Possible to enter a child into junior school a year early?

[Snowme]

I'm assuming this can't be done as there's absolutely zero search results, but is it possible to enter a child into junior school a year early?

My daughter (Year 1, just turned 6) is on waiting lists for a local school as we've moved and she's still being driven and bussed in to her old school 4 miles away.
Her younger sibling has just been allocated a place at the infant school next to us.

The junior school is adjacent to this infant school, and as I'm suffering quite significantly financially with transporting her to the old school, putting her in juniors a year early might be convenient (for me). I have explored every conceivable avenue re: affording transport costs, in year admissionetc etc by the way.

Her cousin who turned 7 this January, starts Junior school this September. He won't be 8 until next January. I assumed you had to be 8 to start Juniors, but their school merges year groups, so perhaps that's the reason.

The idea was presented to me by someone at the school gates who knew of Australian expats returning and putting their child straight into Juniors a year early (Their child is also 6) so it must be possible. I just can't seem to find any google results on such a procedure.

[Snowme]

Well, their child turns 7 next year, perhaps that makes a difference , or something to do with the Australian school system year grading being 'ahead' perhaps.

[Smartiepants79]

Well I know nothing about the Australian school system but I think the only way you could know for sure is to speak to the school.
You must consider very carefully if your child is academically and socially able enough to cope with being moved.
Based on my knowledge of uk school system I'd be very surprised if they allow this except in exceptional circumstances.

[SuburbanRhonda]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding something here, but shouldn't you be looking at getting her into an infant school if she's in year 1? Sorry if I'm being dense.

I don't think the LA would place her out of her year group to alleviate transport problems, tbh.

[exexpat]

The only Australians I know who have done this in the UK were at a private school. State schools are normally extremely strict about sticking to age boundaries, and I can't imagine that they would make an exception purely for your convenience rather than educational need.

[PatriciaHolm]

If her cousin has turned 7 in jan, he will be in yr2 now, yr 3 in sept , so right year for juniors.

Sorry but there is pretty much zero chance of you getting your DD into the year above. It's pretty much impossible even for very educationally advanced children.

[lougle]

Actually, not so impossible.

This year the Schools Admissions Code changed.

"2.17 Admission of children outside their normal age group - Parents of gifted and talented children, or those who have experienced problems or missed part of a year, for example due to ill health, can seek places outside their normal age group. Admission authorities must make decisions on the basis of the circumstances of each case, informing parents of their statutory right to appeal. This right does not apply if they are offered a place in another year group at the school." 2012 Code

Now, that doesn't give an automatic right, but it opens the gate for negotiation.