We set a date by which children must have had their fifth birthday to be considered old enough to attend school. Children born before or on this date are regarded as being ‘of school age’. Children born after this date are not regarded as being old enough to attend school.
Before making an application for early entry, you should consider:
- your child’s learning and development
- your child's emotional and social development
- possible long-term implications for your child
It may be helpful to discuss these issues with staff at your child’s nursery.
If you wish to apply for early entry you must complete an Early Entry request form. The parent or legal guardian of the child should complete Section A of the form. The head of the nursery or other early years establishment completes Section B.
All sections of the Early Entry request form and a copy of your child’s Starting Points should be submitted by 1 February of the year for which early entry is sought. The application form should be submitted to ey@stirling.gov.uk. An acknowledgment will be sent within 5 working days of receipt.
Arrangements will be made for staff from Schools, Learning and Education to meet with you and your child at your child’s nursery. You will be informed of the date and time of the meeting. The discussion will normally last for not more than an hour and will be conducted by a designated representative of the service.
If you make an application for your child to enter school early we will consider:
- if your child’s learning and development would be best met within early years setting where the early childhood curriculum on offer is designed to meet the needs of young children
- if the particular primary school class to which the child would be admitted would be able to provide education suited to the abilities and aptitudes of your child.
In considering the best decision for an individual child, Schools, Learning and Education staff will consider key aspects of your child’s learning and development. We will review your child’s Starting Points Profile, observe your child in the nursery, consider the head of the establishment’s report (Section B of the application form) and discuss your child’s learning and development with nursery staff.
If your request is granted you will receive a letter inviting you to enrol your child at school.
To find out how we'll handle your personal data, read our privacy notice.