What to do with state schools reception application if I intend to go private schools route?

[Ofelia15]

Hello everyone. I've got a summer born DD, who is sitting 4+ assessments for private schools in January 17. What do I need to do with state schools reception application? If she failes all her assessments (hope not), I still don't want her to go to state school in September 17, and will keep trying to get her into private one. I know state schools application closes on 15th January, and that I can defer for a full year. But I'm confused if I still have to apply for a state place and defer once got one, or do I need to let someone know she is going private route and doesn't need a state school place? Could you please help to clarify. Huge thank you!

You don't have to do anything.
But equally - lose nothing by applying to state.
Once the place is allocated - you can decline it.
It's nice to have a backup

Agree with MMmomDD. You don't have to apply for a place at a state school. However, I would recommend doing so. If you can't find a place for your daughter at a private school she will need a state school place unless you are willing to home educate.

Note that you can only defer entry until the start of term following your daughter's fifth birthday. If your daughter is summer born you can defer for a full year but schools will not keep your daughter's place open for her and may insist that she goes straight into Y1, missing Reception completely.

But do I have to apply now even if I don't want her to start until Sept 18 at the state (worst case, if we don't find her place in private until then)? Or do I still must apply until 15Jan 17 and then defer for full year? Can I apply by Jan 18 and do nothing now?

I believe you apply now, as her place will be allocated alongside the rest of her cohort.

I believe (but am no expert) that you need to get agreement from the Admissions authority (which may be the school itself, or the LA) for each school youu would apply to for a full year deferral. If that is accepted, you can apply to those schools by Jan 2018 for Sept 18 admission (although places are still subject to meeting admissions criteria in the normal way). In reality, you've likely left it a bit late to sort.

I'' slightly confused as to why you want to delay whilst at the same time putting your 3 year old through assessment for a selective private school. The two things seem a bit at odds. Can you not find a non-selective prep, many of whom would possibly be willing to allow delayed entry and won't have the same pressures as selective preps often do.

FWIW we made a state school application in order to keep all our options open. We declined the state place we were offered and did nothing more. He started at the private school he was already in the pre-school for. I'd suggest making an application by the January deadline, as a back up if nothing else.

Apply for a state school place but if you get a place at a private school which you want to take up, withdraw from the state school process. That's what I did with mine - you are of course able to go through the process but I phoned up/e-mailed as soon as I could.
Not quite sure if you are saying though that you would rather keep your daughter at home for the Reception year rather than send her to a state school? Up to you of course but I wouldn't!

But do I have to apply now even if I don't want her to start until Sept 18 at the state

Assuming you are able to defer by a full year (i.e. your daughter is summer born) you do not have to apply now if you don't want a place until next year. However, a place next year will be in Y1, NOT Reception, which means you will have a very limited choice of schools as most will already be full. Your daughter will probably end up at an unpopular school which could be some distance from home. If you want her to start in Reception next year you will need agreement from the admission authority (the LA if it is a community school or VC school, the school itself for other types of school) and the school (if it is not its own admission authority). They have to look at your case individually but most will only agree to your daughter starting in Reception at age 5 if there is significant evidence of delayed development.

If I were you I would apply to state schools. If you haven't found a place at an independent school by September I would personally let her start at a state school. I would not defer her entry beyond Easter next year.

You don't have an automatic choice to defer a year and start in Reception, if you are considering this speak to LA first. I'm not sure why you think she'd be ok to start in a private school reception class at 4 but not state. Tbh you have nothing to lose by making an application in January 2017 as you could still decline the place offered if either of the other scenarios have worked out by Easter, or even as late as August. Or you can delay her start until Spring or Summer term 2018 and still hold the place. Your dd may well be ready to start in September 2017, and I say that having a late August born dd.

No automatic right to defer a year and start in reception in my LA either. If you want to do this here, you have to apply for a deferral alongside a normal application (so if they turn down the deferral, you're still allocated a school place within the normal age group; and if they agree to the deferral, they withdrawn the application for the normal age group and you reapply to primary schools the next year). Best to check how your LA deals with deferral requests ASAP if that's something you're considering, given how soon the application deadlines are.

But it's easy enough to turn down a state school place if you don't want it. The form we got confirming which primary DS1 had been offered included an option for rejecting the offered place - choosing to educate privately was given as an example of why someone might reject a school place.

You don't have to apply for a place in a state school and you don't need to notify anyone.

However, I would apply as a backup - we did. It just gives you more options.

When the place comes through you can just decline it. Or, if you haven't managed to get into a private school, you can ask if you can defer the place.

As pp have said, depending on the LA you may not be able to start in Reception a year late. Some LAs allow you to start a year later, but go straight into Year 1

You can apply for a reception place for September 2017 in the state sector and state on your application that you want your daughter to start reception in September 2018. Whether or not this application is accepted depends largely on where you live as LEAs have different attitudes. You lose nothing by doing this.

If they say she can start in September 20178 reception then you just reapply then if you want her to start in the state sector then. Or if they turn you down for deferred entry you can accept a state school place for September 2017 and she can either skip reception and go straight to Y1, start part-time or start at any time during reception year. Again applying doesn't compels you to accept a place that's offered. If she gets accepted into private school she can go there instead.

However if you have zero intention of using a state school then don't apply. If you get a place in an over subscribed state school, then that means that some one else will end up missing out and have anxious weeks waiting to see if anyone declined their place. They then may loose out if some one joins the waiting list ahead of them in the meantime. I have known people accept a state place to extend their time to decide on their private options only to decline it over the summer. That means some other poor family spend weeks desperately trying to get a place which can be very stressful.
Do find out what the LA policy in summer burns is too as seems like they differ

Dear all, huge thank you for all your comments and advice. Really appreciate all your help!