Please clear up confusion about double intake

[redskyatnight]

Very trivial but please explain to me about double intake!

I was talking to SiL the other day about our DC starting school. My DS started school in September and I was telling her that where I live they have a single intake in September.

Now SIL's DD is 4 in July. Where she lives they do have double intake. SIL remarked (quoted exactly as much as I can remember)
"double intake won't affect DD as she has a July birthday so will start in September anyway. But some of her friends who are 4 in October and November are really pleased about it as it means they can start school just after they are 4 rather than waiting until they are nearly 5."

Now one of us is plainly confused, because I thought that double intake WAS to benefit children with summer birthdays and it means that SIL's DD would start in January (when she is 4.5) and her friends with those Oct/Nov birthdays will be starting the following September (when they are nearly 5).

However SIL is the sort of person that refuses to admit she is wrong so I am now doubting myself. Which way round is it? Or does it vary by area?

[eandh]

My dd is going to be 5 in September and she does not start school until this September (she may even start on her 5th birthday as its the 7th Sept) I had hoped she would start this month but the cutoff is 31st august

Her school (well hopefully the one she'll go to) take children born between 1st Sept and 30th April in the September intake (so in theory they are all 4.5-5yrs old) and then children born May to August start in January (so 4.4 - 4.8yrs old)

so you are right

[pooka]

Might vary by area, but here:

Sept 1st - March 31st = start in September
April 1st - August 31st = start in January

YOur niece would start school in January, aged 4.5.

Children who will be 5 in October/November would start in September, aged nearly 5.

Children who will be 4 in October/November would be in the following academic year, starting aged nearly 5.

DD has a July birthday and started in January. Her friend with a NOvember birthday (previous year) started in the September before dd. Her friend with a September (same year) birthday started in the following September.

[eandh]

and now your neice will not start until second intake unless the school agree (my best friends dd's birthday is June and shes started school this week, however, teh school may consider taking them in September but am not sure what the schools policy is on this I know they tend to stick to the example I gave)

[pooka]

Actually have just checked and 1st Sept - 28th Feb and 1st March - 31st August are the cut offs.