Part time schooling?

[longestlurkerever]

Dd starts reception in September but she only turns 5 next August. She currently attends pre-school part time and an outdoor nursery (think forest school approach) one day a week. The outdoor nursery have sent an email asking if anyone is interested in keeping their child there one day a week after school starts, saying they understand it is parents' right to exercise the option of part time schooling if they want. They have said that if there's sufficient interest they will tailor the activities one day a week towards school-aged children.

I am quite tempted. She learns all sorts of different things at outdoor nursery and she is quite young to be in a classroom all day every day. I couldn't afford private schooling or home ed but I could afford this one day a week.

Does anyone know the rules around this, and has anyone any experience of doing anything similar? I remember someone at the school open day asking aid they could attend part time and the school's response was negative so I would like to know what my rights are before broaching it but have found no info on the council's website. I don't want to jeopardise my school place as it's a very oversubscribed school and we were lucky to get in.

Also slightly concerned about her falling behind at school but since it's all child-led learning in reception I don't think she would, as she will be learning outdoors too, just in a different way.

It should also be play based learning - so they pick up e.g numbers through songs, phonics through games, pencil control through drawing and colouring, maths but building with blocks, sharing through games, nature by growing plants

My experience of those who have flexi schooled in reception it effects them socially, I have no idea about academically. As you said she will know no one I'd have thought that it would be even harder.

In reception I found most dc are guided more by who they played with yesterday than big friendships. If they had a great game with A yesterday then A is their best friend and they want to play with them again today. If A isn't available today then they'll play with B and are more likely to seek out B tomorrow. But also if A was not at school today they're less likely to be first in their mind when asked for who they want to have back for a playdate or party etc.

Those who start later don't suffer from this (ime) as they're new and exciting when they first arrive, and then are always available so don't suffer from the being forgotten.

Also you need to think about what happens when the Christmas play/assembly/party/fire engine visit/teddy bears' picnic etc. are on the day that she doesn't go.

The parents of children who were part time for awhile at our school all said their DC settled into school much better when they were full time. If they aren't there for the afternoon, their friends will seek to make new friends, and they will continue with those friendships even when your child returns. The OTHER children want continuity, and so the one missing out will be your child.

Bearing that in mind I asked for DS2, an August child, to go to school full time as soon as possible. The school weren't all that impressed (very old fashioned head teacher who wasn't impressed when the right for her to impose the part time attendance for a term was removed by the Government), but he settled in quickly, made new friends and had a wonderful time.

I've helped out the school a lot, and I've seen the faces of the children who miss out on craft activities, sports, outings etc - tbh I could never face making my child that sad without a very good reason.

OP "She is bright with an amazing memory, rich vocab and vivid imagination but she certainly isn't a natural scholar - she doesn't like practising drawing, writing, reading etc, you have to sneak it into her day, and she isn't motivated by praise in the way many children are - her teachers comment that she needs to be intrinsically motivated and have her imagination fired. "

Why are you sneaking writing into her day then? Why not make the most of her school-free time now for her to forest school stuff or just play with mud?

YR teachers are pretty good at not turning it into a grind. Way more skilled than I am.

Well I spoke briefly to her pre-school teacher at pick up and asked her to have a think about it and let me know her thoughts but her initial reaction was quite positive - saying the woods nursery was a lovely experience and an opportunity to learn something different and maybe I could try it for a while and see how it goes.

The responses on this thread are so negative and focused on "missing out" - but is full time school is really the best experience life can offer a 4 year old? It's a bit odd as if I was sending her to nursery full time there'd be plenty of cats' bum faces about it not being good for her to be there full time and she is the same age as many nursery school children. I am worried that if I send her to school full time she will be "missing out" on other experiences - I am just trying my best to give her a fulfilling childhood and a broad education. I am slightly resenting the implication that I am contemplating something terribly selfish - it certainly wouldn't be the easiest option for me.

It's so hard to know how she'll respond. At the moment, she attends pre-school 2.5 days a week. She has one "best friend" who attends full time, who looks forward to her days and they're inseparable when together so I don't recognise the scenario you all paint. She also is not sad at missing out - she knows that Monday is woods nursery, Tuesday is grandma day, Wednesday is Mummy day and Thursday and Friday are nursery - she seems to look forward to each day equally and enjoy it on its own merits. We often walk past her nursery on her days off and she just yells hello through the fence to her friends and then carries on her way with me. Maybe it'll all be different in 3 months' time but it's not that far away.

I had thought about what would happen if something special was happening on a particular day and I imagine we could just skip the woods that week, though if that is not possible then I would be less keen I admit.

Sorry, crossed posts amateur. I don't do much of the sneaking learning into her day. Pre-school and woods nursery do though - much as mopmay described - and pre-school encourage us to support their learning at home by playing letter and number games etc. I am only talking about counting things we see or encouraging her to write her own name in a birthday card - nothing artificial. She is very interested in letters and numbers and likes learning but it has to be on her own terms and the means to an end - not just practising for its own sake.

I know reception won't be just sitting and writing on slates Victorian-style. I also know though that a teacher's attention is stretched with a class of 30 children of differing interests and abilities and it isn't necessarily the absolute optimum way of learning.

There's more to life than school, especially when you're 4. I imagine your DD will get a huge benefit from doing the woodland school. Reception is often very tiring and many children end up absolutely exhausted by the end of term - grumpy, having meltdowns after school, worn out at the weekends. I don't think it's necessary for them to get so tired and washed out and could be avoided by doing part time school initially. That won't suit every child, but for those that want it I think part time is a good idea.

Don't forget a class of 20 will normally have at least one TA. One or two groups may be doing a focused teacher led activity and the others a child led one etc. 3 year olds often have different daily schedules - mine did too.
Some PT and some FT etc
However in reception 29/30 may be FT and your DD the only one not

That should have said a class of 30 sorry. I actually think flexi schooling is a lovely idea but just sharing my experience of what I observed with reception year

Yes thanks mop I do appreciate the different perspectives and clearer pictures of what reception is like, it was just the comments like "you need to start looking at it from your dd`s perspective" and "I would never want to make my child that sad" that were making me bristle, as if this was all about me somehow. I only want the best for her, within what I can afford and is practical, given where we live. I am aware there will be pros and cons, which is why it's a dilemma, but I thought there would be more appreciation of the pros I was trying to achieve.

Fair enough.

It sounds like your DD is quite articulate. She will let you know soon enough if she doesn't want to miss out on school.

if you can, I would really recommend helping out in your DD's class. It gives so much more insight into what she actually does than you can ever get from talking to her, and it would help you assess how it's working for her.

I'd also try and chat with the actual teacher about how the week is organised. Ours do phonics every morning for 20 mins etc. They do different sounds each day. If they miss a day they miss that session. My DD would refuse to try reading diagraphs etc that they had not yet done!! They do a lot of week long topics with a related activity each afternoon. They often prepare for plays, presentations, nativity etc in the afternoons

Thanks both. I've emailed the school to ask for their initial thoughts and said I'd be happy to meet to discuss. I am open-minded - if they think it's a bad idea I will happily accept that.

Have a look at this facebook page:

www.facebook.com/groups/121613774658942/

I think you'll have to request to join first. But in our borough a few of us were interested in part time reception. The admissions code has recently been changed and it is now legal for children to be part time schooled until they reach the age of 5. Schools cannot say no.

Look at the new admissions code and join this face book page.

Good luck.

Many thanks ponty. That is differently worded than the extract our director of schools quoted, which talks about a right to request part time attendance.

Did you go ahead with part time attendance for your dc? Has he/she started yet?

Could n't read and run- we made the mistake of requesting this after my DS had started reception full time and was told usually its from the outset they come in and do flexi time and build up to full time. ( at his school at least) and I was desperate for him to continue Forest School.

2 yes later DS has been dx with ASD so I should have just asked at the beginning- my point sorry to go on is;

Ask from the outset before she even starts reception ask to speak to the head and give her the times/days etc as and when she would attend and then you can gage what they say. It is possible but entirely at the Head's discretion.

We're looking at him going a friday pm but I collect him after lunch so he can attend the 1-3pm session he has SEN so maybe that helped but if you don't ask you don't know.

Also could they look at running after school clubs- our Forest School also does holiday clubs too - good luck

Thanks lala. Good luck to you too. It seems though that it's not entirely at the head's discretion. Para 2.16 of the Dec 2014 admissions code says schools have to inform parents that they are entitled to defer or take up the place part time. It appears the section my council's director of schools quoted is out of date. I am still very interested in the head's opinion though as my mind is not made up. She hasn't yet replied to my email though.

The only thing I would add is that you are a lot less in the loop with school than preschool. The first you may hear of an exciting event is when your dd comes home all excited because they are doing x tomorrow and you know she won't be there. Bigger things like parties you will find out but things like sharing Greek food, police car visiting, watching the juniors dress rehearsal are usually done without notice to parents.
The forest nursery sounds lovely. Is it an option for holiday childcare? So eg rather than missing every Friday for the 6 week term she goes the 5 days of October half term. Similar amount of forest school input just different scheduling.

That is so true. We have had tons of exciting stuff but all on different days with short notice - or we find out eg that the fire engine was there after the event!!

I am in the same situation as you are. Son in forest nursery and I want him to continue one day a week when he starts reception. I just think he gets much more out of it than he ever could in a classroom at this age. So much so that I am willing to pay for it when he could be in school for free. But then I am half Danish where there is a longer history of forest schools and its benefits. My understanding is you are allowed to have part time schooling until the term after they turn five. So if schooling is not compulsory until they are five I don't see why it should be an issue from the schools perspective. Surely better to have a kid that has spent most of his time at the school than not at all? I also don't think it matters if the forest school session is structured particularly for them. They just try being the elder kids in mixed age groups and the advantages that come with that which Steiner and some Montessori schools have and see it as a positive thing. I guess the forest school has to make sure they engage them enough.