Holding on to school place

[SquidgyMummy17]

Is it possible to keep hold of a primary school reception place while sending your child to private school?

A mum I know has had to move out of the area because they’re having their house renovated. They are given a reception place at their first choice primary in September, but will be unable to move back until the spring. This mum was thinking of starting their child in private school for two terms and taking up their primary place after Easter. My feeling is that she would have to give up the primary place if she sent her child to another school, but as her child is summer born he wouldn’t technically have to take up his primary place until the summer term anyway. Does anyone know the rules around this?

Usually if the child is summer born you can choose to delay the start and they'll hold the place. Don't know whats best about being honest about the move or implying they are not schooling.

Obv honesty best but I don't know if they'd be happy holding it then. is it over subscribed?

I'd be surprised if she can do this because schools are funded for the number of children on roll. The only get out she might have is if she is asking the school to hold the place and have the child start after Easter, especially as they are not taking up from a place in the state school. I think she would have to ring the primary and ask.

Thanks everyone. I know that you can keep your summer born in preschool for two terms and start reception after Easter, but wasn’t sure if it was the same if they started private school somewhere else or whether that would then count as an in-year transfer. I’m almost certain that they wouldn’t be able to get the primary place back if they gave it up, the school is usually full.

Shieldingending is wrong. As the child is summer born, the parents have the absolute right to defer entry until the summer term. What the child does in that time is irrelevant. They can stay at home, go to nursery, go to an independent school or go on a trip around the world - the school must still hold the place for them.

I’m surprised she’s found a private school that is okay with only 2 terms. The school does have to hold onto the place for a summer born child

@User135792468

I’m surprised she’s found a private school that is okay with only 2 terms. The school does have to hold onto the place for a summer born child

The school may, of course, not know the child is only going to be there two terms. The parents may be planning on simply serving notice at Christmas.

No, generally after 2 weeks schools can start the off rolling process

It's amazing how many people have house renovations that require them to move out of their main home just in time for school application time with their first dc

Not true, if a school is oversubscribed and the child is attending an alternative school for reception (state or private) the school does not have to keep their place, in fact they have a duty of care to those waiting for a place. The right not to send your child to school is not the same as a place being held open. This is not an uncommon misconception

If the school is not oversubscribed (and never is) they will often give you reassurance that the place will be available but it's not absolute

@motogogo

Not true, if a school is oversubscribed and the child is attending an alternative school for reception (state or private) the school does not have to keep their place, in fact they have a duty of care to those waiting for a place. The right not to send your child to school is not the same as a place being held open. This is not an uncommon misconception

If the school is not oversubscribed (and never is) they will often give you reassurance that the place will be available but it's not absolute

This is simply wrong. I'm afraid you are the one with a misconception.

Parents can defer entry to state school until the start of term after the child turns five. If they do so the school must hold the place open for them. That is required by the Admissions Code and is an absolute. There is nothing in the Admissions Code that allows the school to remove the place on the basis of anything the parents do with the child in the interim.

@CaramacBar

It's amazing how many people have house renovations that require them to move out of their main home just in time for school application time with their first dc

These people have not moved out of their main home to get a place. They've moved out temporarily after the place has been awarded. And in most LAs, a temporary move due to house renovations would make no difference - the address of the main house would be used for admissions purposes, not the temporary address.

I agree with PRH, the parent can agree with the school to defer entry to the school till after the Easter break if they are summer born. That is a legal requirement on the school and the parent can do anything they want with the child until they take up the place at the school.
They are in effect registered at the school from 1st September and just to be clear they will be counted in October as being registered at the school when the pupil numbers for the next financial year are agreed. The school are protected financially when this situation occurs.
I question why the parent thinks that going to a private school for two terms is an advantage but that is their decision. The one thing that the parent does need to do is inform the LA and the school about the temporary change of address. A few LAs, Bucks being one, are now very fussy about address changes in the period from the 16th April through to September, so depending on where this parent lives there might be an issue about a temporary change of address.

Thanks everyone! My understanding is that the parent is in touch with the school as they were expecting works to last until November and were making plans for that, but it’s now looking much longer. I also question why they would want to send their child to a private school for two terms, it sounds so disruptive for the child. At least it seems their reception place is secure regardless of what they choose to do.

If my comment gets removed least ive not bit my tongue and said it like it is sick of these people they do the same with council housing.

Ouch, I think you are carrying a lot of anger around this. I’m sorry for that.

This isn’t me. I also wish I could renovate my house and have somewhere else to live in the meantime and afford to send my child to private school, but there is no chance I’ll ever be able to do any of that. Feeling angry that they can afford to do something I can’t is never going to help me. I suggest for your own sanity that you stop comparing yourself to others and looks for rainbows in your own life.

My sis summer born. I could have started in year 1 in theory. I'm not sure what the school would have thought about that, but if I had complained I'm pretty sure I would have been within my rights. I know that the school wouldnt have liked it however. Bums on seats means cash

In my local authority the child has to start within 10 days (term allowing of course) or the place is relinquished.

@namechange6754

In my local authority the child has to start within 10 days (term allowing of course) or the place is relinquished.

That is not the case for entry to Reception if the parent has notified the school that they are deferring entry until later in the school year. Your LA must follow the Admissions Code which requires admission authorities to keep the place open in this situation.