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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

Starting reception 2021

15 replies

Jakethekid · 10/06/2021 17:38

Has anyone recieved a welcome pack with information about new starters for reception in september? I am unsure of the process but I thought I should have recieved something from the school of a confirmation of my child's place and also school information etc. I dont want to hassle the school and look like a pushy parent if this isnt the norm as it is only june. I just know schools will finnish in a month and a bit and didnt know how late to wait.

This is my first time sorting school so I'm a bit anxious I guess. Should I have had this already or should I be expecting it ?

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turquoisetoad · 10/06/2021 17:56

Hi there. I work in a primary school office and we emailed our 'welcome letter' to the new reception parents today. Basically we had to wait until we had a list of confirmed names and contact details from our local authority before we could get in touch with parents. I'm sure you'll hear something in the next week or so.

Irunforcakeandfizz · 10/06/2021 18:01

School Administrator here too and I sent our information out early this week, like PP we were waiting on the definitive list of pupils before sending out. HTH

Original poster

Jakethekid · 10/06/2021 18:51

Thank you. I was starting to get a little worried I'd missed something or was forgotten about. I'll wait a couple more weeks. It's all so new to me !

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Spacemonkey2016 · 10/06/2021 20:40

It's my first time sorting school too, so I didn't know what to expect either. Our school seems a bit keen then! We had a letter confirming place a week after offer day, have had to fill in lots of paperwork, another letter giving us a few 'stay and play' dates and today, a teacher visited my son at his nursery to introduce herself.

Original poster

Jakethekid · 10/06/2021 23:13

I haven't heard from the school at all. We got the acceptance email to say which school he had been given but nothing from the school itself, bit worrying compared to your experience. My son isn't in nursery so I didnt have anyone else to compare notes with

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SkedaddIe · 10/06/2021 23:33

I've attached the list of dates for Kent

Schools weren't allowed to send out welcomes until a few days after the council offer day. Then I presume some proactive /keen schools would've sent packs out to everyone offered a place.

Then there's basically 2 months of refusals waiting lists and reshuffling (and scrambling) and the schools were only fully in control of their pupil lists from yesterday 09/06/21 in Kent.

You can get a policy doc which should have the 'behind the scenes' timeline for your area by searching 'LA name' primary admissions coordinated scheme 2021

Original poster

Jakethekid · 11/06/2021 04:58

Thank you for your help. Its very reassuring

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Charmatt · 11/06/2021 13:01

Check your spam folder too - an email from the school is likely to be blind copied to lots of parents' emails so, depending on your spam filter, it may have been intercepted.

espresso14 · 12/06/2021 07:55

If your school does settling in sessions or parents meetings, I don't think it's at all unreasonable to contact the office and ask for those dates prior to welcome letter. It may be that you need to take some leave/ juggle commitments around to attend these. The office will give you a heads up on likely transition session dates, even if roll is not confirmed.

Original poster

Jakethekid · 23/06/2021 14:19

I had to contact the school as I didn't hear anything. I have an appointment set up now where I take all the forms I have to fill out with me and I think you meet 4he teacher/ head teacher possibly. I feel a bit stupid asking this as I presumed my child would attend this with me but on the paper work sent to me regarding it, it made no mention of the child attending and only mentioned parents.

I feel a bit silly calling them to ask if my child is supposed to be going to this too but I dont want to go alone/ take him with me if I'm not supposed to. Could anyone tell me what's the norm?

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EssexCat · 23/06/2021 14:23

@Jakethekid

I feel a bit silly calling them to ask if my child is supposed to be going to this too but I dont want to go alone/ take him with me if I'm not supposed to. Could anyone tell me what's the norm?

It’s different for all schools I think, I work in admissions and we have some sessions with and some without the children.

I promise you will not be the only one asking though!

Original poster

Jakethekid · 23/06/2021 14:30

Oh gosh. It's all so complicated! I will have to call them and ask then. I just know the next 2 months will fly by !

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EssexCat · 23/06/2021 15:05

@Jakethekid

Oh gosh. It's all so complicated! I will have to call them and ask then. I just know the next 2 months will fly by !

Honestly we’ve had loads of emails and calls - I remember feeling like this when my eldest started.

user64325 · 24/06/2021 00:04

We recieved a welcome pack with lots of forms to fill in only the day after National Offer day! It said there would be another with uniform list and info on visiting and meeting the teacher the following week. That didn't materialise but we did get some more info a few weeks later. Forms were expected to be taken in so I asked a few questions when I dropped them off at their reception, but then I've heard nothing since about visiting. I rang them on Monday to ask (as we want to book a camping holiday and they said induction visit would definitely happen and would be July) and they told me they were still working thinks out due to new Covid guidelines but they would call me later the same day, and I haven't heard from them since. So it seems our school were keen initially but now slacking. My older kids had visits to their nursery from their new teacher but I guess that won't be happening either as mine break up in 2 weeks and I've heard nothing. I/we don't know any other parents or children going and they don't have any social media so I was really hoping my son could visit before he starts .

Original poster

Jakethekid · 24/06/2021 09:27

My child doesn't go to nursery so I did wonder if other children had been seen that way already. I think I only recieved the email with the information pack, uniform and appointment date because I contacted them about it. It's just quite stressful having to contact the school without wanting to look like a pushy parent before my child has even started ! We were offered an in person appointment or virtual so I went for the in person as I presumed my child would be going too and it would be helpful for him to normalise it all. I will call today to find out who is actually supposed to go.

I'm already stressed, I'll be a wreck come September !

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