What do you do to put your 5 yo DS into school midway through the year?

[WS12]

Well just that question really!

We are seriously thinking about coming back to the UK to live (well I am🤣 DH knows I've just about had enough). The ins and outs haven't quite been decided but I just need to hear about what we need to do to put our DS who is 5 (reception in the U.K.) into a school mid way through the year.

I have emailed our local council but no reply yet and now it's the weekend I imagine it'll be Monday or Tuesday before I hear. But to put my mind at rest, what does putting your child into school mid year entail?

Many thanks x

Think you need a permanent address. Council won’t communicate ‘til you have a catchment address to apply from, postcode lottery. You can contact schools directly in your area to see about waiting lists though, I believe.

You contact your councils in year admissions team. They'll offer you what available places they have. Most councils also publish online an up to date list of all their available vacancies by year and school. A simple google search will find this for your LA.

You need an address. Then you can apply for in year entry. Each local authority can be different but the procedure should be on the website. They have to offer you a place, but it need not be In your nearest or preferred school and can even be in a different school district if there are no places locally.

Also half term for some areas - incas enough don't get a reply

You need a permanent address - then you can apply for a school place

Some LAs will offer a list of available places in local schools however they won't 'hold' a place Ina particular school and it may no longer be available when you apply

Some schools have waiting lists set out in their admissions policy - mainly based on distance but above that are LAC children siblings - you may well land 5th place but who gets offered the next place may decide not to take it

It's hard! You could get a school miles away in a location/area you wouldn't chose

Good luck

I did this. It’s called an in year admission. You can’t apply until you are in the uk but you can apply to any school. If they have a space you will get it. I didn’t rush it to be honest. We had a few weeks settling in, visiting people etc.

We did this in April 2013 from SE Asia. We didn't have an address. We picked an area and emailed/called about 20 schools. A couple had places for one of our two sons. One school had places for both. We applied, without an address. A friend looked at rental properties for us at the same time. We were offered the places, via the council, without an address. But we did have to take the places within one month. Was a tad stressful (understatement) but it all worked out well.

When I say "take the places within a month" I mean we had to be living here in the UK and the boys had to start school within a month.

Thanks everyone. I got a reply today and they said pretty much as you have all said. So I will wait until nearer the time - they said about 4 weeks before we wish to start.

But I am also wondering whether to go back in time for our DS to have some foundation schooling - maybe half a term - or hang on for a September start.

What would others think best? I'm worried about changing my son too much for example to start in a reception class say for 6 weeks then summer holidays and then new teacher, class etc September. However he hasn't had any teaching that others would have received in reception such as phonics and reading so could benefit even from half a term in reception to help ready him for year 1. He is having a second year of kinder here so no formal teaching if you understand.

I am just desperate to get back, but what is best for my DS school experience? My DD will also be in nursery in September.

There's more to school than phonics

School layout school rules new friends timetable - PR Friday - school lunches

And the summer term tends to be the fun stuff of sports days and trips out

So add all that and formal teaching of year one in September and it's a lot for little ones Ines to take on!

Let him make friends and have a few play dates over the summer, get to know where mums meet up for park or soft play and tag along

All helps

The best bit about him starting before the summer holidays will be the chance for him to make friends and you to make contacts to allow meet ups over the holidays.

If you’re worried about phonics I can’t recommend highly enough the fab (Aussie accented but don’t let that put you off!) Reading Eggs program which is suitable from pre reading, even before they have letter recognition. It’s all on the iPad/computer and kids love it. He’ll be caught up in no time.