School starting age, please advise

bestpud

balancelife wrote: »

Does it depend as well if you've registered your interest with a particular school? when we put our dd's name down on the list for her school they took our details and then when the time came sent us out an application pack and the prospectus etc with the standard LEA forms in the post.

Finally, we then got a hand delivered letter from the county council saying that they believed there was a child living at this address who was born between Sept 05- August 06 who would be due to start school. this had info about which school was her catchment one and how to apply for schools on line or in the post and the dates to do it and what would happen next. (confused me though as I'd already applied to our chosen school.)

I don't know how widespread this is, but you can't register an interest in state schools here. The LEA deal with admissions and everything must go through them - waiting lists are held and controlled by them too.

Some schools (Church ones mainly) are able to tweak their admissions procedure and they will handle and approve applications for church places, but criteria such as distance from the school still apply once the quota of church places has been filled.

We were sent forms through the post and I know they used the records kept for vaccination and health visitor checks etc, because that department have our address wrong and refuse to change it.

onlyroz

I always assumed that you got "into the system" just by registering at a GP. I remember receiving our school application forms through the post - the (private) nursery my son attended had nothing to do with it. All they wanted to know was how long he'd be staying at the nursery for.

mrbrightside842

I haven't read all 10 pages yet, but if she starts school when she turns 5, will she just be thrown in with a class of children who have been in the class for 8 months and who have learned all the basics already? And that's assuming there'll be a place in the school you're planning on moving to. If they've got a class full of 30 kids who are starting in September then there won't be room for your daughter in May.

My friend's little girl started school last September and she won't be 5 until the 31st of August, she only just made it into this school year, but she's doing great!

picnmix

mrbrightside842 wrote: »

I haven't read all 10 pages yet, but if she starts school when she turns 5, will she just be thrown in with a class of children who have been in the class for 8 months and who have learned all the basics already? And that's assuming there'll be a place in the school you're planning on moving to. If they've got a class full of 30 kids who are starting in September then there won't be room for your daughter in May.

My friend's little girl started school last September and she won't be 5 until the 31st of August, she only just made it into this school year, but she's doing great!

Oh lord here we go again - prepare yourself!

jellyhead

bestpud wrote: »

I don't know how widespread this is, but you can't register an interest in state schools here. The LEA deal with admissions and everything must go through them - waiting lists are held and controlled by them too.

Some schools (Church ones mainly) are able to tweak their admissions procedure and they will handle and approve applications for church places, but criteria such as distance from the school still apply once the quota of church places has been filled.

We were sent forms through the post and I know they used the records kept for vaccination and health visitor checks etc, because that department have our address wrong and refuse to change it.

I didn't register an interest in our primary because I didn't think they still did that, but apparently what happens is they keep your address and they send you an application form at the appropriate time, and possibly their prospectus. Ours sent letters inviting parents to coffee mornings and any other events such as the summer fete so they could have a look at the school and get a feel for the community spirit. I got all this information anyway, because the surestart nursery is next door to the school and the school keep in close contact.

It doesn't mean 'your name is down', or that you have any more chance of getting into that school, but it does mean you get an application form (just the standard LEA application for the centralised process) in the post.

jellyhead

karolin wrote: »

I think six is the best age to start school.

My son would agree with that. He's not yet 6, and has been at school for 2 years already. He loves it, but year 2 is going to be difficult for him (for lots of reasons - some kids are just 'young'. He's been referred to the child development centre) and I'll have no hesitation in taking him out of school if it looks like it's doing more harm than good.

So far it's been good for him, but I would prefer a system where they start formal learning at a later age, as they do in other countries. I have 2 summer children who have developmental issues though, whereas a parent of a winter child who is mature and bright would probably think the opposite.

bestpud

jellyhead wrote: »

I didn't register an interest in our primary because I didn't think they still did that, but apparently what happens is they keep your address and they send you an application form at the appropriate time, and possibly their prospectus. Ours sent letters inviting parents to coffee mornings and any other events such as the summer fete so they could have a look at the school and get a feel for the community spirit. I got all this information anyway, because the surestart nursery is next door to the school and the school keep in close contact.

It doesn't mean 'your name is down', or that you have any more chance of getting into that school, but it does mean you get an application form (just the standard LEA application for the centralised process) in the post.

I know what registering an interest means, but the schools here won't do it - or at least not the four I tried and two others I know of. They just say it is all done through the LEA and to check local papers and/or the school website for more info about open days etc.

It changed between my second and third child, as it was something you could do when my older two were about to start school.

moomoomama27

shirlgirl2004 wrote: »

Actually at my daughter's nursery discussions about school only started the day places were allocated so that would be too late too apply anyway. OPs child is only just 4, in reality until a few years ago children didn't start until the term before they were 5. Why would the OP think to start looking at schools when their child is only 3? If I didn't know anything about the time-lines involved and I was a busy working parent I might be more concerned with life on the treadmill rather than thinking to look up the schools application process.

I would always be more concerned about my childs education, future and welfare before the daily grind! It is possible to achieve a balance!!

All parents should know when their child is due to start formal education, many start looking at schools by the time their child has reached 4. Many nurserys that are attached to a school have phasing in days, where the nursery children spend time in the reception unit. Maybe that's not the same in all areas, but the school starting age is pretty much the same!

shirlgirl2004

moomoomama27 wrote: »

I would always be more concerned about my childs education, future and welfare before the daily grind! It is possible to achieve a balance!!

All parents should know when their child is due to start formal education, many start looking at schools by the time their child has reached 4. Many nurserys that are attached to a school have phasing in days, where the nursery children spend time in the reception unit. Maybe that's not the same in all areas, but the school starting age is pretty much the same!

The point is until the last year there wasn't a uniform starting age. Now it is the September before they turn 5 this is a VERY recent change. If the OP had researched it when their child was born (you know in all those hours they sleep so you get to sit with your feet up ) then they would have thought they had more time before their child started school.

I don't think keeping a 4 year old at home an extra year is going to damage a child's education, future or welfare but then I'm going to actively educate my child at home until she is at least 12. I guess it depends if you think only the State can provide what our children need educationally and socially. I certainly don't.

moomoomama27

shirlgirl2004 wrote: »

I don't think keeping a 4 year old at home an extra year is going to damage a child's education, future or welfare but then I'm going to actively educate my child at home until she is at least 12. I guess it depends if you think only the State can provide what our children need educationally and socially. I certainly don't.

Nor do I! That was never my point!

I do more than actively educate all three of my children at home. I firmly believe that learning is just as valuable at home as it is in school. So we're on the same page there!