Doers my DD legally have to start school in reception?

[FiveGoMadInDorset]

Can I delay a year?

In short the LEA are proposing to go from a 3 tier system to a 2 tier with a start date of 2011. Most of the primary schools are unaffected, they will have 2 years added. The school that is our first choice however, may or may not merge with another primary school, making it a lot larger and inevitably will become a building site as 9 extra classrooms will need to be added. Now the final decision after consultation is due at the end of this year, but they don't know whether it will be before or after the deadline for our final choices.

Oh I am so confused as to what to do?

has to start the term after she is 5 (or be home Eded) so could start in Y1 (if summer birthday)- but I don't think many people would recommend this as reception is a time when friendships are established etc.

She doesn't legally have to start at all as you could home educate... but that aside, she would need to start school (legally) the term after her fifth birthday, which for most children is not the September of their Reception year. But if she doesn't start in Reception there may not be a place for her at your preferred schools in Y1.

Your daughter does not legally have to start school until the term AFTER she becomes 5. Well, she doesn't legally have to go to school at all, but she doesn't have to be in full time education until the term after she becomes 5.

Whether your preferred school will still have a place is another matter, of course. And they are highly likely to make her start in year 1 not reception if you delay until she is 5 and a bit rather than 4 and a bit (I guess it depends when her birthday is in the year).

Apply for the place and turn it down if the building site scenario comes to pass?

But if the size of the school is the issue I am confused how does this problem go away if you delay a year?
because won't the school remain larger for the forseable future

Sorry just re read your post and noticed that a merger is being proposed, so not deffo yet. ignore me

Thank you for your answers. I know I am panicking early, she is 3 tomorrow. If I apply, get a place and then turn it down will I be able to get a place at the secomd choice school (which is good but is split over 2 sites in 2 villages). I know that we will get a place in year 1 at preferred choice It is a RC faith school, we are Catholic and my family have massive ties with the school and the church having funded the building of both, BUt then it crops up the dilemma of do we just enter here in the second choice and see what happens and move her or keep her there even if the merger doesn't happen and always have that niggly feeling of what if.

Sorry for rambling, we are just going round in circles here and good to get unbiased opinions. I know there are an awful lot of other parenst in the same boat and so to be honest the admissions department are going to have there work cut out this year and next.

Thank you for listening, there is another meeting tomorrow and see what happens. I have thought of home schooling but we run a B&B and I think will be to much to have her at home and trying to teach her while running that as well, but may have to rethink that one.

if she is 3 tomorrow and you want her to be in school she will have to start by the Easter of the reception year at the latest.

You can't control the future, so i think you should just choose which ever schooling option you think is best for right now

You won't automatically get a place at the second choice if you refuse your first choice - you'll have to wait and see whether there are any places left after everyone else has accepted/refused a place.

You're right to think about it now though - in a very few months you'll have to start making your application.

DOn't assume you'll automatically get a Y1 place at your preferred choice - if they are full with children from reception then there won't be space regardless of your ties with the church. Places are allocated according to very strict criteria and ime the LEA will not bend.

It sounds like a real dilemma. I think in your shoes I'd go with your first choice regardless of the building work. I'm sure the school will be able to work round it effectively enough. They certainly did at the school at which my Mum works when a similar thing happened.

Good luck

Some LEAs will let you defer a place; you can apply when everyone else does for reception year, but then not put your child into the school until the term after your 5th birthday. The LEA will inform the school that the place must be held for your child.

Unelss the school in undersubscribed don't rely on a Year 1 space. Class numbers are limited to 30 in infants and they will not boot out another less catholic child who has been there since reception.