Delaying school start date for August-born children

[powercow]

Has anyone tried/succeeded in getting permission from Southwark for their summer born child to defer entry at primary school until after their fifth birthday, so they're the oldest in the class rather than the youngest?

There's loads of research out there about the disadvantages of being summer born (if you're interested I can point you to it) and the recent review commissioned by the government includes almost a whole chapter on it, but comes out suggesting that the youngest children should actually start earlier (in the September term they turn 4, rather than in the January when they are 4 and a bit).

My daughter's birthday is 30th August and since the cut off date is 1st September she'll be the youngest in the class by anything up to 363 days.

Legally she doesn't have to start until she's five...but then she would go straight into Year 1 and be doubly disadvantaged by missing reception and still being the youngest.

My birthday's 31st July and I have 4 A levels and a degree so when people say to me ?She?ll be OK; she?ll do fine? my response is that this isn?t about her being ?OK? or ?fine?; I want to even up the odds which are so heavily stacked against her and give her a chance to achieve her full potential whatever that may be. I want her to have a smooth transition into full time education when she is ready and to be confident and happy from the start, not struggling to keep up.

(I've seen it also from the other end: her seven-year old brother's birthday is mid September, so he had an extra six months at nursery prior to starting school just before his fifth birthday. He was socially and academically ready for school, with a maturity which was clear to see and continues to stand him in good stead.)

I'd love to hear from anyone else who is in the same boat...

[lorraineliyanage]

As a teacher, it's worth pointing out that there isn't that much to learn academically in the reception year that she couldn't be taught at home, it's quite a gentle introduction to schooling. Have a look through the curriculum for the EYFS to check out the requirements as I don't think your daughter would be at a disadvantage if Southwark won't defer her school entry - they are sticklers for the rules when it comes to school starting age.

[quickbrownfox]

How frustrating that you can't decide when it's best for your child to start school (or can you?). Like you, Powercow, my sister did loads of research and delayed her boy's start by a year, and reckons it's the best thing she ever did - good luck to you in finding a loop hole!

[mumum]

where can I read this review of the August born children, and please what are the disadvantages, doesn?t it level out in a few years? My child is also August born. Do I really need to think now that my daughter will live a life of odds stacked against her? I?m busy enough worrying about swine flu!

[powercow]

No, it doesn't level out until 16 or above.

If you're interested in reading more, check out the following for starters:

The Independent Review of Primary Curriculum by Sir Jim Rose which was published in April and the recommendations of which are to be fully implemented (announcement this week from Vincent Coaker, Schools Minister) - see Chapter 4 particularly on summer-born children : http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/default.aspx?PageFunction=productdetails&PageMode=publications&ProductId=DCSF-00499-2009&

Institute for Fiscal Studies report (2007) "When You Are Born Matters: The Impact of Date of Birth on Child

Cognitive Outcomes in England": http://www.ifs.org.uk/docs/born_matters_report.pdf

National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) (2009). "The influence of relative age on learner attainment and development": http://www.inca.org.uk/Relative_Age_Review_February_2009.pdf

[gwod]

I wonder whether any academic advantages of holding her back a year may be outweighed by the potential social difficulties she will encounter when she has to justify for the rest of her school career, why she is not in the "right" school year. This may impact an her performance more than just being among the youngest, as "fitting in" becomes so important as they get older.

I am an August baby, and can honestly say that I never felt pushed at school and am therefore glad I was in the same year as my yeargroup.

My kids school (also Southwark) starts the January intake in a separate class so there is only about 4 months between the youngest and the oldest being taught. Also I think that girls are often ready for school earlier than the boys, and as the research points out - the age disadvantage does level out in the end.

Good luck making the right decision for your little person.

[????]

My little girl is an August birthday and starts in Jan...a sort of compromise

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

My daughter is late August born. I think the January intake disadvantages them even more - older children have more intense teacher:pupil ratio for four months which puts them even further ahead. If you have the option (even though it's counter- intuitive) I'd put them in in September.

I agree with gwod that relationships are formed early on and it's difficult for a late starter to find their feet. My daughter was subjected to some rotten bullying when she joined a new school in year one as the queen bees were already firmly established.

[lorraineliyanage]

powercow - just because it's written in a report, it doesn't mean it's all doom and gloom for your daughter. A lot of learning depends on the support provided outside of school. In my experience of teaching, it levels out much earlier, around ages 7 to 8. I don't think your daughter will be lagging behind until age 16. If you are really concerned, there are tutors available for children in this area from age 2 to get them ready for the entrance tests to the private schools (not that I am necessarily recommending this option!).

[????]

I'm a September baby which was great being one of the oldest but then after a few years I got jumped a year which felt a bit odd...although it meant I did a years less school, huzzah!

[lorraineliyanage]

I was the oldest in the class (Septemeber 3rd) but then got bumped - skipped the last year of primary school so went to high school 1 year early. It didn't really make any difference at this point, and it was great to finish school at 17 as I went travelling and bumming around for a couple of years before starting university.

[intexasatthe moment]

My son is late July birth .

Couldn't get into school nursery because places offered to older kids so went to preschool.

Joined school in January knowing no one and completely agree with PGC - very hard for Jan intake to join a half class that's benefitted from being a small group with more teacher and TA input. Friendships already formed. January children have to fit into a group that already knows routines etc.

Didn't find school very helpful in briefing parents either - got the impression they'd been through everything once at the shiny start of term and were lacking motivation to go through it all again in the cold post Christmas days .

Talking about things like book bags ,changing reading books ,class assemblies ,library visits ,bringing fruit in etc,etc.

Would say son definitely suffered socially ,emotionally and confidence wise and has yet ,many years later ,to catch up.

Think it's more about confidence than what is actually taught /learnt ,which theoretically could be covered at home .

Think boys are younger emotionally than girls and that it does affect them.

Though obviously everyone is different and I'm making generalisations based on own experience.

[Mellors]

My daughter is also 30 August, and I have been worrying about this. They are SO little at 4 and a couple of days to start big school (especially the very big London schools we have round here). I would love to delay her until she is 5 (I tried my best to cross my legs until 1 September, but she just wasn't having any of it!).

I agree with the comments above on the January intake, that doesnt seem like a great solution either.

I am interested to know if anybody has managed to delay until the following year's intake.

[redjam]

No one seems to be stating the obvious here in that there has to be a cut-off somewhere! While I have every sympathy with those who have kids with late August birthdays, deferring their entry into the school system effectively just pushes the cut-off date further back. So maybe it solves the problem for you, but just moves the goalposts for other children.

I've got a daughter with a July birthday and I too feel she'll have a slight disadvantage when she starts school. But them's the breaks - and overall I think your relative age in your class is just one small factor in whether you have a happy and 'successful' life (however you define that). Reception is very play-based, as someone pointed out above, so your daughter will have plenty of time to adjust to school without being thrown into the world of times tables and long division from the off!

[Mellors]

I know, but as an August child myself I always hated being the youngest/smallest, and as we are all titches in my family I was physically the littlest as well, as I am sure she will be. 4 feels far too young to go into a multi-class intake in a large inner city school with lots of bigger kids in the playground.

Is it the same at private schools or can you choose there?

[intexasatthe moment]

One thing which i think helps and was done - maybe still is - at Dulwich Village Infants was to have a whole class of January intake ,so that they're all new together.

The classes - 2 September intake and the one January intake were mixed up ,in year 1 I think .

Of course this also causes debate with friendships formed in reception being disrupted by children being placed in different classes .

[Gubodge]

As a result of the bulge class Goodrich will be putting all the January intake into two new classes, to then be mixed up at the end of year one. (Or earlier if circumstance dictates). The Early Years Educators will also be primarily focussed on the new classes to get the summer children off to a good start. Any half decent school will know the literature and recognise the problem and ensure any gap is closed as soon as possible.

My own children's birthdays are 2nd September (Due date August 13th. Mellors, you didn't cross hard enough.) and 24th July, so although 2 years apart in age they are only one year apart academically. I do have concerns about the younger but am grateful Goodrich has a January intake, which they appear to manage well, as I think that is the best way forward. Private isn't an option (and wouldn't be even if it was, if you see what I mean) and I'm sure delaying her start until year one would just put her further behind. If we were able to wait until she was 5 and a bit to start I don't think I'd take that option either. L, by 5 and a week was very very ready for school and her sister is more advanced socially. She'd be climbing the walls if she had to wait another two terms.

[sillywoman]

Hi powercow (fab name btw)

We tried very hard 9 years ago to be allowed to start our August born son in the following academic years intake. We even considered lying about his birthday on his application form - & with hindsight I wish we had, I think it would have served him better. We didn't in the end as we had (what turned out to be a naive) faith in the system, and that if that year group didn't work for him something could be done. Actually it didn't work for him in a massive way, and very little was done that was helpful. Every teacher he had in primary school has said he would have been better served in the year below, or words to that effect. We continued to argue the case for his being moved down a year until he got to the end of year 3 (age 7) by then it would have been too hard to pass off & detrimental to him so we stopped.

We have found Southward Education to be absolutely rigid, unyielding and obstructive at every stage. I really hope you have better luck.

Our boy is in secondary school now and is doing OK, though he still struggles both socially and academically. The big issue for him I think is the social difficulties he's encountered as a boy who is naturally quite immature, forced to create friends amongst those who are always one step ahead of him in their interests, sense of humor & physical development really, and who therefor don't really want that much to do with him. I am under n illusion that it has adversely affected him and the effects of the subtle rejections he's dealt with all his academic life will colour his view of himself for many years to come. Possibly his whole life.

I really hope that with this new research to power you, you get a better result than we managed to do. Stamp your feet and fight for whatever you know in your heart is the right thing for your daughter. I feel we let our boy down badly, and I'll regret not having more confidence to 'think outside the box' for him to my dying day.

[starstarlet]

We were very keen and tried to delay our august born sons start date at school but were told that he would always have to go into his correct year group due to SATS etc. So if we didn't send him to reception he would then just go straight into Year One.

He is very happy at school and has made some great friends and I'm pretty sure academically he will catch up. His school teachers understand that he is very young for his year and make allowances for this. I guess it just depends on the teachers and we have been very lucky so far.

[The Nappy Lady]

This has been a really interesting thread.

My eldest was born on 4th July, so one of the youngest in her year, but so far (now in Year 1) seems to be fine...I think every child is different, but it is true that girls often seem more mature around this age. My view is that I'd rather she has to work a bit to keep up in class than be bored or able to coast, which would be my fear if she was one of the oldest in the year (she isn't Einstein, but she is fairly bright). As others have mentioned, at her school they have a full class of September starters and a different, full class of January starters, and these two classes stay separate right through I believe, unless you request a move.

My youngest was born 10th October, so she will be the other extreme, so will be interesting to compare when she eventually goes to school.

As Gubodge mentioned already some children with September and October birthdays are really desperate for school by the time they get to go - I can think of at least 4 children I know who fall into this category. Parents were at their wits end waiting for them to start school and children were really bored and wanting to go too!

I agree there has to be a cut off point, but it is a shame that the system can't show a degree of flexibility for children like your son sillywoman.....it must be so hard to have had to cope with that, we all want what is best for our children, and it is so sad to think that potentially a very simple solution could have made a world of difference to him.

Molly

[The Nappy Lady]

Forgot to say - not that I am suggesting anyone should do this - but if you were to give birth on the 30th August, but when you went to register the birth gave the DOB as 1st September would this ever get picked up on? I know the midwives / hospital know the DOB, but does this get passed on anywhere? I know in the past children didn't always know their actual DOB because it wasn't recorded in the way it is these days, but that was a long time ago. I know the doctors surgery gets paperwork through from the birth, so they would know the 'true' date....

Someone earlier mentioned giving the wrong DOB to the school, but this wouldn't work because you have to provide your child's birth certificate when they start school and a photocopy is (I think) kept on file at the school, but what would happen if the actual birth was registered on a different date?

Interesting, but you wouldn't catch my trying to see if it worked...and wouldn't it be odd celebrating a birthday on the wrong day for the rest of your childs life?!!!!

Molly

[lorraineliyanage]

molly - to register the birth, i think you need an NHS number from the midwives, so even if you had a homebirth, i think the actual date and time will have been recorded already...

[The Nappy Lady]

Ah yes, I suspected as much.

xx

[anapau]

My sister's birthday is the 31st of August, so she's obviously always been the the youngest in her class. She's doing fine academically and is by no means lagging behind her peers. She's also very tall for her age (she's 14 years old and 5'11) and looks like she could easily be a 6th former; she cringes at the idea that she could so nearly have been in the year below - even though she's only four days older than the eldest girl in that year!

[EmmaG]

I have two nieces, one of whom was autumn born and the other who was summer born. This replicates the situation with their mother (my sister) and me. Both the summer born children have had major confidence issues with reading and progressing to the extent where my dear little younger niece speaks very disparagingly of herself and how she can't read. I don't think it's entirely to do with progress in class but also to do with comparing themselves with their older siblings. I truly believe that a child will indicate if it's ready for the challenges of school and that it should be down to the parents to make the decision. My heart breaks when I think of my sister (born August) and her younger daughter (also born August) and how both have really struggled over the years.

FYI, there is an interesting chapter in Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers about this issue in relation to sports progression. It's a fascinating topic.