New Intake

[Guest]

Hi all

I am interested to know what routine others have in place for their new intake in September. We have 1 intake per year.

 

With our intakelast year we staggered entry as follows

Half class 9 - 11:30 other half 1 - 2:30 for 3 days

full class 9 - 1 for 3 days

Full class 9 - 2:30 for 3 days

Full class full time.

 

We did a long stagger here as we had a large class of 44 children

Howver there were a lot of complaints from parents as it made it difficult for them to arrange people to pick children up and child care etc.. Whilst i appreciate that it is tricky for parents i felt very strongly that our main concern had to be settling children into school as carefully and as stress free as we could. the reason for the long stagger was due to the large class. We found it extremely beneficial for children as we got to know them very well and they settled extremely quickly into their new class.

 

However our head has bowed to parent pressure and has asked us to have a much shorter stagger this year. This worries me as it is currently looking like the class will be even bigger next year.

 

I was just wondering what others do with regard to their new intake. Do you think our intake stagger is too long?

[nicki-k]

Hi Lola,

I am responding as a parent this time. My daughter started reception last September and her school changed their admissions policy so that children could start full-time from day one if their parents thought it was right for them or they could attend part-time until half-term in October. The majority started full-time from day one (my daughter included) and those that opted for part-time quickly changed to full-time because they wanted to stay with their friends all day. My daughter was no more tired come half-term then friends children who attended another school on a staggered intake. My daughter has loved every moment of school from the beginning and has never questioned going (she does have an older brother at the same school which helps). When my son started school three years ago it was a staggered intake over a four week period. He found this very confusing every week it changed. I have definately found that full-time straight away has suited my child but she is lucky to be in a class of only 19 children - it might have been totally different if she was one of 30+.

[nicki-k]

Sorry Lola, I should have said that our school is one intake per year as well.

[Guest]

I had never thought of giving parents the choice! That way i suppose parents would know their child well enough to know how they would settle in such a large class. I had also never though t about how the different times would confuse the child! doh!!

Thank you nicki you have raised some good points and given us something to think about.

[Susan]

hi Lola

As a parent, of now teenage boys, I wished their school had had some provision for part time. My older son started school in April, a few days before his 5th birthday as at the time the LEA operated a 3 point admission. He found the days long and difficult, although he had been looking forward to going to school and had been at nursery every morning. He was in a dedicated new intake class.

My younger son, started in the September as he was 5 in early October and by that time the school was operating a 1 point admission into "streamed" classes!!! The headteacher was very clear that should the need arise, children could be part time. My son who had also attended nursery found the transition very difficult and was very stressed. It might be pertinent that he had taken a long time to settle in nursery and for several weeks, I withdrew very slowly. When I approached the school about part time they were very unhappy, as to them, there was not a problem but reluctantly they agreed and for a few days, I picked up at lunch time.

 

As a teacher, I have always thought it beneficial for children to have a staggered intake but the last school I worked in, we too had to give in to parental pressure to go full time asap. For most children however, from my perspective as the teacher they coped. For the few children who didnt we ususally found that the parents were not receptive to them doing part time. For the few days that we had part time provision we took the children in the session that they had attended nursery and altered our school times accordingly.

 

We had also visited the children at home, which we found extremely beneficial to parents and children. We also visited the children in their nursery and they had 2 visits to us in the summer term.

 

Hope this is helpful!!

[Guest]

Hi Lola

In my school the first week in September is taken up with home visits and the last of a series of induction clubs that started in the summer term.

The children come into school in the second week. We have one intake, staggered over three days. The youngest children come to school on day 1 (morning only), they are joined on day two by the spring-born children (morning only). The whole class comes in on day three (morning only). On day 4 the class operates "normally" i.e. the autumn-born children stay full-time and the rest of the class go home at lunchtime.

The part-time children all become full-time after Christmas but they all stay to Christmas lunch .

This year we have been in the unusual position of having siblings who are less than a year apart in age . One is autumn-born, the other summer-born. To save making lots of treks back and forth to school the parents opted for both children to be part time in the autumn term.

[Marion]

This year was our last year of a staggered intake we took 9 children the first morning, a different 9 the second morning and the final 9 the 3rd morning. The next week all children were in full time.

In September all children will start together. The plan is for full time but it will be flexible depending on children's needs.

I think given the choice most of our parents would ask for full time as this is easier for them NOT for the children.

[Guest]

That is my concern Marion, that we are changing our system because it is better for the parents and not the children. Do you mind me asking why you have decided for all of you children to start together full time in Sept?

[Guest]

Speaking from the point of view as a parent and as a teacher. My daughter will be starting big school this September. She attends nursery now and stays all day in the child care facility. I dont yet know if the local school is going to be staggering the intake. Or if indeed they are going to be part-time at first. However this is what they have always done. This does present a huge problem to me as it is the same time of year that my new intake starts at nursery. I need to be there for my daughter and for the new children at nursery. Typical dilemna for a working mum. We have discussed making our day care available in the afternoons to the children who have started reception and who's parents need full time provision but this just seems to defeat the object and could be confusing to the child. They would possibly be better off all day at school.

 

I do think it is a good idea to ask the parents but focusing on the child's needs not the parents - saying that I dont know what I would do in my situation. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what the school says

Sue

[Lorna]

We have one intake too.

However we stagger our entry-

 

Week1- We have a few children each day, normally starting off with around 8 on day one then introducing the others until the whole class are in morings only- all go home a 12.00.

 

Week 2- the autumn born childre( Sept- March) stay for lunch and go home at 1.00

The summer born children (April- August) saty until 12.00

 

Week 3 the autumn born children are full time

The summer born children are in til 12.00.

 

This happens until the week before half term when the summer born children stay for lunch, going home at 1.00. Then after half term they are also full time.

 

Of course we have had exceptions to this and have had children part time for much longer- those that weren't ready for full time schooling.

 

I would hate for the youngest children to start full time straight away they are so young.

 

As a side note my neice starts school in september- she is 4 in July- and she starts afternoons one week then it swaps to mornings and then back (how confusing, and what about those little ones that still have an afternoon nap?)

 

 

L

[Marion]

That is my concern Marion, that we are changing our system because it is better for the parents and not the children. Do you mind me asking why you have decided for all of you children to start together full time in Sept?

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It is our County policy to only have a single intake but we became a FSU last September so feel we no longer have transition issues as most of the children (1 exception) already attend the unit.

We have told parents we will be monitoring the children over the summer term and into the Autumn term and asked them to inform us if they have any concerns. The plan is to opperate in much the same way as our nursery previously worked in that the length of time children attend initially will be flexible and depend on how the children cope with a full day.

[Guest]

All my current Reception class (29) began full time from day one in September.No real problems. Sometimes the staggering and trying to ease things along can be disruptive in itself as the days are different. We do a lot of liaison with nursery through the year and the first term of YRi s very Nursery based with no playtimes with the whole school or trips to Assembly etc

[Marion]

our main problem in the past was children falling asleep because they were still accustomed to having an afternoon nap.

 

To be honest sometimes I felt like joining them

Edited April 13, 2006 by Marion

[Guest]

We have encountered a similar thing Marion. Another concern of ours is that we don't want children to be over tired and so not want to come to school. It seems there are pro's and con's to whatever we decide to do i guess it's just trying to strike the right balance - whatever that may be!!

[Guest]

I have a long stagger and this year I'm going to make it even longer.

 

This coming September I'm going to have my stagger over a month. Starting with the youngest (who are only part-time) and working up, I'm going to have them in in groups of about 4, adding another 4 every fourth day. For me this means time to settle them in, talk to parents and carry out initial assessments. Traditionally my autumn born children have started immediately full-time but I'm wondering about giving them a few days when they're just part-time as I think that suddenly being thrown into school full-time is a bit much.

 

We had one parent this year who objected to the fact that her autumn-born child couldn't start straight away and she got quite nasty but my Head was very good and told her that basically it was tough as our primary concern was to ensure a smooth transition into school for all the children! Basically she just didn't want to look after her at home/continue to pay for childcare.

Edited April 13, 2006 by Guest

[Guest]

Hi I think that this is a really tricky one. I run a private nursery school. Children have been government funded for five sessions and many have done a lot more than this from age three. Parents get very frustrated when they are offered less than this on entry to school. I do not wish to upset anyone but I have to suggest that for many children longer hours at a provider are the norm. So when parents are then told they need a very graduated or staggered entry into school they feel slightly fed up. Many parents have a juggling act of child care and staggered entry to school just compounds this. How does staggered entry to school fit into schools eventually having to provide care from 8.00 to 6.00. I constantly have parents complaining about the time schools take to get children settled when their expectation is the beginning of September. Sorry just another view. (p.s. We have lots of children from 3 doing six hour days and very rarely have a child needing to sleep)

[Marion]

Hi I think that this is a really tricky one.  I run a private nursery school.  Children have been government funded for five sessions and many have done a lot more than this from age three.  Parents get very frustrated when they are offered less than this on entry to school.  I do not wish to upset anyone but I have to suggest that for many children longer hours at a provider are the norm.  So when parents are then told they need a very graduated or staggered entry into school they feel slightly fed up.  Many parents have a juggling act of child care and staggered entry to school just compounds this.  How does staggered entry to school fit into schools eventually having to provide care from 8.00 to 6.00.  I constantly have parents complaining about the time schools take to get children settled when their expectation is the beginning of September.  Sorry just another view.  (p.s.  We have lots of children from 3 doing six hour days and very rarely have a child needing to sleep)

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I have recently been involved on the extended schools committee and the infomation we are now recieving is that schools do NOT have to directly provide care 8am to 6pm but this can be provided by a partnership with a daycare provider such as yourself.

Also as a pratitioner in a school foundation unit we have children who have spent the morning at a private day nursery and arrive for the afternoon session with us so tired they literally lie down in the quiet area and sleep, then are picked up at the end of school and taken back to the day nursery. in fact we had one little boy fall asleep during our Christmas carol service.

I think the message is all children are different and we should to look to the needs of the individual child rather than saying all children should be full time or all children should be part time. Flexibility????

Edited April 13, 2006 by Marion

[Guest]

You see we had a long stagger last year because we had such a large class of 44. It was very intimidating for children to be faced with 43 other children all at once in one room. Plus as a staff we would have found it incredibly difficult to get to know all the children well enough had they all started at once. However last year we had that many complaints from paretns about the stagger that new parents for Septmeber intake have been sking since November what our arrangements are going to be. It seems that some parents are deciding not to send their child to our school if the stagger is another long one.

[Susan]

I have to say, your system sounds great Moose and if you can continue like that it has to be beneficial to all.

Lola do you do home visists? I suspect that if you dont you would find it helpful and could even work in your favour of parents being more understanding.

[Guest]

Hi I think that this is a really tricky one.  I run a private nursery school.  Children have been government funded for five sessions and many have done a lot more than this from age three.  Parents get very frustrated when they are offered less than this on entry to school.  I do not wish to upset anyone but I have to suggest that for many children longer hours at a provider are the norm.  So when parents are then told they need a very graduated or staggered entry into school they feel slightly fed up.  Many parents have a juggling act of child care and staggered entry to school just compounds this.  How does staggered entry to school fit into schools eventually having to provide care from 8.00 to 6.00.  I constantly have parents complaining about the time schools take to get children settled when their expectation is the beginning of September.  Sorry just another view.  (p.s.  We have lots of children from 3 doing six hour days and very rarely have a child needing to sleep)

53740[/snapback]

 

My LEA's current provision is that children don't start full-time until the term that they're five. If they alter this then I haven't got a problem with this. I do, however, have a problem with parents expecting schools to provide free childcare (which I would argue is what moaning about staggered entry/wanting their children to start full-time when this goes against the LEA policy is about) - as far as I'm concerned that's not what I'm there for! I often feel that schools/teaching is not valued because it's free. Hence the turning-up-late-and-not-apologising -thing which really gets my goat .

 

I must qualify that I am not anti-parent. I came into teaching as a 'mature' person, having been a stay-at-home mummy and I go out of my way to be 'nice' and welcoming to parents - basically how I would have liked to be treated by my children's teachers BUT I can't understand why some people see their children - surely their most precious things - as something that they want to get rid of or that are messing up their schedules. I loved being with my children and hated it when they started school (although I didn't cry) and lived for the holidays - whatever happened to enjoying your children? Sorry - I seem to be getting very nunty lately. Obviously need to get back to work where I'm so tired that I don't have time to have an attitude.

 

By the way, Chill, the above is not meant to be having a go at you - I hope it doesn't read that way!

Edited April 13, 2006 by Guest

[Susan]

Oh Moose, akindred spirit! My children were always so much nicer in the holidays too! I sometines wish Id been into home teaching although thats another story.

[nicki-k]

This thread is fascinating. Many teachers seem to be of the same opinion that in their experience children benefit by a staggered start for different reasons - tiredness being one of the main reasons.

So why on earth are the government pushing for us in pre-schools, with children much younger, to extend opening hours to 3 hour sessions, 2 sessions in a day and 1 hour for lunch. This adds up to a 7 hour day when five year olds struggle to cope with a 6 hour day.

Is it me or is the world going mad ?

[Guest]

It's not you - or if it is, it's me too!

 

I agree about children being nicer in the holidays, Susan! Mine are 15 and 12 now and in the term-time my son (the fifteen year old) can drive me mad but he's lovely in the holidays!

Edited April 13, 2006 by Guest

[Guest]

I have a long stagger and this year I'm going to make it even longer.

 

This coming September I'm going to have my stagger over a month. Starting with the youngest (who are only part-time) and working up, I'm going to have them in in groups of about 4, adding another 4 every fourth day. For me this means time to settle them in, talk to parents and carry out initial assessments. Traditionally my autumn born children have started immediately full-time but I'm wondering about giving them a few days when they're just part-time as I think that suddenly being thrown into school full-time is a bit much.

 

We had one parent this year who objected to the fact that her autumn-born child couldn't start straight away and she got quite nasty but my Head was very good and told her that basically it was tough as our primary concern was to ensure a smooth transition into school for all the children! Basically she just didn't want to look after her at home/continue to pay for childcare.

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At our school, we have a foundation unit so most of the children come from the integrated nursery. Our induction takes place in the first 2 weeks of September - the children are arranged into alphabetical order, the first half of the alphabet for mornings week 1 and afternoons week2 -we have the second half of the alphabet afternoons week 1 and mornings week2. We have to try and get our baseline testing done during this time as our school assessment coordinator and head insist this is still done as well as profiling. We have an induction meeting for parents in the summer term

[Marion]

We begin the FSP (Flying Start in Durham ) when the children enter nursery (hoping to continue it into Year 1 for those children still working at this level) so do not need to do on entry to reception yearas it is a continuous process.