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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

Anyone with experience of sending your child part time only to reception??

29 replies

DorsetLass · 21/01/2013 23:07

I would be grateful for your thoughts. My daughter is due to start reception in sep - she is a late July birthday so quite young for her year. Academically I don't think she will struggle - but I think from a physical and stamina point of view full time school is going to be extremely hard. Do I consider flexi/part time schooling? Is this possible/beneficial/detrimental??? All advice gratefully received!!

OP posts:

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50shadesofvomit · 21/01/2013 23:12

If you think it would help I'd do it unless there was a special event like a school trip.
After October half term, there will probably a lot of nativity play practices in the afternoon so I'd hope that she was ready for full time by then but if not, so what?

MyCannyBairn · 21/01/2013 23:13

My dd is July born too and young for her age. I wish I had negotiated her going f/t Mon-Thurs, with Friday off, she was shattered by the week end.

SizzleSazz · 21/01/2013 23:16

Ours only start FT from a week or so before half term - do you now what happens at your school?

My DD is mid August and has coped really well (much better in fact than her November birthday sister did)

I would hold off making any decision until she actually starts. The school would hopefully work with you to come to a reduced hours schedule which works for her if need be.

StarlightMcKenzie · 21/01/2013 23:16

I'm thinking of sending dd part time for the first term, or even not at all and she's a Sept birthday.

Just thinking about it for the moment though. I kind of think they locked into the system for so blimmin long I want us to have some fun whilst we still have the legal escape.

BrittaPerry · 21/01/2013 23:21

Go over to the home ed board for advice. There is absolutely NO legal requirement to send your child to school. If you do decide to send her, then you need to negotiate with the school about part time etc, but why not just not register her until she is ready?

breatheslowly · 21/01/2013 23:21

Have you asked the school about it? Do they have a phased entry system which you could extend?

expansivegirth · 22/01/2013 00:47

Yes. Skipped first term, part time rest of year.

Absolutely fine. No problem fitting in. Not behind in any way. Not excluded from anything in any way. All great.

The school does not have to report absences until the child turns five, so your absences will not affect the Ofsted attendance statistics.

If you need leverage, suggest instead - if it's an option for you - that your child starts in January (which is your right). The school looses money if you do this as funding now set in October from this year, so they might compromise with part time. Or you could just start a term late if you think it's in your child's best interest.

expansivegirth · 22/01/2013 00:50

You are not legally obliged to take up place until the summer term (in your case) though part time attendance is pretty good for phasing the kids in. You have no right to be granted part time attendance (just a right to ask, and the school has the right to grant your wish).
Flexi schooling something different. Most education authorities now appear to dock money in a measure proportionate to the time spent out of school so schools now often reluctant to do it (reluctant anyway). You wouldn't need to flexi-school until after your child turned five. Before then, it's just a matter of deferring.
Your place at school won't be held open after the summer term (or the term after the child turns five - which ever comes sooner).

expansivegirth · 22/01/2013 00:51

*school also entitled to refuse part time attendance.

expansivegirth · 22/01/2013 00:52

Very tired. Burbling. Sorry. Any questions, feel free to message me.

StarlightMcKenzie · 22/01/2013 07:59

What about academies?

Planning to send dd to an academy but want to defer the first term. Will that be possible?

snowybrrr · 22/01/2013 08:25

I did for the first couple of terms or so.The school didn't really like it, and I think it made her the odd one out at a critical time for making friendships.I'm nor sure I'd do it again....

Bunnyjo · 22/01/2013 08:52

My DD is late August born, she's now in Yr1.

Before she started reception, I discussed all options with the HT; they were happy for her to do full-time, half-days or a certain number of days per week, even for her to start a term or so later. They were very accomodating; I felt I had the full support of the school and they were more concerned with ensuring that DD had the best start to school for her, not attendance or funding issues.

As it was, DD started full-time and I am happy with that decision. In hindsight, I feel that it would have been detrimental to her education, and confusing for her, to be doing anything different from her peers.

Many schools do phased introduction to full-time school, you may find that they don't start full-time until after half-term.

birdseed · 22/01/2013 09:20

I have late July born DS, reception this year. We have done 2-3 afternoons off a week since he started in Sept, and even then he was very tired last term. It doesn't seem to have had a negative effect and I am really pleased that we have done it, even though he is the only one in the class doing it. The school were adamant that he should do every morning though, and so we couldn't have a whole day off rather than a couple of afternoons.

tiggytape · 22/01/2013 09:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

jigglebum · 22/01/2013 09:42

Our school allowed flexibility for the first term and it suited us (DS a June birthday). I think it was unusual but we could basically choose what afternoons they went in. So DS went in every morning and I gradually increased the number of afternoons. By Oct half term he was there 3 days and 2 half days. After half term he went full time. One girl still did 2 half days but after half term everyone else was full time. After christmas all were full time. That arrangement worked well for us but I was surprised how few came home at lunch time, most went full time pretty much straight away.

They do really need to do mornings though. The "learning" part took place in the mornings and the afternoon was "play"

StarlightMcKenzie · 22/01/2013 09:46

What learning?

SizzleSazz · 22/01/2013 10:32

Ours do 'Letters & Sounds', writing and numbers in the morning. Mainly learning through activities in those areas but definitely 'learning'

StarlightMcKenzie · 22/01/2013 10:46

Okay. So easy enough to teach at home then, and most likely faster!?

jojane · 22/01/2013 10:53

My dd is also ablate July birthday and she went full time from sep. the first term she wa very tired come the end of the week but by half term and hot to grips with this a bit more. She loves school and hated Xmas hols coz she couldn't go to school! She would hve been horrified to miss school if all her friends were going in, plus with girls friendships are a lot trickier than with boys and she might fin if she missed a day then when se next goes her best friend has foun a new best friend coz they ated together the day before.

midastouch · 22/01/2013 12:38

My DS was also July born and due to start this Sept. Its so hard to know how theyll cope. I've applied for school I want him to go to just got to keep fingers crossed he gets i n or I may cry lol! He's behind with speech so I'm really not sure whether to defer him a year. 4 years and 1 month seem so young to be starting school IMO have to wait and see the school he's put in

jigglebum · 22/01/2013 13:01

starlight - it is definitely learning and I would argue it is learning in the afternoon too - just of a different sort eg things like cooperation with others. It is of course easy enough to teach your kids letters and sounds etc at home but I think school is about more than that and if they are going to join the school at some stage I think it is beneficial to have learnt the way the others have.

skullcandy · 22/01/2013 13:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Beamur · 22/01/2013 13:32

My DD did Tues-Friday in Reception until the Easter term when she was 5. The school were fine about it, although I did formally request it and was then told it was ok.
The teacher expressed slight concerns about missing Mondays as they set out what they were doing for the week, but I really don't think DD has missed out on making friends or anything academic. She is in Yr1 now and doing really well.
I would do it again as the full week is tiring, we both enjoyed the extra time at home and it doesn't seem to have hampered her in any way.
Our school also did more structured learning in the morning and free play in the afternoon - which I totally agree with the poster who says this is still learning, but in a different way.

mathanxiety · 22/01/2013 17:04

Mu DCs went to early years in the US where their school only had part time for 4 yos and for 5-6 yos too. The 4 yo 'preschool' was half a day three or four days a week; you could choose whatever option suited you (half a day was 2.5 hours each day) and 'Kindergarten' was M-F, 2.5 hours each day. They were all ready for full day (8-3) by age 6-7 though it was a struggle at the start of First Grade. Academically and socially they didn't suffer at all. I would say it was exactly the opposite. A pity difficulties stand in the way of doing it for young children as children vary so much at this age.

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