Can I leave school for 6 months and keep my place?

[pirateRainbow]

Next year, we might have to move abroad temporarily for 6 months. DS will be in Year 1. Can we leave the school for 6 months and keep his spot at the (oversubscribed) local primary school?

[RueDeWakening]

No, not as far as I'm aware at least.

[ReinettePompadour]

No I dont think you can especially if there's a waiting list.

[pepperpot99]

No of course not.

[BendingSpoons]

No they won't let you. You would have to reapply on your return.

[Charmatt]

After your child has been absent for 20 school days, they will be taken off roll. You must apply for a place on your return.

[Muchtoomuchtodo]

If it's a UK state school then no.
I'd talk to the headteacher and local council education dept for advice.

[ThisIsNotARealAvo]

Totally depends on area and spaces. Where I work (inner London, falling roll, high mobility) this happens quite a lot. We can't keep spaces open but there usually is one when the child comes back.

[YimminiYoudar]

It depends on whether anyone from the waiting list actually wants to move their child, or if a new family move into the area.

The school cannot keep the place open if someone else wants it but you may be lucky.

A family at my DC's school did this - but their DC was in year 2 so they knew that when they returned the infant class size legislation would no longer apply. They got the place back on their return despite the school being oversubscribed in the entry year.

Not many parents will actually put their child through the disruption of moving school if there's no urgent need, so you might be OK.

[SenoritaViva]

No, the maximum in our area is three months for a child visiting their home country.

[BarbarianMum]

No.

[Zodlebud]

No way. You move out the area. That place is needed by another child who lives round the corner and currently commuting several miles each way to get to the closest school to them with spaces.

Sorry. That person was us a few years ago. Allocated a school in special measures and we ended up in the private sector as a result.

You want that school for your children then you commit to it.

[Luxy]

This is secondary not primary but we recently spoke to my daughters school about doing something similar and were told that they had changed the regulations and if you deregistered your child and then reregistered later on then you would have to be offered the place back at the original school. This was aparently to stop parents playing the system and trying to get a place at another school.

[LadyLapsang]

If someone on the waiting list wants the place or someone moves into the area they will be allocated it. It's not fair to have empty places in oversubscribed schools when other children need a school place. When you move back, you will have to apply for an in-year admission and see what places are available, which may mean your DS ends up in a new school.

[Saracen]

"This is secondary not primary but we recently spoke to my daughters school about doing something similar and were told that they had changed the regulations and if you deregistered your child and then reregistered later on then you would have to be offered the place back at the original school. This was aparently to stop parents playing the system and trying to get a place at another school."

The school staff seem very confused. The school cannot go over its PAN to accommodate a child just because the child is a former pupil of the school. Nor has it ever been possible to "play the system" by withdrawing a child from school. Doing so would not give the child priority for the parents' preferred school.

[Enko]

My daughter spend 5 months in Denmark living with my sister and the primary school had her down as " educated elsewhere" for that period. So she was not actually marked as " absent" on the school register.

However this was some years ago and I know others who have been told they could not have this happen (Different schools). The school my children goes to have done it before and since . However the school 2 miles from it wont do it for anyone (both schools are over subscribed)

I hope some of the admin specialists sees your post and makes a comment about the current regulations.