New reception starters - delayed return

[sunrainwind]

My daughter's new school is not taking reception until the end of September and then only part time for a week. We have just been told this and I'm very unhappy. The guidance is that all children should return in the new school year and I'm not sure why it's ok to delay reception starters - can schools do this? Their reasoning is to give the returners some time in their old classes (which I can't see how it can work with the bubble system anyway).

@fedup21 wow, never heard it going on so long before - that would have ruled the school out for me! Would be hard for us to manage in normal times, never mind when all annual leave and parental leave already taken for the year.

I’m with you OP and I work in a school. Can’t see why reception can’t start when they would normally start, if schools are open and all children are back. All our kids will be going into their new classes in September. From what we’ve seen this term, with the kids who’ve returned, they just need normality and routine. That’s the best thing.

Legally school is not compulsory until the term after a child is 5 so the school can delay the start.

@pipandmum @pud2 glad I'm not the only one who thinks it's a strange decision! Good job it's a happy and welcoming school generally.

I would expect all REception starters to have their start a bit delayed, tbh.
They haven't had any of the transitioin / home visits / meet the teacher sessions / come in and visit the school sessions they normally would have. Early Years staff have had little opportunity to take to all the Nurseries and all the parents about all the dcs individual needs. I would expect this to start in September, so the actual start date for the children is bound to be delayed so all the dcs needs can be met.
Of course that is not to say it isn't a nightmare for working parents.

@lorissparkle I realised as a parent we could chose not to send them until the term after they're five, but didn't realise the school could just delay it so much.

Mine all started after 21st September in Reception over 16 years ago, which was completely normal at the time - and then they were part time until October.

Had schools stopped doing this?

Your kids aren't at a school called SM in village beginning with E are you? It all sounds very familiar

You are entitled to full time education for your child from the start. The staggering in some schools is ridiculous. Ours usually start full time from day one. Some parents have work to go to and can't manage all the half days etc.

@backforgood they have invited all the children in one on one and aren't intending any further transition activities until they start going for half days. They have talked to the pre school about the individual children already too.

@MitziK seems like schools have had a variety of start dates and plans but that's not the case (usually as this school). The parents can choose to send them part time but they've always been welcome full time before and vast majority do. We got the email on Friday changing start date from 3rd September full time to the 28th part time.

Seems fairly normal.
With both my children it was a delayed start - older one some 12 years ago started end of September and wasn’t full time until January (fun trying to work and childcare) my younger one different school 6 years ago started Mid September and full time after October half term .

What @Bmidreams said.

Reception are starting as normal in September in my school (where I work). Nursery 3 weeks later but parents have the option of starting normally if they need to (due to work etc).

@Himbeerrot I'm not - village (well small town) is an E but not school!

@bmidreams @cameocat We are unlikely to be able to manage more than 2 of the the half days week so will have to discuss nearer the time if she can go for any full days that week. Our old childminder can help but can't do mid day drops offs or pick ups.

Although she's just text me (currently chatting with her seeing what she can help with temporarily) saying that school won't allow her to do drop offs or pick ups anyway, has to be parents currently. Hopefully that will change by September.

My school is doing the same. I haven’t the energy to be annoyed. I just want the kids to be happy while they are there.

Our school does no phased start for reception in normal times. Kids start on a given day, dropped off in 15 min intervals then that's it, they're in. By the end of the second day back they're all in and stay in. No transition from pre-school, no home visits, nothing. I find it very harsh but it seems to work. No news about what will happen this September yet though.

@sunrainwind, I'm completely with you. My DD has been out of nursery since March, and has nothing fir the 1sr 2 weeks of September, then all sorts of convoluted arrangements until October. I have no idea how to manage this as Grandparents can't safely help, and I cannot have time off (I'm also a teacher) nor can my DH. They are also saying potentially staggered start and finsh times and no wrap around care. I have absolutely no idea how to juggle this.

Mine starts 21 at September full time. Do they have any intros first? We have a couple of hour sessions before they start. Doesn't affect me as I'm on maternity leave. I do remember the kids starting really late last year in reception, some were part time for weeks.

Is the only case law on this not:

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/296261/ada2479_st_marks_primary_bournemouth_16aug13.pdf

Which makes it pretty clear that places have to be available full time immediately, however "normal" it might be to have an induction period. Obviously this year we have the added complication of covid, but indeed that sounds more of a reason to welcome all in children in immediately to mitigate any subsequent lockdown.

The "current years kids have missed months, so it's okay if you miss months" talk is quite depressing, it's not okay for anyone to miss school, and there the reasons to miss more school would need to be extremely compelling, and I can't see "giving them some time in their old class" is at all reasonable. Especially as that target does not require any delayed entry - although of course the new kids in reception might not have the optimum space when they're occupying they YR 6 space. But the whole idea doesn't seem productive anyway, a pointless re-settling of kids in their new classroom after a couple of weeks.

You need to be realistic. Our school genuinely would not be able to accommodate the one child whose parent has taken issue with it at the expense of the other several issue. Yes you could probably legally pursue it but considering the circumstances you would be hard pushed to succeed

A lot of schools go absolutely OTT with ‘settling in’ for Reception children at the best of times, and these are not the best of times.

Our school used to do a long-drawn out 3 weeks of half days starting with summer borns, then spring borns the next week, then autumn born, and finally all in. After a lot of parental feedback that a lot children were finding the short days unsettling, they cut it to less than a week of settling - a half day for summer borns, a half day for summer + spring, a half day for all, and then all in.

They found that actually the children coped just fine.

This year they’ve delayed it by more than a week which is deeply irritating because child starting Reception will see his brother skip off to school for a fortnight while he’s stuck at home as he’ll be done with nursery, and with two parents working. But it’s better than the ‘half days until half term!’ nonsense some schools persist with.

@realityofsen I know for sure I'm not the only one - I've only discussed it with two of my friends who have children it affects too and both are also very disheartened by it. I'm not planning on any legal challenge but wondered if it was worth a non confrontational email to the head but sounds like it's not - apart from potentially for that first week they're back when they're offering half days only.

It would irritate me too but I'd just suck it up. Your dd will be enjoying school before you know it how quick time goes.

Ds was part time the FULL reception year and even now he's about to go into year 2 his school day is 5 hours not 6.5hrs like everyone else. If I added up the schooling hours he's lost over the last 2 years

He has special needs (autism) so they decided to settle him in on half days in reception (even though he did full time nursery) and then they just continued to take the piss even when the local authority were paying full time 1 to 1 funding its only after I phoned the LA multiple times and they eventually contacted school did they put him onto 5 hours from the 2.5 he was on for a year (he started 5 hours a day the October of year 1)

Ds behaviour was and still is difficult so I feel like it's been any excuse to have him as little as possible...

Our school is also doing this. We also have a new head so I'm unsure if it's Coronavirus or the new head influencing the change in policy. YR in our school always start full days straight away up until now. It is very common in other schools for this not to be the case though.