Thinking of skipping reception

[YesCorrect]

We had hard time with a London nursery so decided to move to Spain for 3m. DS 3yo started at a local international school in April and we are considering staying for the 23/34 year.

But he is due to start at a local London school in September. What would you do? When would you inform the school? How could we get a place at the London school for Y1?

We haven't decided 100% but will spend July and August in London before deciding.

Surely you just tell the school he's not actually in the country and therefore won't be attending the school, I'm assuming it's a private school as he's only 3 so you won't have applied for his place yet?

Then if you love back once you have an address you get in touch with the school to see if they have any places, if yes if could join bit if not which is likely then you will need to look at other schools.

You aren’t guaranteed a year one place at your chosen school if you dodge reception. You’ll have to take what you can get, and that’s a big risk in your child’s education. Plus, friendship groups will already be in place. I wouldn’t do it.

School won’t hold your place. You would have to reapply when you are back in the U.K. and hope a place is available at one of your choices.

You follow the In Year admissions process when you return to the UK. If there isn't a place in your preferred schools you will be offered one in the nearest school with space.

However... sounds like your child is Summer born? You could return at Easter and keep the space in your current school.

Thank you. Yes he is Summer born.

Yes I worry about friends groups being in place too.

OP, you say you decided to move to Spain for 3 months and are considering staying for the 23/34 school year.

What might affect your decision is the matter of residence. I take it one of you has a passport from an EU country, or you have or will apply for a visa to stay in Spain for over 90 days.

Also, will the international school hold a place for your child while you're deciding? Or would you have to pay for a place from September whether or not you take it up?

I wouldn't worry about friendship groups. At all. I've worked as a primary school teacher for thirty years. A child coming in to a year one class would make friends without any problems.

We paid deposit for the international school for next year. School fees are much cheaper in Spain compared to the UK. We thought it was worth paying to have an option.

We are figuring the visas out absolutely which is not trivial after Brexit.

You could ask the school if they have a staggered start for summer born children. My son May born went mornings only until after November half term, but he could also have just joined in November, but there was no nursery place for him for those 3 months so we didn’t do that. He did miss out on forming close friendships as most already had their little lunchtime groups and for this reason I wouldn’t do that again.

Thank you. DS born in August so he will be one of the youngest for sure.

One question. Are you saying friends groups were already formed and your son might have missed out due to staggered start at reception?

I wouldn’t worry about friendship groups
id worry that you won’t find a school place easily, won’t get your choice and you might be allocated an inconvenient school
id worry about them falling behind with phonics

https://www.gov.uk/schools-admissions/school-starting-age

Looks like you can request a later start, for summer born children as late as year 1 entry the September after they turn 5

Thank you for saying this. I have older DD and she started in year two due to different circumstances (now finishing uni) and I always wondered would she be happier at primary if she joined at reception. Her KS2 results were not great - all 4s if I recall correctly.

I will say, as the mother of an august born child, it’s not a given that they struggle academically, mine never has. But I will say you can see an emotional difference between the older and younger ones- I think delaying a start would make this even more of an issue and more stark.

August baby and missing a year. I would go for sending him to reception when he is 5 but it’s not an automatic right snd you would need to be in catchment to apply for school and potentially fight for starting reception at 5.

Or you could home ed for a year?

I was overseas for DD's year r, you can't apply until you are back in the U.K. so where you attend will depend on spaces.

Thanks. Yes that's how we feel too. Better to bite the bullet and start at reception.

The only thing is that lifestyle and affordability of life is Spain makes it an attractive option. So staying another 10m and moving back for DS year 1 is tempting.

Even if the child is in school elsewhere? I think it depends on if they are in the equivalent year at the international school and one of the youngest there so used to the age group they will be entering. If, for example, they were an August born coming from an Australian preschool at just turned 5, I'd almost certainly want them held back a year.

Under the old levels system, 4b was the expected standard, so all 4s isn't bad! You could only get a 5 if you took a different paper.

I'm a TA, and, from my experience, up until about Y4, new arrivals make friends and settle in relatively easily. Any child I've known who had difficulty with friendships was older, as friendships seem to be more established by they, especially with girls (the boys tend to play football/basketball/tag and don't seem to care who plays with them). Often a new child is interesting and a novelty, so they get lots of people wanting to play with them, allowing them to easily find the people they gel with and make friends.