Has anyone moved from US to UK -- DS will be 5 1/2 when we move.

[ektorpjennylund]

We will be moving from Connecticut to the Cambridge area in 2012. DS1 will be 5 1/2 in September 2012.

According to the rules in this state, he can't start school (Kindergarten) until September 2012. I've had a look at the Cambridgeshire rules ( presumeably the same as the rest of the UK?) and September 2012 would be the latest he could enter primary school. The website says most start at 4.

So really what I need to know is.. would he go straight into Reception or Year 1? In that case wouldn't he be up to 18 months older than some of his classmates?

Has anyone in the US ( I believe most states have the same admission rules) had their child enter public elementary at 4 1/2?
I've called the public school authority here and they won't budge on the rules it seems.
I can't afford $20,000 for private.

I really don't think it would be good for him to be so far behind starting primary, but really have no personal experience of either the US or UK systems.
What exactly is the level of Kindergarden or Reception? are they equivalent?

I hope I've been clear. To be honest I'm pretty confused about the whole thing.

He would go into year 1. He will adjust, and catch up. At least one child joined my DDs year in year 1, having had no schooling before and quickly caught up. Actually another girl started at the end of reception and she only spoke two words of English and is now doing fine.
Children are very very rarely taught out of year here (usually only for special needs reasons, and it is rare there).
It is the same for all of England.

Don't worry he will cope and adjust well.

The school syllabus and methods will be different from what you are used to, so you will have the greater adjustment.

As Mummytime says, he will go into Y1. Reception is about learning through play and is designed as a gentle introduction to school. I agree that he will cope and adjust well. Your biggest problem is going to be that most schools will already be full so your choice of schools will be limited. When your move is confirmed, Cambridgeshire council should be able to tell ytu which schools have places.

All children (apart from homeschooled) have to start school in England by the first academic term after their 5th birthday. He would go into year 1, missing Reception.

That in itself would not be too much of a problem. Some people choose to defer school entry until that time (more or less) anyway rather than have their summer born children start at only just 4.

Not sure about the equivalence of Reception to Kindergarden or the US grade system.

But agree with the previous posters who say that once started he should catch up (if he needs to catch up) very quickly.

The first and most important thing you need is an address. From that you can find out which local schools may have places free. You can't apply/get on waiting lists if relevant until you have proof of address.

Private/independant schools may have a greater degree of flexibility with regards to year of entry to school and waiting lists and so on.

Prepare for a bit of culture shock.
Unlike the US, the school year in the UK is Sept.-Sept. instead of Jan.-Jan. and finishes at year 13. Providing your DS has been in a good nursery school, there will be no problem catching up in a state school. Be aware, class sizes here are up to 30 children and most schools are small. My NY elementary had 800 children which is unheard of here. Also, we don't have districts. You may be closest to one school but the Local authority has no obligation to place you there. You will also need an address to be allocated a school so you can't count on finding a good school with a good reputation and buying/renting in that zone. Private school take-up is much higher here.
Where in CT are you?

Reception is mainly about learning through play with a little bit of number work, and starting to build towards learning to read (phonics etc). Some children start year 1 able to read independently, but most don't.

I am pretty sure that your DS will catch up quickly - but if you are worried, you could get a few British work books aimed at reception-aged children and do ten or twenty minutes a day next year, so that he is familiar with the kind of thing everyone has been doing. There are loads of suitable things on Amazon.co.uk - I don't have any particular recommendations but I'm sure if you posted a request for suggestions on the primary education thread you'd get lots of good ideas.

A little merican boy recently joined my childs school for year 2....his Mum was very worried he wold be behind the UK kids....and that it would be tough or him to settle but he has justaccepted it all...he's really settled in wonderfully and is reading as well as the other kids.

Thanks,
that has put my mind at ease.So, he would go directly into year one which would be appropriate for his age, correct?

He's been in pre school here since he turned 3. He's pretty adaptable and sociable and can already write his own name at 3 1/2 and can read some simple words( can you tell he's my PFB )

I was worried that the UK education authorities would look for some certification that he had had some "formal" education prior to entering school

Getting an address is awkward. Does that mean if we are renting we need to rent up to 6 months prior to the move??? Or how soon do we need to put the application in??

Horsemadmum we are in New Haven. From Ireland so hopefully the UK not TOO much of a cultureshock ( will have to see )

You won't need to rent in advance. In this country when we apply to a school for a place for our 4yr olds it depends where you live because there is a 'catchment area' for each school.
School have various criteria for which children they will accept, eg living in catchment with siblings at the school, then living in catchment, then living outside catchment area.

Faith schools have other criteria first, eg practising member of local church, then practising member of neighbouring church, practising member of other Christian denomination etc.

However, when you are moving to an area you have to just find out which schools have spaces in your son's age group and choose one of them. You could wait to do that until you arrive and visit them yourself if necessary.

When I moved my DS half-way through Year 1 I just telephoned the school directly, visited, filled in an application on the spot and that was it.

It shouldn't be too much of a problem. You can also consult the dreaded 'league tables' to see statistics about the primary schools in the area you are moving to.
www.education.gov.uk/performancetables/primary_09.shtml

We had an American family at our local school who settled in just fine. Good luck.

we have just had an American boy join our school in yr1 from no school in America - he seems to be doing fine (we are also in Cambs).

We have lots of American families in our primaries - two USAF bases nearby - and the children do just fine. In reception through Yr2 there is a very, very wide spectrum of being able to read/write because children just develop at different rates - good schools are aware of this. Your DS sounds bright, he'll have no problems at all. (PS we are in Suffolk, just next door to Cambs)

Is Yale transferring you? Are you going to the University? If so, you might want to see if the Uni has any staff arrangements. I got the best gloves ever at the New Haven Urban Outfitters.

Horsemadmom, we do both work for Yale but as Clinical Fellows ( medics ) -- therefore considered the lowest form of life as far as Yale is concerned.
My husband will be working in Addenbrooke's but employed by University of Cambridge ( rather than the NHS) so yes, there is some hope of the Uni helping us out.
No job for me yet tho' so if you know of one
Must check out Urban Outfitters then. Getting ready for the CT winter - you don't happen to know where I can get decent snow boots? A bit off topic I suppose...

Hi,
So you'll be SHO's? You aren't the lowest form of life. Residents are!

No idea about snow boots in N.Haven beond the usual dept. stores but buy everything before you leave the US.When my kids were small, I used to go to Children's Place and clean them out on visits home. Now they want Bloomingdales.

Good luck with schools. It will be fine.

My DD went from a non-teaching Kindergarten in the US (ie she couldn't read) to Year 2 in the UK. She was caught up within a few weeks. I really wouldn't worry about it.

IME, Reception is a lot more formal that Kindergarten. They do have academic targets rather than being all play, even though the children are a year younger.

Reception is not the same as preschool. That would be nursery.

Thanks,
Hopefully I will be able to go over to Cambridge some time before the "big move" and suss things out.
Horsemadmom -- Thankfully no, we won't be SHOs ( been there, done the NHS SHO malarkey thank you very much! )
Hoping for a consultant job. But doubtful there will be any with the cutbacks. You never know though.
It's funny, before we moved to the US I used to clean out the BabyGap and OshKosh. Now I clean out Next and M+S when I'm home - faraway hills I suppose!
MmeBlueberry - that's what I thought too. In DS1s preschool they do have some structured learning time - ie they can read a little by the time they are finished. ( most of the day is spent running around in circles and shouting tho !)