Starting reception in September

[~RedLily~]

I was just curious to hear from those who's LO's have started already or will be starting soon what system the school has to get them prepared.
I have always known schools to have the children visit one morning/day a week for a term before they start to get them used to it. The school LO will be going to has always done this and it's been fine but this year the pre-school she goes to (within the primary school) has said they will open an extra day (they are only open 4 days a week) just for the children who are going up in September to have a more structured day to prepare them. As this extra day wouldn't be available to the younger children it would not be covered by the 15 free hours so I would have to pay.
I don't mind paying if it is something that will benefit LO (although I can't really afford it) but they will just be having an extra day in the pre-school rather than actually going into the reception class. I would prefer LO visit the class she will be going into and get used to it.
Has anyone else's pre-school done this or is it just standard that the children visit the reception class? I was also wondering what children who don't go to pre-school are supposed to do if this is what they are doing.

 

[LaughOutLoud]

Im not sure what schools do but did not think they would have a regular day for them to get used to it. Also, seems a bit unfair that you have to pay for it and that too wont even be in the actual reception class. Doesnt make sense to me unless im reading wrong?

 

[shanny]

Is this in addition to visits? Mine have all had visits.......up to the parents (here) if they want to up pre school hours etc

 

[~RedLily~]

Yes I would have to pay for an extra day in the pre-school room where they may possibly go and visit the reception class for an hour.
As far as I know it's instead of the school visits.

 

[alicecooper]

I've got 2 kids already at school and 1 starting in September. The school doesn't really do anything to prepare them. They just... start! That's it really!

 

[Quartz]

Am I right in thinking that they are simply opening so that children have a chance to get used to a 5 day week rather than a 4 day week. If so I dont think there is any need - DD went from 5 mornings to 5 full days without any issue at all.

In terms of preparation from the school - ours had a open afternoon for the class to go in and meet the teachers and for me to meet the parents in early July, then she did a week of afternoons, a week of mornings before going full time.

Also I think parents have the right to use the 15 hours as they see fit (you can in private nursery) but no more so I am not sure they can say no (unless she already uses her 15 hours over the 4 days she goes).

 

[hel_5]

Ours have an enrollment day (couple of hrs) parents have a tour of the school and the kids play in the classroom/play ground/drink juice and have some sweets!!!!! Then at the end of the school yr they go in for a couple of hrs and each class goes up to the classroom they will have next yr, then for the first week or so they only do til 12 (they only start at 9.30) til everyone is used to it all.

I wouldn't be happy paying for another day, where they wouldn't necessarily be going to see the new classroom but also surely the pre-schools job is to get kids ready for school and gave some routine/structure, when DD was in pre-school they had more structure etc as the year went on, so by June they were ready for school - would listen/follow instructions/tidy up/eat their own snacks etc xx

 

[Tasha]

Here they gradually build up there time in the reception class, so in September for a few days they would be in until 11am, then the next week it would be until before lunch for around three days, then the other two days and one day of the following week was until after lunch, then three days of until 2pm and then the last day of that week and from then on until 3.15pm. It worked well for my LO x

 

[aimee-lou]

Ours does an 'in-set' day where they have a trip to the school, meet the teachers, do activities, play in the playground and meet preschool kids from other preschool s who feed the infant school. They gave had one every half term since Sept so will have 6 before Sept and will also have an open day and they get to ho to a sports day too. However ours doesn't break them in which i would have liked. It's straight in for full days.

 

[RachA]

The school Esther will be going to in sept does a home visit from a member of staff plus either 1 or 2 visits to the school during June/July-these are usually for between 30min and 1 1/2 hours. Then in sept the younger ones doing mornings only for about 6 weeks and the older ones do afternoons only for a couple of weeks.
Esther though will having more sessions before the summer due to special needs.

If they are opening for an extra session in irder to get them used to 5 days then I don't think you have to do it. Esther will be going from 4 mornings to 5 days and it's unlikely to bother her.

 

[~RedLily~]

Thank you everyone

LO goes 3 morning atm so could go 1 more morning with her free hours, she goes to the playgroup there 1 afternoon a week as well so ideally I would have used the free hours on the extra day so she was going 4 mornings and 1 afternoon for playgroup. I think I am going to say no to this extra day as they do already go up to reception class once a week for story time.
The pre-school did say about working on a lot of things to prepare for reception but it's actually things LO is already very good at (pencil control, alphabet etc) so I think she will be ok missing it.

 

[Jchihuahua]

In the reception I teach in we have visits in the last half term of the summer term where children coming from our school nursery and other local pre schools can come with their keyworker and stay and play for an hour or so once a week. When they actually start in Septemeber they have a visit with their parents first for a morning and then start half days and build up to full days after the first couple of weeks.

 

[JASMAK]

We have two weeks here wit just an hour, then moves up to 1/2 day, then a full day but evry other day. My child was already in preschool so it was not necessary for us, but it would have been for my son. However, they didn't do that when he was in it. Do what you think your child needs as they are all different.

 

[Gingerspice]

A lot of schools do do a settling in split sessions, some for weeks, however er legally the government stated if a parent requests (probably largely to do with working commitment) that every child is entitled to full time place from the first day and I believe the school cannot refuse that request.

I'll be on maternity anyway hopefully but had I not been would not have wanted weeks on end of shifting patterns at school. It would be a nightmare.

As it happens the school lo should go to just jumps them straight in. They start the week after the other years but just dive in straight to full time. I believe that was because of the government stating schools must offer full time places from start of school and cannot force rolling in split weeks, so if parent don't want them they don't have to be followed.

 

[Boomerslady]

The school where I'm hoping Ben is going to, has all the class and parents go in for an hour or so in the term before summer holidays. Then a week or so before they start he goes in with me to meet his teacher and get shown where his peg is etc. then the first week they go in until 11.30 I think and the second week until 1 so they stay for lunch and get used to the canteen, the third week onwards it's full days.

 

[Cat lady]

Hi there,
I think it is probably a concern of most first time school attenders! I have no idea what my 3 choices do to prepare the children, although my husband and I have been preparing our son at home as much as we can. Doing things like ensuring he wipes his own bottom and can get dressed etc. Being that he will likely be the youngest in the year I feel its very important he has these simple things done. He is a bright boy and things like numbers and alphabet are not too bad, but could be improved I reckon.
But I think all of our choices have a nursery and we will place him in the school nursery for a morning a week leading up to the school hols.
xxx