Rejected my sons place offer for September, what happens now?

[PoppyPia]

We were allocated a terrible primary school miles away earlier this month for reception, I have thought about it and there's no way I can send my son there, so I have rejected the offer. What happens now?

Children do generally learn to read, write and do basic maths in Reception. It's more the social side and learning to do school than anything in that year though.

Can't you HE and still work. I thought one of the great things about Home educating is that you can do it on your terms. Put your child in nursery for another year and home educate during the term that he is supposed to be getting schooling. In the meantime you could re-apply to the local schools with all the useful information that everyone has given you. I know someone who works almost full time and HE's her 4 children. Her work has a very flexible that accommodates her and her children's schedule. She has a dh who works with a flexible schedule too.

By the way, the abysmal choice of local schools and the lack of state school options for atheists is one of several main reasons why I left the UK and brought my children back to the USA to be educated.

my dd2 has done a lot of foundation phonics in her reception year. They are not repeating it for new comers, and it would not be repeated in year 1, routinely, so a late comer would be playing catch up all the time.

Sofia - the system isn't great, but there are bad pockets and good pockets. Round here most people get their 1st choice (not all though)

OP - I actually was talking to a friend who works on appeals yesterday about a friend of mine. She said that in our LEA when a place is rejected, unless the parents are accepting another place elsewhere, or stating that they will HE, they don't actually take their names off the list, until school starts in sept. So on that principle, your ds may still have the place at the less good school.

I am a CM and would happily care for a home educated child, but would make it clear to parents that the education part is their responsibility (although I would of course continue their learning through play).

steppemum, phonics was a complete waste of time for both my dc's. They would have done much better skipping a year that was trying to force that on them! I lived in London and there no one got their 1st choice.

Doesn't your children's schools teach phonics in KS1 & KS2 Sofia?

"steppemum, phonics was a complete waste of time for both my dc's"

Eh?

It's worth checking the criteria for the Cof E school. Because if it's Voluntary Controlled, then all places will be allocated by community criteria, and you might be closer to the top of the list than you realised.

If it's VA, then what is the proportion of faith v open places? Most CofE schools have some open places (though MNetters mainly seem to live by the minority which don't). Again, you might find chances of a place better than you thought, though it is going to be uncertain via waiting list.

Phonics was a wate of time in that they didn't learn to read securely?

If you want to use a school to educate your child then reception is VERY important. Not an optional extra.

DD went into reception knowing a few letters. Came out reading pretty fluently. Reception certainly isn't all play!

If you consider the home ed route until a place comes up we home educated ds1 and ds2 both summer born and not happy with them starting school.at just four. Anyway they started school aged 9 and 6 in yrs 5 and 2 respectively and not having done reception etc was not a problem. They settled in fine and continued to thrive. They are now yr 9 and yr 6 and doing brilliantly, it never disadvamtaged them at all, the opposite infact.

If you are paying for nursery won't private school fees be similar?

The most important point about skipping Reception is the one that Tiggy made. The OP is no more likely to get a place in Year 1 than she is now as a late applicant / waiting list applicant for Reception. Both rely on children who have places at the school leaving - which MAY happen, or may not.

I agree that a well home-educated child can slot into the school system very well when a place comes up - but in the OP's case, this place may not come up in Reception, may not come up in Year 1, may not even come up in Year 2 (as I said, the first child from the waiting list joined DD's class in Year 3 - and that was for a 60 intake school traditionally regarded as 'less popular' in our local area) and so any plan to HE needs to be robust for the longer term,

Snowme

Reception is learning through play not just play. My dd started reception without knowing any letter sounds and has learnt to read purely through reception class. They use play to learn and in dds school, they very much have a syllabus and I'm amazed how much she's learnt in just a few months.

Op, dds school takes 60 intake and dd1 is in year 3 and those classes haven't changed at all. Not one person has joined or left either class since we applied. If those schools you chose are popular faith schools, I expect similar as they a hard to get so people will keep hold of them.

OP - in our area the C of E school admissions are no where near as cuthroat as the catholic primaries. Obviously every town is different but you need to get your DC's name down for the nearby C of E school as it might not be as oversubscribed as you think it might be.

"Reception Year is basically just extended nursery anyway, 'learning through play'. There's no Three Rs, is there?"

Yes there are children in reception are expected to learn to read, write, add, subtract, learn about other countries, the past, science, art, music,ICT ...and more

DD entered Reception unable to read, write more that her name, or do any more maths than counting.

She moved to Year 1 able to read fluently, write full stories, add, subtract, multiply through arrays and share equally to divide, also use assorted ICT equipment and packages, and had extended her knowledge of the world in an enormouys number of ways. All through 'learning through play'.

My dc's are at school in the usa. Phonics was not a good learning method for them. Both had difficulties learning to read because no other method was employed. I finally took it in hand at home. Both dc's were reading many many years beyond their age by 2nd or 3rd grade. There is more than one way to steer your child through the educational system and missing reception and home educating instead does not condemn your child to a life of ignorance.

I don't think you can compare education methods in the US with those in the UK. Phonics teaching is quite different ...

OP has said she neither wishes to HE, nor thinks she could rearrange domestic admin enough to even give it a shot, and is in UK. The merits of HE v schooling in the USA are a bit tangential to her concerns and the next steps in finding a school place.

the OP has rejected sensible expert advice so I don't think anything anyone posts is relevant

I live in a pricey area for schooling and even we found that Private School was cheaper than Nursery fees.

OP you need to also ring round the Private Schools to check out fees and waiting lists, because in our area you have to put your DCs down on the list a good 18 months before they start school.

Have you also considered that the nursery may not keep on your DS as it is illegal to keep him off school beyond January - they have their own legal obligations to consider too.

Really really sticky situation. I am also concerned that you are only seeking advice now. The offers came through 15/16 April - almost 4 weeks ago