Cut off for starting school

[OFSTEDoutstanding]

Can anyone please tel me what the cut off birthday date is for starting school in Sept. My ds has birthday at end of august will he start in sept when the time comes? (only 8 months at the mo so no rush)

Depends what your local authourity do.

My eldest birthday is July, and she wont start until the september after she is 5, however my niece (200 miles away) is August (so 1 month younger) and will start the september after she is 4

not sure where jinxed is but the majority of english schools start the september after their 4th birthday up to the 31st August ( I worked for Childrens Services and this was the norm across lots of authorities) so your ds would start the september after his august 4th birthday. My ds birthday is August 26th so will be about 4 and a week ish when he starts

here in devon the cutoff dates are:

-born between sept 1st and feb 28th- start in sept when 4, nearly 5
-born between 1st march and aug 31st- start in jan when 4, nearly 5.

(eg ds1 birthday is start of sept so he was 5 almost as soon as he started school. also ds2 birthday is end jan and he will start this sept yet he wont be 5 til next jan IYSWIM)

hth

Where I am in London the cutoff is 31st Aug.
DS is 28th Aug so will start either September this year (aged about 4 and 2 weeks) or January next (4.4yrs) depending if they have one or two intakes at the school.

East Anglia - i have researched the schools I want my eldest to go to, and the number one choice would be september after her birthday.

If I were to go for the second school, it would be the Easter before she is 5 but only part time.

My niece starts September after she is 4 and will be part time until October half-term and then full time.

Days like today I feel like moving closer to my SIL so my eldest can start school earlier!

northern ireland cut off date is july 1st. dd wont be starting school till she is 5 because she has august birthday

He would start Reception at some point during the academic year after he turns 4 , so from September 2010,(assuming you are not in Scotland where it differs), but some LEA's/schools stagger younger ones to be either part time at first and/or in January or , less frequently, April. You can legally wait until the term after he turns 5 ie the following September) but in practice he then would start in year 1, missing Reception out which could be disadvantageous and he could then only go to a school where there was place , so more limited choice as most will be full from Reception. jinxed, that seems odd are you in Scotland ?

in scotland -

if your child was 4 between 1st march 2006 and 28th February 2007, they will start in August 2007

If they are 4 on or after 1st March 2007, they won't start till August 2008

ok thanks my sil has ds born sept 05 my ds born aug 06 will they start together then? both due to go same school

Details depend on the school but yes they'd be same year group.

LEAs are moving more and more towards one intake ie the Sept of the school year the child turns 5. In other words when yr DS is 4 and a tiny bit.

jinxed that is very unusual. AFAIK in England the child has to start school the term after they are 5, but most start at the start of that school year or they will miss Reception.

That does seem odd jinxed, you might want to check they have given you the correct information. If it was the case, your child would be starting school straight into Y1 and miss out Reception altogether. My SIL is in East Anglia and her dd will start school the September before she turns 5 as in the rest of the country.