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Original poster

Does nursery count as 'school' for deregistering purposes

9 replies

misfitmum · 07/01/2011 16:22

As the title says...I am wondering whether or not I would need to deregister my child (in Scotland) if he has been registered at and attended nursery that is based at the local primary school. Does anybody know? Thanks

OP posts:
haggis01 · 07/01/2011 16:43

Sorry I don't know as the nursery is attached to the school if you would be officially registered.
Education Otherwise is a home ed charity that could advise you - they have a website with numbers for volunteers who can advise on specific issues.

stressedHEmum · 07/01/2011 18:46

No, You don't. In Scotland you DO NOT deregister a child. You write to your Local AUthourity education department head of service and ask permission to withdraw your child from school. At the same time you send what is called an outline educational provision, giving an overview of your educational philosophy, your approach, the kind of resources that you plan to use etc. Any other approach or action will get you into very hot legal water. You also must keep your child in school while you are awaiting permission to withdraw or the council can get a compulsory attendance order issued against you.

Don't look at EO, they are not good for Scotland and have, over the years, placed many Scottish families in great legal diffidulties because of innaccurate advice. Instead look at SCHOOLHOUSE the only place for Scotland specific HE info.

Because your son is still at nursery, all you should have to do is tell the school that you no longer need his place and ask them to remove his name from the role. Nursery is not compulsory and therefore you don't need permission to withdraw. What you mustn't do is register him for school next week. If you do, then you will likely have to go through the whole official process when you don't want to take up the place. If you do not register him at all and he never attends school, then you won't even have to notify the LA that you exist.

haggis01 · 07/01/2011 19:07

Sorry if I gave poor advice - I only have experience of english system.

stressedHEmum · 07/01/2011 19:28

Haggis, sorry, I didn't mean to sound harsh Blush I have a lot of experience with Scottish LAs and how difficult they can be and it makes me a bit hot under the collar, tbh. Our system is very different to that in England, that's why I told OP to look at Schoolhouse not EO.

Again, sorry if I upset you, it was completely unintentional.

haggis01 · 07/01/2011 21:32

No don't worry - you didn't upset me at all. I knew there was an organisation for Scotland but couldn't remember its name as its a few years since I home edded. You are quite right to advise against EO if they often don't give the best advice.

Original poster
misfitmum · 08/01/2011 08:09

hi sorry, im not clued up on the jargon etc, thanks for the advice, my sons isn't even IN nursery yet, i was just trying to decide whether or not to put him into nursery if it was going to be a major mission to then NOT send him to school - as you mention, i want to avoid the 'official process' but would like to send him to nursery for a while (i was considering 2-3 morning sessions of nursery a week for the year that he is 3 as i am due my second child at the same time and thought it would be nice for him, he is very extroverted and active) thanks again - thats a relief to know i can if i feel he would benefit from it :)

OP posts:
stressedHEmum · 08/01/2011 12:44

I think that if you were to send your son to a nursery attached to the Primary School, you would find it slightly more difficult to avoid the Council guff, to be honest, as you would be known to the school and they would feel obliged to point out how fabulous and necessary school is and try to persuade you to take up a place.

I withdrew my youngest from a school nursery, but I did it during the summer holidays between his ante-preschool and preschool years (the same time I withdrew some of my other kids from school), so I avoided all the hassle. I just wrote them a letter telling them that we didn't need the place anymore, then I just didn't register him for school. You can of course withdraw from nursery at any time , just expect attempts at persuasion.

Check out Schoolhouse, they will be able to give you any advice and support that you need.

stressedHEmum · 08/01/2011 12:48

I should also have said that, if you send him to a nursery attached to a school, you will almost certainly have to send your son for the full 5 sessions a week (morning or afternoon.) They don't really do the part time thing because it takes away a place from another child. Also, because the government funds 5 sessions a week for children from 3, part timing messes with the money.

I don't know anything about private nurseries, though, except that you should still get funding for 5 sessions a week. They may well be more flexible.

Original poster
misfitmum · 09/02/2011 08:03

hi, thanks for your help :) my friend currently sends her 3yo daughter to the same nursery but wanted to withdraw her as she felt 5 days was too many (she kept keeping her at home 2-3 days a week) and the nursery suggested she just bring her in for as many/few sessions as she'd like but that she must choose set days/sessions, because she was taking up a full time place and only using some of the sessions, so that they could offer the rest of the sessions to another 'part-time' child - they r very flexible, we live in a small village, so it should be ok. thanks again for all your advice! its been very helpful

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