Part time in reception

[SuperSaint]

DS is starting reception in Sept. He is a summer baby so will be mornings only for the first term and finish just before lunch.

DD also did this and she struggled to settle at school until she went full time. She is currently in Y2 and even now most of her friends are also "summer babies" as by the time they went full time all the other children had already settled into friendship groups. In DD's year there were 11 children out of 30 who were part time so it was a fairly large group. However, there were definitely 2 groups in the class and the full time children considered the part timers to be "the babies".

I have recently found out that DS will be one of only 4 part time children. The other 26 children in the class will stay full days from Sept. I am extremely concerned about the impact this will have on DS settling in and making friends.

I am going to write to the school and ask to discuss this with them and see if they will consider letting him go full time from Sept. I am willing to agree a compromise that maybe he goes full time for 3 days a week only. Has anyone had any experience of trying to get a school to change their policy? As far as I can gather the school believe the younger children get too tired to do a full day at school. DS would be tired but no more so than any other child as he copes with 10 hour days at nursery 3 times a week at the moment. What should I say in the letter to make them change their mind?

I have spoken to a lot of parents of children who went part time and I can't find anyone who thinks it benefited their child. I'm getting very worried about this and keep imagining him with no friends at school!!

My dcs primary have three half days for the reception children then they are all full time but a school round the corner has 3 weeks of half days but as my dcs headmaster said they have to get used to it so it might aswell be sooner rather than later.
One could argue that there is a big developmental difference between the september children and the august children but in reality there is just a developmental difference between different kids! My ds was 7 weeks prem and born in March but he was reading well before some of the older children in his year group.
I didn't think that this staggering of starting school happened anymore and as there is no staggering of ending school I find it non sensical.
I would probably "forget" to pick my child up, then the teachers would have to see if he/she was ready ha ha.

Interestingly in my DDs class all the children started full time in September from day 1. Autumn born children are friends with other autumn born, spring with spring and summer with summer. Developmentally they are so far apart in reception between the oldest child and youngest (think 9 months is nearly a quarter of their lives) that they do seem to drift to children of a similar age.

Thanks for your replies.

Jenroy29 - I have already considered "forgetting" to pick him up. But I know someone who was late last year and they just made her DS sit in the office!!

The headteacher is a big supporter of the "little ones" going part time until Christmas and a lot of other schools round here do it. I was prepared for it as I knew the system but my issue with it now is that he'll be one of only 4 and that will be so hard for him. There's usually about 10 part time children and even the reception teacher said she'd never known so few part timers.

It is also really hard to find a childminder to pick him up (I work 3 days a week) as he still counts as an under 5 until he goes to school full time.

Please don't 'forget' to pick your child up, as Jenroy suggests. I'm sure you would have more sensitivity than to do that. Can you imagine how upsetting it would be for a child, who would think they had been forgotten? And it wouldn't get you off to the right start with the school, either! I really hope Jenroy was joking.
As for the point of the post, if you really think your child would be better going full time, then write a polite letter asking for this! Schools are often more flexible than people think, especially if your reasons are for the good of the child, rather than just because half days are a bit inconvenient for the parents. To me, your reasons sound good, and you are being flexible and suggesting trying some full days, rather than doing all day every day from the start, necessarily.
I've taught Reception in various schools, and they all seem to have varying policies on this. School IS much more tiring than nursery or daycare, but children vary so much too. Really, it's best to agree an initial plan, try a few days, then talk to the teacher about how it's going, and between you agree what is the best solution for the child.
Good luck, I hope you find a good solution!

I'm not sure they'll be able to change their policy. In our area it's the LEA who set that children who are born before March 1st go full time and after go full time. There wouldn't be anything that we could do about it. Worth finding out if this is the case where you are?

WoahWoah - you'll be pleased to know we were joking about not picking DS up

Sarararah - It is not an LEA policy as every school has slightly different policies. I think it is down to the individual school to decide what they want to do.

There is no harm in asking if they will consider having DS full days for at least part of the week. They can only say no! I honestly think DS would cope and it breaks my heart to think of everyone else making friends at lunch and in the afternoon without him!

well in our school he'd be part time (mornings only) until Easter, but then so would the whole of the younger half of the class, so not just 4 of them

I think you're right to be a bit concerned about making friends when it's just four of them being part time

Super, I have exactly the same concerns as you. DD was also part time for the first time and it greatly and adversely affected her in making friends and settling in. She did not settle in properly until she went full time in January. She is now in yr2 and very happy at school and her friends seem to be across the whole age range (within her class) so the summer children being friends with other summer children doesn't seem to have applied to her.

DS is starting school in September and will also be part time til January and I am very worried about him settling in too.

I am also considering writing to the school although I suspect they won't change their minds. I'm not sure how many children in DS's class will also be part time but will endeavour to find out. In our school I know it's the school governers who have decided on this policy and it does not apply to all schools in the area.

I'm going to write to the school after half term, will come back to the thread and keep you posted on progress if any.

our school has 2 intakes and still does the part-time thing. DD is a June baby so didn't start until the Jan. Then had a week of half days. DD was 100% ready for school in the Sept and I wish I had pushed for her to start earlier, but I didn't want to seem like a pushy mum. Once dd did start I pushed for her to go to whole days asap as she couldn't understand why she had to go at lunchtime.

DS is due to start school next year(2011) and he just about sneaks into the schools cut off to start in Sept. I'm glad as I would have pushed for him to start in Sept anyway because I think it puts the children at a disadvantage. DD struggled in class R to make friends as her and the other Jan starters were 'the new ones' for the whole of class R. Only now(nearly finished class 1) do they all seem to get along. It also upset some of the Sept starters when new kids came along.

I know for our school it is a school policy not an LEA one.

I would definately write with your concerns and go in to see the head if you can.

I'm all for not rushing children into starting school(which is partly why I didn't push for dd to start earlier) but if it puts the child at a disadvantage I don't think it's right.

Glad you are not going to just leave him then!

Was thinking about this over night with my political head on and was concerned about the funding and staffing levels etc. How much more paper work must the school have to do for these 4 half day children?
I was only joking about forgeting to pick the child up, would never use children to prove points.

Cherry - let me know how you get on. I will be writing a letter and taking it to school next week and I'll let you know if I have any success.

Jenroy - I know another local school that does part time for 2 terms for the younger children so they can save money on a TA and use it to spend on other things. They only get a TA in the class for the mornings until all the children are full time. However with so few children going home at lunch time I don't think they'll be able to reduce the staff numbers at all.

Eddas - 2 intakes would be much better in my opinion. DS would not start school until Jan and could stay at nursery till then. He would go full time straight away and as a "new boy" some of the older children would be happy to look after him. The current situation means he'll always be around but never at "play time" to make friends.

Super, will do. . You too.