How can I complain to DC's school in a positive way?

[babybouncer]

DS started in reception this year. The school did a staggered entry whereby he went in for nearly 2 weeks afternoons only before starting full time. Having previously been in full-time (or near enough) nursery, he found having a different relative looking after him each morning very disconcerting and I'm certain that this made it a much more drawn out process than benefitted him. I have a younger child: I don't want them to do this again (this was their first year doing this). How can I give them feedback without sounding complainy? Or like I'm just complaining about having to take time off work (I'm a teacher, so this was never an option anyway)?

perhaps express it as feedback - it wasn't beneficial for your child for these reasons - and suggest that some children could opt out of it in future years

But in my experience they will hear it as criticism and likely just to be defensive so be prepared

I complained about staggered school entry because I thought it was ridiculous that they phased in starting with the children who had birthdays in the first terms, followed by those in the second term, ending with those in the final term - so the youngest children went in after others had settled into the routine and when the teachers had more children to look after.Although they didn't agree the point, they changed the system in subsequent years and others also made the same complaint

DD1 ended up in in the opposite half of the class to all her nursery friends and felt left out during the introductory weeks.

DD2 was already used to doing full days at nursery, so didn't really get why they were doing half days when big sister didn't.

D1, D2 and I all hated the weeks we did afternoons, it seemed utterly pointless stopping what we were doing for just over 2 hrs of school.

My two are 12 and 15, and every year since I've heard mothers complaining about the same things plus the nightmare it is for child care and still the schools insist on doing it.

It's nuts and now all DCs have done at least a year in preschool it's madness, they don't need half days to settle in.

I thought phased entry was daft until my youngest started school. Despite being used to nursery he was shattered. Some nurseries help out with the transfer. I think they will say it is up to you to arrange childcare. School is not a childcare arrangement. Sorry.

I'm so relieved that my daughter's school just said "we have to offer you half days in the first term so if you really want them you can do it, but can only recommend that your children start full time from the beginning as it's much easier for them to settle in that way".

Phased entry sounds like a positively weird idea to me. Yes, school is not child care, but children like structure and familiarity. Phased entry certainly doesn't help with that.

Just think of the chaos of 30 new reception children all trying to settle to a new school, teacher, structure at once. Teachers need the smaller groups so they can establish expectations, routines etc.
I know it can be a PITA/stressful as a parent though. And no I'm not a primary teacher!

You have a statutory right to send your child for full days from the start so not sure what the point of complaining would be! Maybe point out that they should make this clear?

our school does 1 half day and then it is a full day of school from day 2 - seems to work out fine for them (in Scotland though so may be different)

It would be so much worse if 30 children all started on the same day! The teachers can really get to know each child much better and they are not slammed with 30 children all with different needs at the same time.

You need to think of it for our childs pov not yours, if thy are disconcerted with a different relative each morning, how are they going to cope with ever changing school life? Just because they may have been in full time child care does not mean they will be used to full time school all of which is totally new. Would you feel totally settled on day one in a totally new job in a new environment with new people and new routines? I doubt it.

You are absolutely right, a school is not childcare and that's what I don't want the school to say because it isn't my main problem. My main issue is that it was hugely disruptive to DS. In fact he was shattered because he was so excited to play with grandparents etc, then had to go to school. Having used up all our goodwill babysitting chips we had to put him straight into before and after school club as soon as he did full days too so he didn't get to have any days just coping with school. Two weeks seemed excessive - I think one would have been sufficient. With different options for kids who had different needs.

But how should I say this and who to?

OP I'd ask them why they do it, what are to benefits to the school, teachers and pupils, try and see and take on board the reasons why, which certainly won't be just to 'annoy parents'

I help out at our school, and for the last 2 weeks I have helped in the new reception class.

I have 3 dcs youngest is year 1 and last year I found it all a pain and wished she had gone in straight away.

But having helped out, I realise that loads of these kids are totally overwhelmed by school. It is so different to nursery and they are struggling with finding the toilets, being expected to sit still, being responsible for their coat etc,
Then they have to get used to staying for lunch (many at our school come from the pre-school where they have done mornings only)

They have half the class in at a time, and to be honest they need it.

I would think that part of your ds exhaustion come from school rather than just change of routine.

You still seem to be complaining that it was disruptive for you. Perhaps pay for a childminder (or similar) for times when not at school. I just can't understand how p/time school is disruptive for a child.

Schools need to get used to the idea that they are fucking child care for most parents. Government policies do their utmost to force women back to work.

I'm incredibly lucky to be able to afford to be a stay at home mum, but I have absolutely no family support (distance, disability and PIL simply being dead).

If I had to work DDs would be at school hyped up on Calpol unless they were at deaths door.

PT school is disruptive to those with siblings.

The youngest one would happily do all day as that's what the older one does and that's what they have always been told school is like.

Some older DCs are very unhappy at knowing Mum's been to collect DSIS and not them. One of my DFs was sneaking in grabbing DD2 and praying DD1 didn't see her.

I wouldn't complain, just wait until DS2 has a place and explain that you'd like to take up the full time entitlement from day one.

Oh and oddly if you live in a rural area like this you can't just pay a CM, there is only one and she's full!

Good job you aren't at our school...
week 1 half class mornings and half afternoons
week 2 swap over
week 3 all class till 12.30
week 4 all class till 1.30
week 5 all class till 2
week 6 all day.

7th Oct is their first full day... and I am so relieved! DD is getting horribly tired, and can barely cope with a week of mornings at the moment.

You could say that it didn't work for your child. But if it worked for the class on the whole, they may well continue with it.

Say it didn't work for your child and other parents had said similar?

Maybe ask why they don't do what my local schools all do now after parental feedback - phase the kids in over 2-3 weeks, but all do full days from the start. Seems to have worked well for them all - there seems to be variation as to whether they start the more or least experienced kids first. I think ds's school did a mixture of children each day, some used to nursery and older, a couple less so.

Seeing the efforts the school office go to to ensure all children end up at the right place after school, I can only imagine it being extra hassle if some kids were doing half days too.

My daughters school started from 8.30 to 3pm on day one, with homework from day one. I would say that having spoken to the other mums, the vast majority have coped really well.

School is for educating your child not making child care easier for families?

It wasn't like this was a big old shock was it? Could you not have employed a childminder for the. 2 weeks or perhaps tell DS's grandparents that it was important that DS had lots of quiet time during those mornings they had him?

And as for the older children being cross that their younger siblings are being collected earlier? Well it's the way the world works, it's for a couple of weeks, it's how the school settles younger children in, get over it.
It's for a couple if weeks. When I started school and dd it was for a whole term.

In my school all the children start on the same day, just mornings the first week (only Wednesday to Friday this year), stay for lunch the next week and full days after that, it seems to work well and is not too drawn out.

On these threads there is usually someone who says you can demand that the school takes your child full-time right from the start, am never sure what they think the school will do with that child as all the other children will have gone home.