August baby. School age cut off date advice needed

[dirty tree]

Hi All,

our LO will be 4 in the last week of August ( not this coming Aug i may add - We're not that "last minute" ! )and we wanted advice regarding starting school at the age of 4 ( and one week ). LO will be the youngest in the class and so will have to deal with all the issues that come along with that. It seems a really young age to start school when ideally our LO should be playing and taking time just being a child.

What is the policy with schools around ED? Can children start later? Are schools helpful and open to this? Defer a year and start when they are 5? Can/are children allowed to redo the reception year? We would be really grateful for any insight,info or to hear of your experiences regarding this.

[bobby's bear]

I started a thread on this a few months ago as I had similar concerns, serach for 'delayed primary school starting' as I can't work out how to link to a previous thread!

The basic answer was that the only option was to miss reception and then they go straight into year 1 so will still be the youngest, and that there is no legal obligation for them to go to school until they turn 5 so they could go part time for the first year.

[sillywoman]

but you sacrifice your place at the school.So you have to hope that a place comes available in year 1 at the school of your choice (I use "choice" with full awareness of the irony here in ED).

[wellington]

My son was also born at the end of August. He should be starting reception this September but we are deferring his entry.

The information about entry to Southwark schools is here: http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200289/primary_school_admissions

I don't think that they will lose their school place as the information says that

"If your child is offered a place at the school before they are of compulsory school age you can request that

Your child attends part time until s/he reaches compulsory school age or

That their entry be deferred until later in the same school year

If you do decide to defer your child's entry, the school place offered will not be given to any other child. However, you will not be able to defer your child's entry to primary school beyond the beginning of the term after your child's fifth birthday, nor beyond the academic year for which the original application was accepted."

Hope that helps.

ETA: If they miss reception (by deferring entry) they go directly into year 1. They cannot 're-do' reception. A huge gripe of mine with the school system :(

[minder]

dirtytree - it's not all about getting straight down to loads of learning in Reception. Far from it, most of the day is geared around play-based learning with some numbers, reading and writing introduced slowly, but I can understand your concerns. I can't see how a child could re-do the Reception year as they would then have to re-do Year 1 etc. etc. and I suppose there has to be a cut-off point somewhere.

You also have to think of the friendships and familiar routines made in Reception like circle time, fruit time and just being able to sit still for a while and listening to a familiar adult. This all prepares children for Year 1.

My children have been the youngest (and eldest) in the class and each has its advantages and disadvantages.

[craigy]

I have a mid August child and I am happy for her to go to school when she has just turned 4. She is tall for her age, sociable and already very settled into a nursery setting 3 days a week. She is also a second child and I have watched her brother (April born) thrive and grow as he went through reception and I would hate to see her miss out on any of that. Reception is very play based and at their school involves so many fun things with so many other children.. And in this environment they do learn without really realising it.

I guess it is a very individual thing and probably depends upon the school that you get a how you feel about that but I for one am happy for her to start when just turned 4..

My understanding of it is that you could defer your place until the April (summer term) or the whole year but they would then start in year 1 when just turned 5 and it may be a bit if a shocker then as the play element is very reduced in favour of learning..

There has to be a cut off point somewhere and some strict rules as to what happens to those at either side of the point.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi dirty tree, you would need to apply by the mid-January deadline. Once offered the place you could choose to defer it, but your child would need to join her class in the summer term or you would lose the place you are holding. You can't defer until September as this would be the new academic year and your child would lose their place. Reception is designed to be a link between nursery and key stage 1 (years 1 and 2).

Renata

[legalalien]

Just to add, another reason for keeping your child in the year that they technically ought to be in, rather than deferring, if you could, is that if they play competitive sport (football, cricket) outside school when they get older, their year group will be based on their date of birth rather than their school year. So they'd be in a different group from their school friends/ have to compete with children from the year above.

[Mrs TP]

Also remember that schools do not go back over topics they have covered with individual children who missed out. So if they have been through the alphabet and various group letter sounds such as 'ing' (I made that example up - I am no teacher!) then they will not go through it again on an individual level with a child who has missed it. There may be some general class reminder / revision session but there would be no specific catch-up program geared towards your child.

My daughter was mid August born and, back when she started, her school automatically had January starts for the young in year children. I found her last term at nursery (Sept-Dec) awful as most of her friends had left to start school and she had out-grown it. When she started school there were 3 others younger than her - all in that last couple of weeks in August. All I noted at the time was that she was shy, which was normal for her then (has grown out of it since and doesn't need to be a label that sticks) and that she didn't start reading until year 1. Now she has just started secondary school and I really can't tell the difference between her and her friends born at the beginning of the school year.

Some of the older kids in reception can still be quiet 'babyish' but the reception teachers and TAs are used to. It is very much a transition year from pre-school to the more formal learning in year 1.

[OverTheRainbows]

There *doesn't* have to be a rigid cut-off point somewhere; check out the Scottish system: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2012/05/7940/4

In light of reports like this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-21699054, time for change in England?? Really difficult to decide whether deferring would be better or not in the current system here...

[canela]

I think it depends a lot on the child. I kept my son out of school until the term he turned five, and I'm very glad I did. So he got just one term of reception, and then straight into year one. I'm sure he was a bit behind but he's caught up, and he's very happy at school now. He just wasn't ready. But my niece who is also one of the youngest was just fine starting at 4. maybe there is a bit of a boy/girl thing too? does your LO go to pre-school or anything?

[dirty tree]

Hi Guys,

thanks for your feedback.

Is is your right as a parent to hold back your child until you feel they are ready or is it school dependant whether you can do this?

[bobby's bear]

It's my understanding that the legal requirement for them to be schooled starts when they turn five, so you only have the right to hold them back until then.

[bobby's bear]

I have seen on the BBC today that a motion has been tabled in parliament for parents of summer borns to be able to choose when they start school without losing a place in reception.

This is based on the evidence of long term disadvantages that summer born babies can face at school.

Here is a link to the motion

http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2013-14/213

The suggestion is that if you agree with this to ask your MP to sign the motion.