Phased start for reception class....what to do when you work full time?

[MumOfTwoMiniMes]

Hi,
My daughter is starting reception in September, in the paper work from the school I've discovered that she will be doing a phased start in the first month.
First week is a home visit only, second is 930-1130, third week is 930-230 then only in the 4th week is it normal school hours.

I work full time and am a single mum. I just don't know how I'm going to make it work. All options aren't really feasible...I don't have annual leave so it would be unpaid, I don't have family nearby, I don't know of any wrap around clubs that support that type of thing, and a nanny/childminder would cost a fortune!

What would you do?

I am going to try speaking to the school first too. In the school I teach in, Reception Class are in full time from the beginning and home visits are done in the holidays, during school hours with a supply cover to teach current class, or outside school hours (e.g. for a week in the Summer Term from 4pm onwards). It’s a pain that I will be teaching other children full time and therefore not able to take time off to look after my own who is used to full days at nursery.

When I found myself in the same situation with my youngest faced with a month long phasing in policy, I contacted the head teacher directly. I explained that as a working parent I was unable to refuse to go into work for one month and that my annual leave was already booked for the school holidays. I said that we would need sch to start on the first day of term please and thank you etc.
After a week the school contacted me to say he could start the first day.
Later I found out several other parent had made the same point but some had been forced to take unpaid leave to avoid losing their job! Ridiculous situation to force parents into when their children have probably been in full time settings for years already! It's for the teacher's benefit, not the children or family.

We do a phased start similar to yours. Yes we could accommodate your D.C. If you can't do the part time hours but he would have to go into year 1 with staff and children he wouldn't know as we do a phased start so we can do home visits etc.

Does your child currently go to nursery? Could you ask whether she could stay on for the first month? Then you just need someone to take her from school to nursery, or perhaps you can do it yourself during your lunch break or by working at home? Thats how I coped with it in the same situation

Like others I'd stand your ground. And go to the local authority if you need to.

When DS1 (June baby) started school 7 years ago we had half days for two terms. Luckily I could afford to send him to the preschool next door for two terms (once you start school you don't get the free hours at nursery). I was livid but the head teacher would not budge, even when the preschool didn't offer Friday afternoons but just mornings she wouldn't let him do afternoons on Fridays instead of mornings.

And then they had the cheek to call us in to see the teacher because DS1 wasn't integrating into the class as well as other kids (who of course were doing full days). I'm still angry !

My two won’t be full time until the 8th Oct! I calculated today it’s going to cost me over £400 in extra childcare just to accommodate the phasing in!

Cornwall73 that's what pissed me off. Noone ever told me that if you lived in Suffolk you would be financially worse off if you conceived between October and January. If I'd lived 2 miles over the border the settling in time was only 2 weeks not 8 months.

One school locally does a whole half term of half days/phased starts, even for children who were at the same preschool. Ours does 3 days of half days.
Cornwall just tell them they are going full time after a few days (whatever you can cope with)

We have known since May about the settling in period and I have friends in a neighbouring borough who had a similar set for her son so I assumed it was normal and never questioned it. It has only been until the past few weeks that read this thread and have had to tot up paying for the extra childcare that it has really hit me. I also got to know that other local schools have a settling in period of just two weeks! I may draft an email to the head this evening.

Really sorry to hear of your situation, sounds like a nightmare. I have no family near me either, I feel many schools think mums and grandparents are there at a drop of a hat to cover all this!

My son starts on Friday 8th for 1/2 a day, then does 3 half days in week two and full time hours from the Thursday. (So full time within a week).

I'm taking a combination of annual leave and unpaid parental leave (which is a statutory right, but understand if you can't afford this option - thought it was worth mentioning).

I would definitely be talking to the school to discuss the situation. I would be wanting them to take her full time earlier or keeping her at nursery and starting her later (if that's where she is at the moment)

Really hope you get something sorted, sounds so stressful.