New Admissions Code

[apple]

have you see this?

 

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/sacode/

[Gezabel]

Mm!

I have a child in my preschool who will be 4 in May 2010. Children starting school in the September after their 4th birthday has been the 'norm' in my area for some time. More recently the majority of school only have September in take with the odd exception (we had four children leave at Christmas) Mum (and us) thought the child would start school in September 2010

 

This week the mother said she had been contacted by the school and told that the child could not start until April 2011 as they were now admitting children 'in the term they will be 5'

 

Just wondering if this change is pre-empting the changes that may come into force. If schools have to hold places for 4yr olds and cannot allocate to another child surely it is going to have a financial impact as the school will not get the funding?

 

Sorry if this is a bit garbled but just wonder if schools are going to go back to the old system of children starting school in the term they will be 5

[Cait]

We have the age 4 entry in September in our County, and have had for many years. Children start in the September of the academic year in which they will turn 5. I'm not sure whether this will affect our schools then, unless I'm reading it wrongly!

[catma]

As I read it Parents can now defer entry until the start of the term after a child is 5, but there is a single point of admission for all chn in that year group, ie September. If a child is allocated a place then the school must hold the place if the parent wishes to defer.

 

However I'm not clear if parents can request part time in reception.

 

And if a child is "on roll" but not attending is that authorised absence?? or are they off roll until they start?

Hmmmmmm

[sunnyday]

As I read it Parents can now defer entry until the start of the term after a child is 5, but there is a single point of admission for all chn in that year group, ie September. If a child is allocated a place then the school must hold the place if the parent wishes to defer.

 

Hmmmmmm

That was my understanding too........

 

This could be really interesting - hope we get some definitive info. in good time - it will certainly impact on my pre-school if I need to make places available for the 'summer borns' whose parents may wish to defer their start date........

 

I wonder what happens if we get a change of government - does anyone else feel that we are in a state of flux with an election looming?

[Marion]

I'm also in an authority with a single September intake following a child's fourth birthday. It would only effect us if parents decided to keep children other settings rather than reception but as they receive free full time education I doubt many would take that option.

[Marion]

I wonder what happens if we get a change of government - does anyone else feel that we are in a state of flux with an election looming?

 

Yes it's a bit of a limbo situation lots of possible changes but not knowing if we should plan for them or not.

[sunnyday]

I'm also in an authority with a single September intake following a child's fourth birthday. It would only effect us if parents decided to keep children other settings rather than reception but as they receive free full time education I doubt many would take that option.

Excellent point Marion!

 

I always have parents 'protesting' that they think that their 'summer born' child is too young to start school, however, I think even if given the choice they would opt for school

 

We shall see!

[Marion]

And if a child is "on roll" but not attending is that authorised absence?? or are they off roll until they start?

Hmmmmmm

 

Not quite the same but we already have the single intake and if four year old children don't attend it is marked as unauthorised absence but we can't send out the EWO as they aren't statutory school age

[Marion]

Excellent point Marion!

 

I always have parents 'protesting' that they think that their 'summer born' child is too young to start school, however, I think even if given the choice they would opt for school

 

We shall see!

 

 

We often have parents complain their child is too young but they are often the same parents who use before and after school care . We also have lots of children in nursery who attend half a day with us and then go to the CC day care so parents would be saving a considerable amount so I'm not sure which way it will go

[HappyMaz]

It would only effect us if parents decided to keep children other settings rather than reception but as they receive free full time education I doubt many would take that option.

I was just thinking this myself Marion, especially since under the Single Funding Formula only children in a reception class will be entitled to a free full-time place. I'm very pleased to see it in writing that attendance at a school's nursery will not guarantee a place at the primary school - hopefully that will prevent any misunderstandings arising when parents think they have to take up a place at nursery if they want their child to go to that school.

 

I am a bit confused though - our Borough has recently decided to go to a two-point entry to school rather than the three point we currently have, from September 2010. This would seem to have rendered this a complete waste of time - or am I just more confused than I thought I was?

 

Maz

[Posy]

Does this gets around the extended school day thing; parents can have the option of full time child care until statutory school age and still attend their school of choice + said school doesn't have to provide extended pre and after school care for those under stat school age? Or am I just very old and confused (I haven't been well this weekend).

 

Posy

[Guest]

This is my understanding. In our Authority we currently have 3 points of entry. Like HappyMaz we have just consulted and are moving to 2 point of entry in September. However when this comes into force this will prove a lot of waste of time and money as we will have to move to 1 point of entry the following year - hindsight eh?

 

My understanding is that schools will have to offer full-time places but it is up to parents whether or not they send their child full or part time. Alternatively they can recieve funding to keep their child at a nursery or pre-school until statutory school age.

 

Schools won't be able to choose when to take the children, it is up to the parents. A bit of communication will be useful here.

 

I currently have a child who only came part-time last term because his parents wanted him at home in the afternoons and he is 5 this month. We had a special code in the register to show he was on roll but not taking up the full entitlement.

Also although we have to keep the places open for Summer borns til April they are not actually on roll until they start school (which is very annoying when they decide to wait til March to tell us they're not going to take up their place and it could have been given to someone else could have started in September). This is a real problem in our area where parents often hold onto a place at our school til the last possible moment and then send them private.

 

The consultation says that the necessary legal stuff has to be sorted out be Feb so I think any change in government won't make any difference. Unless they decide to go through the whole legal process to reverse the decision, which is unlikely since Tories are as keen as Labour to get kids in schools as soon as possible.

 

Confused?!

Edited January 24, 2010 by Guest