When an infant school becomes a primary school...

[HilaryM]

How does it happen? I know they will expand gradually over four years starting with y3 then y3&4 etc but it's the transition I'm concerned about.

Ds2 is in y1. His school are consulting on becoming a through primary in 2015 so he could stay there from yr2 into yr3 when previously he would have left in 2015 for juniors.

If the consultation goes through, will we get a choice? I don't want him to stay there for y3-6, I'd like him to join his brother in the (much better IMO) junior school.

DS's school is consulting on doing something similar (they want to merge a neighbouring infants and junior but still pick up "extra" children in Y3).

The only difference in terms of progression for children at the infants that I can see is that the infants children automatically get a place in the juniors if they want one - rather than having to apply, as they do now (which potentially means some infants children with no junior place). This doesn't stop them applying to start Y3 in another school if there is a space available (or indeed, applying to move schools at any point).

Even if this school does convert you will be still be entitled to apply for a place at your preferred junior school. You are entitled to apply for a place at any school at any time.

Pressed post too soon...

... but make sure you apply for the junior school at the same time as you would have if the infant school wasn't converting. That way your application will be dealt with as part of the normal admissions round which will give you a better chance of getting a place.

I think I wouldn't want my child being the oldest in the school from year 2 to year 6. They get uppety enough from being the oldest in the school for one year. For 5 years I would think they'll be unbearable as well as struggle at secondary when they suddenly find they're the youngest.
But that's my opinion, I've got no evidence for that.

Thanks everyone. I thought it would probably be ok - especially given we applied for the infants on the basis of it being an infants, and knowing nothing about this proposal. I'm glad we can still apply to juniors as usual.

DeWe, I agree, it's one of the reasons I don't fancy the idea.

We don't have one linked juniors. Pupils from the infants go to various juniors and through primaries round here, but they're starting to make some feeder links, and I think if the infants doesn't become a primary then infants will be left without much choice of juniors.

It's a small 1FE 3o PAN infants, on a not enormous site, so I expect they'll half the PAN.