'full time' education

[carbcraver]

My 4yr old will turn 5 before she starts school this year, and I do not think she requires the 6 weeks of 'settling in' days that the school run.

People have mentioned that the school 'have' to take her full time from 5 (if I request this), does anyone have a link to anything official that states this that I can firstly read to confirm speculations! and secondly, show the school when I make such a brazen request!

thanks all :)

Our school doesn't do the settling in thing. They are full time from the day they start. But they do have staggered entry. They take in small groups every day till all the class is in on the Friday. Starting with the youngest so the eldest are the last to start. But all are in and full time by the end of the first week.

As others have stated, and quoted the relevant part of the code, the school does indeed have a legal obligation to provide full time for your child from the start.

In practical terms, depending on how they are organising their sessions, this may end up being repetitive for her and a bit confusing - if one class is in in the morning and a different one in the afternoon.

Paragraph 2.16 just says "From September", so full time from the last school day of September seems to meet that, which is plenty of settling in time - not the 6 weeks suggested by the OP, but weeks certainly.

So where is the actual legal obligation for immediate full days?

You may find the school already has plans in place for families who can't accommodate the settling in sessions.

DS had 3 weeks of settling in with half days. However, in the summer holidays his class teacher came for a home visit. She offered to keep him there all day from day 1 if we had jobs that couldn't accommodate the time off. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Fredfred - As above, the office of the school adjudicator considers that

"Schools must make full-time provision available from the beginning of the autumn term of the school year in which the child reaches compulsory school age"

so the end of September would not be acceptable where term started earlier.

That's an opinion of the adjudicator (a lot of weight, but it's not an actual legal opinion) and "beginning" is not well defined enough either I would say, the legal part only says September, and does not say start of the term.

It's also dated before the current admissions code, so you'd've thought if it was the intention then they would've ensured that the code actually said it. If I were going to force this issue with a school, I think I'd need quite a bit more concrete evidence than presented so far that a staggered entry is not allowable.

Thanks tethersend.

Should have said, she's my second at the school so I know the settling in period, and the teachers. They split the class in half for settling in. Half do mornings, other half afternoons. So she'd always be with 'her class'. I wouldn't send her in if she was going to be alone!

FWIW she turns 5 on sept 1st.

I don't see how doing 6 weeks of half days would benefit her at all. she already knows the school and it's layout. I understand it's a whole new routine but she's been in some form of childcare setting since 6 months, very capable of adapting!

I was thinking more of 2 weeks half days and then she's there problem (sarcastic tones, don't shoot!)

I will wait for her to be offered a place then start the official discussions.

Our school scrapped the settling in period (aside from finishing at 3pm instead of 3:15 on the first 3 days) and tell parents they have had no noticeable problems with children getting used to the school day. Two or three children were noticeably upset for a few days but that would be normal in 60 kids.

Another local school has a 6 week settling in period and the ones who struggled most amongst those we know there were the ones who were previously in nurseries and used to being there all day.

I would question the school closely on why they do this.

The school have previously done shorter settling in but 'apparently' longer is preferred and works better.

However, no one I have spoken to has this opinion, the school have the longest settling in period in the area. 3 weeks is the norm I believe, one week mornings, one afternoons, then mornings with lunch. the afternoon slot is less than 2 hours if I remember right!

When my eldest started she did all that then had one week full time and was then off for half term!

Are you sure about the settling in arrangements? Our school has changed them every time I had a DC start there (4 DC). So may not be anything to negotiate after all.

It's been the same for 3 years now. You never know, they may have been inundated with moany mums like me and have changed/scrapped them altogether!!!

Ours start FT from the off. There are 3 forms. Only one school near us does the chopping and changing for a week. Everyone o know works so it may be parent pressure that stopped the mad phased starts. 90% have been in nurseries or CM so no one sees the need

I suspect it may become more common place with new baseline assessment.

mrz do you mean no/limited settling in?

That's an opinion of the adjudicator (a lot of weight, but it's not an actual legal opinion)

Any school that wants to ignore a ruling by the Adjudicator must go to judicial review to have it overturned. Unless they do so the Adjudicator's decision is binding.

It's also dated before the current admissions code

No it isn't. The Adjudicator's report and the Admissions Code are both dated December 2014.

you'd've thought if it was the intention then they would've ensured that the code actually said it

It does say it. The paragraph talks about providing for admission of all children in the September following their fourth birthday. Whilst it does not specifically say "at the start of term" for the sake of brevity, that is what it means and that is how the Adjudicator and the courts interpret it.

Many schools still seem to think they can dictate whether a child attends full time or part time. They can't. It is entirely up to the parents.

Great prh47bridge you say the courts interpret it that way - WHERE? Just point me at that, and we're great!

Judicial review judgements are not generally published. But the Adjudicator's ruling quoted by tethersend is clear. Unless and until the courts overturn it (which isn't going to happen in this case) that is the law. School Standards and Framework Act 1998 s90(8) refers. Schools cannot choose to ignore it on the basis that they don't think it constitutes a legal opinion or because they think the Adjudicator is wrong. The law is that once the Adjudicator has decided schools must comply.

The "settling in" period is very hard on DC, who are expected to cope with temporary childcare arrangements just at the time they should be getting used to going to school (quite different from childcare).

Unless of course we're all morphed back in to the 1950s and every home has a SAHP.

It is very disruptive for households with working parents, and those stresses occur at just the very time the consequences (in terms of how the DC responds to ter time life) can be unfortunate and enduring.

It is however something that schools seem to be going in for less and less. Perhaps because they've seen the negative effects of household stress on children? There is certainly no benefit to the child of weeks of 'settling'