School

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Hello I'm looking for some advice, my daughter has just turned 4 and due to start full time in September she hasn't been to nursery due to covid. I feel full time will be to much for her, I'm going to ask the headteacher of she can go part time, but the teacher didn't seem keen. I'm thinking of keeping her home until she's 5 or start her in the January term

Don't most settings do all the phonics work in the morning anyway because the kids are shattered by lunchtime?

@Nix32 but it doesn't have to be formal learning. I didn't set out to teach d anything in particular she just learned as we played, went about daily routines and her afternoons getting out and about.
She learned to read because she loved the stories I read to her, she learned to write because she wanted to write her own shopping lists and recipes and she learned to spell by recognising patterns in words and she learned phonics in school but the phonics came long after she could read and spell. She learned numbers and simple sums by counting steps on slides, ingredients when cooking, etc.
She benefited most by having a secure attachment to me and my undivided attention I think.

@hiredandsqueak I completely agree with your last paragraph and it sounds like both of you had a fabulous experience.

Sadly though, not all parents are willing/able to provide the opportunities you did. That's when schools are expected to pick up the pieces and get criticised if they're not able to.

[quote hiredandsqueak]@Nix32 well for d she learnt far more out of school than she did in school so it wasn't a problem. Despite her very part time attendance in nursery and mornings only in reception she got the highest EYFS score her teacher had ever known.
It might have been more convenient for the school had she been in full time but I don't think it would have been better for dad[/quote]
"The highest score ever known"

In England your child is either working towards, working at or exceeding at the end of EYFS. How sad that at 5, children wherever you live are being given scores that can be put in rank from highest to lowest.

Id honestly let her start and see. Every child is so different. She may absolutely love it, want to stay all day and be in bed by 6pm. I'm a huge advocate of following the child. If she's not coping then go part time. I'm a school gov in a huge school and all our DC adapt within weeks

I started my DS on half days. After 2 weeks I then added one afternoon every week or two, he had his first week of full time after half term. It worked really well getting him used to it a bit more gradually. He was very keen to try staying the afternoon until he'd done his first long day, after that he was more reluctant and he would happily have continued doing half days for longer. I picked him up after lunch just before the start of afternoon lessons so he didn't miss out on the social side.

School however had been reluctant to agree to a part time start at all (I had to remind them they had to agree it) and put quite a bit of pressure on to get me to get him in more days. I got the impression they wanted everyone to conform and didn't really stop to think about what worked best for the individual child. I got comments about him missing on the academics, which given they took a very gradual approach and we'd done plenty at home just weren't relevant. I think teachers can forget that the most important thing at 4 is they don't learn to dislike school, England starts them very young in full time education.

toomuchfaster. Wow how a Vile comment!!!! I'm not a twat all all for your information my daughter has been from me all I my family passed away so I think it would be a struggle for her at first. I'm putting my child first. So why am I a twat for wanting the best for my child. No need at all 😡

Rightly or wrongly, if a child starts in the summer term, not having been before, the school recieved no funding for that child until year 1 (approx £4000 per child who starts in September, if you have 5 who delay the start date, that is nearly the cost of a TA for the year, with budgets so tight, it is funding a school needs. If you have older children, it wouldn't be the TA removed from reception, it would be support hours further up the school, as they need less self care support.

If you are going to delay, because a child is young in the year, delaying a whole year is much better for the child's experience (particularly children who have not had pre-school.

There is still funding for pre-school, if below statutory school age.

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If deferring and starting reception next year is an option I would do that. Otherwise I would try full time first as they do learn a lot.

If you do decide to put a reception child in part time please be aware of how much more work you are creating logistically for the school in managing early collections and don't then complain when your child misses out on fun special activities. I know of one parent who even complained that her child missed out on being handed a treat a child had brought in on her birthday to give out at home time.