advice re starting primary

[caroleanne65]

My step.grandson was 5 in October. He lives with his mummy and my daughter and her dad have him wwekends.
We have constantly badgered about starting school since he left nursery in July.we.thought he would go september. It didn't happen. She applied to a local school and didn't get a place. The.school offered was 20 min walk away and she says.she has appealed and has til Feb to start.
We live in a different education authority area and want him to start.....thought legally it wad term after he reached 5.
Can anyone offer advice. He's a very bright lad and ww feel he is missing out. Can his.dad.register him at a school near us if his mum won't take him?

I'm assuming your step grandson lives in England.

You are correct that legally he has to start school the term after he reaches 5. As he was 5 in October he should start when the schools go back this month. I don't know where the mother gets the February date from unless that is when her appeal is being heard and she plans to keep him out of school until then (illegal but she is unlikely to get into trouble for it). The appeal process should have finished by the end of the summer term 2013 unless the mother delayed appealing for some reason.

Did she reject the offered place? If so she needs a plan B as most Reception appeals are heard under infant class size rules which means it is very difficult to win.

As your step grandson lives with his mother most of the time any application for a school must use her address. She has to agree the choice of school - if the father has PR he was entitled to a say in the original choice as well.

If I were the boy's father I would be asking lots of questions to figure out what is really going on. It sounds to me like you haven't got the full story.