Scotland - Deferring P1 entry?

[stealthcat]

My DD has a January birthday, and is 4, so we have the choice to either start her at primary school this August, or defer her entry to school until she is 5.7

Im not sure what to do - the argument for starting school this year would be that she is very keen to start, she is reasonably academicaly bright, and is competent with the personal care tasks that would be expected of her at school. She is socially quite good.

On the other side she is physically small, and seems very 'young' to me. I think that there could be benefit in being one of the oldest children in the year.


I think that the reason that I am struggling so much with this is that she is my youngest child, so to me she seems very little (still my baby ).

Asking people who know her hasnt got us anywhere, even the nursery havent been much help, and seem reluctant to give specific advice - they wont say whether they think she should or shouldnt go to school this year - the most they will say is that 'if someone can have an extra year of nursery then why not'.

I dont know what to do - I will keep her back if I think it will benefit her, but on the other hand I'm worried that it might not benefit her, or could even be to her detriment (some people have suggested that if she defers then school might then be 'easy', with the temptation to coast).


Does anyone have any advice on this? Or if you are considering starting your Dec/Jan/Feb born child in P1 this year, how have you decided what to do?

[Chrysanthemum5]

My sister is a very experienced teacher, and her advice is to defer a child if they are physically small. The reason is that they will always struggle with the playground, PE etc. Which doesn't sound like much compared to academic reasons but it makes a huge difference to a child.

[OldLadyKnowsNothing]

IME, professional advice about this depends on local funding. My DS1 is a January baby, was always sensible and grounded, and the nursery strongly recommended that he stay on at nursery and defer starting school. A decade later, my sister (with a February baby who was still very clingy) had her nursery strongly recommend he start at 4!

Neither of us took the advice, DS1 is now in his mid twenties with a degree and a reasonable job. My nephew is still in school and doing well.

You know your child best.

[stealthcat]

Thanks for the advice. At least there is a couple of months before we have to make the final decision.
I agree with the comment about the nursery funding - DD is at a private nursery, I can see that it would be in their financial interests for DD to have an extra year at nursery.

[prettybird]

Have you thought about asking the school? They might have a view, knowing the particular environment of the school even if they don't know your child.

It wouldn't make your decision for you, as only you know your dd, but it would add a different perspective.

[cuckooclock]

Not every council will fund for an extra year at nursery so you need to check that out. If as you say your dd is quite bright, socially ready and quite keen to start school, how will she feel at having to do an extra year at nursery, will she get bored? Is she already starting to recognise letters, her name, and counting? If so, imo she seems ready for school and I would go for it. I wouldn't make size an issue. My dd was at the other end of the spectrum, she was wearing age 8 clothes when she started school and left primary school wearing size 9 shoes and was 5' 8". She always struggled in pe too as she just wasn't very dainty! It was always very funny watching her walk to and from school with her best friend who was a feb born rather small & dainty child.

[stealthcat]

The school dont know her in detail, but are used to seeing her around . With reference to the question about her level of ability at the moment she knows all letters and numbers, counts, recognises some words (mostly the names of her friends), and writes her own name, her friends names, and other random words. She seems to enjoy letters/writing at the moment. When we discussed her with the headteacher he felt that academically she would be towards the top end of the class, but then that isnt everything, and I'm aware that the decision that we make now isnt just for P1, but for the rest of her school career - would it be better for her to sit her final school exams at 18.5 rather than 17.5, or might it make no difference at all?

Funding for an additional nursery year wouldnt be an issue because she is a January birthday, so automatically approved for that.

Thanks for the comments. Helps me in my thinking

[prettybird]

I don't think it will really matter - depending on how mature she is, she might choose to go to Uni from 5th year rather than 6th year anyway.

I was "old" in my year (April birthday) but went to Uni from 5th year, so was only 17.5 when I started at Uni.

'Cos the Uni I went to (although in Scotland) was more than 50% "English", one of their considerations before issuing a conditional acceptance was whether I would be mature enough (they contacted the school after a couple of friends and I had visited on on OPen Day: they got accepted for the following year, I got an accptance for that year).

[Labradorlover]

DD is Jan birthday and I had this choice last year.
I decided to send her to school. I felt that she was socially able for school and would cope with the longer day, rules and the learning. I thought that she would be bored with nursery for another year.
Has been the right choice for us. She loves going to school and is doing well. Her only complaint is that there's been kids in P1 turning 6 before so was 5!

[crazycarol]

I remember reading somewhere that by the time the kids hit p3 or p4 the age difference has levelled out and the main diference is due to academic ability, so by the time they get to secondary school age really isn't a factor.

[ln1981]

ds1 is a feb birthday, and we didnt defer. certainly dont regret it now, though he did struggle for a short time in p.2. he is a very bright boy, and nursery told me that he would have been bored had he stayed for another year. i dont think it bothered him that some of his class mates were a year older than him, as he was at their 'level'.
i know someone going through the same dilemma-nursery have said her dc is ready academically, but not socially. its a tough call but you know your dd better than anyone else.

[stealthcat]

Thanks for those comments. Crazycarol I had heard that too, that after a few years the age difference isnt significant. Does make me wonder why Im spending so much time thinking about this though

[prettybird]

... on the other hand, my January born brother wasn't deferred and perhaps should have been and may have suffered as a result - although some of that could have been becasue the teachers very unprofessionally used to compare him to me (only a year ahead of him even though I am more than 18 months older than him). Particularly unfair to compare unfavourably a boy with a swottish "teacher's pet" older sister, especially when boys often mautre later than girls.

He only really found his way in his 20s if then (even though he was very bright) - although that may be his character anyway.

[Lindax]

ds is a feb birthday and we did defer, feel we did the right thing for him. He is quite bright, but as he was quite shy at 4.6, wouldnt participate in group speaking etc waiting a year has allowed him to enjoy the whole school experience e.g. speaking part in panto, sports days, helping organising everyone to play football/speaking up for himself at playtime etc. He would have struggled to have the confidence to do these if he was the youngest in the class.

we umm'ed and ahh'd for ages about whether to defer of not, and decision was eventually based on our feeling that all dc's in general in UK should not start school as early, especially boys, if we didnt defer and he struggled we felt it would be harder to fix than defering and him being bored.

[WentworthMillerMad]

I would defer - and have done!

I teach in Scotland and I can tell in my S3 class who is the youngest, physically and often academically. The current research points to massive advantages at standard grade, highers and beyond for deferred children (and older). You will find other deferred children in the class so she won't be the oldest. She will have an advantage.

[stealthcat]

Do you have a link to that information Wentworth? I had thought that any effect of age evened out after a few years, if it doesnt that would make a difference to our decision.

[weebob]

Keep her back!!!!

Why stick your kid in front of a desk when it needn't happen for another year? The poor lamb is going to have goodness knows how many years of stern education ahead of her - let her play and develop socially a little more

I kept ds back a year for that very reason

As for the small bit - nah I don't believe that for one single second (no disrespect meant to you friend who is a teacher) and the reason I say this is because my son has growth hormone deficiency and he excells at school in every possible way, even though he is 6 and it the same size as a 5 year old.....being the size of a 4 year old at the beginning of P1
He takes part in gymnastic classes after school, has lots of friends in and out of the play ground and has never had a problem with his height since he started on meds for his condition

It won't hurt to keep your daughter back a year, if it did Scotland wouldn't give parents the oppotunity to do so........Let her have a bit more fun x