Rising five and ratio

[Karen1]

Hi

My son is four in April and starts reception in September.

He goes to preschool three days a week.

I have looked in the guidelines and am I right in that because he is four and goes to school those days I could use his space??

It's just I've had an enquiry and could do it, but for this gap. Am I reading these rules correctly or not? Advice please.
Tia

[shortstuff]

Your son doesn't count as a rising 5 until hes attending school full time. So if the year R children start gradually with half days before being full time you still count him as 4 until such time as hes doing full days 5 days a week.

Or at least that's how I understand it x

[Mummits]

Hi

My son is four in April and starts reception in September.

He goes to preschool three days a week.

I have looked in the guidelines and am I right in that because he is four and goes to school those days I could use his space??

It's just I've had an enquiry and could do it, but for this gap. Am I reading these rules correctly or not? Advice please.
Tia

I think it depends when you mean. Pre school doesn't count as school, so he will count in your early years numbers until September at least, but once he is in reception for a full day, you can NOT count him in your early years numbers, though he would still count as an under 8. Hope that makes sense.

[tulip0803]

I agree with the others - for a 4 year old to be classed as over 5 a child has to be attending full-time school (both morning and afternoon sessions 5 days a week). If the school does settling in half days you cannot count them as over 5 until they are attending full-time. If they start the term on full-time days you cannot count them as over 5 until the term starts so they still count as EY during the holidays.

Once he is in full-time school (10 sessions a week) in Sept then he will move to your 5-8 age group and will free up an EY space But you need to make sure that you don't go over 6 under 8's.

[Karen1]

Thank you all. That is so much clearer than the guidelines.

The local schools do half days starting so that means he will be on my under 5s until around cot time. Grrrr. Oh well.

Thanks again.