INVERCLYDE Council is scrapping the phasing in of new primary one pupils - and from August they will be in class all day.

The Tele reported earlier this year that officials were considering ditching the policy of settling in new starts gradually.

In this district, new starts have finished at lunchtime up until the September break, only spending the full day in school after the holiday weekend onward.

Now, following consultations with head teachers and parent councils, it has been announced that from the start of the new school term in August primary ones will be in right through the day.

Education bosses say that with changes to the childcare and the introduction of extended hours many children are already in nurseries all day.

A report by education director Ruth Binks said: "In Inverclyde, primary one pupils starting primary school have only attended until lunchtime from

the first day of term until the September holiday weekend.

"The rationale behind this was that completing a full day, along with a transition to a new setting, could overwhelm children at such a young age and allowed pupils a staged and successful transition to starting school life."

But the report pointed out that children are increasingly more used to attending centres all day.

The report added: "This diminishes the risks of children becoming overwhelmed by both the setting and the length of the day."