Due to start primary school this Sept

[NotEnoughTime]

Good afternoon.

My son is due to start primary school this september.

Traditionally the school he will (hopefully!) be going to has always done 9-12 in the first term moving on to 9-3 in the spring and summer terms.

However I have heard that from this Sept ALL schools HAVE to offer reception children a 9-3 place from the day that they start school irrespective of where their birthdays fall in the year.

Does anyone know if this is the case?

My local authority is Buckinghamshire if that is any help-I have rang them this morning but the lady I spoke to didnt seem to know either

Thanks in advance for your help

Bump

Why don't you call the school and ask them? I'm sure they will know what they are doing. I've not heard of doing part time for an entire term. In south bucks it was only up to the October half term.

Thanks Mollie O.

I rang the school last week and they said they were waiting to be advised by Bucks CC.

My older boy went to a different primary school (in South Bucks) and he def did part time for an ENTIRE term-I remember it well

I'm a school governor and in our region it's the other way around, that children start full time by default, but the school is obliged to offer a part time option if requested.

Do you want him to go full time or part time?

Hi MMQC.

I would prefer him to go full time (as he is used to going to all day nursery 4 days a week) so I think it would be a backward step if he went down to 9-12. However I am aware that nursery isnt the same as school.

You'd think they'd be keen to let parents know in order for them to make childcare arrangements. Ds went full time from the off (Berkshire).

You would think so MollieO but clearly not!

They have to offer a full time place. However you have the right to defer entry until later in the year and/or request that your son attends part time, provided that he starts full time education no later than the start of the term following his fifth birthday.

my dd had one week of part time and then went straight in at 9-3 and coped fine. It was alot easier for us as a family and working etc.

prh47bridge, is this a new thing then that they HAVE to offer a full time place (and if so when was it decided?) because like I said it has never happened before in this area.

It was decided by the last government and comes into effect this September.

Thank you prh47bridge, thats very helpful.