Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

School not full time until November

69 replies

Oysterbabe · 10/08/2020 20:33

DD is due to start reception. I keep hearing promises of schools fully reopening in September. We have received her schedule for settling in and her first day at school isn't until 1st October and she's only doing 8 days in school before half term. She will start full time after half term, on 2nd November. The school has decided that, as they have been closed for so long, the existing children will go back into their old classes and resettle for a month before moving up a class and new starters will be delayed. Can they do this? Can I complain to anyone?

My partner and I both work. I've managed to arrange for her to stay in nursery for an extra month but it's going to cost a grand because it's not funded, the school are getting the funding for her. The other days she's not in school we're going to have to cover somehow with annual leave and grandparents. We also have to pay nearly £400 for afterschool club for up until half term that we will use 8 times. The club is a private company so, whilst sympathetic, it isn't their problem that we don't need them and I have signed a contract.

I just feel really fed up, like we're being completely shafted financially.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

SavoyCabbage · 12/08/2020 12:18

I think it’s a good idea for the children to go back to their former teacher and classroom for a few days, but not a month!

Original poster

Oysterbabe · 12/08/2020 12:21

This is the schedule. You'll see she's in for a couple of hours in September. The home visit was supposed to be in the week starting 1st September and her first full day on the Friday. The school explained in an email that they have decided to resettle the existing children first.
I really could do without this hassle.

OP posts:

WoWsers16 · 12/08/2020 12:51

As a teacher I dont think the children need to go back to last years teacher- the school needs to look forward not backwards!
Honestly I think they are really giving the new reception children a poor deal- they're the new parents they're trying to keep on side and they're not going the best way around it at all!
I never understand this system of slowly timetabling the children in xx

sirfredfredgeorge · 12/08/2020 12:53

In the first instance I'm going to email the school regarding their obligation to take her and see what they say

Assuming it's not an academy - I'd get on to the local authority too, they are more likely to be working and appear to have not met their requirements either - that of you telling you they can start full time in September, and it would help with the school if they do meet their obligations and state the law.

Parker231 · 12/08/2020 13:03

You won’t be the only parent in this position. When DT’s started about two-thirds of the class rejected the staggered start process and went full time from the start of term.

Cutesbabasmummy · 13/08/2020 12:26

Ours did a staggered start depending on when they were born so DS dod 2 weeks of half days at the beginning if September and then in full time. A lot if parents ignored this and put them in full time from day 1. Now he is starting year one and straight into that class. There is no way I would want him back in his old class and settling there for half a term and then being moved. He's been off for 6 weeks so time for a new start. Op I would push this one!

Saracen · 13/08/2020 17:11

I've managed to arrange for her to stay in nursery for an extra month but it's going to cost a grand because it's not funded, the school are getting the funding for her.

If you don't get any joy pushing for the full-time school start from September, another avenue would be to officially defer her school start date. If you do that, the nursery can claim the early years funding until she starts at school.

Hophop26 · 13/08/2020 21:38

I would be livid if I was in your position and absolutely taking it up with the school and Council. A bit of a staggered start is to be expected but what your school is proposing is bonkers and wouldn’t be supported at all where I live, here our Council admission authority has been very open and created awareness themselves about the right For reception pupils to attend full days from September on Facebook etc for the last couple of years, they certainly seem to not want State primaries to quietly sneak in these sorts of arrangements here

elliejjtiny · 13/08/2020 21:54

My ds2's class had 3 children including him who went part time until Easter in reception. Even after that the school used to phone me regularly to come and pick him up because he was tired or had fallen over in the playground.

This year my older dc's secondary school are doing things the other way around to your dc's school. They are doing the year 7 transition stuff that they would normally do in year 6 and then bringing in the older children in on 10th September.

I think a lot of schools won't be doing things in the usual way in September.

DipSwimSwoosh · 14/08/2020 00:16

That's an impossible situation OP. A useful thread for me. I came on to see if anyone else was having issues with a staggered start. I'll be requesting full time now too.

lillylemons · 14/08/2020 00:26

when dd started school 9 years ago they had a very long settling in period they did half days until the October half-term and then started full days after the half term.

Parker231 · 14/08/2020 07:15

I wouldn’t be paying £1k to extend her nursery place (you were lucky they had a space - near me there are wait waiting lists). Staggered start would have been a disaster for DC’s. They had been full time at nursery from six months, they were use to the routine and looking forward to starting’big school’. You can’t do staggered starts if you work as it would waste all your holidays for the rest of the school year and not many employers are going to let you have weeks/a month off work.

CuppaTea82 · 14/08/2020 07:41

The school my son is starting had originally planned for half days the last week September/ beginning of October then full time from the 5th October.
But we got a letter saying after discussions with the LA that they need to start full time within the month of September, so will be on the 30th. I don't know if this is a rule in all LA but might be worth asking.

sirfredfredgeorge · 14/08/2020 08:18

But we got a letter saying after discussions with the LA that they need to start full time within the month of September, so will be on the 30th

So they are clearly trying for the wriggle room of "full time education in the September after their 4th birthday" which is what the law actually writes. The adjudicator has said this means from the first day of school in the case that made it to them, but I guess they're thinking they can get away with it again.

Wishforsnow · 14/08/2020 08:28

That is ridiculous. Most children don't need a staggered start and many would have been in nursery or preschool 8-6 for working parents so it's a shorter day when they start school. Sounds like the school just want an easy ride until October. I understood the teachers would have already done all the lesson planning and setting up the class as they have been working not off so it can't be that.

SlipperSwan · 14/08/2020 12:43

Wishforsnow

You understand very little

Original poster

Oysterbabe · 14/08/2020 16:56

I raised a general query with the council about funding and got this reply. I will tell them which school it is and see what they do.

OP posts:

WoWsers16 · 15/08/2020 14:02

A great reply and also a good point about them getting funding for your child for 1/6 of the year when they're not even there x

Sailingblue · 15/08/2020 20:54

We’ve got a staggered start of 2 weeks which will be enough of a pain. November is taking the piss quite frankly and would be impossible for many working families. I hope you get some resolution from the school or at least some access to the funding.

Original poster

Oysterbabe · 21/08/2020 18:22

We've had another reply from the council. The woman looking into it has been wonderful, I honestly didn't expect them to do anything.

Since our last email I have contacted the head of service for schools who in turn has reached out the head of the school directly. I am waiting for a reply, but have challenged the lengthy enrolment time due to the financial pressure it places on you (in addition to the summer costs we discussed) and that your child’s attainment is at risk by missing out on so much time and that is before we try and counter the impact of COVID-19.

I wanted to reassure you that the instruction from the director of education to all schools at the end of July was that induction / staggered intake / settling in should take no more than 2 weeks, something which I mentioned to the Department for Education on a call yesterday and they agreed (I didn’t name the school specifically, just the circumstances).

Whilst I can’t promise you that this will make any difference, I am grateful for your patience whilst we try.

OP posts:

refusetobeasheep · 21/08/2020 18:50

Wow you have found someone who is really on the ball! Here's hoping they get a result.

Parker231 · 21/08/2020 19:18

As there are now many more families with two working parents the schools are finally beginning to accept that a staggered start is not realistic or doable. If you take time off work in September, there are then more problems trying to cover school holidays with your annual holiday entitlement.

Tobebythesea · 21/08/2020 19:37

Gosh, she’s in for less than 2 hours in September and the staggered starts are not even on the same days every week in October. Really poor. I hope you get this sorted.

TinkersTailor · 21/08/2020 20:10

My daughter starts in September (will be 5 by then) and, whilst her start is slightly staggered, she'll be in full time from the 2nd week (following a couple of settling in sessions in the 1st week.)

After half term is horrendous and ridiculously poor planning by the school.

I'm glad you've got someone who is so on the ball fighting your corner on this; by that point she'll have also been out of an education setting for longer than the other kids in the school. I'd be questioning why that's a priority, seeing as the new reception cohort are entitled to an education too!

Callmecordelia · 21/08/2020 20:26

This is interesting for me OP. My DS doesn't start full time school until the 21st September. It has cost a fortune in nursery fees, and we have told them we aren't doing the most ridiculous demands (hour long play sessions on four consecutive days in week two that start at 11am).

I have had to work overtime in the first two weeks to get enough time banked so that we can do week 3, which is three hours of school a day.

I have said to the school that it is difficult. They react with complete incomprehension. Make me feel like I'm the only parent who has an issue. I work in a school, no I can't tell my head that I'm taking three weeks off at the start of an academic year, and no, DH can't take time off in a month where he earns 20% of his annual pay.

It's really soured my relationship with the school tbh. They just want to do what they've always done, without any thought to the poor parents who are having to explain to their employers that while they might have been furloughed for months, they now require more time off. It contrasts really poorly with the school I work at where we are bending over backwards to support our families. Ugh.

Flip

1 2 3