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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

Reception - morning drop off

42 replies

Tillypea · 30/06/2018 17:46

I know it's going to vary from school to school but how long is it normal for you to stay in your child's classroom at drop off? And what's the earliest time you can leave your child in the classroom under care of the teacher (not breakfast club)? Totally new to this and slightly confused!

DS starts school reception September this year and in our induction letter it says parents are actively encouraged to spend time with child in the classroom in a morning (do an activity, read a book etc.). Great idea to get them settled in for the first week or so but is it expected throughout the whole year?

Would of course love to stay but with starting work at 9am I'm really going to struggle with getting to work on time as it is! Surely most working parents are in the same boat?

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halcyondays · 30/06/2018 17:49

I don't know, I would think just for the first few days. At our school we never went into the classroom.

Ellafruit1 · 30/06/2018 17:56

My DS is coming to the end of reception. If I drop off in the playground it’s 8.50am start, wave him off and that’s it. I think he had 2 half days to start with then he was in full time plus after school club. I went to a few settling afternoons with him in the summer term before he started.

I’ve found school infuriating at times as their written communications seem to assume everyone is a SAHM and I’m not! I work full time and I’m a widow with no support network nearby. So I get on with what I need to do and ignore all the requests for ‘nice to haves’ and parent helpers on school trips, PTA etc. When I speak to teachers in person they always understand.

Yura · 30/06/2018 18:21

We leave ours at the school gate. For the first weeks parents were allowed to walk kids to the classroom, but it was actively discouraged after 2-3 weeks.

spaghettipeppers · 30/06/2018 18:23

As a teacher, this would be an utter pain in the arse after day 2. There are some schools that try to keep it going, but most are sensible enough to limit it to the first week.

Everywhere has different playground policies. In some places a TA/ member of SMT will be in the playground to supervise, in others, you'd need to make a parent-pal to keep an eye on yours if you need to drop and run.

GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 30/06/2018 18:25

Ours you dropped at the door at 850 and once a week on a Friday we had stay and play until 930, if you wanted, certainly didn’t have to and about half of children did, varying each week who stayed and who didn’t.

BigPinkOrchid · 30/06/2018 18:26

My son's in reception, and at his school parents are expected to stay every morning to help children choose their lunch and do their morning job (which can be a worksheet, reading a story together, drawing a picture of what they did at the weekend, etc.).

So, in our case, classroom opens at 8.30 and then there's a bell at 8.40 and parents leave then or shortly after when the Teacher gets all the children to sit on the carpet ready for the register.

A few parents don't stay and there are a few children who come across from breakfast club whose parents aren't with them. If you're expected to and you can't because of work, I'm sure the teacher will understand.

Bellabutterfly2016 · 30/06/2018 18:52

What if you don't do the drop off and use a childminder or need to get to work yourself?!? Or have another baby/child in tow? Staying and playing until 9.40 might not be practical for everyone?!?!

I'm interested in this thread as dd is only 3 plus I'm pregnant! X

Dementedswan · 30/06/2018 18:54

At our school you just drop off at the door. None of this going in carry on.

BingTheButterflySlayer · 30/06/2018 18:56

We were able to go into the classroom with them for about the first half term, then encouraged to just drop them at the door unless you needed to see the teacher or had some ridiculously unwieldy "make a model" homework to transport or the like.

Dropping them at the classroom door is the norm throughout all of our school though.

ArfArfBarf · 30/06/2018 18:57

It really varies. At dd’s current school we are encouraged to come in until the end of year 2! At her previous school it was drop off in the playground from the first day in reception.

Original poster

Tillypea · 30/06/2018 19:21

Thanks for all the responses, it seems to really vary then! If you aren't a parent that stays and just drops them off at the classroom/playground/gate, what time do you do this? Is it commonly 8.50? It hasn't even been mentioned in the letter what time school officially starts. I think we're expected to just know!

OP posts:

xyzandabc · 30/06/2018 19:27

All schools vary in their start time. Have a look on their website, it'll probably say there somewhere about the timing of the school day, or in the prospectus which is also probably on the website. Failing that phone the school office before the end of term.

Our school starts at 8.45 so dropping at 8.50 you'd be late!

busybuildingdens · 30/06/2018 19:27

At our school, all parents go in (up until year 2) to get DC to hang up coat, bag etc, and then some leave, and some stay and do an activity with their DC. School opens at 8.45, and all parents leave by about 9. No one is made to feel guilty (except maybe by their DC) for not staying.

user789653241 · 30/06/2018 19:35

At our school, parents drop children off at the classroom when the door opens and leave. Beginning of reception, parents are allowed in for few minutes, but not after half term.

Teacher /Ta is at the door so you can have a quick chat if you need to.

My ds's school encourage children to do range of tasks in the morning, like change their books daily independently from start of reception, so parents can be a disruption.

Ellafruit1 · 30/06/2018 19:38

Start time will be specific to the school, if they haven’t told you then ask

BingTheButterflySlayer · 30/06/2018 19:46

Start times should be somewhere on the school website or in a prospectus/new parent booklet link on there. Our classroom doors open at 8.45 and it's drop and go then - in reality not all of the school clocks show the same time so some of the classes it's more like 8.50.

There's plenty of stuff we can do in-classrooms throughout the school year (more if you go to their volunteer induction and then can go on school walks around the local area and stuff) - I don't feel in the least bit bereft that I don't have to go in and trip over all the other parents reading a book on a morning! I go into the classroom on a morning more than a lot of parents because of DD2's additional needs meaning she can struggle organising her own belongings and following instructions but I'm still out of there pretty sharpish!

mangomama91 · 30/06/2018 20:08

Our school was completely opposite, encouraged parents to drop children off at the door to go in from first day. Parents were welcome to come in, not sure how long for as my daughter practically ran to school on her first day haha and now I'm not allowed to take her to her door I have to watch from the gate. (Her saying this not teacher).
And sometimes she goes to breakfast club.

reluctantbrit · 30/06/2018 20:25

We never had this and in DD’s Infant school it would have been a disaster with a very old building, narrow corridors, no space for proms or siblings in tow.

In the first years we stayed in the playground until the bell rang at 8.55am. Around 5 minutes earlier the teacher and TA would come out and chat to the children, encouraging to form a line. We parents could also have a short word if necessary. Later they just waved them in, doors opened at 8.45 and by Bell ringing at 8.55 everybody was at their seats.

Acitivities are done after school at home, I think lots of schools do think parents aka mums of Reception children are still at home and happy to spend far too much time while the teachers should actually be starting the day.

Ginnotginger · 01/07/2018 00:38

At Dgs reception class we have finally stopped the going into the classroom for activity/lunch selection/other random crap. At first it was nice to see him settled in and to see how his writing was improving etc but I think we all expected it to finish after the first half-term, but no it carried on until 2 weeks ago. We now drop off at the year 1 entrance in preparation for September - it's great.
To be fair a lot of parents/carers had already started to just walk their dc into the classroom and tell them to to go and sit down ready for registration. If the dc wanted to do the activity one of the parents who didn't have to rush off or the TA would help them.
My dd usually does pick up and she says that she still has to go into the classroom to collect him.

mindutopia · 02/07/2018 09:18

I suspect it may just be for settling in to start. I know when mine started we could walk them into the classroom from 8:30, but had to leave by 8:45. This was for the first 2 weeks. We weren't encouraged to do anything with them though, other than peel them off us and get them settled doing an activity of any sort. But then from 2 weeks in, they are expected to walk in from the school gate on their own. That was tough at first, but fine after about a week or so. I drop her off at 8:30 at the school gate and the school day started at 8:45, so they have 15 minutes in the classroom to get themselves sorted before the day begins officially. Teacher and TA are both there and when it was a rough day, the TA would come out and walk in with them so they didn't have to do it alone. That was fine by me. We both work as well so definitely don't want to be hanging around!

Frazzled2207 · 02/07/2018 12:36

At ours the bell goes at 8.54 and they line up outside the reception classroom (which has direct access to the playground). At 8.55 the second bell goes and they go in. Job done!

BubblesBuddy · 02/07/2018 16:10

I remember taking DD on day 1. She was 4. She had to find her name and put her coat on her peg. She was then shown into the clsssroom having said “Bye” to me. I never went down there again. She changed her books, chose books from the school library, got changed for PE and didn’t do anything with me at all. She was dropped off at the school gate (they were allowed into the playground at 8.30 am), she made her own way to the playground, and then they lined up at 8.45. I totally support independent learning! Best thing for everyone! The YR teachers at that school didn’t have a lot of time for soppy parents!

Unlike the prep where DD2 started at. Parents and children were as immature as each other! Still crying in Y1. Parents as well!

pineapple95 · 02/07/2018 16:36

All teachers want you to just drop off your child and go. Regardless of times, reading, whatever - just go! Your child will be better off for it, and it helps the teacher just get on with the morning.

Racecardriver · 02/07/2018 16:38

We have rolling drop off from 8:15 to 8:30. You walk child to classroom.hand child over to a member of staff. Say bye/anything you may need to communicate to the teacher. Then you leave.

Larrythecat · 02/07/2018 16:51

At our school they open the doors at 8:50am but many of us are in the playground from 8:30. You could always leave your DS with another mum once you get to know and trust a few.

Our school also wants parents to participate in the classroom but not at drop off. We are encouraged to drop off quickly and leave with a smile. Then some of the parents volunteer to help with crafts, reading, etc.

Our school also had a gentle settle in that lasted 2 weeks but we were asked to leave. First day was just an hour, second day two, and it kept increasing until they had a full day.

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