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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Bloody typical, DS1 starts reception in September and we're on holiday for the main induction day

46 replies

Stockett · 27/05/2011 06:35

Bugger, bugger, bugger... we're going all the way to Cornwall in July and yesterday we got a letter from the school saying the main induction day is on the Tuesday of our holiday.

It's miles and miles to come back, and he'll be tired and grumpy when we get there, and it's so rare to get time all together.

But he's a summer born, and I want him to settle as well as possible, we're going to have to come back aren't we? WWYD?

OP posts:

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Goblinchild · 27/05/2011 06:40

Talk to the school, they might be able to suggest an alternative.
I'd come back as a last resort. Does he know some of the children he will be with?

Original poster

Stockett · 27/05/2011 06:43

No, he doesn't know anyone, bless him. The school have already said they won't do alternatives...

Sod it - we never normally take holidays in school time (due to DHs job) can't believe it...

OP posts:

rainbowinthesky · 27/05/2011 06:45

I wouldnt let him miss induction day either.

Goblinchild · 27/05/2011 06:49

If he doesn't know anyone, then the inconvenience now may well balance the trauma in September. Different if he was moving up with nursery friends.
Our school has a very peripatetic population, so we are often dealing with new arrivals, late starters and children who have missed things. We tend to accommodate reasonable requests for alternative solutions.

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 27/05/2011 06:54

Our school doesn't even have an induction day, ds was fine, also a summer born, knew nobody when he started. Dd starts in September and will be the same.

What would an induction day at that age be for anyway? . Ds starts year 3 in a brand new school this September, there is no induction day there either, just a short evening meeting for parents.

I would just enjoy your holiday

cookcleanerchaufferetc · 27/05/2011 07:01

Enjoy your holiday! Kids will forget all about the induction day over the holidays. It won't be an issue. Now and During the summer holidays just walk to the school a few times and make appropriate comments like that is the playground where you will play and get some fruit, that is the door where you will line up for class etc.

It will not have any detrimental impact on your sons first day. Do not worry!

randombaking · 27/05/2011 07:11

No induction days at our local schools. Agree with last 2 posters, enjoy term time holidays while you can.

IndigoBell · 27/05/2011 07:56

I wouldn't cancel a holiday for an induction day.

He'll be absolutely fine first day of term....

clam · 27/05/2011 08:09

I'm wondering how one whole induction day would work for reception children. Our nursery kids have a series of sessions/joint playtimes etc.. in the reception classes over the course of half a term to break them in gently, as it were. "New" kids would come along for all or some of those, if possible. A day seems a lot - a longer period of time for one or two to get stressed and decide they don't like it.
I'm not sure it's worth it to come back to be honest.

SandStorm · 27/05/2011 08:24

It really won't make any difference to your child. Enjoy your holiday - it's your last chance to take time out in term time.

Mentile · 27/05/2011 08:26

As an ex reception teacher I'd advise not bothering with the induction day! Enjoy a guilt-free holiday.

Hullygully · 27/05/2011 08:26

And look at it this way - what if there was a disaster on induction day and he spent the rest of the holidays dreading Sept? Hmmm?

Go on holiday.

redskyatnight · 27/05/2011 09:19

I wouldn't bother. neither of my children seemed to remember anything or anyone from their induction days. Might be worth asking the school if your child can come in for a visit and meet some of the staff (and maybe see what the current Reception children are doing). They should be able to accomodate this.

StyleandBooty · 27/05/2011 09:31

Don't bother. You could ask the school to contact a few new parents living close to you and give them your number, in case they would like to get together for a park date or something during the hols. Far more productive.

mrsscoob · 27/05/2011 09:37

Are there any school fetes coming up? I would take him to those, he will get to have a little play and maybe meet some of the children and it would be a fun and enjoyable way of seeing the school for him.

I am in a similar position although its the parents meeting I am missing. I am absolutely gutted, I really wanted to go. This is our first holiday in 6 years, typical! I need to find out things like where to get the uniform, what they do on the first day etc. There is nothing I can do as will be abroad so just asking a friend to take notes.

Original poster

Stockett · 27/05/2011 09:53

Arrgghh! The early morning crowd had me convinced I should come back for it and now you lot come along and talk me out of it! What to do, what to do?

(Especially you Hully who has put the fear of god in me )

Thanks everyone for your input, anyway, I've ruined his education enough by giving birth in August right? I might as well give up, do you think if I teach him to surf he could make a living out of that

OP posts:

PurveyorOfBaloney · 27/05/2011 10:01

I wouldn't come back either, though the idea of looking out for school fetes etc. is a good idea. Even if you could just do a quick tour around the grounds at some point it would be a good idea - just to get a picture in his mind.

My DD starts in September too and we have been given a long list of activities planned over the summer - seriously it's a whole side of A4! Story & song times, joint parent/child sessions, child only sessions, assemblies - the lot (only 1-2 hours each though). I am assuming we won't be going to all of them . They also have a staggered start over a number of weeks where they only go part-time, including some where a parent is expected to stay. I'm fortunate enough not to be working at that time, but goodness knows how working parents are supposed to cope with that!

bubblecoral · 27/05/2011 10:01

I would find out from teh school what will happen at induction day. When my two started infants they had their pictures taken on induction day so that when they arrived at the start of term there was a picture of each child on the wall, and also some of them all doing things together.

If your school is doing something like this, I would defiantely make sure I got my child to the induction day.

Things like them knowing where their peg and tray are and such like aren't so important, as they will get to know those things anyway.

Welcome to the world of being confined to non term time holidays!

PollyParanoia · 27/05/2011 10:03

Don't go! Ignore early posters, have fun holiday. If you still feel bad, ask around and find a couple of children to have tea with the week before term starts. 6 weeks is a lifetime to children this age and he'll remember nothing come September. I think you'll be v underwhelmed by induction.
But do let school know why not attending to show how engaged supportive bah blah blah you are.p

AngryFeet · 27/05/2011 10:06

If it was an induction day for secondary school I would advise not missing it but at this age it really will make no difference. Have a nice holiday!

Lancelottie · 27/05/2011 10:17

Look, REALLY don't worry about it. Primary school is a question of trial and error anyway as far as I can see. Some kids end up at a school they didn't pick for a term while on the waiting list for another. Some are ill for half the first term (sigh). Some schools don't have induction day. Some of us realise to our dismay that it's all going tits up and move schools mid-term (ahem).

One day REALLY doesn't matter enough to interrupt a pre-booked holiday.

Lancelottie · 27/05/2011 10:19

And we're over-anxious helicopter parents, if anything, not the laid-back type.

CaurnieBred · 27/05/2011 10:22

I can't believe they won't even let you take him in for a look around the classroom. We also were away during DD's inducton day but we were able to take her in for an afternoon (probably about an hour max) before we went (and it meant we got first dibs on making the home visit appointment too as we made it with the reception teacher during our visit).

It obviously wasn't the full on induction but she got to wander around and play.

ExitPursuedByAKitten · 27/05/2011 10:22

DD did not attend the induction at her school. We were meant to be moving so I drove miles (and I mean miles) once a week for four weeks so she could attend the half day inductions at her intended school. We then did not move so she ended up going to a different school. She still talks about how she hated the other school and the induction days.

He will be fine. Have a good holiday.

bumpybecky · 27/05/2011 10:25

I've had 3 dds start reception (one of them ended up in reception at three different schools due to moving!) and none of them have had an induction day, they were all fine

have your holiday and do not feel guilty!

are there any pictures of the school on the website? have you got books about starting school from the library? can you walk past the school at playtime and talk about it? loads of ways to get ready without going into the school :)

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