School starting age, please advise

Soniclord

I have a 4 year old daughter (she was 4 in May this year) and she is currently at a private nursery (a surestart one) and attends on a Monday, Thursday and Friday for 5 hours on each of those days. Now one of the workers there has said my 4 year old is eligible to start school in September of this year when she will be 4 years and 4 months old, is that correct?

The reason I ask is because I read here http://www.familiesonline.co.uk/Subjects/Articles/School-Age-When-should-a-child-start-school that most children in the UK start school just before their fifth birthday or during the Academic Year that they are going to be five. My daughter won't be 5 until May of next year so if she starts in September this year that's 8 months before she's 5.

Anyway I've also been told if we wanted she could stay at the private nursery until she's 5.

We are going to be moving back to the village where she goes to nursery, so she can go to one of the good schools in that village (which she can't if we stay where we live now because we live about 10 miles away from where they are so she doesn't fall into the 'catchment' area) and we (me and my other half) think it would be best to keep her in the nursery until she's 5 so when we do move back to the village we moved away from she won't have all the upheavel of starting 1 school, getting used to it then us having to move her to a different school when we do move (we only moved stupidly thinking we'd be better off, but aren't) council tax where we are now is much more expensive and the water bill is almost double, things we didn't know until we moved. And not something we thought of checking before we moved either. Another reason is my other half wanted to be closer to her family (but still doesn't really see them much more than before we moved!) it was only a half hour bus trip away anyway lol.

So can someone please offer some advice as we need to let the nursery know one way or the other before the end of next week.

Thank you.

Mummy_Jo

I think you may be right. My little girl is starting school this September too and we too live out of catchment. I drive them to their school. Is that an option for you? - It may be worth thinking about so that your little girl can settle in easily and quickly. Also, my son has been at school for two years now and he has had an extra 6 children join the class in that time and it has made no difference to the class - it is like the children have always been there. Kids are more resilient than you think so you may find they can cope better with the move than you anticipated.

Why don't you ring the school you would like her to go to and chat to them about the different options.

Good Luck
Jo

apples1

From the age you gave given for your daughter she would be eligible to start school in Sept. It's amazing that you have only just been made aware of this. You should have received a letter last year asking you to select your preference of school. These are chased if not returned. Did you not receive one at all?

I know legally you dont have to put them in school until 5yrs but I imagine nursery funding (your 15hrs per week) would cease between now & then if you didn't.

pleasedelete

The statutory school age is that a child must start school (or have home education provision) by the term after the term in which they are 5.

The starting age for school is now the September of the academic year in which they will become 5. This has been standardized across the country as previously different LAs had different starting points.

Your child would start school in September this year. You can apply to hold the place but there may be conditions.

If you have not applied for a place you need to do that asap regardless of when you want her to start. There is an admissions limit to all schools. You cannot assume that she will be ale to go straight I to year 1.

You can chose to keep her in a PVI setting and she would go straight into year 1 assuming the place can be held.
This is not something I would reccomend educationally or socially for a child. Research shows that children do best in a setting led by a teacher.

pleasedelete

To add.

She will be eligible for a full time school place.

You can continue the 15 hours funding which would continue until the end of the term in which she is 5. As she was born in May this woukd be until the end of of the Summer term.

She would not be with peers in nursery as almost all parents elect for a reception class place. The nursery would have to complete an EYFS profile statutory assessment for her in the Summer term. The
LA woukd support and moderate this.

moneypanicker

I don't understand how you didn't know!

Do you not chat to other parents at the nursery? Surely most of her friends will be leaving to go to school do you want her being in a nursery with children that have just turned 3 when she could be at school with children her own age.

The problem you will have now is that reception places will have already been allocated. It depends on where you live but around this area reception places are at a premium and hardly anyone gets their first choice. They are also restricted with numbers so you can't just get slotted into a school.

If you can get a space at a school i think its up to the school whether they keep the place open to year 1 and legally reception class isn't compulsary...but.... although kids come and go and no doubt she will fit in but the other kids will have been at school for a year learning maths, learning to read and write. Will the nursery be able to provide the input she needs to ensure that she will not be behind in year 1?

My daughter is just about to finish reception class and there are a lot of children in her class that are younger than your daughter would be many are not 5 until august and they are doing the same as everyone else.

pleasedelete

Just to clarify the last poster. The Reception year is statutory school age (and so compulsory to attend or make other home Ed provision) depending on tne birth date of the child.

The legal school age is the term after the child becomes 5. For some children that will be January and for others not until the next September.

mummyroysof3

my daughters birthday was in april and she turned 4. she will be starting in reception full time in september, we got a letter at the end of last year to apply for a place which had to be in by january.

pleasedelete

In terms of getting a place for september you need to be very quick as term ends this week.

The admissions are still under the jurisdiction of the LA at this point as the appeals/waiting list etc is still in place until the end of September. This means that it is the LA not the school who will handle the admission.

However I would call the school immediately on Monday and check if they have a place. If they do it will be straight forward . You will complete an LA form. You must make sure that she visits this week and meets the teachers so she isn't just thrown in at the deep end in September. You can apply to defer the place until later in the year but really think carefully about this as she will be out of sync with the rest of the class.

If they do not have a place (and indeed if they do) you must contact the LA admissions. They will advise which schools have places. They have to provide you with a place. Again you can apply to the school, to defer it. You can then go on a waiting list for the school of your choice if you are not initially offered a place. You must register an interest with the school as well as after September they will contact parents if a place comes up not the LA.

nannytone_2

different education authorities start kids at school at different times.
In London my grandson ( July baby) started reception in September, when he was 4 and 2 months. when it was time for the second child to start school (June baby) they had moved north. the new authority didn't start the 'younger half of the year until January ( so he was 4 and 7 months)

you are fully entitled to wait until your child is 5 before sending them to school but you should consider that the children that will be in their class will already have had many months of acclimatisation, and will have already made friends and settled within their peer group. It may be difficult for a child to start 'alone'.

pleasedelete

nannytone wrote: »

different education authorities start kids at school at different times.
In London my grandson ( July baby) started reception in September, when he was 4 and 2 months. when it was time for the second child to start school (June baby) they had moved north. the new authority didn't start the 'younger half of the year until January ( so he was 4 and 7 e'.

That is no longer the case. Historically LAS had up to 3 points on entry.

Nationally it has now moved to what is known as the single point of entry. This is in September.

Places are now offered from September. You can apply to have the place deferred up until the point at which the child is of statutory school age. Deferment is not necessarily automatic.