Primary staggered starts –Parents' rights

[katieh217]

Hello,
If you're a working parent who isn't happy with the staggered school date you have received from your child's primary school, this post might help.

My son starts primary school in September. His brother is due to go into year 3. Both my husband and I work full time, which as any working parent knows, is always a struggle to find cover for the 65+ days school holidays a year. The eldest child returns on 4th September and we were given a start date for the younger one of 15th September.
This was because he was coming from a private nursery, school nursery children start on the 5th September. Children who have been at home with a parent and have no experience of any educational setting are not starting till 18th.

This was unmanageable for our family as we have no parents nearby to help out and no hols left. At first the school was reluctant to change this, until i found this gem – advice from the Department of Education about staggered starts on The Key – a website for primary school governors:

"Where the school’s policy is to stagger entry points to reception for different groups of children, but a parent requests that a child attend from the first possible start date, the school is obliged by the School Admissions Code to accommodate the request."

YES!

The full article is here, but you may need to open a free trial membership to access it: schoolgovernors.thekeysupport.com/curriculum-and-pupils/admissions-and-roll/admission-of-pupils-to-reception-can-we-stagger-entry-points/

Of course, we didn't want to be difficult so we didn't press for the same date start. We just wanted a little flexibility for working parents and an acknowledgement that the school is legally bound to accommodate parents' wishes with regards to start dates. We agreed he will start on the 7th September.

Hope this helps!

[GuestWW]

It was the half days until half-term that were a complete pain. Pretty expensive getting someone to pick up the DC at lunchtime for six weeks!

[ThomasRichard]

That's really useful information. DD starts school in September but is an autumn baby so in the first cohort. Summer-born children don't start full-time until the 21st! I was really worried about it as, like you, I work FT and there's no way I could take off 3 weeks for settling.

[MintJulip]

we were told its illegal and doesnt help parents in work.

[PatriciaHolm]

The code itself says -

Admission of children below compulsory school age49 and deferred entry to school
2.16 Admission authorities must provide for the admission of all children in the September following their fourth birthday. The authority must make it clear in their arrangements that, where they have offered a child a place at a school:
a) that child is entitled to a full-time place in the September following their fourth birthday;
So no need to register for anything ;-)
The code itself is freely available here

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachmentdata/file/389388/SchoollAdmissionsCodee2014--19Dec.pdf

[thekillers]

You need read the Schools Adjudicator annual report. If you want a full time place from the start of term them you are entitled to one. It has been that way for several years.