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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

Staggered start days for Reception

43 replies

ScissorBow · 04/07/2017 23:18

Different schools in our area have totally different policies for totally different reasons. DD's school has staggered start days across a week ending before lunch, then a week of mornings including lunch then full time. Other schools in the area start full time straight away.

Does anyone know if any research has been carried out on this subject please? I have concerns about the psychological impact on DD (if you knew her you'd understand why) and would like to approach the school with some evidence based research as to when best suits her to start.

Does anyone know what mitigating things teachers put in place for children starting not on the first day or starting on a day when none of their friends are starting (both earlier and later but none exactly the same day). Many thanks.

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AngeloftheSouth84 · 04/07/2017 23:41

If you want your child to start full time, tell the school your child will be starting full time. They are required to allow your child to start full time by law.

Xmasbaby11 · 04/07/2017 23:43

My dd took three weeks to phase in. She'd been in nursery since 8 months old! It was a farce.

Original poster

ScissorBow · 05/07/2017 07:19

I'm concerned about coming across as 'that mother' especially if she's the only one

It is a farce as she's been to the attached preschool since 2.9 and she's the second last to start.

OP posts:

meditrina · 05/07/2017 07:26

No, there isn't any adequate research.

It was a trend a while ago, but there is now a realisation that it is better for children to be as unstressed as possible during transition. Coping with temporary arrangements (unfamiliar temporary nanny, shuffled round friends etc) is additional stress that can be avoided.

It is better for many children to move to their new school day and the childcare that works with the normal school day (ie settling into their new routing) without a period of temporary unfamiliar arrangements that will not be a feature of ordinary school days.

But again, that's not adequately supported by research.

nuttyknitter · 05/07/2017 07:37

I don't think schools are obliged to take them full time if they're not statutory school age.

Snap8TheCat · 05/07/2017 07:41

You want her to stay all day when everyone else goes home before lunch? What will she do?

teaandbiscuitsforme · 05/07/2017 07:49

Having taught reception, I much prefer just getting them all in on the first day. Yes it's busy at first but so much easier than having one routine one, week a different one the next week, a different one again etc etc until they finally start full time.

There may well be others - ask the head and ask the other mums at pre-school.

NotCitrus · 05/07/2017 07:54

The schools near me all seem to start the kids full time, but a bunch each day, so six the first day then another 3 or so a day until the class is full - means that when new kids are assigned the school they can simply be added to the day after the end of the list to turn up.

Some parents request a later start so they can have a nice holiday in September.

clumsymcfallsalot · 05/07/2017 08:00

I hate the staggered start. For most kids I don't think it's necessary. I'd like to see full time start as the norm and stagger start just for those who need it.

My eldests primary started reception a day before the rest of the school. This seemed to work well because the new kids spent the first day exploring the school, meeting their teachers and learning about the routine without the craziness around them.

Frazzled2207 · 05/07/2017 08:14

At our school the reception kids start a day later, so they only have a three day week to begin with, but they're full time from that day onwards.

HeyMicky · 05/07/2017 08:18

Our school is starting the youngest half of reception first, full time, then the oldest half start a week later. So DD starts a full week later than some of her classmates. We're lucky her Nursery will continue to take her until she starts school

Growingpeopleme · 05/07/2017 09:59

Ours starts the eldest last phasing in full days in reverse order over a week as pp said. Actually this is good I think because the eldest are least likely to need to be first in, small group etc. Week 2 everyone full time from then. Works well.

Muddlingalongalone · 05/07/2017 10:07

I was surprised how much dd1 benefitted from the staggered start. She had been in full time nursery from 10 months so I was in the ffs this is crazy camp and very glad I was on maternity leave.
It wasn't the classroom environment but the moving through the school, queuing up for lunchtime, having to get past the older kids queuing up for lunch on the,way out & the "big" playground that were the difficult parts.
No idea how I'll manage with Dd2 who is a lot clingier, a lot more change averse & has hearing loss so an added complication together with working full time, but 2 years to figure that one out!

GuestWW · 05/07/2017 12:45

Our school has 1/2 days until half-term, a real nightmare for working parents.

Mycarsmellsoflavender · 05/07/2017 17:26

Interesting how it varies. Our primary strongly encourages everyone to go in full time right from the first day. I have always done this. The parents who delay their children starting full time usually change their minds within the first few weeks.

ScarletSienna · 05/07/2017 17:28

Ours is also full time from day one. I hadn't thought about the lack of research until now.

katienana · 05/07/2017 17:37

Ours is full time from the start, much prefer this than the staggered start and im a sahm with no childcare issues!

Original poster

ScissorBow · 05/07/2017 19:39

Guest that's even worse

I have no intention of requesting my special snowflake gets special snowflake treatment. I would like to know the reasoning behind it and if it's based on facts or just tradition. It's definitely not by age because younger kids are starting before her and older kids are starting after. She literally has no friends starting on the same day. I've asked all her friend's parents!

How have your children felt if they are in the second tranche / week / bunch? How have they reacted to the other children being there before them? It's going to go down like a sack of shit with DD.

No childcare alternatives (her CM went on maternity leave end of May so I've managed to cover things thinking it's only till September)

OP posts:

smellyboot · 05/07/2017 23:46

My DC1 had been in school nursery 2 years so late start date - they start new to the school kids first. We went away ona cheap holiday so were delighted. DC2 was baffled by late start as friends started a day before and I hate to take 4 days off work as no childcare cover. DC1 was at school 5 days before DC2 started. I don't see why they don't just start all on same day

GreenTulips · 05/07/2017 23:54

The younger ones tend to find it harder - so they start first with less children and the teachers can give them more instruction - they are then able to teach the next set where to go and where your coat lives etc then same the next day

It doesn't matter what you think is best - it's what the school have decided to do

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 06/07/2017 07:44

Ours started full time from start day after older children restarted school or the day after that. First day they start five at a time throughout the days at timed intervals. Seemed to work well and no one I knew had any issues.

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 06/07/2017 07:45

I think time/day allocation was random.

GraceGrape · 06/07/2017 07:51

They are legally obliged to provide a full -time school place for any child aged 4 by 31st August. Having said that, nobody wants their child to be the only one left there all day.

Guest a school in my LA used to do this until a parent complained and was told by the LA that it was illegal so they had to change their arrangements.

BrucesTooth · 06/07/2017 14:38

Ours seems to have a really sensible, child based approach- they start on the weds and can do morning up to lunch, morning and then lunch or all day. That's option remains for the first week and a half and then they expect all children to be full days after that. There is the option to ramp up or down depending on how each child is managing.

Alwaysinahurrynow · 06/07/2017 14:41

Ours do 3 half days and then full-time. Wraparound is provided if you need it.

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