Would missing the first two days of Year 1 matter?

[Kardelen]

Hi,
my son will be starting year 1 in September. His school re opens first week of September on a Thursday.

unfortunately, i couldn’t get any time off during the summer holidays, but I got the first week of September off.

i was wondering if I don’t send my son in on Thursday and Friday, will it impact on him a lot?
i feel guilty that I haven’t been able to take them on holiday this year, but also feel bad for him missing out the first two days of school.

do you think it’s really bad?

I think it isn't helpful.
The new teacher will be setting out routines for the class, and your DS will be on the back foot.
However if he is a confident resilient sort then maybe he will be fine.
Could you just do a 5 day break sat-wed?

I'd do a shorter break and get back for school. You can be around at pick up time to do lovely things and he won't miss out on establishing routines.

Seats will be allocated, books given out, routines established. Please make sure he is there.

Academically or socially impacted?

Of course it matters! He needs to be in school.

I’d have no issue missing 2 days mid year but I really wouldn’t make it the first 2 days of the academic year where they settle into a new class and get reacquainted with friends. Especially not when it’s year 1 because reception->year 1 is pretty the biggest jump they’ll ever have except maybe GCSEs to A Levels. I’d go away for 4-5 days, be back for school starting and have a long weekend at another point in the year.

Absolutely not no, it could cause difficulties with establishing friendships

Pretty much any other 2 days and I wouldn't think it matters, but not the beginning of the school year (in any year, really, but especially a transition year). Lots of teachers in my family and they would all say not to miss those days

Yes of course it will matter! It's a massive moment for every kid in that classroom. It's like asking if you can walk into a theatre mid-way through the opening act and is that okay. No it's not and you would be out of order.

I would never miss the start of term unless dc was dreadfully unwell. Absolutely not a good idea to miss the start!

This is when they settle into the new class and get to know the teacher and TA. Year 1 is completely different to Reception. He’ll turn up and everyone else will be settled and know what’s happening and he’ll be out of the loop.

It’s not great. I was doing some supply this week in a 1/2 class and I was try to hang up a forgotten coat after everyone was gone and I could not find the child’s peg and then the teacher came in and his peg had a name card that was different because he wasn’t there at the start of the year and they all decorated their own. So I just hadn’t noticed it.

kids dont need a fancy holiday. they just need fun. take him out for day trips or a couple of overnights to places he will like instead of going away for a week - and be back for school.

it might not mean much to us but it's the biggest thing in his life so far. you dont want him missing out on friendships being formed or who sits next to whom.

The academic impact will probably be zero, the social impact could be damaging. No way would I have let my DD when she was at school miss the first couple of days of a new year.

I have never taken my kids out in term time but 2 days are hardly going to make a big difference! They'll still be handing out new books and getting into the swing of it by day 3, he's hardly missing the first month back! My primary aged daughter missed the first 2 days back last year due to a sickness bug, I can't say it had any impact on her.

Enjoy your holiday, the benefits of spending time together on holiday far outweigh the negatives of 2 days missed school for a 5 year old.

I would say yes if this were two days after eg half term but no, not the first two days of y1. Too many friendships and routines and new things to miss out on.

I think missing two days would be ok, but not the first two days of a new school year. That's when all the settling in and explanations happen.

Just take a shorter holiday.

No, please don't do that. He needs to be there for those two days.

I have a child going into year 1 also- I really wouldn't- they are young and could end up feeling very unsettled.

I'd take the shorter mini break and come back Wednesday.

Hi OP, I’ve done this by accident this year. We booked a holiday last week Aug/first week Sept - we knew one school didn’t start back till 7th & assumed the other would too but it starts back on 3rd. DS will be going into Yr4 & miss the first two days but will be in the same class (mixed yr group class) so I’m not at all worried about. We’ve never taken either DC out for anything other than illness/appointments.

We missed the first day of the new school year once and regretted it - she didn't know the new class routine, wasn't familiar with the new teacher when the others were, even little things like missed creating a sign for her peg, missed taking a photo to go on the board and missed filling in the about me for the new teacher.

Same as pp - any other 2 days of the school year I wouldnt worry about!

My mum had a habit of doing this (it wasn't particularly uncommon then) and I always hated it, as when I came back everyone would've picked their seats, pegs etc and I got what was left (usually in the worst position), plus everyone else was done talking about what they did over summer.