Staggered Starts

For your child's first weeks of school, they will take part in a staggered start. We start with a few children and build up in small groups until the whole class is together. Children begin with just a few hours a day and slowly increase their time in school until they are here full time.

At Handsworth, we believe all children make an active contribution to our school society. It is vital, therefore, that they have quality time to spend with the practitioners in the room and build relationships with us before they are in school full-time. We as practitioners believe the best way to do this is to dedicate individual time to each child so that they can be listened to and have the chance to fully express themselves and their personalities whilst beginning their journey into school. The most effective way to facilitate this is through a staggered start. You can read more about the philosophy behind our staggered starts here. 

During Stay and Play sessions, you will have the opportunity to ask us any questions about your child's start date and their staggered start into school. We will do our best to ensure the dates we give you are the best for your family and your child. However, we cannot guarantee you will be given the start date of your choice. This is why we encourage you to plan around the idea that your child may be starting in Group E so all eventualities are planned for.