Not to send my child to reception year?

Year 4 cohort, we had done phonics at home during pre school year so it was easy to keep going with academic stuff during lockdowns but socially it was very hard. Those just forming friendships stopped and even now the children tend to be friends with the children of their parents friends. I do know that when they got into yr 2 there was a huge push to catch up for SATs.

Haven't read the thread, just page 1 and your posts OP but wanted to add - I sent my daughter to school only when compulsory, so she went straight into year 1, did an extra year at nursery instead of reception.

This was because although able academically, she was very shy and clingy to me. It took her a long time to settle into her small, very nurturing nursery and I didn't want her to have to start over so soon when she was only 4 (she only started nursery at 3, when the free hours kicked in).

I also just generally think 4 is too young for school, with school the way it is now- lots of assessment, lots of focus on progress, strict bloody uniform and full time. DD only did 15 hours at nursery so 2.5 days and I decided that was enough till she was 5.

The school I chose is very small, so class 1 has reception, year 1 and year 2 kids all together I.e. infants. They do do some different activities with the reception kids and separate them a bit but they're also together a lot. Because of this reception is a bit less play based than in larger schools. Also I figured it wouldn't matter so much her joining the class a year late when others would be joining it too, and I was right about that. Socially, she's been absolutely fine. Her nursery was fully on board with keeping her and her keyworker (an ex primary teacher) started her on phonics etc.
Academically, she was caught up to her peers completely by Easter of year 1. Her teacher at parents evening said she had been so behind when she started that she was worried but she had no problems catching up. How much of an extra headache she caused the teacher by being behind I don't know, but I don't feel too bad about it. I am confident we made absolutely the right decision for her.

Caveat the above by saying that she was 4 in 2020, so her peers missed more than her in some ways - nurseries reopened when schools were closed, so she may not have caught up as quickly if they hadn't been behind themselves. But, I'm confident enough in how it's worked out that I'm planning the same for my son this year - he's 4 now and I've got the school place for September but I won't be sending him until he's 5. For him it's less about shyness and more about his physical needs - he is small for his age and utterly exhausted after a day at nursery and he only does 2.5 days there. 5 days is too much for him at his age in my opinion.

So tl;Dr- it can work!

Children usually love Reception, even those that are younger in their year. It is a fun, mostly play-based year in which they learn school routines and important social skills. Most children do indeed start at age 4 and the setting is designed for this age. You could probably teach a child the academic part of the Reception curriculum at home, but it would be much harder to replicate the range of interesting resources, fun with other children in the playground, nativity plays and parties.

I can only speak from my own experience. In 1973 I started school at 4 and 1/4. I wasn't due until I was almost 5 but the headmaster told my dad to start me. I was shy, hated being away from mum and although I am intelligent, those extra months gave me time to adjust to school, to enjoy learning to socialise and develop quicker than being at home.

DD has taught reception and yr1 and says that children would be at a big disadvantage missing reception as that’s the year they learn how to “be” and behave etc at school and obviously is largely play based. Year 1 is straight into full lessons for a large part of the day. She is also of the opinion that the year struggling the most at primary now are the year that missed reception due to covid. Think it’s year 3 ?

Is your child in year 3 or year 4? Just interested as my daughter is year 3, so did miss parts of Reception for 2nd lock down, but possibly not as much as year 4 children.
Luckily their infants school was incredibly committed to rebuilding their social skills and resilience, gave them a really rounded experience, couldn't have asked for more. But even with all that, my oldests class was definitely behind her sisters (currently in reception) in social skills, and academics, despite oldest being September baby and youngest summer born. So I can really see the value of the Reception year in building those bonds and social skills. Friendships are really solid already and much harder to come in later. The amount of learning also can't be underestimated, her progress has been far beyond anything we expected from our youngest. Maybe delayed start if August baby so doing reception late, but skip it - not a chance

They learn correct pencil grip, fine motor skills, social skills, become independent and how to sit listen and learn. More importantly they learn phonics, the basis of their reading and writing skills, if they miss it, they will be behind once they start.

I don’t think it’s hugely comparable to Europe in all honesty. My sister lives in a European country where children legally attend school from aged 6. Her experience with both her children is that school starts and it’s highly academic with huge expectations for the children at that age. They can’t do the basics - as preschool is play based and school expect them to reach a high standard v quickly.
Yes the legal school age is younger here, however the build up is gradual, it’s play based in reception but both mine came on leaps and bounds, year 1 is 50/50 play and learning and the push isn’t massive

And those who mention lockdown reception are right.
My. Older DD was in nursery then reception through lockdown.
There was a marked difference between those who had been in school and those who only saw the teacher for 20 minutes at the start of each day but then once lockdown was over were expected to just settle back into school as if they hadn't had a huge unsettled break in the middle.
The numerous isolations didn't help either where a whole group was sent home to isolate because one of their group members had fallen ill.

I'm sure all schools differ but at my dds primary they cover alot of phonics in reception.
Youngest is in nursery, will start reception in September and this term they've already started on phonics, all the kids who are moving up can write their names independently and recognise all the letter sounds. It's still play based but more structured around phonics.
Then in reception they learn lots of other skills too plus they're reading short easy sentence books before year 1.

I'm surprised by all the people saying Reception is all about play - it certainly wasn't at my kid's school - very structured, strict rules (walk to dinner hall in silence and single file) and heavy focus on phonics. It was really intense, ans
I was not comfortable putting my just-turned-4 year old into this environment fill time.

So I sent her part time in reception. The school didn't like it but I didn't ask permission - I explained she would go 4 days a week I til Christmas and we'd review it after that. It was definitely the right decision for us - we had a lie-in on Wednesdays, spent time outdoors, baking, playing, reading - she was able to decompress from the intensive school day and went back for the second half of the week in a better state.

I was glad she didn't miss the first term altogether, as it was really important for socialising and starting to learn the rules. And she would have survived 5 days a week, just with a lot more meltdowns and pain for the whole family. I was lucky of course to only work part time, but it worked out very well for us

We have experience of two different schools. One was mainly play focused in reception but still had to deliver the curriculum. At the other I had feedback in week two that my child had missed part of playtime because he had been required to sit and write out several rows of a letter and had been messing around. They had made him sit until he finished. That first year was a miserable experience. Check how the school approaches reception.

My summer born started when she was 4 and settled in really well
I don’t think she would have handled going straight into year 1 where the expectations were higher. Most of the kids had already made their friend groups by the end of the first term in reception so that’s something to think about too
Also, if you don’t start in reception you won’t be applying for school the same time as everyone else so will be a lot more limited in school places as you will have to go to somewhere with a space. This might not be at the school you want

@IzzyPopp you have to remember that most countries where school doesn't start until 6 or 7 children usually go to "Kindergarten" for a few years.
Reception year - and sometimes even Year 1 - is essentially the same as most other countries Kindergartens.
(obviously I don't know what country you are from)

My son is 4, turns 5 at the end of May. He started school in September. He absolutely loves it. He’s made so many little friends, he can now read, write with his phonics, count, add, throw and catch a ball, tell stories, tell the time to the hour, works through conflict better with peers. It’s all continuous provision so it’s lots of play. I don’t think he’d manage very well if we’d held him back as a summer born and then gone straight into Year 1. As we work, he is in breakfast club from 7:45 and a couple of times a week stays until 4 with after school club.

My kids loved reception. They made friends, learned how to behave at school, had fun! Not sure how much they learned, but it was like a year long bridge from play to schooling. I think going straight in to Y1 would be too abrupt a change.

I think the OP has asked perfectly reasonable questions when coming from a culture where schooling is different.

Sorry that you had a child missing out through lockdown.

You are being incredibly unreasonable.

In reception they learn to read, write, count / calculate, and behave in school. It is not nursery. They learn so much.

My son was in Reception in 2019/20, and in his year the effects of missing a part of that year are still visible.

And don’t come with the arguments of “in other countries they don’t start until 7” - yes, but then they’re not shoved into a classroom with kids who have been in school for a year already and who are miles ahead.

If they are at nursery full time they will not find reception tiring.
My children found the first few months quite limited compared to their private day nursery where they had been doing 10hr days.
Reception is mostly play with some structure.
It's incredibly similar to most nursery classes. But it's important for both social integration and also learning the school approach.
You might learn to read but if you learn a slightly different variation of phonics you may struggle in year 1.

Sorry, I meant if a delayed start were
NOT possible ^^.

If born in March, the expectation is that you start in Reception in the September of the year you turn four. They would not be of compulsory school age until they turn 5 (so they would be for the summer term of Reception) so you can't be fined/penalised if they miss days before that. Although, in theory, you can delay sending them until three summer term, I don't know anyone who's done that nor schools who would like it.

My DD was summer-born and premature, so we delayed her school start by a year - she started Reception at 5 (some counties put up a fight against this). If this were possible, I would have rather she'd started Reception at 4 due to the play-based introduction to school, rather than start school straight into year 1, where learning becomes more formal.

A full school day of 9-3ish will be less than FT at nursery.

If your DC is already in full time nursery then reception hours will be less.

Are you using nursery for child care? If so you may need to look at breakfast and after school clubs too

Yes people send their kids to school the September after they are 4 because that's when they should go !