Probably the wrong forum but it’s a question about when a child starts reception class

[Grmumpy]

I thought if a child was four in November this year, they would start reception class after Christmas, do two terms and start primary school the following September 2024 having done two terms in reception.Apparently they will start reception next September. That seems wrong to me. We are in London. What do the wise mumsnetters know…?

Most children start school full-time in the September after their fourth birthday. However, your child must only start full-time education once they reach compulsory school age, that is, the term following their fifth birthday. Are you mixing these up?

My granddaughter. I thought my children , in the eighties, did half days at reception and that the reception class was during the year prior to year one at infants. I tried looking it up and still thought that was the case but obviously I misunderstood. Thanks for all the information.

Another year of nursery fees for both grandchildren. It was more childminders than nursery ( although I think a good nursery is better) but it didn’t seem so exorbitant ply expensive. I think young parents have it really tough nowadays.

Younger children starting in January was a thing right into the late 1980s even in private sector. Prince William definitely started at Wetherby school in January 1987.

I don't think you misunderstood. I was born in early 90s and we used to do half days at school in "rising 5s" from the term of our 4th birthday.

It is very hard financially. Look into whether the school they’ll attend has a nursery attached. Both my boys started in their school nursery, if you get the 30 hours there’s nothing else to pay (as it’s term time only).
Also make sure they’re claiming the 30 or 15 free hours (depending on circumstances) and using tax free childcare

Though in Edinburgh (at least) if you’re not 5 on the first day of term you can defer.

They should be entitled to the 30 hours funding right up to starting school. School nursery (which is probably what your kids went to) is usually the same hours as school and free (apart from lunch hour)

I am assuming they're both over 3? In which case they will get at least 15 free hours a week (during term time). Can get 30 hours depending on income and it makes a huge difference.

You’re wrong. In those days you started reception the term after your 5th birthday. My birthday is February and I started at Easter. Summer borns didn’t do reception at all and started at what is now Y1. However, so as not to leave the reception class completely empty are the beginning of the academic year, schools tended to take children with September to November birthdays before they turned 5.

I think there is still a choice to do that but not many parents make that choice.

DS birthday is 1st September. He waited a whole year after turning four to start reception and was five before he started (inset days etc). He did two years at school nursery.

I thought if a child was four in November this year, they would start reception class after Christmas, do two terms and start primary school the following September 2024 having done two terms in reception.

You are talking about Reception as if it’s not part of Primary school?!

If your child is 4 this November, they start school next September.

That’s what they did! I was an April starter in a busy class!

Yes that happened to me. Summer born and went straight into year 1 in the 80s.

Back in the 80s/90s, schools would often do staggered starts so that those born in the Autumn term would start Reception in September, those born in the spring term, started after Xmas and those born in the summer term would start at Easter. They would then go into year one the next year. This meant that some children got a full year in reception, whilst others only got a term. You were basically starting the term your turned 5. Not the term you turned 4, like you suggested in your OP.

I think different areas were different ,so you could both be right

I started school in the 60s and we had a sort of rolling year. I was a september baby and started the september i turned 5, however there were older kids in the class already and they went up a year at some time and went upto juniors at the right age
my sister was april born and started in the easter term.

My DC were both september babies and started school in 2000 and 2002. Their reception class were children born between september and march and the rest of the class started after christmas!

I do wish people wouldn't be so dogmatic. @PerspiringElizabeth is not "wrong".

In the 1960s, the predominant pattern (but not ubiquitous) was 3 points of entry.

However, A NFER survey in 1983 across all england and wales LEAs revealed a wide mix of approaches, including one point of entry in September, 2 points, and 3 points. So experiences will differ depending on where you lived. Certainly by the mid 90s there were plenty of LAs operating the one point of entry approach, and Summer borns could, and did, start at just 4 - there was legislation in the early 1970s under thatcher I believe that specifically allowed funding for this. I did it myself.

It might be just different schools organised things differently depending on numbers. Translated into modern terms, my school had 1 reception class, 2x YI, a Y1Y2 composite and 2 x Y2. So half the composite class went up to juniors causing a bit of a bulge in the junior intake.