Starting primary school pre statutory school age?

far2812

Hello

I have a question that I cannot find an answer to anywhere.

My best friend has two children - one aged 5 (born October) and one aged 4 (October).

The question is - the 5 year old has started primary school reception this year - can the 4 year old attend the same class albeit she is 4 and it will be earlier than the statutory school age?

Thank you

Bumpmakesfour

Pretty certain that the 4 year old will be due to start next september when the 5 year old moves up to year one as their birthday falls after the august cut off.

far2812

That's what we thought but she is really ready to start school and we were wondering what the chances are. She currently attends the nursery at the school which is combined with the reception class. There is no available place for her next september due to us being outside the catchment area but there is space in reception this year.

ellay864

As far as I know there's no legal reason the younger one couldn't attend, but it would need the agreement of the school. Is the class/year group already full or are there spaces - they'd be the obvious practical aspects. But why does your friend want the younger one to start now? The UK already has one of the earliest starting ages and a lot of people feel it's too soon. Many children who have later birthdays (July/August for example) have been shown to struggle compared to children born September/October, and even for a bright child there's other social aspects to consider. If your friend feels her child is exceptionally bright and would benefit from a more structured education than she feels nursery/pre-school can provide, then she could talk to the school about the Young Gifted and Talented programme.
Personally I think kids get little enough time to just be children these days - I'd not be encouraging your friend to offload her youngest one to school before she has to!

Bumpmakesfour

Have a look here x
http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/earlyyears/index.aspx?articleid=10470

http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=11474

clearingout

have you checked the rules on entrance to the school? there is usually a sibling rule over distance from school. In other words, having a child in the school already would give you priority over a child who lives closer to the school but has no siblings. In my youngest child's class (very popular school locally), there are 20 siblings in a 30 intake so anyone more than half a mile away didn't get in.

PoorCharleyBear

my little one started school in September and will not be 5 til next year.
She is settling in OK and is learning BUT I still would have preferred her to stay back another year. She is only little. She has 12-14 years of schooling ahead and one extra year will make no difference to her overall life.

She gets tired and would definitely benefit from more play time and just doing nice things with me.

Finally, from a social perspective, the difference between 4 and 5 year old is vast. I would hate anyone younger than my daughter to struggle with keeping up with older kids- learning to share, express emotions etc is all as critical as learning.

(How does your friend know allocations are full for next year? Close out date for applications is mid Jan, and allocation of spaces is after this)

betsie

I do not think the school will take her. It was always my understanding that to start in September 2012 (for example) the child has to be 4 years old on or before 31 August 2012. If they are 4 on 1st October 2012 they can not start school until 1st Spetmebr 2013.

Maybe if the school had lots of places available they may consider it but they would not give her a place over someone of the correct starting age (the sibling link will only come into effect for the year she should actually start Sept 2013).

globetraveller

How would the sibling feel if she wasn't as bright as her sister?

pinkclouds

The cut off date is end February for Scotland and end August for England. You must have your 4th birthday by the cut off date i.e. if your birthday is March then you're the oldest in the year in Scotland and if you have a September birthday then you're the oldest in the year in England. The statutory age is 5 so you can defer starting school for one year. Some schools do a rolling/staggered intake so that younger kids can start mid year at the next term. Doesn't seem to be very common but I have heard of this practice.

But, essentially, the answer is: no.

Janepig

clearingout wrote: »

have you checked the rules on entrance to the school? there is usually a sibling rule over distance from school. In other words, having a child in the school already would give you priority over a child who lives closer to the school but has no siblings. In my youngest child's class (very popular school locally), there are 20 siblings in a 30 intake so anyone more than half a mile away didn't get in.

The OP did mention they were out of catchment, so they would only be looked at after catchment with siblings, and catchment have been catered for.

My two started full time at 3 (one was 3 years 9 months, the other 3 years 5 months). Their school has one intake, the September after their 3rd birthday. The year is then split into two, roughly along the lines of September-March and April-August and stays like that right the way through primary school. I'm not sure if it's the same in England, but in Wales they have an early years curriculum, which is basically playing. Neither of mine have ever had an issue with having started school so young, and it's obviously a popular choice as the school is heavily oversubscribed every year.

Jx