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?

@BoleynMemories13 Given children are legally entitled to start Reception full-time, how are you dealing with the negative impact of starting your pupils on half days on your school attendance stats?

I don't think students under compulsory school age affect attendance stats. Only a very few will turn 5 in the first couple of weeks of September.

It's only ever 2 or 3 days at my school, for children who are not yet compulsory school age. The code entered on the register for those few half days is the one we use for a non-compulsory school age absence.

I'm 'just' a teacher by the way, I'm not a headteacher who is responsible for such decisions. It's a system which has always worked well for us, in our circumstances, and has always been supported by our parents. If it wasn't, we'd deal with that by offering an alternative, but it has honestly never been an issue.

Mumsnet is a bit of a twilight zone sometimes and I think responses to this thread illustrate that well. I often find when something isn't 'normal' in someone else's area, or not the way they're use to things being done, the reaction can often be very negative, whereas for others it will simply be normal procedure and makes sense to them. Whatever your personal experience of something is, generally feel 'right' doesn't it?

It's like posts about home visits. Every school I've ever worked at has done them, no parent has ever refused as the practice is so normal here. Yet every time it comes up on Mumsnet some people question the purpose, as if it's some bizarre process which is either (in their opinion) 'dated' or 'newfangled' depending on their own experience/view. Some people will instantly respond with "refuse it, you don't have to have one". Well yes, I suppose technically you don't but in over 15 years of teaching I've never met anyone in real life who actually has this attitude as nobody around here would even question it, let alone refuse it.

I do find this board very interesting as it's opened my eyes to a world of 'issues' within education which I never even realised we're a 'thing' before. My knowledge of private education was especially limited until I started posting here, despite teaching for over 15 years (state sector). Issues surrounding admissions too. Living and working in an area where primary school places have been plentiful for years, the fight for places isn't such a thing here. Until now, I had no idea that so many were against a mere few days staggered start as, where I am, parents all seem to see the benefit and make arrangements in advance for it, as it's generally the normal procedure here. They're always made aware of their rights, but nobody ever pushes back. I find it all fascinating. Almost like a social or psychological experiment to see how people react to things based on their own personal experiences, and how that affects their perception of 'normal'.

Parents react to ensure the best for their DC’s - who they know best - regardless of what is the norm.

With their perception of what is 'best', seemingly heavily influenced by their own experiences of what is 'normal'. Our personal experiences influence us so much. I find it quite fascinating seeing on here how people's views can be so different to what I see, hear and experience in 'real life'.

Teacher parents find staggered starts super difficult!

My single parent friend created cover issues for her school for most of September (luckily she teaches a shortage subject and they love her).

Sounds as you would prefer parents to follow the norm operated by your school and not what parents know is best for their child?

And yes we declined a home visit - they took place during a week in July - DT’s were at nursery, I was working in Singapore and DH, a GP didn’t want to cancel his surgery appointments. To us it wasn’t essential in the same way as a staggered start wasn’t beneficial or necessary.

I had no idea that so many were against a mere few days staggered start

The trouble is for schools that do staggered starts it's so rarely just a few days. As per this thread and the experience of many it's often weeks or even months of disruption.

No, I don't 'prefer parents to follow the norm', our parents just seemingly do. It's honestly never been an issue, which is why MumsNet feels like a different world to me at times. I honestly find it fascinating. Our parents just seem to trust that we have planned what is best for their child.

It could indeed be argued that many who do push against it don't necessarily do so beecause they believe it's best for their child. They do so because they need to work and don't have the childcare. I totally understand that, I always have, but "we can't do the proposed part time arrangements because I need to work" isn't a parent who is making a decision in the best interests of their child. It's a parent making an understandable decision based on their circumstances. A child being one of the only ones starting full time on day one and therefore perhaps spending part of the day with Year 1 or the nursery children isn't "what's best for the child", but it's understandable that some parents need to do what they need to do.

I do personally feel that, because it's the norm here, parents do just accept it more because they know it's what will happen (it's how they themselves started school, and their older children if they have them). They expect it, respect it (in terms of the benefits for the children) and therefore make the necessary arrangements for 2 or 3 days. It's just not the issue where I am that it seems to be on here. As I said, I actually find it a fascinating discussion.

Indeed some do, and if you've read the thread you'll see I have acknowledged many times that that is an issue. Around me, this practice seems to be getting rarer and rarer though as, believe it or not, most schools do understand it can be difficult for working parents to arrange childcare. This is why the two or three part times days arrangement seems to be the happy medium, as the children still get the benefit of that smaller group while they settle in, without it being a long drawn out process which becomes difficult for parents to manage.

A few days really isn't the unacceptable arrangement a couple of posters on here are making it out to be, especially given that they can indeed refuse if they feel that strongly about it or are totally unable to arrange the childcare.

On a more general note Op, brace yourself! In my experience (full time working single mum) schools don’t do anything to make life easier/more manageable for working parents…this is just the tip of the iceberg.

@BoleynMemories13 how do/would your school code it for a summer born who has been deferred? They are already CSA.

I've never had a deferred child (another MumsNet twilight zone thing for me, as it's really not that common where I am).

Again, I'm not a headteacher or admin, I merely teach the children, so I'm sorry if I'm not able to answer all questions about the ins and outs of it all.

I hate the comment that school isn't childcare. Of course it is a form of childcare otherwise DWP wouldn't insist parents can work more when their children are at school.

I’m afraid to say I absolutely agree. When my first DC was at nursery I thought things were hard for me as a mother working FT but looking back I didn’t know I was born! Nursery years (while expensive) are easy street compared to primary school.

Sorry @IanStirlingrocksdidn’t see you’d said single mother working FT. That’s obviously much harder still.