Can someone please explain to me compulsory school age?

[ViaRia01]

I understand that compulsory school age starts at the first term following the child’s 5th birthday. My son’s birthday is early October but my council lists 6 terms per year (as opposed to three terms, each with a ‘half term’ break). So is compulsory school age for him the end of October or the start of January?

Thank you

Start of January I would say. It's a national thing so it wouldn't make sense for it to be October.

I was in the same position (son's birthday in January and school labels half-terms as "terms"). It was January.

He will reach compulsory school age at the start of the spring term (January). A full term is two half terms, so Autumn term is term 1 from September to Christmas (with a week off halfway through in October). Compulsory school age goes by full terms, so the term following your child's 5th birthday will be the spring term.

@DarlingHoldMyHand ok so now I’m a bit confused. Your son turned five in January and started school in… January? A few months later than his cohort? I would have thought that if he turned five in January and compulsory school age starts the following term, then it would have reached compulsory school age either in February (the start of the next “half term”) or in April (the start of the next “term”)

I’m sorry… it’s probably me but I just can’t seem to get my head around it. Perhaps I should go back to school 😝

@BoleynMemories13 yes that’s exactly what I thought it should be, but it just threw me a little when the term dates were published as 6 x half terms but all of them were labelled ‘term’ iyswim. Thank you for your help!

Sorry typo! He turned 5 in October and compulsory school age was from January despite the half-terms being described as "terms", so the same as your situation.

The legislation actually talks about prescribed days rather than terms, and there are three prescribed days a year. As others have said, your son will be of compulsory school age in January. You still need to apply for a place as if he is going to start in September, but he does not have to start until January. Before then, you can decide whether he attends part time or not at all.