bedazzler

We are looking to move back from California after 13 years in the States. Our children are 10, 7 and 4, and have only ever lived in the US. We are slightly panicked about the school situation... how on earth would we enrol them at this late stage? I know the process is very different to the one in the States. We would only be staying in an Air B'n'B for the first few weeks while we get our bearings, so we wouldn't have a permanent address to give to a school.
Also, would my kids likely need tutors? I understand that UK kids are quite far 'ahead' as they start school a year earlier than Americans. My daughter just turned 4 a couple of weeks ago and would have another year of preschool here, would she be forced to start reception in the UK or can she go to nursery?
Lastly, in the event we need to come back to the US in a year or so for work, would we need to also keep them up with the US curriculum?
Thanks so much in advance. This has been a really challenging year for us and we're trying to make the transition as easy as possible for the kids.

Ukoneday

Oh the good old school system minefield

I’ve researched this extensively and I imagine you’ve left it too late for this coming academic year if you’re going to government funded school in the U.K. Private schools can be more flexible. However, at those ages the kids will be well behind and likely require tutoring to gain access to private schools through examination next academic year (2021/22). Schooling in primary school has been a huge barrier for us and could be for you imo. Especially in California where, in my experience, education is very play based until quite late in the day.

on the plus side I think your youngest would be allowed to start school in January in some schools.

christmasoompa

Why do you think it will be too late? The local authority have to give children a school place. They may not get their first choice of school (or second or third if in an oversubscribed area), but a place in the council area will have to be provided.

OP - your youngest is only legally required to start school the term after she turns 5, so if she was 4 a couple of weeks ago she wouldn’t have to start school until Sept 2021 if you wanted to delay it.

Ukoneday

interesting
i was told we would only get “leftover” schools if we applied in summer. It may vary by LEA. In my county the kids have to start In September if they’re born before April 1 and January if they’re born before September 1.
it must vary by LEA.
didnt mean to mislead, just what I’ve been told by my prospective Lea.

christmasoompa

Sorry, I thought you mean it was too late to get any school place! Depending on the school year that may be the case anytime of year though, the summer application is only relevant to those applying for primary and secondary, as then the application date will have been missed and places already allocated in the spring. Any other year you're just hoping to slot in where there is a space, which may not be first choice of school. Where I am it's hugely oversubscribed as we have some of the best schools in the country so any in year applicants are usually on a waiting list for their choice of schooo, but other areas are much better I think.

Maybe the rules are different in Scotland/Wales/NI, is that where you're looking at? For England it's the same everywhere - "Compulsory school age is set out in section 8 of the Education Act 1996 and The Education (Start of Compulsory School Age) Order 1998. A child reaches compulsory school age on the prescribed day following his fifth birthday (or on his fifth birthday if it falls on a prescribed day). The prescribed days are 31 December, 31 March and 31 August. The term ‘summer born’ is used to refer to children born from 1 April to 31 August. These children are not required to start school until a full school year after the point at which they could first have been admitted."

HTH.