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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

part time reception. Has anyone asked to do this?

9 replies

pontypridd · 09/03/2015 21:36

I have heard that things have changed this year and that now parents are legally allowed to have their reception child go part time - rather than having to go full time.

Does anyone know anything about this?

I would like to ask if my dd could do part time reception. The school will be anti it I'm sure (previous experience with ds). So I'd like any advice please.

Does anyone know where to find the facts and details of what we're allowed to ask for?

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yellowdaisies · 09/03/2015 21:39

I don't think it's changed. I think you always could go part time up until the reach the statutory school she - ie the term after they turn 5. So that's the whole of reception if they're summer born, or just one term if their birthday's in the autumn. Some schools are quite happy about it, but others think the children find it harder to settle in. Most expect them to do half days for the first few weeks

Original poster

pontypridd · 09/03/2015 21:42

Gosh that's interesting. I fought for my son who has SN to do part time in reception. It wasn't even part time. I just wanted him to start a bit later as he had physio to do in the morning. The school put up such a fight.

I didn't realise that he was actually legally allowed to be part time. That was 4 years ago.

OP posts:

cartoonsaveme · 10/03/2015 11:16

I think most pt options are afternoons at home, school am. The teacher led learning tends to be in the morning

kateecass · 10/03/2015 11:34

I'd heard something was changing too. As a mum of a late August born DD it was something Id thought about and actually spoke to school about. So my ears pricked up when I heard it being discussed on TV- think it was Wright Stuff? Maybe they were discussing twice yearly intake. I'll google after.
DS had had the teacher in reception so I went and chatted to them about part-time. They said school didn't really do it. But they'd see how DD was and could talk about it then. We also talked about missing out on friendships etc. if she wasn't there afternoons or whatever. Anyway she coped fine. She was allowed to take naps in the reading area when she took herself off there! Was knackered for the first term or so. At pArents evening I've always been told they wouldnt have realised she was one of the youngest if she wasn't the smallest! She seems to be one of the brightest, although a bit quiet. Oh, and if she'd have been picked up by me in the afternoons I reckoned there would have been tears at missing out!! She loved reception!

kateecass · 10/03/2015 11:43

Sorry, it doesn't seem to have been about part-time schooling. I think this was what they were discussing. Apparently government introduced new guidelines last year that means summer born children can be held back a year. My LEA would allow it at the time but would have made her go in yr1.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2965296/Parents-summer-baby-turned-four-just-weeks-start-school-year-locked-bitter-fight-delay-admission-reception-year.html?ito=social-facebook

Meita · 10/03/2015 11:47

I don't know of any changes but as far as I understand, you have (and had) the legal right to defer your child's entry until the term after they turned 5. School has no say in this. 100% your decision. No ifs or buts.

However, if you do decide to send your child to school, then any part-time solutions have to be agreed with by the school. And school has no obligation to agree. Most schools will agree to reasonable and practically doable requests but they have no obligation to. They can demand flat out that if your child attends, they are to attend full time.

As most 'teaching' in reception happens in the mornings, schools will be hesitant to allow solutions that involve missing time in the mornings. Also, I think getting there late every day/regularly (e.g. for those physio sessions) might constitute a particular problem, as the child would miss the register and hence count as absent despite only having been late. But I would assume that, if willing, a school could find ways around this.

That is my understanding of how things were - does anyone know what changes (if any) are proposed?

greenfolder · 10/03/2015 18:27

When DD started reception 2 years ago, the school had a temporary bulge class( new school due to open within 2 terms).The head teacher stated that they had single intake in September and would assume that all would start full time BUT if any parent wanted part time that was fine- just to let them know. There were a fair few parents who did take the part- time option but that mainly petered out after Christmas.

TwoOddSocks · 10/03/2015 18:40

I'm considering this and delaying for my son, there's a Facebook group "flexible school admission for summer borns" there are lots of people there either doing this or considering it. I'm sure they'd help even if you DD isn't summer born.

mamaecoruja · 11/03/2015 00:20

Hi, I would like to tell my experience as a mother in put my reception kids only mornings until January. The first one we were in only 2 mums, but the second kids only me doing it. I felt like different and strange situation, but my kids could come back to home after play time, rest at home, did homework and we had a good time in participate better in the diary lesson. Without stress.If you don't work, why not?

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