has anyone deferred school start for a November birthday child ( in Scotland)

[Lorelei2]

My son is due to start school in September, his birthday was in November, so he'll be 4 and 10 months when he starts (this is in Scotland), but I am thinking about deferring him for a year so he'll start next year when he's 5 and 10 months. This is because I don't believe he'll be able to sit still and concentrate, get himself dressed and undressed for gym, use the toilet properly (wipe his bottom) and I fear he will not do as well as if he was 5 and 10 months starting. Another year of preschool would allow him to mature and get into reading and writing and drawing a bit more. He shows no interest in drawing or writing at the moment. I'm afraid the preschool staff will say they don't think he needs to be deferred because he's confident and sociable but they told me recently they've been unable to get him to do anything they say and he struggles to get his shoes on and off, getting distracted by other things, which would suggest lack of concentration. I can only hope they'll consider what I say because deferring for a November birthday requires approval I think. He has a couple of good friends who will be going to school this year and I'm not sure if it's the right thing to defer him because he'd miss them but his education is very important and there are probably other children at the preschool that he gets on with that I don't know about because I don't know their mums. I guess what I'm asking is has anyone deferred school start for a November birthday child ( in Scotland) and what reasons did they have to give, if any?

[PeopleOnTheEdgeOfTheNight]

I don't believe he'll be able to sit still and concentrate, get himself dressed and undressed for gym, use the toilet properly (wipe his bottom)

I don't think these things are expected of new P1s, so I don't think you can/should defer for those reasons. If you really believe your son is less ready than his peers at nursery, there's still loads of time for things to change.

[Doodlemum2]

I’m in the same situation. A November birthday and school in Scotland.

What did you end up doing?

My reasons to differ is I I don’t want him finished and going to uni at 17 as I did and I feel it can only be an advantage all the way through especially at exam time to be older. I know some senior teachers they all say older is better but under a lot of social pressure not to do it.

[Groovee]

I'd speak to the Nursery staff as a starting point. I deferred my Dd who was born early and ended up in January. It definitely made a difference. But I know it's harder to get deferral for an autumn term Birthday.