Working parents - how do you manage part time reception in September?

[Allegrogirl]

DD1 is starting school in September, eeek! Just been to our first meeting at the school for which I needed half a days of leave. There are several more before September.

Then we have 3 weeks of 11.45 finishes before they start full time. I work 3.5 days per week but don't get home until 1.30 on my half day. I am fortunate that parents are local and can help out but they can't do the whole of the three weeks.

How are you/have you managed with temporary childcare? I don't want to use my entire annual entitlement in one go.

I'm going to use a friend's nanny to pick up my son - she will be picking up her charge who will be on half-days from his nursery (on the same site). It will be expensive but I have no choice, though I may use grandparents for one week, if possible.
Otherwise, I would ask other paresnts what they are going to do or speak to your boss (it depends obviously on how flexible your work is/sympathetic your boss) - can you work flexibly by leaving early/going in early and/or making up time in the evening?

I managed it with difficulty!!
Pain in the arse

We had 5 weeks of part time school when DS started- 2 weeks where he only went in every other day ( and then only part time and some pre-lunch and some post lunch and not allowed to stay for lunch!) and then 2 weeks of either all morning or afternoon only ( latter was only for 1.5 hours!).

A group of four of us who knew each other from the pre-school that the kids went to first got together and sat down and worked out when each of us was supposed to be working, who had gaps in childcare, who had time to do pick ups and drop offs. It was a total nightmare as our kids were sometimes in different groups and a few of us had older kids already in the school too.

We worked out a timetable/rota for us and gave it to the 3 class teachers involved so they knew who was supposed to be collecting who on which day- turned out that when the Head of Early Years saw this, it dawned on her how unnecessarily complicated the whole thing had become and the next year it was changed to two weeks of half days and then straight in to full time school.

When it was all over we all went out for a girls meal and bought a nice "secret santa" gift each so we all got a treat. Still in touch with two of these people now even though our kids have all moved on/away.

What childcare is your daughter in now? Any chance of them picking up? The working parents I know paid for childminders/nursery sessions until full time school started.

If you know any other parents it's worth asking them to take notes at the meetings for you.

Fortunately DD's school doesn't do part time and staggered starts. All children start in the first day of term regardless of year group, birthday, etc. However, the reception teacher allows flexibility in the first few weeks so that children who are feeling extra tired or not coping can miss the odd afternoon, go home a bit early or come in a little late - with consultation with the teacher. Most don't though - most just do full days from day one.

You have my sympathies. DD started full time day 1.

Friend, relative, childminder, local nursery.

Or both take annual leave or unpaid parental leave (see direct.gov website re your entitlement to take this but this is the type of scenario parental leave covers). One dad spent every lunchtime for a month picking child up from school and driving him to his old nursery.

Maybe speak to school and see what people do eg they may know x nursery will collect.

How are work? Could you alter your hours for a few weeks and do 5 shorter days etc.

My school did (and still does) half days for all reception children until the term in which they turn 5. With 2 winter born DDs that meant 3 months of half days both times.

With DD1 I deferred her start until January - not ideal, but at the time there were no childminders or nurseries that did a midday pickup. She coped, made friends quickly.

With DD2 one nursery had twigged and was offering midday pickup so I signed up. Turned out the nursery was not very good, so I started looking for another out of school care provider by half-term and found one for January, but it got us through. DD2 was a very angry child for that first term though, because she wanted to do whole days (and was ready to do so, school agreed, LEA would not allow flexibility).

I do wish that all schools were allowed to arrange matters flexibly in consultation with parents.

I had to take 5 weeks leave :( It was quite fortunate I'd been on long-term sick earlier in the year so had leave to spare, otherwise we'd have been stuck. I'd have kept her PT at her nursery but it was in a different town so far too complicated.

We had a week of mornings finishing at 11.45, a week of afternoons 1-3pm, another week of mornings to 11.45, a week of mornings with lunch, finishing at 1pm and a final week of afternoons. It was great fun not

DH and I are teachers so are desperately hoping that when DD2 starts Reception she will be able to stay for full days from the day she starts... that's how it worked with DD1 but things have changed somewhat at the school :(

If we are subjected to a part-time arrangement then I imagine we may well defer her start date until everyone is full-time and she can be dropped off/collected at the same time as DD1. She has a summer birthday so won't be of statutory school age until she's in Y1 anyway.

Im so pleased you have started this thread, it has been playing on my mind too. I have a son going into reception in September and a daughter going into nursery. The nursery only has times 9-12 each day, she is moving from a nursery which does untill 3.30 and is too far away so we thought it was best to move her. So we are going to have settling in time for both of them and then she finishes at 12 and then he does at 3.30. How do working parents cope! It would be much better if she could do until 3.30 even for 3 days a week. Ive put a notice up about a childminder to pick her up until 3.30 but not heard back. Not sure what to do next. It's really hard with this childcare lark and trying to work - like a constant challenge!

Would echo:

• parental leave - legal entitlement but you are obv not paid....
• could you pick her up and drop her at her old child care, plenty of my kids classmates did that

we coped as i was on mat leave for the 1st and the 2nd only came home for lunch...

If its a state school in england the school have to offer full-time from day 1, parents can choose to send part-time but school are legally required to offfer full-time under new rules that came into play Sep2011. Some schools are not making this knonw to parents .

My son was at nursery full time and they helpfully offered to have him those afternoons but in the end I just booked time off work.

My DS was part time for 6 weeks. I managed it by some flexible working but also was lucky enough to have my mum to pick up a couple of times a week.

It is a struggle if it doesn't fit in with work but for my son it was so worth it. He was a little waif bless him, only just 4 and really emotionally not ready for school (looking back I wish I had kept him back a year but who knows if that would have helped as he would have been chucked into year 1) and only doing a morning really did help him cope with school, and he was exhausted just after a morning. As time went on we realised he has some SEN as well, muscle development delays basically so he had good reason to be tired.

I guess what I'm saying is you know your child and whether it's worth bending yourself backwards and inside out to accommodate the part time start, or whether your child could sail through if you just contact the school and say they need to go full time.

I reiterate that if your school is a state one they have to offer full time from day 1. Ours does 8 weeks staggered part-time intake but I have put my foot down on this one. It's gone down like a lead balloon but I have grown a thick skin over the years, especially when I believe it is the right thing to do!

I had 2 weeks off after that DD's childminder did it. She had 2 other starters as well and lives more or less next door to the school but admitted it was a nightmare going to school/back/back to school for the Y1 child and back home again.

Luckily after 4 weeks it was over.

The posters who say that schools are legally required to offer full time places from day one to all children are correct however there s a grey area around 'setting it' sessions.
For example the school mentioned up thread that insisted on part time until the term the child was 5 are not allowed to do that as of 2011 they must allow all children to be full time from September if they choose although the parent still has the right to send part time. Schools are allowed though to have for example a 'setting in' period of part time hours for a few weeks, the problem is finding out where the line is drawn between the two. I would say any school that uses the age of the child to restrict hours at school for more then a couple of weeks is breaking the law in regards to the right for a full time school place for the September after the child's 4th birthday.
Most of the cases mentioned in this thread would fall under 'setting in' sessions and therefore be within the law. I don't know if there have been any test cases in regards to this grey area and I hope some of the experts in these areas will know more about this then I do and can clarify where the line is drawn.
Thankfully this isn't something I have had to face as our school is full time from day one, they used to do part time (mornings) until the term of the child's 5th birthday but my dd's year, she started 2009, was the first year they all went full time from the off as the school decided to get ahead of the law change. I didn't have the work issue then but for dd it would have been awful, she is a late May birthday so would have been part time until Easter however so was very ready for school and as it is a very top heavy year group in regards to birthdays she would have been having the go home at lunch while all her friends stayed at school, she would have hated it! I have ds starting this year and for him a part time start wouldn't have been so bad, he is less ready then his sister was and I am lucky that my working patten is completely flexible. Do ask other parents though, I would always be more then happy to help other parents out with pick ups and childcare through a settling in period, I can't be the only one!

Thanks for all your suggestions. It sounds like we've got it pretty easy compared to some.

DD goes to nursery near where I work and all our friends are in different school catchments. I'm already a bit concerned about DD not knowing anyone on day 1.

We won't need a childminder when normal hours commence. Do you think any would just do a couple of weeks?

There are no nurseries close to the school and the one we use is 20 minutes from home near my work. I guess I could take a 'lunch' break early to take DD to nursery.

I have a childless ex-teacher friend who is working as an unpaid TA at a different school. I reckon she would be happy with a couple of hours cash in hand I will take some afternoons off. My boss can be inflexible and I dread discussing this sort of thing.

Many thanks. Your posts have helped me formulate a plan.

If the worst comes to the worst, defer entry until the day after the part-timing bit is over. It's easier to stay put with existing childcare, and move cleanly to childcare that fits round school hours. Having several weeks of bodge is in no-one's interest.

A few years ago, it was rare for more than the first week (which often didn't start on the Monday anyhow) to have reduced hours. I don't think anyone had established any benefit from more staggering, and certainly hasn't weighed it up against the logistic difficulties it causes. A good school which takes a holistic approach knows that a good start is necessary for children, and unnecessary stress, temporary routines with strangers, and ratty parents are simply not conducive to this.

But, as with pointythings example, I think many schools are simply unaware of the difficulties they are causing; brand new parents just don't want to point it out, and so the (avoidable) problems endure.

What a nightmare.
DD's school used to offer nursery care for 5 mornings a week only, with no flexibility - which was probably one of the reasons why the nearby school with more flexible options was more popular! By the time DD started this system had changed to one that was more parent friendly.
DD started in the nursery linked to her school and had her 3 'free' sessions a week, but we could pay for extra sessions, which we did, to make it up to a full day. So starting in Reception she did 4 full days until she turned 5, and now does full time.

QueenEdith I totally agree. DH and I should be looking forward to this important step in our DD's life and instead we are worrying about juggling temporary childcare.

I think short days should be an option for those that need it but my DD will be 5 in October and has been part time at nursery since she was 6 months old. She is desperate to start school.

I think I will ask the school for suggestions too, just so they know what a pain on the backside this is.

personally I managed it by kicking off with the school [annoying parent emotion]

our school nursery gives you the option of using your 15hrs a week, then paying to make up to the standard 9-3.30 day. The breakfast and afterschool club will also have nursery children so this was the childcare I used prior to starting school. Our school did 4 weeks of part days and staying at the school nursery was not an option

school agreed to DD starting full time from day 1 -as long as I didn't tell any of the other parents

We sent them both to the after school club. They collected the children directly from the school and drove them to the main centre and then when the rest of the school got off brought them back to the school where they joined the other after school kids.

my childminders collected ds1 and looked after him for the half day. ( their school does half days for 3 weeks) . ds2 is starting in sept and the great cm will be doing the same again.
The nursery attached to the school does offer to cover the half days aswell, but we ahvnt had to use this .

Interesting about the full-time rule bunny, my DS1 started this past Sept(2012) and the school certainly didn't mention it.
My school's routine
Week 1 - teachers do home visits so give 1hr slot in advance, nothing else
Week 2 - mornings til 11.30
Week 3 - mornings plus lunch, finish @ 1.30
Week 4 - FT start

I work FT, no childminder nor afterschool club interested in covering, no family locally, DH has an ugly commute (though did take on a few of the morning dropoffs). I managed with the help of my lovely nursery who were kind enough to extend his FT sessions one more week (Week 1) - of course I'd already given notice of expected leaving date as this was all communicated late.
Then the next two weeks (weeks 2 & 3) they were prepared to take him for afternoon sessions from 1pm. So those two weeks I agreed with my boss to disappear at lunchtime, get DS1, feed him if needed, then drop him at nursery. Only managed because I work ten minutes from the school & home & nursery and have an understanding boss -- and yes I know I am bloody lucky.

I attended a parents session recently about transition from Reception to Year 1 and they explained that in those first three weeks it's great for the new Year 1 kids as they have a mix of classes in both their old R classrooms and the new Yr1 rooms so they're not too flustered by the change . Pah! I'm sure my son would have settled ok immediately FT in both R and Yr1, and he's May-born so among the younger ones. Granted some children may have a harder adjustment but surely then the school can work out a gradual introduction schedule with a handful of parents rather than subject everyone to this.

Just hope the nursery will be as accommodating for DS2 when it's his turn, if not there goes most of my yearly holiday allowance - or possibly I might arrange something with local school mums whom I now know, of course I didn't before.