Can kids attend two different primary schools in different areas?

[PoppyPeaches]

Hello! Really random one, but I just wondered if anyone has any experience of this/knows if it’s possible?

If you have two houses, eg a main house and a holiday home somewhere else, would it be possible for very young children eg 4-6yrs to attend a primary school at house 1 for 6m say during winter time, and a different primary school near the holiday home for the summer months? Or would home schooling be the only option here?

many thanks!

No you have one school place. If you were absent for a prolonged period your child would lose their place and need to reapply on return.

They can’t be on role at 2 different schools as only 1 would get funding

The only option would be to enrol at the first one for the winter then the second for the summer, but that would only work if both were undersubscribed - they wouldn’t hold a space for you

It is possible in that it might be done but if it is a UK state school you would have to reapply for a space at each school each time. There would be no guarantee of consistency. I can't imagine schools being impressed either.

You could start at area 1 primary 1, deregister and start at area 2 primary 2 then deregister and see what primary you are allocated in area 1. Might be primary 1 if you’re lucky but maybe not.

Generally people try and minimise moves for social and emotional reasons so I would home ed rather than switch schools every 6 months

I think travelling showman families are allowed to have a main winter school, then move round frequently during the warmer months when their family moves the rides etc.

It would be awfully disruptive to the children for social/ emotional purposes, as well as to their learning on settling back into each school.

Why would it be ok to take 2 school places fot
one child?!

If you were thinking to have a main place at first school and home educate over the summer that probably wouldn't work either because the first school would deregister you after a certain length of absence and would be under no obligation to take the child back the following September, especially if they have filled the place in the mean time. If you want to live in two places you would probably have to home educate all year round.

I knew some one who sent their kid to school in Scotland from Aug to Feb then lived in Brussels the other half and they went to international school.

I think your way would be tricky as funding for schools is dependant on role call at a certain time of the year, so second school would never get funding and would not be keen.

Totally unfair on the child IMO. Children need friendships and routine, not being schlepped about because the parents want to.

Thanks everyone for your speedy replies - all that totally makes sense!

As others have said, this isn't possible as you'd need to deregister and reapply each time. The schools can't keep the place open for you. Even if they could, it would be very disruptive for the children and could potentially lead to them having to constantly re-do different topics as different schools will cover things at different times of year or in different year groups.

If you are serious about home educating, that's your only realistic opinion of you really want to keep moving between the two houses. It would be far more seamless for the children and sounds like it would suit your lifestyle.

Lots of wrong answers on this thread.

The regulations specifically allow for a pupil to be registered at two or more schools provided all the schools involved are in England - The School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024 regulation 9(1)(a)(ii) and (iii). One school is designated as the pupil's main school, others are subsidiary schools. In this situation, the pupil is not removed from the register of their main school when attending the other school(s). This is used for children of families where the parent's trade or business requires them to move from place to place. It can also be used in other circumstances where a pupil is attending another school on a temporary basis.

Whether that would be allowed in OP's case is up to the schools involved. But, contrary to what many on this thread have said, it may be possible without having to deregister and re-apply.

Look up code D, on page 84 of the Working Together to Improve School Attendance guidance

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66bf300da44f1c4c23e5bd1b/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance_-_August_2024.pdf#page84

Not really what you asked, but your child could miss out part of their Reception year without losing their school place near your usual home. That wouldn't normally allow them to attend a different school while at the holiday home, however.

If, say, they are going to be away for the month of September, you could simply delay their school start; see the School Admissions Code.

Also (only if your child is summer-born), I don't see why they couldn't have a few months off school while they are still below "Compulsory School Age", without losing their school place. For example, you could take them away in June and July at the end of their Reception year. The law doesn't provide for their name to be removed from the register, so long as the school has no grounds to believe they have moved away or that they won't be attending again - so you would just need to be sure you communicate well with the school about where they are and when they will be back. You can't be fined for the nonattendance of a child under CSA, so no worries on that score.

I realise that isn't the long-term solution you are looking for, of course.

Do you mean for this to change every year or is it just for a year? If it was a yearly thing, I doubt you could, but even if you could I think this would be terribly disruptive to the child

I think (but don't quote me on this) that only children from traveller communities (I'm including fairground children in this) are allowed to be registered at more than one school. This is to avoid discrimination on cultural grounds.

Holiday homes don't count I'm afraid.

Regardless of the legalities, I'm not sure you're really thinking logically about this. Primary school isn't just colouring in. Different schools cover different subjects in different orders.

How will your DC feel if they are suddenly thrown into a maths class half way through their unit on fractions and has no clue what's going on because his other school hasn't yet started fractions? Or if he's just completed his unit on Measures and finds he has to do it all over again?

Not only is this stressful for DC, it's also a lot of work for their teachers.