DD5 Reception or Year 1

[noimnotalison]

Short summary. DD was 5 in Feb and is in reception, she was very premature and although she is a little miracle has speech and language problems (improving slowly) and had one remaining surgery which we expected to happen when in Year One.

She started reception in January as we were mid house move and it was felt best for her to have to settle once not twice, all good. She settled and was content at school although struggled socially due to speech problems. School were great and immediately talked about the process of amassing support for EHCP and explained what they were putting in to help. In Feb we were advised she should have the surgery sooner rather than later and she had it in March, was a major op and although she initially recovered quite well she developed an infection and pneumonia. She has only just started back at school and is finding it tough. Friendships in class are much less fluid and she is not strong enough to put effort into this. Academically she knows some phonics but that's about it.

So, the Head has said she has a strong case for repeating reception and the LEA are supportive but it is our choice! I have searched and searched and found very little information about this as it seems something people fight for and are rarely offered!

On the one hand we are relieved that she will be able to start from the beginning with a new group of children she can start learning at reception pace. On the other hand, how will she feel in years to come. As a Feb birthday she isn't young in the year and it will be obvious.

Does anyone have any idea how this may pan out for her? The only thing I am not concerned about is secondary school transfer as my parents have offered to put money aside now for private school later if this were to be a problem.

We need to make a decision by the end of this week!

[CountryCaterpillar]

I would in your case, especially as school are supporting it. She can have an enjoyable year doing play based learning in reception rather than going into a year where she is constantly behind and not knowing what's going on.

[W1A]

I would do it.
Was she at nursery, and how did she manage then? Just thinking that if she enjoyed/benefitted from the play based side then repeating reception would be good, but if she was ready to leave nursery and start something more formal then she may begin to get bored repeating reception.

[Viserion]

As long as you are comfortable with the offer from your parents, I definitely would. It is quite common in independent schools for children to be out of year one way or another. Several at my son's school have repeated YR and none of the other kids bat an eyelid about it.

[noimnotalison]

Se went to nursery but it was disrupted by a couple of surgeries. I would say she was just about ready for reception last autumn but hasn't really moved on since then. Professionals say she is bright as a button underneath (obviously that's a non formal assessment!) but we can see speech difficulties play a part as asking questions, not being able to make it known what she hasn't understood slows her down.

[Michaelahpurple]

Bite their hand off, I reckon. She has had plenty to deal with and a restart would give her a chance to regroup. I have had SL issues with my boys and it takes up a lot of social and mental effort. This will give you more time, for instance, to work with a speech therapist while school is lighter, and if, like mine, you will be doing daily SLT drills at home for a few years. You don't want to rush to the homework years.

[user789653241]

If you repeat reception, are you in agreement with school/LA to stay in that year group for rest of her school years? I have seen some post that the dc needs to skip either yr6 or yr7 since the secondary doesn't admit children in wrong year groups. If that's not the case, and if you think it's best choice for your dd, I wold say go for it.

My ds had lots of days off school in KS1. He has chronic illness(had major surgery), multiple food allergies, and traits of asd/adhd. Also he was totally selective mute during nursery and start of school. But he is a bright child, and I don't think it did any favor for him to stay behind years, especially he is mentally very mature compared to other children. KS1 work is fairly easy to catch up, if you are determined to help, and child is bright and willing, once speech has caught up.

[smellyboot]

Do it. She'll have chance to catch up and thrive.

[user789653241]

Sorry totally missed the point that private secondary was an option, so the year group is no concern.

You say she is a bright child.
With new NC, bright child sometimes suffer with limitation of learning. I think my ds can go year or two above and can cope academically.
I think it really depend on how fast you think she can catch up to other children. If she is capable to catch up fast and take over, it can be the problem to hold her back , imo.
You can learn things faster when they are older. So she maybe able to catch up and keep up, even over take with yr1 curriculum, or maybe not. Only you would know how she is.

Either way, good luck.

[birdybirdbird]

I would have a look at the year 1 curriculum and think how well she would cope with it. There are some challenging elements and have seen children with EAL, S&L, SEN etc really struggle and just get further and further behind. Also year 1 is really tiring when reception children first come up - there is a lot of formal, sit down work and it takes a lot of mental effort. Is she ready for that? Schools rarely make offers like this and I would bite their hand off to be honest, especially as secondary isn't going to be an issue.

[noimnotalison]

Thanks for all the replies! Oddly last night DD said she didn't want to go to Year 1 and wished she could go back to nursery. We asked her whether she would stay in reception if she could and she didn't seem bothered either way. I think we've made up our mind to repeat. The teacher has said there is a lot of new children in the new intake (ie who weren't in the school pre-school) so I think she'll have more of an opportunity to make new friends.

I hope other parents are understanding. I'm not so worried now but as she gets older. She's unusually tall for a preemie. This time 5 years ago we'd only just stopped thinking we might lose her any day so I guess this is a choice we'd have killed for then.

[SantasLittleMonkeyButler]

I would definitely let her repeat Reception. In terms of moving up to secondary school, she should then move up with her year group rather than the year she technically should be in IYSWIM. She won't end up missing Year 6.

Different situation but a friend of mine made the decision to defer her DD starting school for 12 months (premature summer born) & asked her LEA all of these questions before making the final decision.

So long as your school or LEA can reassure you that DD will stay with her new group throughout school, I can only see the benefits TBH.

As for her being chronologically a year older, it won't look that strange to anyone. When DS2 (now 16) was in primary school, a girl in his class was a year older. She had SN and had been adopted from abroad - not arriving in the UK in time to start Reception with her age group in any case. Her mum did say that she got a couple of "6" cards at her 7th birthday party, as people assumed she was the same age - but apart from that, no issues. She moved up to secondary at the same time & has just finished her GCSEs aged 17.

[Boatsnack]

I'd let her repeat my dd has a January birthday which in Scotland allows deferral into primary 1. So dd could have started school in the August before she turned 5 but we decided to defer until the August before she turned 6.

I'm really glad she had the opportunity for deferral as she had surgery in the spring before she started school and like your dd developed an infection and was very ill for a long time. It is likely that had she already started school at that time she would have missed weeks/months of education that she would have struggled to catch up on.

[Yayne]

I'd let her repeat. She's got enough on her plate without starting Y1 behind. Sounds like a really sensible school!

[MissWimpyDimple]

I would.

There are children in my DC s Year who are a year older and it makes no difference.

Both of them are new to the country so I assume it's for purposes of catching up.

[heyday]

100% to doing reception again. My DGS is 6 and in year 1. The difference between year 1 and reception is huge. So much more work based in year 1 compared to reception. Another year in reception gives her a chance to catch up a bit socially and educationally and a bit more time to hopefully grow stronger.

[MrsMontgomerySmythe]

Another vote for repeat! Incan only see benefits and wish you all well.

[Hollybollybingbong]

The children who have stayed in our reception class for a second year have gained so much in confidence, it has made school a positive experience. With the new cohort there will be plenty of new friends to make, there's a certain amount of kudos being the first to turn 5! I would always recommend it if you have a supportive school and if your child is receptive to the idea.
If you do decide to go ahead try to arrange transition opportunities where she can spend time with her new classmates and maybe arrange a couple of play dates to get to know them.