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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

Settling-in periods: What is normal?

45 replies

morningpaper · 04/01/2010 10:19

My school does six weeks of alternate two-hour slots in the morning and afternoon, which is going to take up half of mine and DH's annual leave this year which we are already arguing about.

What is normal for other schools?

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MintyCan · 05/01/2010 10:18

We had three weeks which I thought was bad enough. Six weeks is terrible. I wonder if the settling in period makes any difference anyway. It only seemed to confuse mine. It would have been a long day but they have to get used to it in the end anyway - so why do they bother ? Is there some research that proves it is better for them ?

Original poster

morningpaper · 05/01/2010 10:19

It's appalling really isn't it?

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MintyCan · 05/01/2010 10:20

BTW I forgot to say with my youngest I knew another working mum and we did half the amount of leave and picked up each others kids. If you see what I mean. Could you do a share like that ?

cece · 05/01/2010 10:25

DS settling in period was 2 weeks. The third week he did one day where he finished at 1 o'clock so that they could do a lunchtime. After that he was full time. He is Oct birthday though. Spring and Summer borns do mornings only till Jan - so a whole term of part time.

bumpybecky · 05/01/2010 10:32

at our school its.....

oldest half of the class - one TERM afternoons only then full time

youngest half of the class - two TERMS mornings only then full time

this means that those with birthdays in Autumn term are in part time school aged 5!

dd3 is full time for the forst day today she'd been ready for months

notyummy · 05/01/2010 10:35

Oh god. Hadn't even thought about this - will have to look at the school DD is likely to start at in September.

DH (military) will be away the whole time.

We have a mothers help but she can only do a few hours as she also runs her own business.

All sets of parents at least 3 hours away so would involve them staying with us (argh!!) and DHs parents still work so may not be able to help anyway.

Off to twitch a bit and look up school on internet for info.

Although July baby, DD in nursery 4 days a week 8 15-5 15 since 6 months old, so hoping she will cope.....certainly wouldn't think she needs more then a week or two to settle in.

Original poster

morningpaper · 05/01/2010 10:35

that's insane Becky - what do the working parents do?

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bumpybecky · 05/01/2010 10:41

There are a few local childminders who are willing to have children for half days. A few others have Grandparents / Aunts etc that help out. I know one boy's Mum works night shifts (don't know her well enough to ask when she gets to sleep, because 2.5 hours in an afternoon can't be enough!)

I think the majority have parents at home though. It's a CofE school which doesn't have a catchment area and is oversubscribed. I susect the families without a parent at home or family help chose other schools.

deepdarkwood · 05/01/2010 10:43

It does seem to be totally random/set by schools - ours does mornings only for a full term for all of those except those who are autumn born, who go for full time after a couple of weeks.

Have you asked around for a childminder, MP? There might well be someone with a space who can do some slots for you just for a term, which would at least make things easier...

Otherwise, I'd certainly hassle the school re: wrap around care - or ask them what other working parents do...

Original poster

morningpaper · 05/01/2010 10:46

the childminders scare me

also DD2 is not overly confident and doesn't like a lot of change

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Builde · 05/01/2010 11:07

Some school policies, though well meaning, seem to think that there is only one family member - the reception child.

The part time stuff can impact on any younger children's activities and needs and massively effects the stress levels of working parents.

I did hear of one parent (where the settling in period was a term) say that they would bring their child on the first day of the second term because childcare and family life would be more settled if their child stayed in the family/nursery setting for an extra term, rather than doing the complex part time schedules that the school was setting out.

Personally, these long settling in periods I think are more unsettling. Many children do a morning at school and then go back to nursery for the afternoon...they would be better off doing just school or just nursery.

MattSmithIsNotMyLoveSlave · 05/01/2010 11:15

DS's school had an optional one-hour settling in session the day before term started, then the first day of term Reception children didn't start until 10.30, then after than it was into normal school hours.

NoahAndTheWhale · 05/01/2010 11:24

Here children start the term after they are four and then do two terms of mornings and then stay all day. There is a mixed nursery/reception class.

As DS and DD have Autumn birthdays this means they had (or will have - DD starts next week) two terms in nursery and then three terms in reception full time. However younger children will have less time with the youngest only having one term full time in reception.

MintyCan · 05/01/2010 11:25

I agree with Builde it is more unsettling. Mornigpaper my dd didn't like the change either and was much happier once she was settled in for the whole day.

notyummy · 05/01/2010 12:11

Well, I have just checked our prospective schools arrangements, and they don't seem too bad (although hat was last year, so I guess it can change!)

First 3 days mornings only. Following 2 days stay for lunch as well....and then full time for all frm the following week.

If it stays like that for this September I should be able to manage with a bit of help from my Mum and Dad if they can come up for 2/3 days.

Seems fairly sensible tbh.

You would think a more standardised approach would be helpful for parents - after all all schools will have the same 'settling in' issues, so why such a huge range in the arrangements for intake??

FabIsGoingToBeFabIn2010 · 05/01/2010 12:55

When my son went full time in the January he found it much harder as he had been used to mornings for 4 months.

ronshar · 05/01/2010 14:09

Morningpaper. Reading through all the post I would definitely recommend contacting the Govenors.
I would perhaps suggest to them, that you will be contacting as many other parents as you can to find out if the situation is inconvinient for them aswell. Then just say that you will be seriously considering keeping your DD out until half term due to the disruption to her routine.
Govenors dont like trouble especially in reception. All those PFB parents in one room

I know that both my DD1 and DD2 would have been all over the place if I had to explain every day what they were doing and where they had to be. DD2 got confused enough when it just for a week.
Settling in my foot!

pointydig · 05/01/2010 14:25

There should be more consistency on this. Some schools start full days after a couple of days and others wait till half term, occasionally longer.

What is your pre and after school care going to be, mp? I've always used cms over the school years so my cm could do early pick-ups.

Original poster

morningpaper · 17/03/2010 09:57

sigh

had official confirmation of this now:

4 weeks of 2-hour days
1 one week of 3 hour days
1 full week before
1 week of half term

then full time AFTER the half term.

So basically it's six weeks that I'm going to need to sort out some sort of childcare for, for at least two days. DH is going to use a lot of annual leave but the whole thing is just stressing me out so much.

OP posts:

Rollergirl1 · 17/03/2010 13:32

This is going to be a huge problem for me too. The school that DD1 starts at in September she will go mornings only for the entire first term. I work 3 days a week for a company in central London. I do have the ability to work from home but I wouldn't be able to do that every day for 3 months! I could pick her up from school and she could attent the Nursery she is at currently (and which DS will still be going to) but I have no means of getting her there if I am in London.

Also just wondering what parents have done with regards to childcare for a younger sibling when the elder child starts school? Currently both DD and DS go to Nursery but when DD starts school it would mean dropping off children to places in entirely different directions. I guess a CM would be the alternative but it seems a shame to take DS out of his existing Nursery when he loves it so much.

My DD has an after-school club at her school but no breakfast club so dropping both children at different places and then getting into London is definitely going to be an issue for me so perhaps a CM is the right option. Was just hoping to manage with as little childcare for DD as possible once she starts school.

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