Maidenhead & Windsor

The Royal Windsor and Maidenhead Borough looks set to consult on proposals to admit younger children to local schools.

The wide-ranging consultation plans – to lower the current age at which children in the Windsor and Maidenhead borough can start school – will be discussed at the children's services overview and scrutiny panel on Tuesday (January 29) and then at cabinet on February 21. If members give the thumbs-up, the consultation will begin on February 25 and run until April 4, with a report on the findings brought back to cabinet in May.

Voluntary-aided and foundation schools legally set their own admissions policies and admit children under the age of five if they wish. The Royal Windsor and Maidenhead Borough's admissions policy currently follows the legal requirement to admit children to school at the beginning of the term following their fifth birthday. More than half of other local authorities in the UK admit children at the start of the academic year following their fourth birthday as 'rising fives'.

Cllr Eileen Quick, lead member for education, explained: "These different policies give rise to perceived inequality and confusion among parents who cannot understand why some children are admitted to school before they are five and others not.

"The reality is that not only is the council's current policy unpopular with parents but some schools are admitting children before the age of five – which just adds to the confusion and inequality.

"We need to iron out the mismatch between policy and practice. We want to give parents a greater choice of exactly when they send their children to school – and offer the opportunity to maintained schools to take younger children if that is what parents want.

"That is why we are planning to take another look at our policy, and consult with headteachers and pre-school providers in the maintained, voluntary, independent and private sectors.

"If we do eventually lower the age at which children can start full-time education, it will have a direct impact on many providers of pre-school care and education. We are committed to working in partnership with everyone involved to reach the right decision for our children."

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead