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

[pozzled]

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.

My dd's school has 5 weeks of induction, every week different times. It's been a nigtmare for us because my husband and I are both teachers and not allowed to have any time off work. So my poor mum who is 65 years old has had to come from Spain and live with us for the 5 weeks. Obviously my dd will attend breakfast and after school club when full time but a the moment it's a nightmare. As a teacher I appreciate that school is not a nursery but obviously some schools don't want to attract working parents!!! lol

Of course nurseries can pick up children at lunchtime! All our local ones do while the P1s are on half days - they go back to the nursery/after school club and spend the afternoon there. I agree with FAB - it's only a few weeks out of your child's life.

Well I have never heard of nurseries collecting or dropping off children around here, and always thought it would be difficult because of the ratios. I will ask.

I know perfectly well that it's only a few weeks, and I wouldn't mind at all if I thought it was in DD's best interests. I'm sure I will be able to sort childcare arrangements out, but may need to beg a few favours from friends and relatives. Which is why I wanted to check whether it was necessary.

At least I have plenty of time to think about it.

I wasn't expecting a nursery to do pick ups, I meant child minders as I think that was clear due to me saying not every child would be at a nursery.

Yes, sorry, you did say that. But I think your answer is that it's the parents who use nurseries that have a problem, the others are fine.

DS starts tomorrow (yikes).

All children do the first week mornings only, then "when they are ready" they can go full time.

DH & I both work full time. We're both off tomorrow, then DH is doing half days this week. I'm really hoping that they let him start on full days next week. I'm working half days next week, but mainly so I can collect him at 3.15 not lunchtime. Of course if hes struggling we won't make him suffer but if hes " a bit tired" I'm afraid I just need him in school so he can start after school club a week later and I can go back to work. We just had to work on the best case scenario or I'd I've to take unpaid leave, which I can't afford to take and not need. Its almost too flexible!!

DS has been full time in nursery since he was 5 months, and hes 5 in 4 weeks. Our only other option is back to nursery which he has hated over the past month because its now full of 3 year olds.

Blimey, with my 3 it was all full time straight away (no choice). That is still the policy at our school. All children start on the first day and go straight into full time.

Surely there is a choice of schools in your area and you could choose a school with other induction policies. It may be inconvenient but schools will have designed these policies with the children in mind they are not there to offer free childcare.

We had no ambition to fight for an out of catchment placement. Our catchment school is very good. It would have felt wrong to me to apply to another school just because of how they handle the first few weeks in the first year. Hes going to be there 7 years so the long term was more important.

Well, I would definitely check with the nursery/after school. I know of at least three round here who pick up the littlies from our primary, plus the one which is held in the school itself. I can't believe this is the only place in the country that do so. I know one of the owners, and she told me they pick up from about 6 local primaries depending on the day. As they'll be looking after them in the afternoons anyway, they would need enough staff to cover that, and I think that the managers also do pick-ups to facilitate, or they get disclosed parents to help with a walking bus.

I work in an infant school. Reception is 3 forms, 80 children starting in January, rest opted to start later in year. They do:

Week 1: home visits
Week 2: 2-2.5 hours, either mornings or afternoons, no choice of which you get
Week 3: as week 2 but longer sessions including lunch time and one almost full day but starting later and ending earlier
Week 4: full time (I think)

At DD's school it is full time from day 1 but there is only one class of reception and the class has a max of 18. But it does work perfectly fine. They do nursery visits for those not in the school's preschool to see them in their normal "school" setting; only home visit if not in a nursery.

Have to say that I was so glad DD didn't have a long drawn out induction. Not sure how I would have managed these days. I work in a school. I am not allowed time off in term time. And it is really really difficult to get childminders or nursery pick ups during the induction period round here, nigh on impossible in some areas. There is no way DH could have taken all the time off!

In our LEA a couple of schools do half days till half term.

DD's school started last week - 10 kids from each reception class went in on Weds, Thurs or Fri, 9-11.30. Today, all 30 were in 9-12, same tomorrow & Weds. Thurs & Fri they're stopping for complimentary school dinners, so 9-1pm. Next week they go full time.

For us it makes no odds as I don't work, but I know friends are really struggling with it.

And that's without the school-wide target setting day next month - 10 min appointment with the teacher, child must attend to get their register mark .

OP if you are still reading: the law has changed and from Sep 2011 you have the right to request your child starts on day 1 full time if you so wish.

I have rang my LEA and they have confirmed it.

We raised it with the board of governors and the headteacher with a huge nudge from the LEA has had to respond, saying that they will have to accommodate it if a parent requests it, however they will not advertise it!

I would urge you to phone your LEA to enquire. Hope this helps.

Yes, you have the right to request (and actually, according to the Admissions Code you only have the right to request part time. It does not say you have the right to request full time). The important point is that it is only the right to request, not to insist. The final decision lies with the LA/school. The Admissions Code is clear that parents have the absolute right to defer but they only have the right to request part time.

Mind you, I'm pleased your LA has got the rules wrong in a way that benefits parents. They usually get it wrong the other way!

A friend of mine is having problems with this. Her dd doesn't even start of half-days until the week before half-term and won't be full time until nearly Christmas. She's managed to keep her at nursery, although the NEG grant has automatically transferred to the school, so she's effectively not able to claim her 15 free hours and has to pay full whack.

The school are refusing to budge - I hope that this changes next year as it's very difficult indeed to see any justification for such staggered starts.

OP, I read Tommy's post as meaning that schools did what worked best for the children.

I know its what our school has found works best for the greatest number of children, overall. Its hard to balance kids' needs, parents needs and practicalities.

DD2's school only do 7 days of half-days then she goes full time (as of Thursday). It has been annoying having to have the time off work- I don't work, I don't get paid. DD2 is gagging to go full time and use her lunchbox :)
Six WEEKS of it?! I'm amazed you're still sane! DD1 had one half-day then full time!

Again, thanks for all your replies. I'll talk to the school/LEA nearer the time.

As someone said, we could look at other local schools but this one is about 2 minutes away. I'd have to find out something very bad about it to not put it as first choice. The slow start will be a real hassle but one we will just have to work around if they insist on doing it that way.

I don't really want to keep DD at nursery, as otherwise she could finish in July when my holidays start. So most likely it will need to be a combination of my DH taking leave and favours from friends and my mum. We're lucky to have people around who could help us.

RueDeWakening I've heard of those target setting days before, they sound utterly ridiculous. And actually I don't see how schools can justify them, as surely the children won't then get their entitlement to 190 days of teaching- you can't count a 10 minute slot as a teaching day IMO.

Dd1 is getting very fed, up all her friends are at different schools and are now into their second week ( so all day , some half day) and she has been to school for a grand total of 3 hours. She is 5y in 2 weeks and use to being at nursery full days , 3 days a week. Everyone she sees asks her how is school. She just cant undersand why she cant go. She has 3 mornings this week so it should be better.

I didn't realise until a friend told me, but here the LEA advised all schools that they had to allow any child to go full time from 12th Sept if the parent requested it. Rather than faff around with the staggering of starts and having some children not follow the plan anyway, most schools here have scrapped the staggered start.

I think it is a shame. I still remember the utter exhaustion on DS2's face when he came out of his first half day - he along with a lot of other children needed a gentle run in.

God, I wish our school had a long drawn out induction!!! Ours all started first day of term full time - bang! I would MUCH prefer the former. :(

Teaches the kids (!) patience, at any rate

Dd1 has finally started today. She will do 2 full days a week for 3 weeks along with half the class (with a test day in between). She would live to be ft but I am glad the staggered start is the same each week and includes full days. At least I can still work on those days.