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Original poster

Scottish schools

15 replies

In2info · 03/02/2018 10:10

My child is currently in Year 2 in England. Their birthday is 29th August and we had them deferred a year before starting school and they are thriving. I have researched the Scottish system as we want to move, but am confused. The Scottish school year starts mid August, but Scotland's Term 1 starts at the end of Jan/beg of Feb. Therefore, what year would they be in, in Scotland? and how can I ensure they will be older in their year group and not the youngest?

OP posts:

celtiethree · 03/02/2018 10:13

What year were they born. Their birthday means that they would be roughly in the middle of the year.

Piffpaffpoff · 03/02/2018 10:17

I don’t know what year 2 is. How old are they?

For this year’s intake starting in August, it’s anyone who turns 5 between 1 March 2018 and 28 Feb 2019. So the age range for P1 starters is 5.5 - 4.5. Some people who have children turning 5 in Jan/Feb 2019 may choose to defer to Aug 2019 entry.

dementedpixie · 03/02/2018 10:18

What age are they? What year were they born? The cut off date for starting school is if you are 4 before the end of February so they are at least 4 and a half by the time they start school in the August. They will be in the mid age range. Oldest children will have birthdays march/April and youngest will be in january/February (although they can be deferred for a year so may end up being the older children!)

MrsJayy · 03/02/2018 10:21

What age are they now ?i am assuming 6 if you moved and they started school on Monday your child would be in primary 2

dementedpixie · 03/02/2018 10:23

OP says they deferred a year so I'm thinking age 7.

italiancortado · 03/02/2018 10:24

The Scottish school year starts mid August, but Scotland's Term 1 starts at the end of Jan/beg of Feb.
Can you explain what you mean OP? I'm confused by the first term being effectively the second term?

MrsJayy · 03/02/2018 10:25

Did they defer reception can you defer reception and go straight to yr1 ? if they are 7 it will be p3

dementedpixie · 03/02/2018 10:31

The Scottish school year starts mid August, but Scotland's Term 1 starts at the end of Jan/beg of Feb

Also don't know what you mean by this. Term 1 is in August. The cut off point for being 4 is end of February but that doesn't mean they start school then.

k2p2k2tog · 03/02/2018 10:33

As others have said, it will depend on where their birthday is. If your child was born in August 2010 and will be 8 this year, he/she will be around hte middle of the intake age wise in Scotland and would be currently in P3, going into P4 in August 2018.

Term 1 doesn't start in January, no idea where you've got that from. Kids move up a year or move onto secondary or start school in August. There isn't a January intake and there hasn't been for decades.

The difference is the cut offs. In England children who are 4 between 1st September and 31st August start school the September after their 4th birthday. Some are a few days off being 5, some, like the OP's child had she not deferred, would be 4 and 2 days.

In Scotland, the intake runs from 1st March to 28th February. Children have to be 4 by the 28th February 2018 to be accepted to start at school this coming August. That means there are children who are between 5 and a half and 4 and a half starting school. As there is this six months discrepancy, it makes direct comparisons of school years pointless and a child moving from one system to another may be in two different years depending on their birthday. P1 isn't the same as Reception, Y1 isn't the same as P1.

The benefit to a child moving to the Scottish system with an August birthday is that they will go from being the youngest in their class to being right in hte middle.

DragonsAndCakes · 03/02/2018 10:37

Age cut off in Scotland is 1st March, with the option to defer for jan and feb (possibly dec?) so an August birthday is in the middle of the age range. You can’t do anything about that.

School year starts mid August.

This is where we are anyway.

DragonsAndCakes · 03/02/2018 10:39

So if right now they are an old yr two they would be 7, 8 in aug. Therefore, I am thinking hard here, I think that they’d go into P2, and as I said be in the middle of the age group. Then move up to p3 in August.

k2p2k2tog · 03/02/2018 10:47

Dragons - no. A 7 year old born in August 2010 would have started P1 in August 2015, P2 in 2016 and will be currently in P3.

If the OP''s child is an August 2009 baby they'll be in P4, or if it's August 2011 they'll be in P2.

Groovee · 03/02/2018 10:50

Depends on your child's DOB!

My Dd was born in Jan 2000 and with deferal went to school in Aug 2005. Ds was born Oct 2002 and went to school in August 2007!

DragonsAndCakes · 03/02/2018 19:19

Ah, sorry, messed up on that bit!

prettybird · 05/02/2018 13:20

Another one who doesn't understand what you mean by Term 1 starting at end of Jan/beg of Feb.

The Scottish school year starts in mid August (or early September for the private schools). The cut-off date however is 1 March for deciding what year you start school. There is the option of genuinely deferring for January/February birthdays (and in theory, September to December but in practice only a few December birthdays and even fewer November birthdays, so that those kids end up being the oldest in the year rather than the youngest.

This means that the age range of those that start in mid August in P1 can range from 5 years and 9 or even 10 months to 4 years and 4.5 months

Because I don't know the year that In2info 's child was born, I can't say for sure what year they would go in to. Was it a true deferral or did the child just skip reception?

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