[coco100]

My daughter attends a Catholic school. She is an August baby so due to the way the system operates (which will change for all admissions 2014 onwards anyway) she started in term 3 when she was 4, and turned 5 6 weeks later. She did have to do 6 terms of reception.

As at current rules your child would definitely start term 2 in a catholic school as a May 31 birthday is the term 2 reception start cut off.

[Heather11]

My daughter attends a Catholic school. She is an August baby so due to the way the system operates (which will change for all admissions 2014 onwards anyway) she started in term 3 when she was 4, and turned 5 6 weeks later. She did have to do 6 terms of reception.

As at current rules your child would definitely start term 2 in a catholic school as a May 31 birthday is the term 2 reception start cut off.

Actually as current rules stand in the Catholic system her child would be able to start in first term as the cut off date for this term is the end of February. The cut off date to start in second term is the end of May.

Our school doesn't do a fourth term and so any one with a birthday after August has to wait for the following year.

OP one of the mothers at playgroup had a DD whose 5th birthday was in the second week of school term. Her school allowed her to start as soon as she had her birthday but she couldn't go for the first week and half.

Has the Principal flat out refused to enrol your child in first term?

[coco100]

Yes sorry heather you are right, I got the op's daughter confused with ingrid74's daughter!

[Akatara]

Wow it seems such a crazy system. Sounds like the change will be good.

Would do my head in if dd had to do 6 terms, and some only have to do 4, just cause of when they are born.

[Elemenopee]

Wow it seems such a crazy system. Sounds like the change will be good.

Would do my head in if dd had to do 6 terms, and some only have to do 4, just cause of when they are born.

Some only have to do 3, if they start in term 2.
OP, chat to the proncipal, I know mine would be lenient.

[kpingitquiet]

Why do they have them do 6 terms (so, essentially repeating half a grade)? Seems like a waste of time for the kid and resources for the schools. Wouldn't it be more sensible to say either yes, they start in 2012, or no, can't start til 2013. Or am I reading this wrong?

[fairymagic]

Kids in SA generally only do 6 terms of Reception if they start school in Term 3. They do Term 3 and Term 4 and then the whole following year equating to 6 terms of Reception. If they start in Term 2 they generally do three terms of Reception unless there is an issue which warrants them spending the following year in Reception ie =7 terms. If they start Term 1 they do 4 terms. Hope this makes sense.

We were in a similar position although not by a day or two like the OP. Unfortunately, another Catholic school in our area let a friends daughter start Term 1 even though her birthday was only the day before my DD1 but my daughter could not start till Term2 unless I had her assessed and she was deemed to be gifted.

Whilst it is frustrating, I did get the explanation from our Principal that there has to be a cutoff date. If they allow those that are a day or two past the cutoff to start, others will come along and argue what is the difference between a day or two and a week past the cutoff. If they let them start, there will be those that argue what is the difference between 1 week past or 2 and on it goes.

Either next year or the year after, there will be one enrolment date - Term 1. The cutoff will be later into the year so your child could effectively be starting school at aged 4.5 - not something I particularly agree with and am thankful my youngest is now at school. It will make it hard for those with birthdays after this cutoff as they will start school at 5.5 years so in a Reception class you will have an age range of 4.5 - 5.5 years.

You could approach the Principal and see if they are a little flexible(as they were in the case of my friends daughter) but if they aren't and as your child's birthday is after the cutoff, you will just have to wait.

[KylieMin0gue]

My DD turns 5 this year on the 23rd of April which is also the first day of term 2 and her first day of school. (Very big day for DD!) I am so thankful, as had she been born a day later none of the schools in our area would have accepted her, and she would have had to start in term 3 and done 6 terms of reception. (I am also in SA)

I can understand your frustration, and I too would have been frustrated had DD been born on the 24th of April and so missed the cut off, but like other people have said, they have to have a cut off somewhere.

[CrunchyNut]

I'm in SA and our school always worked on a week and a half into the term! 2 days is odd!

[*Ker*]

A friends DD has her birthday 5 days after term 2 start, and our principal has already said she can start in Term 2, but not until after her birthday, so she has the first week off.