Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

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

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

Are half day starts legal? Do they discriminate?

98 replies

esxgirl · 29/06/2011 17:06

I have been told my 4yr old starting school in Sept will only be allowed to attend school for half days for the first 2 wks which is impossible to accommodate with full time work. How can they do this when they get full time funding? I think it indirectly discriminates against working families. He is used to much longer days at nursery, but despite appealing to the school, they will not budge. Any tips?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

pointythings · 02/07/2011 17:54

Daisy that sounds like the ideal arrangements - total flexibility. It was the rigidity of the system that annoyed me most - my DDs were so ready for full days of school that it wasn't funny, and having to deal with 3 months of real rage at perceived in justice was just very wearying. Equally, a parent of a very young summer born should have the option of doing half days in Yr R for as long as they feel is necessary!

MigratingCoconuts · 02/07/2011 18:26

Mira, I'm not totally sure but I would imagine that this only applies from year 1 onwards as reception is a bit of a 'getting to know you' year. I think the legal requirements kick in from the term of a child's 5th birthday. This is to try to reflect the differences in ages and development.

ivykaty44 · 02/07/2011 18:30

I left my dd2 in nursery until the half days at school stopped and they started full days - it meant that she started 3 weeks into the term and then settled down - which wasn't that easy but not that difficult either.

i hadn't got any annual leave left as half terms etc had eaten those up with dd1. As dd2 was only 4 it did n't matter she was absent

Gillg57 · 02/07/2011 18:34

An alternative could be to go back to the days when a child started school the term they would be 5 in, not just in September. That way the teacher had a chance to get to know the smaller groups along the way and the child did not feel so insecure.

jetmonkey · 02/07/2011 18:35

Daisy, that does sound good maybe more schools will have got around to it by the time my LO goes to school... 2013

ivykaty44 · 02/07/2011 18:36

I wasn't the only parent that did this so there where another 4-5 children starting later into the term.

SoupDragon · 02/07/2011 18:43

"I agree, it is a total nightmare for working parents and can't see why the home visits have to be in the first week. Surely it would be better to do them in the summer term before they start?"

The teacher will be teaching in the summer term :) they do the home visits whilst there are no children in reception to teach.

ivykaty44 · 02/07/2011 18:46

my dd2's teachers came to the house in the summer term - before she started school

did they leave the class at school alone

mrz · 02/07/2011 18:55

We only do home visits for nursery children not reception and they take place in the summer term (with supply staff teaching the children)

Elibean · 02/07/2011 19:03

Ours do home visits for nursery children (into nursery), and home visits for Reception children who are not coming from the nursery attached to the school. In order to get to know them.

First week of Autumn term, and as Reception go back a few days after everyone else no cover needed.

missmapp · 02/07/2011 19:08

ds1 had half days for the first three weeks, his cm just had him for the afternoons, schools are not there to provide childcare.

housemum · 03/07/2011 11:28

Missmap, I agree that schools are not there to provide childcare, but if your child has been going to a day nursery that is not near school, you would have to find alternative arrangements for 3 weeks - surely this would be more disruptive to the child? Not all people can take 3 weeks off work, or 3 weeks of afternoons off work, and not everyone has helpful family/friends who aren't working to look after your children.

I'm a SAHM so feel very fortunate that I can accommodate whatever system is in vogue at the time, but I think it seems unfair/difficult for working parents of.

DD1 started school in the term in which her 5th birthday fell, she had one week of half days then started full time (mid 1990s) - it seemed to work OK.

The alternative is for some flexibility in the schools - I have a working friend whose daughter was due to go half days for the first few weeks (Spring birthday), she was a confident child who had been at full time nursery since 6 months. Her parents asked the head and the school agreed she could go full time straight away with the proviso that if they felt she wasn't coping after the first couple of days the parents would have to make alternative arrangements - it did indeed work fine.

fairydoll · 03/07/2011 12:47

It is very difficult for some families.i have known some children have to return to nursery for a few weeks until they are eligible to go full time. Of cousr they have to pay full whack because the school has nabbed the nursery funding.YANBU it is very cheeky and a bit divisive !!

missmapp · 03/07/2011 17:13

It is tricky, ds1 had been going to a day nursery nowhere near his school, so I had to arrange a childminder who could have him for the afternoons. All family live 200miles away and dh works 60 miles away, so we know about tricky arrangments. We will do the same when ds2 starts.I would have been much happier if ds1 had been able to start fulltime school straight away, but it was our problem he couldnt, not the schools.

Elibean · 03/07/2011 18:18

missmapp, I bet your dc's school loves having you as a parent

missmapp · 03/07/2011 19:24

Yes they do

missmapp · 03/07/2011 19:25

Sorry, thought that last comment said bet your DCS love having you as a parent, so was being arsy by way of reply, sorry, that arsyness was not needed!

Elibean · 03/07/2011 20:55

not too arsy by mn standards

landf · 04/12/2012 11:32

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet for breaking our Talk Guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

2cats2many · 04/12/2012 16:56

Who is this landf and what does she/he keep posting to get themselves deleted, I wonder?

Rudolphstolemycarrots · 04/12/2012 19:53

read the thread entitled - Staggered entry to primary school in reception class.

There is a link to a law that was passed in relation to your topic.

By law they have to offer full time if you want it.

ClaraDeLaNoche · 04/12/2012 20:03

Esxgirl it is difficult at the start when you work and you have to extend child care provision. However indirect discrimination or adverse treatment of working families is not unlawful as working families or parents are not a "protected characteristic" with reference to the Equality Act. Not that I agree with the premise that it does discriminate anyway.

morethanpotatoprints · 04/12/2012 22:48

OP are you really serious about the conspiracy to make working parents feel guilty.

Ime working parents are more than catered for and in some cases like assemblies, sports days the whole school revolves around working parents,. At my dds last school parent assemblies were stopped as some working parents complained it was unfair they didn't get to attend. Never mind the sahp's who loved to attend, they were side lined and assemblies stopped. So please don't start about unfair to working parents. You have many years of finding childcare for your dc, its not so difficult, many manage it fine. If the school think its important for your childs well being you should be supportive.

Flip

1 2 3 4