full time.
This is depends on wether they are ready to stay full time. I still have a little boy who is gradually building up his time.

There is another way to be part-time... take up a full-time place and only send your child for part of the week! That's what I'll be looking to do for DD2 in a couple of years - she'll be 4 years, 3 months by the September that she's eligible to start Reception. I'd prefer her to spend three full days in the fabulous school nursery until the January but, thanks to the 15 hour 'flexible' nursery places having to be offered, there are no longer any full day places available.

The Head (who happens to be my boss) has said that if I choose to send DD2 for three days a week until she reaches statutory school age (which won't be until Y1) or some other point in the year, that will be fine.

At my school full-time nursery places were flexible so long as there wasn't lots of chopping and changing. If a child attended 9-1 (instead of until 3pm) that was fine but the teachers asked that it remained like that for at least a few weeks at a time so the children knew what to expect. Equally, when DD1 (who had a full-time place but went M-W only) expressed a desire to go to nursery for 4 days a week once DD2 arrived, that was started immediately.

Although schools may state their preferences and how they see things working from September, it may well be the case that this is revised once the term has started. Early Years teachers know when a child is ready to cope with full-time school and I can imagine they will push for policies to be adapted/updated to reflect the needs of the children in their class.

SE13Mummy - That's what I was thinking of doing. DD2 is an August birthday so will be 4 and 3 weeks when she starts school. If the arrangements stay the same as previous years then she will be part time until Oct half term and then full time (when I was going to give her random days off "sick" if she's tired and not coping well). Can you get in trouble though for them having a lot of time off school, or does that only kick in once they turn 5? I think I may need to have a chat to the head to see what the situation is for 2011...

my ds3 starts part time mornings only in september, he is 4 in the june. Anyone with a birthday after christmas goes only mornings till January. Currently already doing the 3 school trips a day as he is in the nursery mornings atm. Its a right pita and im annoyed i have to do it for another year yet. He would happily stay all day if he had the choice.

Runoutofideas - technically it is possible to 'get in to trouble' for lots of unauthorised absence but if your child attends every one of the three days per week that you've said you'll send her then there would be no point chasing you up over it. Plus, as she won't reach statutory school age until Y1 there's not much than can be done to enforce attendance anyway.

If I were you I'd be inclined to speak to the Head about what you'd like to do, if s/he is understanding then you have nothing to worry about, if s/he isn't then I'd confirm your child's attendance as being three days per week until X so that it goes on her file. As a teacher (and someone who used to be responsible for monitoring attendance), I would much rather a parent told me they had no intention of sending their child in twice a week than made up 'sick days'... I would be worried about a child that young having lots of occasional days off sick (they tend to have a week off at a time with chickenpox/whatever else is going round) and would probably be involving the health visitor!

Runoutofideas, your child doesn't legally have to be in school until the term after they are 5. Therefore, although school may not be keen on any p/t arrangement, the EWO would not be informed, or interested, until your child is of statutory school age.

Thanks -
SE13mummy, would the concern about the random sick days be better if I'd discussed it with the teacher first and said that "sick" includes being overly tired and not coping with full-time school? I was trying to avoid having set days off as I was concerned that she'd miss the same things each week - like PE afternoon, or assembly etc? I think a chat with the head may be in order - my elder dd is already there and has a good attendance record, so they should know that I won't mess around for no reason.....

I think most schools would prefer that a child missed the same sessions each week as it means it is easier to plan accordingly and will potentially make the social side of things easier for the child. Definitely speak to the Head and explain that you'll be sending DD2 for 3/whatever days per week for some part of the year and discuss whether a regular/random pattern would work best for those concerned.

It's not necessarily the case that the 'Attendance Advisory Officer' or the equivalent wouldn't be informed about a younger child who had a low rate of attendance; most schools used computerised registration systems and will be asked for lists of children whose attendance is below 95% - if a child who is not yet of statutory school age is on that list there may be pressure put on the AAO to make links with the parent and try to encourage 'good attendance habits'... it would be a waste of time in this case because you have no intention of sending DD2 in every day but that is another reason why it is best to inform the school from the outset - that way the office staff/teacher in charge of attendance will be able to explain, "Runoutofideas' DD2 is attending on a part-time basis so we only expect her attendance to be 60%".

Thanks - that's very helpful. Will speak to the school and see what they say.