Council set to review Wokingham school starting age
Starting on Monday (June 2), Wokingham Borough Council will be reviewing the age at which children join school and will be consulting with parents, carers, children, schools, as well as private, voluntary and independent early years settings to ascertain their views.
Currently, Wokingham council has a policy that allows for school places to be offered to children at three points of entry, which means children, known as rising fives, can go to school from the start of the autumn, spring and summer terms before their fifth birthday. This allows children to go to school on a part-time basis until they are five, which is the statutory school age.
Cllr Norman Jorgensen, executive member for Wokingham children’s services, said: “The council’s policy for three points of entry was introduced in 2000. We feel it is time to review how this is working as some of the borough’s schools have asked us to look at it and our neighbouring authorities are also in the process of reviewing their own policies.
“We are conducting this survey to ascertain the views of many people across the borough on the points of entry into school. These views along with other information collected through the consultation will be considered before any decisions are made.”
The five-week consultation will seek views from Wokingham parents to childcare providers to find out at what age they think children should start school. The borough council has commissioned Hempsall Consultancies, independent consultants, to carry out the review and will be speaking to children and young people as well as wider school communities such as teachers and governors. The consultants will also be seeking the views of early years providers including nurseries.
Parents will be contacted by directly with postcards initially and will be asked if they like to take part in the consultation. The telephone survey with parents will start at the beginning of June and the council would like to reassure parents that this is a genuine survey.
Chris Jones, head of universal services for children, said: “Parents will be given the opportunity to take part in the consultation. At the beginning of June we will start distributing postcards asking parents to complete and this will be followed by a telephone survey for those who wish to take part. We are especially interested to hear from those parents who have recently been offered a place in a Wokingham Borough school or whose children started school last year.”
During the consultation period, face-to-face interviews will also be conducted with headteachers, governors and early years providers across the borough as well as telephone interviews.
Once the review is complete, a report will be considered by the council’s decision-making executive in the autumn.
Anyone who would like more information on the survey or would like to take part should contact Chris Jones, head of universal services for children, on (0118) 974 6148.
Currently, Wokingham council has a policy that allows for school places to be offered to children at three points of entry, which means children, known as rising fives, can go to school from the start of the autumn, spring and summer terms before their fifth birthday. This allows children to go to school on a part-time basis until they are five, which is the statutory school age.
Cllr Norman Jorgensen, executive member for Wokingham children’s services, said: “The council’s policy for three points of entry was introduced in 2000. We feel it is time to review how this is working as some of the borough’s schools have asked us to look at it and our neighbouring authorities are also in the process of reviewing their own policies.
“We are conducting this survey to ascertain the views of many people across the borough on the points of entry into school. These views along with other information collected through the consultation will be considered before any decisions are made.”
The five-week consultation will seek views from Wokingham parents to childcare providers to find out at what age they think children should start school. The borough council has commissioned Hempsall Consultancies, independent consultants, to carry out the review and will be speaking to children and young people as well as wider school communities such as teachers and governors. The consultants will also be seeking the views of early years providers including nurseries.
Parents will be contacted by directly with postcards initially and will be asked if they like to take part in the consultation. The telephone survey with parents will start at the beginning of June and the council would like to reassure parents that this is a genuine survey.
Chris Jones, head of universal services for children, said: “Parents will be given the opportunity to take part in the consultation. At the beginning of June we will start distributing postcards asking parents to complete and this will be followed by a telephone survey for those who wish to take part. We are especially interested to hear from those parents who have recently been offered a place in a Wokingham Borough school or whose children started school last year.”
During the consultation period, face-to-face interviews will also be conducted with headteachers, governors and early years providers across the borough as well as telephone interviews.
Once the review is complete, a report will be considered by the council’s decision-making executive in the autumn.
Anyone who would like more information on the survey or would like to take part should contact Chris Jones, head of universal services for children, on (0118) 974 6148.
Wokingham Borough Council
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