Please help me understand!

[mumblecrumble]

Ok. So DD is 21 months. I am not rushing her to grow up or wanting to move just to get good school etc...

I would just like to understand education from 2 years - Year 1.... How is the school they go to decided. Do I have to choose one and look round etc.

She is currently at nursery when I go to work.

Everytime I ask the above is presumed and I feel quite stupid....

slef bump

you apply to a school in the year before they go
so we applied in December 2008 to go to school in September 2009
you can go and have a look around the schools around that tiem too
we found out in March which school we had got into

So do they go when they are 5?

or 4?

Dd born 28th August. SO when she is 4 wil she go to school that sept? Will she go all the time or part time? What happens before then? WIll she be at nursery?

Yes, yes, full time and nursery - depending on how your chosen primary school handles its Reception class intake. Some stagger theirs, and have children part time at first.

in my county all children start in september, so your lo would go to school at only juust 4

in other counties they have a 'start in the term before they are 5' so your child would start in the summer term, just after Easter

You could look on your Local Education Authority (LEA) website

What county are you in?

You can leave her at the nursery she goes to while you work
Then in the term before she starts school you will get 5 x 2.5hours free childcare a week

You can either use that to pay your nursery fees or put her in a preschool

So I need to apply for school before reception? How old is reception?

So.... aged 2 - nursery as required for child care

aged 3 - child care but 15 hours perweek is free and she does early years prgram thing [what is that?]

aged 4 [sept after she turns 4] go to reception maybe part time at first then full time after xmas perhaps?

So when should I be looking at schools?

[now you see how stupid I am and that I need to know......]

They go to school in the academic year (that's September to August) that they turn 5. The year before that, you go and have a look round all the local schools, then you get a form from the LEA and send it in with your preferences listed. Then in March (I think) you get a letter saying which school your child will be attending from the following September.

Reception is the first year of "proper school" Primary schools go Reception, then years 1,2,3,4,5 and 6.

Your dd will start Reception(proper school) at just 4. Schools have different arrangements about part time/full time - you need to ask about that when you look round schools.

aHHHHHH. So she'll go at 4 because she'll be 5 the following august.

Main reason I;m asking is cos nursery are asking if DD will be on their early years program aged 3. They said some parents take into consideration the ir kids' primary schools before they decide, hence my foward thinking.

I;m happy with her there. So I don;t need to look around schools till she's about 3ish then? Is there not a leaflet or somthing the government sends out?

I;m a teacher by the way. Perhaps cos I know KS3 - FE so well it feels weird not knowing early years.

If she turns 4 in August 2011, she will start school September 2011. So she will be 4 + about 1 week.

Except, some schools stagger their reception intake, so she could start in Jan 2012 or even April 2012 - you have to check with your LEA. If you ring/visit some of the local schools they would know as well.

I think this means you start looking in September 2010 - but you could start looking at schools earlier than that, if you wanted, say later this year, so you get a better idea.

Aaaaaaahhhhh [looks of realisation]

Reception is what used to call 1st year infants then not like a preschool thing. Riiiiight.

And does the 15 hours per week last from the sept after she is 3 till reception?

Whats the difference between pre-school and nursery?

Not a lot. Pre-school possibly tends to be a bit more 3Rs ish and nursery is a bit more childcare-y, but it's all pre-school provision.

She doesn't have to do anything until she's statutory school age, so just do what suits you and her and what fits in with work/life.

'Government Pre-school Education Grants

What is the grant?

The government provides grants for pre school education. This is given to all 3 and 4 year olds, starting the term after their third birthday'

Sorry - I forgot to say about the bits the government pays for.

HOW exciting!!!!!!

DD loves nursery so think she'll stay there till school. Thanks guys. I can hold my head up high in the staff room and at toddler groups now!

Its very exciting. Hope she likes school.....

I had to google it Seeker cos I couldn't remember when it started
I was very like the OP when I had my first preschooler
It is very baffling but you've had some great responses on this thread
very clear

I still get baffled by working tax credit, preschool grants, etc etc

Oh my God.

Inhave just read a local school's website about when the school day starts etc.

I can;t beleive she will be going out intot the playground for break all by herself!!!!!!

This is scary as hell isn;t it.

lol
you really shouldn't be worrying about all of this when she is 21 months!!
she will be much more grownup at 4

True.

True.

And she won't be going out into the playground all by herself - they usually have separate playgrounds for the little ones and they go out with a teacher or a TA. Don't worry - she'll be a different person when she's 4!

True. SHe was very different 2 years ago!!!!