September birthdays

[Mog]

I wonder if anyone can help as I haven't put any children through school yet. I'm currently expecting my third child, due mid-September. My oldest has just turned three so there will only be three years between all three of them. But because of when their birthdays fall does it mean there will be more than three academic years between them? They are:
Dd - June birthday - so starts half days when 4
Ds - Feb birthday - so starts term after he's 4?
New babe - has to wait till 5

Does anyone know if schools can be flexible on these things as I can imagine the third one desperately wanting to go where his/her older siblings have been for a while. Also my second baby was two weeks early so I'll possibly just miss the 31st August cut-off with number 3.

[Yorkiegirl]

Message withdrawn

[Mog]

I believe our local school still has more than one intake a year. If the September baby was the oldest I wouldn't be that bothered, but it is because he/she will be, I think, 4 academic years behind my eldest but only just three age years away that I would like them to be closer in starting school. I've already seen the influence an older sibling has on development with my middle child so could imagine that the third would be ready for school before 5. (of course there are lots of unknowns,as number three hasn't arrived yet )

[golds]

At our school each child starts school the term after they are 4.

We have 3 intakes per year
January - half days for children that are born between Sep - Dec
Easter - half days for children born between Jan - March (join children above)
September - full days for all children as above and children born between April - Aug 31


My dd was born in the November, so went half days from the January and started full time in the September, she came on really well being one of the oldest in the class, some of the children in her class had only just had there 4th birthday.

[tallulah]

My DD was a Feb baby & started school at 4.5. My 3 DSs are all September & all were 5 within a week or so of starting school. I originally thought this would be a problem but esp for boys it has turned out to be the opposite. I think my DD would have been a problem as she was well ready for school, but boys mature later anyway & benefit from a later start.

[thepin]

Your new child will not have to wait until 5 unless born just before the beginning of start of school term. Children start full time in the term after their 5th birthdays. However, most schools seem to take them in the term that they turn 5. Therefore, youngest child will get a whole year of full time reception. This is really the best option in terms of school. Autumn term child tend, statistically, to do better than summer term children throughout KS1.
Some schools can come up with their own admittance policies, but these tend to be church schools. Most will follow the county policy. In East Sussex it states that children will only be allowed in earlier if there is a social issue (or something like that!)
My daughter is a June birthday which meant that she had two terms part-time and two terms full time in reception. My son being October will get three terms full-time in reception.
Different areas take children in at different times depending on whether they have funded nursery classes. All children, regardless of birthdates, will follow the Foundation Stage curriculum until they start Y1 (unless exceptional circumstances prevail).

[LunarSea]

I'd check with your LEA, as there isn't a definitive answer, it varies depending upon where you are. Here (Warwickshire) they all start in the September of the school year in which they will turn 5.

[coppertop]

There is only one intake per year where I live. All children start in the September following their 4th birthday (although off course legally you can wait until they are 5). By about the 3rd week all children attend full-time unless there are extenuating circumstances.

[coppertop]

OF course, not "off course"