Excessive settling in times in reception year! Who'd like full time earlier?

[Guy1973]

I am somewhat despairing at the schedule for the start of the reception year at our primary. We have three settling in days where the youngest ten in each class go first, the next ten and then the oldest, which bring us to the 8th September. I can see how that's sensible, beds in the youngest children first in smaller groups etc, that's fine. They are then offering only half days for a further fortnight, so the first full day of school is not until the 25th, ridiculous!

They justify this by saying the teachers need to do home visits but the maths on doing that, versus time saved with half days doesn’t even begin to add up and besides, quite a few of the parents don’t want this home visit, as we went in and met the teachers a few weeks back.
It seems lots of schools go straight into full days and others manage to offer parents a choice, which I think is by far the best solution. Younger, more timid children can settle in gently but those who have been in full time nursery 8am-6pm from the age of 6 months (like mine) simply don’t need this.
I’ve put this on a couple of local forums and many people agree with me but the school doesn’t seem keen to listen to the working parents for whom this is a massive pain. Interestingly there was a court case that ruled in favour of a working mum and told the school they were obliged to offer FT. I’m not sure to what extent this might set a precedent…?

www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jun/29/infant-schools-settling-in-period-parents-work

What annoys me most about this policy is that makes life difficult for the modestly or low paid. If you earn squillions and/or have a full time nanny, as many in my neighbourhood do, it’s not really any skin off your nose. For those with two working parents on modest incomes, it might cause financial hardship and mean their kids have to forgo things they enjoy, which doesn’t seem very fair to me.
I’d be interested to hear from those whose schools do offer a choice of FT or PT for the first few weeks, or anyone in local authority administration who can shed light on the legal obligation side of things. Has anyone succeeded in lobbying or pressurising their school to offer FT earlier? I think it’s about time this system was changed to stop penalising the least well off and offer a better solution for everyone.

My ds2 was part time until easter of his reception year along with 3 other children in his class who all have SN. I'm a SAHM so didn't have to worry about work but the school run was taking me over an hour and I had a 6 year old in school full time so it wasn't great. My DC did need it though.

My understanding is that you can insist on full time for your child from the start.

Can't see point in home visits our school don't do them we are 120 intake.

In my area all children start full time on the first day of term unless parents and school agree it would be better for the child to delay.

I sort of agree with you, as DS was the eldest and last year didn't even start at all until the third week of Sept, and then another week of half days and it was a bit of a nightmare. He really benefitted from the home visit though, the teacher said it helps her and the children get to know eachother in the comfort of the childs home, and DS showed his teacher his toys, etc.

Where I live (still UK, but not England) the first full day I of school is generally after half term, settling in usually lasts at least six weeks. Then they don't do a 9am to 3pm school day until their fourth year of primary school.

I honestly don't understand all the angst about them not having a full school day. I get that it's inconvenient but people know that's the case before they have children. I think we need to remember that school and childcare are two separate things.

I think we need to remember that school and childcare are two separate things.

^ This.
I totally agree with treaclesoda.
Home visits are massively useful for both teachers and children. It means that the teacher get a a real sense of where the children are raised and spend most of their time, helping them to understand them better, and means that children get a chance to interact with the adult they will be spending a hug right amount of time with in an environment where they feel comfortable.
Phased entry also means that the teachers generally have half a class at a time for the first few weeks, meaning that they get to know the children really well. The demands of school are very different to those of nursery and I think all children benefit from this more staggered start. In my experience they all find school absolutely exhausting!
Yes it's annoying for parents, but you get tons of warning, and the benefits far outweigh the inconvenience.

Totally agree with you OP, one of the main reasons my dc ended up not going to the local school was their then ridiculous settling in procedure, handful of kids each day for first two weeks, each child doing only 1 or two half days the first week, then building up to half days for the whole week, alternating mornings and afternoons and this ran all the way until half term!
They no longer do this btw, but waited until the reception teacher who had been there for ever to leave to make the change.
The vast majority of dc settle in well on full days from the start ime.

We have home visits and phased entry here too (SE London).

It's a bit annoying in terms of having to use up holiday but I understand why they are doing it (and I'm glad they are doing the home visit too).

My DS is starting full time on 14th September and doing two half days before that. The rest of the school start back over a week earlier.

The 25th is mad though!

At DS school everyone starts on the same day at 10 minutes intervals and us full time straight away, until I read about it on here I didn't know it wasn't like that at all schools
Seems to work fine

Phased introduction here but no home visits.

Both mine were full time from the start, although they were both 5 when they started. The school doesn't offer a part time start at all. I've never heard of anyone having problems, although the kids are quite tired by October half term.

I'm guessing the part time start may be more appropriate for English schools where children start younger in reception?

Oh and no home visit either although most know the teachers from nursery as they come in and read stories etc

No home visits here and the school we have chosen start the children full time straight away. They are doing staggered starts though for their first day, my dd starts on the Tuesday at 10am. I'm guessing some will have started on the Monday and some will be starting on the Wednesday too.

Utterly ridiculous OP, sympathies. I'm so relieved my DS is just doing 3 half days then full time when he starts reception this year. He's summer born but is used to 8-5.30 in nursery and very ready for school.

'People know this when they have kids' is a SHITTY attitude. My husband killed himself out of the blue last year leaving me a single mum and all our plans for the future totally wrecked. Shit happens, life doesn't go to plan, many parents need to work to make ends meet and childcare availability (and cost) is appalling.

After school clubs and childminders in my village are non-existent so I'm sending DS to a school nearer my work that has after school care and which will make travel easier and enable me to fit in more working hours. It isn't near his current nursery though. I can cope with 3 half days using holiday allowance but I don't know how I would have managed ferrying DS between school and nursery for half days at each to cover a longer period. It just isn't feasible.

As a reception teacher for many years I've had experience of a variety of staggered/phased entry and starting full time and I much prefer everyone starting together on the first day. IMHE children are no more tired at the end of a half term full time than when we had a staggered intake

My dd is due to start this September. The school policy is children from nursery go in until lunch on first day back second day non nursery join them. First full week they stay til 1pm then full time from second week back

Ours is slightly odder but I understand why they do it:
1st week September is home visits
2nd week until just before lunch
3rd week until after lunch
4th week alternate dates pick up after/before lunch
5th week full time.

I agree OP, it's ridiculous. My school were v happy to go in after the first day. All the faffing certainly wasn't for their benefit

DD1's first full day at school will be the 18th. First week of term is spent entirely doing home visits. Second week they're doing half days, then the third week they're in properly.

I do understand the thinking but the majority of children here have been at nursery all day up to this point, so it's not like they're having to cut the apron strings at this point.

Wow where is it they don't do 9-3 until their fourth year? What do they do until then? How does childcare work?

Someone will confirm, but my understanding is that you have the right to tell the school your child will be attending full time from the first day of term since it is actually their right to have full time education from then on.

I agree with you OP - not all DC need this 'settling in' period and I really think schools should work with parents to identify those DC who do (and who have DPs who are willing and who can accommodate the reduced hours), without penalising those parents who really need their DC to start FT school straight away. It seems ridiculous and unfair to force this on parents who a) work or b) feel their DC don't need it. I would complain and get anyone else who feels the same way to do so. The only way to change things is to make your position known.

Ds started reception in September and started full time the day after everyone else.

When Dd started there was still a January intake, for the first 2 weeks she did just mornings. On her second day of school we had really bad snow (in London so not prepared at all!) trudging through snow there & back and then there & back again in a couple of hours drove me mad!

We start all Reception children full time from day 1. Can't see any reason why not-all the children have had 3 or more Transition days in the summer term already.