Half days for ages!

[SunnySideDeepDown]

My child starts school in September and their school has sent an emailing outlining the first few weeks schedule, which includes a two week build up to full days. The first half week is until 11.30. Then a week or so of staying until after lunch and then a few days until 2pm.

I find it really tone deaf of the school to expect parents to be able to juggle this (we both work full time busy jobs and have 2 other, older children at the same school). Our annual leave is already stretched.

Are there any teachers here with insight on why the school would offer this?

My child is used to full time preschool and has older siblings in the school. They’re more than ready to jump straight into school life.

Our LA has told us they’re entitled to full time from day 1 on the offer email, shall I raise this with the school? I don’t want to be a trouble maker but I just can’t see the rationale. Isn’t it easier for kids to have a schedule and get used to it, rather than changing it every few days?

But won’t children learn more with a 30hr week vs 15? It’s double the learning time. I can’t see how a school could use the rationale of “we’re not childcare, we’re here to teach” whilst delivering half the learning time?

They have to provide X number of school days per year, legally, so if they don’t start with Y1-6, then they’ll need to eat into to school holidays to ensure reception have the same number of days.

They can’t just open school anytime in September!

Why be that dick of a parent form the outset (I demand you have my child regardless!)

What do you think the teachers are doing the other half iyf the day? Sipping prosecco and eating caviar? Or working their arses of getting ready for the statt if term, including writing about YOUR child, their needs and observations?

Plus, its hardly a fucking surprise that they stagger the start or that your child is starting school. It's very well known and will be published and you have 3 months notice at least.

Get annual leave and sort it out.

Just wait until they find out about random INSET days, half day at end of term, sports day etc ...

If you waste annual leave on an unnecessary staggered start, how are you going to cover all the other school holidays ?

It’s hardly demanding something which is protected by legislation.

“Get annual leave and sort it out.”

Like that’s so easy. The consequences of using more annual leave during the slow start for my second was that we had less time as a family, less time to spend with my eldest child and both children spent more time that year on holiday camps. It’s not really quite so easy as saying ‘just use annual leave’ especially if you’ve just used up a ton of leave (and good will) to cover an older child’s summer holiday.

It's not a surprise that school holidays are long.

Plus there's holiday clubs for this very reason... To help the fact that you may not have enough leave.

So what? You had kids, you're sending them to a school? It's very very clear and a long standing thing that they have half days etc in September
There's no big surprise here.

Like I say, there's random INSET days, half days at end of term etc you just sort it out. It's all published over a year in advance...

Offering full time as standard negates the benefits of part time. Each school is different, but we offer 2-3 days in order to allow children to settle in in a smaller group (smaller ratios offer them more 1-1 time than they'll ever get full time, which is absolutely invaluable in terms of building relationships). Children focus so much better in a smaller group while we spend a few days embedding those rules and routines to ensure they all know them by the time they're part of a bigger group in week 2.

I agree with you that schools shouls provide something for those who genuinely need it for childcare, upon request (I've always agreed with this, if you read back). In my experience, very few do though when it's only a few half days as we give plenty of notice and, luckily, most of our parents seem to value this short settling in period. For those who do require it, a crèche service is perfectly adequate for a few afternoons.

Your expectations of Reception Early Years education are very different from the reality. The children are learning loads, but through play. Building relationships is all part of 'learning' too. PSED is a prime area of learning within the Early Years Curriculum. It's not all about the 3 Rs.

Often holiday clubs only accept 5yr olds plus, most reception kids are 4. So you can’t just use clubs.

Can you also not swear and get aggressive? This is a chat about primary school, if it’s making you irate then feel free to leave the chat.

Just because something is common or well known about, it doesn’t mean it works well. Whilst I acknowledge the teachers will be planning, this can be done in the summer holiday or before the end of the summer term the year before, as it is for all other year group teachers.

Oh yes, and be prepared for a Friday afternoon email saying "actually sports day isn't on Monday at 9 now, its on Wednesday at 1pm, K thx bye"

It's legal. Even Autumn born children don't reach compulsory school age until January.

And the point that many people are making are that the half days in September seems unnecessary especially when it’s dragged out over two or more weeks. I could get on board with one day on, one day off for a few days but there is no good reason for some schools to faff about when others get them in full time from day 1. Where is the evidence base on this? There is so much variation that it can’t be well evidenced or all schools would do the same.

Well, there are holiday clubs that will take 4 year olds...

It just is annoying that people are surprised that when their kids start school they stagger it... they've done this for decades, it's published well in advance, you're given at least 3 months notice etc.

We would rather not use holiday clubs for the majority of school holidays so decided not to waste any annual leave in September at the start of the Reception year. The majority of DT’s classes opted to start full time from day one.

@BoleynMemories13 I appreciate what you’re saying but I didn’t talk about the 3 r’s or any expectation on what the learning looks like. If building relationships and setting ground rules/school expectations and learning the ropes is important, why only offer half days to do this?

My child is joining a class of 20 in a small village school. The class has a TA so that’s a pretty good ratio anyway.

I probably wouldn’t have said anything if it was 2 half days but 2 weeks is just unrealistic and not in my child's interest.

I do get your point, that for large schools, a few half days could help give more time to each child whilst they settle. I’m just not convinced this applies to my situation, but thank you for the insight 🙂

I said often they don’t take 4 year olds which is my experience where I live. I know zero that take 4yr olds. I’m not saying other people don’t live near clubs that do accept them.

It’s ok to be frustrated that people are challenging norms, but swearing is totally unnecessary.

Also, the world moves on, things change all the time; in healthcare, housing, media, law, food production, education. Progress is something that should be welcomed, not opposed blindly.

20yrs ago, many households had a SAHP/ part timer. Costs of living were lower and enabled this. Now, lots of families are working flat out. The situation has changed and we can’t magic up more annual leave to reflect this. No one is asking the schools to do anything unreasonable, we just want our reception kids to start full time from the beginning of September like all other year groups. I want to save my leave so I can safely care for my 3 children when the school is closed.

If a staggered start is so beneficial why don’t all schools do it and why was the Admissions Code changed?

What don't you get - it's an entitlement, not a dick move.

Schools who don't offer full-time from day one are now in the minority and it indicates that the school is not up to date on changes and expectations.

The schools that insist/present as a fait a compli, a phased start, largely do it because they have always done, not because it has any benefit.

Perhaps.

But I'd be happy to take advice from teachers who have been teaching for years and have the direct experience. You have to trust they are doing their best for your child.

And insisting they keep the child all day, to suit you is odd. The child will just be stopping them getting ready, or they will just be sat there for 3 hours on their own.

Honestly, yes they have an entitlement. But really, this a few days out if many many years.

“But I'd be happy to take advice from teachers who have been teaching for years and have the direct experience. You have to trust they are doing their best for your child.”

but.. why does every school do it differently? If there was a clearly established evidence base every school would do the same.

I am the Admissions Lead for a Trust of 20 schools and all of them have full-time from day 1. when the change to the Code came in, several headteachers were quite reticent but after the first year, they all said it was better for the children, less disruptive and they settled more quickly. It also meant that the more anxious parents had their concerns alleviated more quickly.

None of them would go back to part-time starts now.

Being CSA or not is not relevant. Reception pupils are entitled to attend full time even if they aren’t yet CSA. As others have posted, parents can choose to send their DC part time until they are CSA or decide not to send them at all until CSA or the beginning of the summer term, whichever is first. But it is the parents’ choice. It is not the school’s decision.

We haven’t been given the choice to do this. The school have said this is what is happening and that’s that!

It’s not the schools decision - referencing them to the Admissions Code 2021.

Quote back para 2.17 of the School Admissions Code to them. If they are a maintained school ask them to seek the advice of the LA admissions department.