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some basic info, please?

11 replies

luminarphrases · 21/01/2008 15:41

my dd is only 3 at the moment, but will almost definitely be the youngest when she goes to school. i don't like the thought of her going to school at an age which i consider to be too young.

what do i need to do about keeping her out another year? do you have to apply to do it? (i told you it was the real basics). also we are ttc, so baby would (hopefully) be 1 yr. would this be too distracting?

and would she have difficulty getting into school afterwards?

thanks for any info

OP posts:
emmaagain · 21/01/2008 16:04

You don't need to do anything at all. Throw any letters from schools or the LEA into the bin for another year.

Until a child is 5, they don't have to be being educated at all by law. (the whole starting school at 4 thing is just a big funding con by the schools - wheel the children in early and they get the funds for the whole year. OK, I'm being too cynical...)

If you haven't registered your child at a school, you have no duty to tell the LEA, the school, or anyone else how you are educating your child. If the LEA finds out about you somehow, they'll want to know (once she's 5) how you are fulfilling your legal duty to educate your child, and that's fine, and we can help you with how that works if you want it now or later.

As for getting in to school later - you apply whenever you want your child to go to a school. If it's a really over subscribed one, you might want to get your name down early for the following year. Otherwise, you just get in touch in the summer term when she's 5 or about to be 5, I guess, and say you want her to start in the Autumn when she firmly is 5.

I suppose there is a danger, if it's one of these have-to-live-within-20-yards-to-be-in-the-catchment schools that there will simply be no place available. But then, you wouldn't want to put your child in a school a year before she's ready and you're ready just to make sure there will be a place when you want it, would you? That would be crazy! But if it is that sort ofschool, I'd probably approach them in the Autumn when she is 4 (if you're wanting to start school at 5) and say you'd like a place next autumn in year 1 please and see what they say.

Don't let anyone pressure you into sending your child to school before she is ready, whether that's at 4 or 5 or 7 or whenever. THe schools want the children for the funding as much as anything - they are not impartial observers of your family situation.

needmorecoffee · 21/01/2008 16:07

you don't have to do antyhing at all as Emma says and if you continue after 5 you still don't have to tell anyone.

luminarphrases · 21/01/2008 16:11

thanks! im definitely going to look at it very closely. i just look at her now and think she's going to be too constrained by school at the moment. esp as i think she'll get more fun and learning with me than she'd ever get at school

expect to see me back in the home ed section!

OP posts:
emmaagain · 21/01/2008 16:32

Looking forward to seeing you back here

jollydo · 21/01/2008 20:14

Hi luminarphrases, I'm thinking of doing the same thing with my ds, at least until year 1. It's good to know there are other people who think the same way. I'm surprised more people don't do it, as plenty of people say they think 4 is too young to start school. Maybe they just don't realise they have an option. Reading these threads is very helpful and great to know there is support out there. Everyone assumes my ds will start this Sept and I'm not sure what their reaction will be when I tell them he won't be, I suspect people already think I'm overprotective because I say he doesn't have to go to preschool if he doesn't want to...which he doesn't. I have registered him (before I investigated the other options) so will have to deregister now.

discoverlife · 21/01/2008 23:35

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought a child didn't go on the school books till they had actually attended a day at the school?
Shoot me down in flames if I'm wrong.
But belt and braces would say send the de-reg in anyway.

jollydo · 22/01/2008 00:20

I will check that though discoverlife, thanks

Runnerbean · 22/01/2008 08:47

I would assume that as long as your dc isn't actually on a school register, ie you haven't actually accepted a place at a school, then you don't need to 'de-register'.

I applied for a nursery place before I'd decided to HE my youngest and when I got the confirmation letter I just declined the place.

Although she is at pre-school until March, from April onwards she will not be 'registered' anywhere, so I don't need to inform anyone.
Having said that, my LA already know about her because of my oldest being HE, but if this wasn't the case I could be putting her in private ed. for all anyone knew.

jollydo · 22/01/2008 10:44

it sounds even simpler than i thought, great!

jollydo · 22/01/2008 10:44

it sounds even simpler than i thought, great!

FillyjonkisCALM · 23/01/2008 07:23

You don't HAVE to do anything from a legal pov, especially as, if I am working this out right, she will actually be in school by the time she hits legal school age (ie 5 years and 1 term)

BUT personally, if you do probably intend for her to attend school, I'd approach the school and have a chat with them, also find out the situation re oversubscription etc.

We aren't especially planning for the kids to go to school, but obviously things change, and so we have done enough research to have a decent fall back situation: we have found a local school which we are happy with, and which will at least consider flexischooling. It is also undersubscribed, wayhey! (there is another, much more "academic" primary which everyone wants their kids to go to-but this school is lovely)

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