becs08 Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 I know this is early but I need some ideas. We normally do entry by birth date but it means that the summer born children don't start part time till about the third week in and some parents weren't happy this year. Just wondered what you all do. We've got new parent meetings in early term 5 but need to get the brochures together soon. Thanks Bec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 My children start full time from week one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiny Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 At our school (I'm a governor) everyone starts mornings only for the first week, afternoons the first week are for home visits. Then Autumn and Spring birthdays start full time after first week and Summer births mornings only until Christmas and full time in January. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 As ours are used to full days from Preschool - where by the summer term all are full days, they start school in September on the second day of the school year, full time. First day is to get everyone else settled down. Home visits are done in the summer term Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennim Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 (edited) Isn't there something, somewhere that says children have to have 38 weeks offered right from the start of term, or as soon as possible? Our children come in for one hour with parent on day 1, then in for good on day 2! As someone who has 'suffered' at the hands of a long drawn out induction process I do empathise with your parents - it's hell on earth if you work! My husband had to use his holiday to manage what we had to do when our son started school! Edited March 5, 2009 by jennim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 I know! My friends son went in for an hour on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays only for the first FORTNIGHT!!!!!! Then it was up to playtime every morning, then up to lunchtime then half term! It was ludicrous. I think even after the half term he wasn't full time - AND Reception wasn't allowed to stay for lunch for the whole of the year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 Last year I had children coming in for mornings, then afternoons, mornings with lunch, afternoons with lunch and then full time. This seemed to work ok, but am planning on changing and keeping with a week of mornings and then a week of afternoons and then having the children in full time for 3 days for the next two weeks. However, I am also unsure as to what to do - but know I have a large percentage of both boys and summer birthday's coming up, so want to meet my children's needs accordingly. Am interested to hear what has already been said, and any other suggestions people have. Emily-Jane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlettangel Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Our school takes one entry into reception in September. All children are in from day one. Many are doing full days in nursery and I wonder who exactly benefits from the slow drawn out process that some of you have mentioned? I think it could be seen as discrimination towards those with summer birthdays.......... and I don't really see the point. Who is to say a child with an Autumn birthday will be "more ready" than a child with a summer birthday? I don't think it necessarily follows. Surely if any child has any specific problems you could alter the day to suit them and their needs? How they settle into reception is often a reflection of the work nursery have done with them and the links between the two. Our nursery children are used to mix up days and thinking Thursdays when they get chance to play in reception so the move isn't a big one My own son (now 16) was a summer birthday who had one term in reception. He would have managed fine but didn't get the opportunity!! The other thing I just thought of is surely any reception teacher worth her salt makes those early days in reception as similar to nursery as she can and ease them in gently like that?? Also surely the current thinking is for schools to be as flexible and supportive of parents as possible..... for some the staggered entry causes so many problems if they are trying to work!! mmmmm didn't realise I was so opinionated on the subject!! Sorry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Ours are in full time from day one, too. They do 4 half days in the summer term, but that's all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Ours are full time from day 1, too. We say to parents at their parents' eve in summer term that if we feel a child isn't coping with full time school, we will instigate some half days where needed. This has worked well for us for several years. s others have said, it's not always the youngest children who find full time school difficult/tiring etc. Of course, even though the parents are warned of this, there are always a couple who 'forget' that this may be the case because it means having to ask granny (or whoever) to have child for an afternoon. Most children, however, are fine, and as someone else mentioned, surely Reception should be similar to nursery, especially at the beginning. It does always amuse me, though, that it is usually the parents who say "Oh so and so has been at nursery 8-6 every day since they were 3 months", whose children do seem more tired, etc, than the others and they don't seem to understand that coming to school is a completely new setting (for us ,as we don't have a nursery), and getting used to new setting, routines, expectations, etc, takes it out of the children - maybe that's just me though and I've got it wrong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 I have always felt that children respond and settle best with a routine, so if they are staggered it can be very confusing for them and they can take longer to settle than starting full time from the start... who benefits most from the staggered entry the child or the teacher? Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 First week, half do mornings, half do afternoons; second week they swap over and all are in full-time with lunch from the third week. As someone mentioned earlier if a parent feels their child is struggling then we would let them continue part-time for a bit longer, depending upon when they were 5. However we would encourage them to be full time as soon as possible. I personally feel they benefit from being full time asap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becs08 Posted March 7, 2009 Author Share Posted March 7, 2009 Thanks for all your replies. I think I'm going to suggest mornings or afternoons for the first 3 days (wed, thurs, fri) as this is what they are used to at our nursery and then mornings or afternoons with lunch the first full week and then full time the second full week. At least that way they all start on day one even if it is part time and parents are used to them being half days. Becs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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