Relocating from the US need help understanding school years

[amenahi]

Hi All,

I am relocating from the US to live in London near King's College Hospital for only one year. We are considering living in the Dulwich Village area. I need help understanding a couple things.

1. What is the name of the grade for children entering school who turn 5 before the school year starts? In the US that is considered kindergarten.

1. Is there a cut-off date that a child must turn 5 by before they are able to start? For example in the US a child must be 5 by September 1st (in most states) before they are able to start kindergarten.

1. If there is a cut-off date are there any exceptions to the rule? Can a child test into the grade?

[lilyaldrin]

Children can start Reception the September after they turn 4 - the cut off is August 31st.

Children must be in education by the term after they turn 5.

So, all children must start Year 1 (or home education) the September after their 5th birthday.

It is possible to delay a child starting school in some circumstances (SEN, maybe prematurity). Children generally are not placed outside their age group though.

[lilyaldrin]

In practice, almost all children start school (Reception) the September after their 4th birthday.

[Huitre]

Children start at four, not five. From ages 4-5 they are in Reception, age 5-6 is Year 1, age 6-7 is Year 2 and so on. Reception is when the vast majority of children begin school but it is possibly to delay a child's entry into school until the term after they turn 5 if desired (they join their correct year group, not the one below, even if they are not five until August).

In state education, all children (barring severe delays etc) are placed in the correct year group for their age. You can't test into a different year group.

A child who is five at the start of the school year would be going into Year 1.

[birdybear]

It would be very unusual, for a child not to start reception the September after they turn 5. They do not do work as such then, it is learn through playing so Will prob be similar to the US . They Will slowing start to learn to read and write.
That first year is called reception and the next year is called year one. Go figure!

[Huitre]

The September after a child turns five will be Year 1 for that child, birdy, not Reception. Children begin in Reception the September after they turn four, usually.

[NynaevesSister]

Dulwich Village or Herne Hill are both really lovely areas and perfect for commute to Kings. The state primary schools are also really lovely. But you may find it difficult to get a place as you will be applying after the cut off for Reception. This is Jan 15th for Reception starting Sept 2014. If you are apply for year 1 for 2014 you still do so through the local authourity (Southwark) as an in year application. Schools are limited at this age to 30 max per class. Once that is filled they cannot give you a place even if you move across the road.

Dulwich Infants is always over subscribed. As is Hitherfield But it is always possible that a place comes up. So worth going on the waiting list.

If you are looking at private then I've heard lovely things about Dulwich college's school for that age group (and a friend who works there and loves it). Also about Dulwich Prep.

[Schmedz]

Basically year 1 in the US is year 2 here for the same age children which means your 5 year old will be joining school here in year 1 and not Reception (kindergarten). If he has not had any introduction to letters, reading or basic number and maths concepts it would be worth doing some prep with him so y 1 is not a complete shock. But lots of children move from abroad and jump in the deep end with the UK system, so most schools are well equipped to support them.

My eldest has just started year 7 (senior school) but in the US she would be in Year 6.

Good luck!

[amenahi]

Thank you all for the helpful information! Nynaevessister, and all I should have mentioned that my DD will be 5 on Sept 17 2014. Meaning she'll miss the Sept 1st cut off for Year 1 by a couple weeks. She knows all her letters and we have been teaching her how to read for the past few months. Any ideas what the policies are if I wanted her to start Y1 even though she's not technically 5 by the cut-off date?

Also, I'm assuming I can't apply to schools unless I'm a resident - which won't be until July so I'd have to do the in year application once I get there :(

[lilyaldrin]

If she is 5 in September 2014 then she would be starting Reception in September 2014, and Year 1 in September 2015.

If you are a resident by July then you will need to submit a late application in July - the local authority will have to find you a Reception place somewhere, but it is unlikely to be your first choice.

Your DD must be in school/education by January 2015, so you do have the option of putting your name on some waiting lists and hoping a space in a preferred school comes up by the January term.

[prh47bridge]

It is extremely unlikely your daughter would be allowed to go straight into Y1. Going up a year is almost unheard of in the UK.

[lilyaldrin]

Is there a reason you want her to go straight into Year 1 by the way? It does seem very unlikely that you'd be able to skip a year - she should go into Reception with her peer group.

[Huitre]

As your daughter will be new to formal education, in your shoes I would count my lucky stars that she's not 18 days older and being chucked into the deep end of Y1, where the expectations are a lot higher - one little American girl has joined my DD's class in Y2 this year without much previous formal schooling and is having a really tough time. My DD has an early Sept birthday and I have found it has made life a lot easier for her in terms of developmental readiness to do the stuff they are doing at school. Reception, while play-based, isn't just play, btw. The children will be doing phonics and maths every day, not to mention RE, history, geography, art, science, guided reading etc. It's just that it will be presented as informally as possible and with as much child-led activity as possible.

[amenahi]

Thanks again everyone! I guess the problem is she's had two years of formal Montessori education ( where she's in a room of 3-6 year olds) She is used to the routine of 8am-3:00pm every day ( except summers). She is also physically big ( above 90% in height and weight). Her teacher says she is at her peer groups level - meaning the class entering Y1. That's why I feel like doing a year of Reception would be putting her behind. Trust me I am in no rush or have the need to pressure her in terms of education. I just don't want her to be bored and not be challenged.

Now I'm worried about the application process in general and finding her a spot in any class. Lol

[lilyaldrin]

Lots of children her age will have done 2 years in nursery already, so I wouldn't worry. September born children will often have had 5 terms of pre-school or school nursery before beginning Reception.

[NynaevesSister]

Reception is the equiv of your Y1 isn't it? It isn't like Kindergarten - there is a lot of free play time but it is far more structured. Also, any good school will easily take all that in their stride. They are used to a vastly different level of ability at KS1 and will differentiate accordingly. As for size - well there's a huge difference in size in my son's class but that's never made a difference.

If you want her to go to a state school I would start with the area that you want to move to. Find all the nearest schools, take a look at the Ofsted report for each one (although that by no means paints the whole picture) and look at the school's website for admissions criteria and also the local authority (in the case of Dulwich Village, Herne Hill, East Dulwich and West Dulwich this is Southwark).

This is the school finder on the government's website:
schoolsfinder.direct.gov.uk/schoolsfinder

To do a quick look up on all the stats and ofsted reports for a school look at its dashboard - enter the school's name in this finder:
dashboard.ofsted.gov.uk/

This is a link to the government's website on finding schools:
www.gov.uk/schools-admissions/choosing-schools

This is a link to Southwark's web page for school admissions:
www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200289/primary_school_admissions

When you arrive and have a residential address in Dulwich (assuming here!) you will put in an application to Southwark - but the school does not have to be in Southwark. They can be in any London Borough - you just need to put in one application. For example, if you were on, say the Croxted Road side of Dulwich Village you might list Dulwich Infants (which is in Southwark) and Rosendale (which is in Lambeth).

I would suggest that you call around, and see if school's have a vacancy. You might need to go on the waiting list for schools - often people don't take up a place but don't notify the school. When a place comes free it is allocated using the same admissions criteria, not who was put on the waiting list first. So if you are closest to the school, for example, you will get a place.

You might want to look at an improving school. Langbourne, which I believe has been renamed Dulwich Wood, has had a lot of money and time invested in it by Southwark recently. It is in a lovely setting, and has something many Lambeth schools lack - lots of outdoor space. It's not quite so handy to Dulwich village, but is still walkable, and easily less than 5 mins drive.

On the West Dulwich side you have Rosendale and Elm Wood, both outstanding schools. Elm Wood is also in the process of expanding so there's lots of building work going on but it has gone up to 2 classes per year (what they call a 3 form entry here). And Rosendale as 3 classes I believe. I'm afraid I don't know the schools in Herne Hill and East Dulwich as well but I think they're all good schools.

Also state schools in the UK can be religious - Dulwich Infants is a Church of England School. St Anthony's, which is lovely and has an Ofsted rating of Good, is Catholic.

If you decide to go private then there's lots of options in Dulwich, and you can find them using the same Government school finder. Note that in the UK an 'Independent' school is a private or fee paying school.

Finally, although a child has to start school at five by law, this doesn't have to be a school. All you have to do in the UK is let the local authority know that you are going to home educate. There's no application, assessments, or follow ups. At any point you can re-enter the school system when you want to, by putting in an application with the local authority.

Note that if you are offered a school place and turn it down, the local authority is considered to have fulfilled its obligation to provide an educational opportunity, and does not have to offer you another place (and probably won't).

All this sounds stressful but it isn't really. Oh ok it is! But you can come here and ask as many questions as you like. We have two really lovely regulars, PH47Bridge and Admissions who know everything there is about applying for a school place and have endless amounts of patience at helping people. I'm always amazed at their kindness in donating so much time here.

[NynaevesSister]

I should say some of West Dulwich - a large chunk of it is in Lambeth.

[olibeansmummy]

Your dd will go into reception, but u wouldn't worry, ds knew all his letters and could read quite a bit when he started and was/is doing well with maths and he's only a May birthday so I'm assuming there are plenty of older children who are the same level as him/ further on than him.

[Seminyak]

I can't really help with the edu side of things because I don't have kids, but you'll be down the road from me! Hello! :) Hope your move goes well.

[PenguinsDontEatKale]

If you are coming for a year from the US and have been in Montessori education there, would private education be an option?

I really wouldn't worry about a child being stretched enough in reception in a good school. Many will start knowing some letters, etc.

However, the application process as a late applicant can be pretty fraught as all the places have already been allocated and you are relying on some people not taking up places to make movement on waiting lists. Private schools may have more flexibility.

[amenahi]

Nynaevessister thank you ever so much for all the information/ resources you provided! I will take a look at all the websites and make some calls. From the rest of he posts it sounds like she'll be fine in Reception, especially at a decent school. Unfortunately private is not an option due to the cost.

[PenguinsDontEatKale]

I am sure she will be fine in reception. It is quite funny (in the nicest possible way!) for me to hear you worrying about your daughter being bored as one of the oldest in reception since it is seen as a total plus here and you get thread after thread with people worrying about their child being young for the year!

Bear in mind also that the teaching of reading is probably quite different to what she is used to (we are very phonics focused) and being that bit older will probably help her adjust to that more easily too.

[pyrrah]

Just to add - Southwark admissions are a lovely bunch and they actually encouraged me to ring weekly to check waiting list positions. They practically recognised my voice when I called by the time she got a place! After the 31st August, the lists will be held by the schools so you start ringing them rather than the council.

The council only has to offer a place within 'reasonable distance' - that can be up to an hours travelling each way in London. Be careful about turning it down if that is what you get offered - they only have to make one offer. Nurseries won't generally take older children here, so you will end up having to HE. Better to take the place and then keep fingers crossed that something will come up from the waiting lists (you can be on more than one list).

Even in Outstanding schools places do come up in Reception. In fact Reception is probably an easier year to get one as there is more movement than once children are settled in Y1.

I'm in the North of the Borough which tends to have slightly higher mobility, but got a place in an Outstanding primary (my first choice) 3 weeks into term after two parents finally told the school they weren't taking the place and another 2 moved their children after getting their first choice at another primary. So 4 places came up at once.

Do be prepared to move fast if you get an offer. I heard on the Thursday morning, had to sign the forms and take DD to see the school on the Friday and she started on the Monday morning. Spent the whole weekend trying to track down navy blue pinafores!

Coming from the USA, you may not be aware that there is no such thing as a secular school in the UK. All schools, by law, must have a daily act of worship of a broadly Christian nature (unless the school is a Jewish/Hindu/Muslim primary in which case insert broadly X nature).

The degree of religiosity pretty much depends on the HT. DD's school basically just covers being nice to people and so on. Others will have prayers and bible stories.

Most schools do a Nativity play but they are usually somewhat unorthodox - Mary got taken to hospital to have Jesus by a load of fireman because the donkey got too tired at DD's. I suspect because Reception had a large number of firemen costumes already. DD is a bit confused about the whole stable thing now, but since we are atheists we're not too bothered.

Obviously faith schools are generally far more religious especially in cities (many village schools are CofE and no option of another school for parents so tend to be more 'nod to god'). 'Outstanding' CofE and RC schools in London often require bums on pews at least 2x a month plus baptism before 6 months and extra points for doing the flowers etc and you will need letters from your priest with the application form.

So, if you are religious and regularly attend, might be worth getting your local priest in the USA to provide you with references!

If you spot a school you really like, move as close as possible as the waiting lists don't discriminate on how early you go on the list, it's all about being the highest category for admissions - normally children in care/children with statement of education need/siblings/distance or similar. So the nearer you live the higher your chances of being further up the pecking order.

[NynaevesSister]

Amenahi I will message you my email. If you have an questions about the area or want more information I am happy to help.

[NynaevesSister]

OK I can't work out how to message on my phone so I will do so when I get home!

[amenahi]

Wow pyrrah I didn't realize the schools were not secular...I thought they would be more so than the USA. That's good to know. I can't believe 'reasonable distance' is considered an hour one way! I actually have another dd who would be starting Y3. I better do some homework myself on HE options to be prepared - especially since we were not planning on getting a car.

NyanevesSister - yes your email would be helpful as I would have more questions about the area!