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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

Can schools still have a long, drawn-out induction to reception?

77 replies

pozzled · 12/09/2011 17:11

Just starting to think about schools for my DD who will start next September. I will want her to go to the local school and should have no problem getting in. But I've just heard about their induction process:

Wk1: In for one day as a taster
Wks 2 and 3: Mornings only
Wks 4 and 5: Afternoons only
Wk6: Full time.

I thought I had read on here that schools should now offer full time starts for those that want it? Or was that just wishful thinking?

DD already does full days at nursery 3 days a week and will be more than ready to start full time next september.

OP posts:

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Lougle · 12/09/2011 17:25

Three schools locally have very different policies:

School 1: One option. Oldest half of year do 1 week mornings, then full time.
Youngest half do 2 weeks of mornings, then full time.

Schools 2&3: 3 options, A B C. A is full time pretty much straight away. C is full time after October half-term. B is somewhere in the middle.

RickGhastley · 12/09/2011 17:26

That does sound incredibly drawn out to me.

DS started reception today and children who have not attended the onsite nursery have 2 weeks of 9-12.30 before starting f/t. It's 1 week of half days for children who have attended the onsite nursery.

mrz · 12/09/2011 17:27

Schools usually set their own induction system (sometimes LA dictated). Parents have the right to determine when their child starts but this doesn't include induction.

midnightexpress · 12/09/2011 17:28

Half days here from start of term for 3.5-4 weeks. Another local school does 6 weeks of half days.

Don't underestimate how tiring it is for them to start with - even if they are full-time at nursery, it's very different with bigger classes, bigger children, new routines etc. I know it's a bit of a PITA for parents though.

Voidka · 12/09/2011 17:28

We have done 1 week of 9-12
This week the children stay for dinner and get picked up at 12.30
Then next week its full time.

nailak · 12/09/2011 17:31

in my dds reception they start straight away full time, but it was kind of chaotic, we had no home visit or meeting with teacher, and some kids, espescially those who hadnt been to nursery looked very distressed.

the other local school does 1 week mornings,
1 week mornings and parents come and give them lunch at school
then 3rd week full time

my dn's school wanted her to do 8 weeks part time, but my dsis refused due to work etc, and the fact dn had already been in full time nursery

Lizcat · 12/09/2011 17:33

It's a load of tosh. Designed to make life nearly impossible for working parents. I do not expect the school to babysit my child, however, this is beyond the pale. I found a school where DD when full time 8.30am to 4pm from day one yes she was tired the first week, but soon over it.

tallulah · 12/09/2011 17:45

We are into week 2 of a 4 week induction (and already fed up!)

last week was 9- 11.45. This week is 1- 3.15. Next week we are back to 9- 11.45, then week 4 we have 9 - 1 (including lunch). DH had the first week off. I've got to have 3 weeks Leave. DD has been at FT nursery (8-5) since she was 15 months old.

Elibean · 12/09/2011 17:51

dds' school this year:

Wk 1: one induction morning
Wk 2, 3 and 4: mornings only
Wk 5, 6: 3 full days, 2 mornings
After half term: 4 full days, half day Friday

Full-time next term.

Everyone seems happy with it - me included. When dd1 started 3 years ago, it was one whole term of either mornings only OR afternoons only (younger ones) then full-time.

Very few kids have been doing full days at nursery up until now, though, in dd's class. And some of the kids are pretty overwhelmed with just mornings at the moment, hate to think what they'd be like if it was full days straight away.

That said, doing mornings only THEN afternoons only must be a nightmare to find childcare for, for working parents.

sleepevader · 12/09/2011 17:54

The sooner they start a proper routine the better. Yes they are a little more tired but at least they aren't confused!

HummusNKetchup · 12/09/2011 17:55

6 wks of faffing around on half days for us.

Although, to be fair, I think that DS needs it.

eandh · 12/09/2011 17:57

Started last week we have 2 weeks of half (ish days) sadly dd2 is on afternoons so 12.50 till 3.20 (nightmare as she spends all morning working herself up about going to school). Next week is mornings for all the class (she has only met half the class so far!) and stay for lunch so 8.55 till 1.45 then week after full time

rushofbloodtothefeet · 12/09/2011 17:58

For older kids ours goes
Week1: 12.15 to 3.15 and parents stay with kids for lunch (packed lunch only)
Week2: 12.15 to 3.15 don't have to stay with them for lunch (packed lunch only)

For younger kids (March birthdays onwards) they have
Week1&2: 8.40 to 11.40
Week3: 8.40 to 1pm and parents stay with kids for lunch (packed lunch only)

After this all kids go full time and can have school lunch if preferred.

Someone did tell me though that there is also a January intake with 6 weeks of half days - but haven't seen anything in the paperwork about this.

TheOriginalFAB · 12/09/2011 17:59

Oh for goodness sake, it is only 6 weeks before she is full time!

Our school does different things each year but when mine started they weren't full time until mid January. None have suffered and DD is top of her class despite being the youngest in the year.

In our school you have no say in when your child goes full time.

mumofsoontobelawstudent · 12/09/2011 18:01

DD FINALLY started reception today. Last week was a 20 minute home visit from her new teacher and TA.
Today she started and will do 1pm to 3pm this week (half class does 11am to 1pm and half do 1pm to 3pm)
Next week she will finally do full time. 2 hours a day is bloody ridiculous

TheMitfordsMaid · 12/09/2011 18:02

We had home visits last week so no school at all. DS started today, along with half of his classmates. They were in 9-1 and will repeat that tomorrow, but this time the whole class will attend. For some reason the oldest children start first and get the gentle introduction with only 50% of the class. The younger children will start tomorrow, straight in with a full class. That seems wrong to me.

From Wednesday, we go full time. DS slept for 2 hours after school today, even though he is used to pre-school days of 9-1.

Peachy · 12/09/2011 18:02

School here does one day half term then if your child is ready they can stay.

DS1's fporemr primary did a half term of alternating mornings and afternoons

craftynclothy · 12/09/2011 18:03

Blimey. Dd gets: 4 days of mornings, 1 day until 1pm, then full time. Times are slightly different depending on what nursery sessions you did and if you didn't go at all but everyone is full-time after the first full week iyswim.

The school also have wraparound care in place for the settling in period so very useful for working parents and not badly priced either.

Tommy · 12/09/2011 18:03

OP - your child may be ready to start full time but there will be 29 other children, a teacher and a TA to consider as well!

It easier for the staff to get to know the children if they only have half at a time, easier for the parents whose children are clingy and not wanting to go in if there are not 29 other children all crying and wanting mummy to come in with them etc etc

Schools do what works for them going on previous experience - they don 't just do it to annoy parents - honest!

tallulah · 12/09/2011 18:24

FAB it is "only" 6 weeks if you don't have to go to work. One of the other mums at DD's nursery has had to take 4 weeks unpaid leave. The only way we can manage is because I was off sick for 6 weeks earlier in the year following surgery, so didn't use my Leave. We are already going to struggle to cover 13 weeks school holidays when we only get 6 weeks off each.

Dirtydishesmakemesad · 12/09/2011 18:24

ds started reception this year it went

children who had been doing full days at the schools nursery (ds) start full time from the first day of term
children who were not used to full days start part time for one week then full time.

TheOriginalFAB · 12/09/2011 18:30

Presumably those working mothers had child care in place already so why do they need to take unpaid leave? Why aren't their child carers collecting them from school? They can't all have been in nurseries.

Original poster

pozzled · 12/09/2011 18:37

Thanks for all your replies.

Looks as though I am just going to have to find ways to deal with it. But I do think it is for the school's benefit rather than the parents' or children's, as Tommy said. And I teach, so I really do understand the difficulties and how tiring it can be for the children etc.

Theoriginalfab Working mothers will have had childcare in place for whole days. I suppose if you use a CM they may be able to drop off and collect the child at different times, but a nursery won't be able to.

OP posts:

MoaningMinnieWhingesAgain · 12/09/2011 18:47

Our LEA states some schools will have up to 4 weeks of part time if they choose. DD started this time, 2 x 90min visits in July, then started full time in Reception last week.

No home visits here thank god , she was doing 9-3 at preschool anyway so not a huge change.

LIZS · 12/09/2011 18:50

My nephew , December bday, has a similar schedule , although pm first then am , then full day just before half term. He's used to being in nursery for 2.5 days ! dd was ft from the start at just 4 .

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