starting age at school question

[bekkaboo]

everyone keeps asking me if sorted school out for DS, who is nearly 2! no course i haven't. Do i have to think about this now really? He is an august baby so wondering when / age he will start school? Is is true he'll only be4 by a week when he goes?

You will put his name down the Sept following his 3rd bday
Yes he will start the Sept following his 4th bday

Depends if the school does a january intake as well.

In England, (and Wales I think) you usually need to get the forms in by OCTOBER almost a year before they start. Which will be just 4 for your DS. So this time next year you will be chossing a school!

Its different in Scotland though.

Yes, he will be 4 when he starts, if in England.

Exactly how old will depend on your LEA's intake system.

If a one intake a year system: he will start in september, just after his 4th birthday, (at 4y0m-4y1m).

If a two intake a year system: he will start in the January after he is 4 (so will be 4y4m - 4y5m)

Not sure if anywhere still has them, but if a three intake a year system: he will start after the Easter holidays, the year after he turns 4 (so around 4y7m - 4y8m)

Choosing (not chossing), but actually, you won't be "choosing" you'll be "expressing a preference" and then they'll decide whether to "choose" DS.

blimey thanks for the fast responses! So how to you go about it from there. Do you get a letter say circle which is your first choice! or do you have to contact schools directly etc?

blimey thanks for the fast responses! So how to you go about it from there. Do you get a letter say circle which is your first choice! or do you have to contact schools directly etc?

depends on your LEA.
It may be worth looking round the schools sufficiently in advance to give yourself the option of moving house if you find you're passionate about one and it's oversubscribed.
Unless you're really passionate, you can then forget about it for a while.
By the way, you have a statutory right to defer school start until the term after his fifth birthday. I'm thinking of doing this with my August boy as he's a late talker.

bekkaboo, I have just recieved my letter for dd2 (who will be 3 in a few weeks) from the LEA asking me to fill in a form with dd2's an my details.

It went along these lines.....

letter to Mrs DeGullion, addressed to me at my house

we have on our records that Miss R DeGullion (DOB) is due to start school in sept 09.

Please fill in this form stating your name, your childs name with their DOB and your address.

Thank you

I was a little non plussed.

Could be at 4 and a week or so , or could be the January afterwards - schools vary in how many intakes and whether full or part time intially. Either way it is 2010/11 academic year and you'll apply anywhere between the October and April beforehand. Normally the LEA send a pack out to those eligible but some schools look at applications individually within the centralised process.

thanks everyone for all your help you've been really useful x