Not to send my child to reception year?

Exactly! Mine can read, write, draw recognisable objects and do some maths. And there's still a term left.

Most parents who defer their kids tend to start them in reception the September after they’re 5 (assuming their birthdays are in the summer term). There are 3 kids in DS’s class who were already 5 when they started reception. I don’t think it’s common for reception to be skipped.

They are expected to be at reading level 3 by the end of reception and should probably know about 50% of phonics, although I am not certain on the latter.

You can look up the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key-stage 1 curriculum online. If you miss Reception and enter at y1 you apply "in year" and have more limited school options as it depends on where there is a space. If you apply for Reception and start during the year, the school has to hold the place for your dc to start, after Christmas or Easter for example. But if you delay until the following September they do not.

I would look at the school you would be going to, but if its a good school, reception and the start of year one are the best bit. I generally think they are really important too as its the only bit in a childs education where some of the softer skills are the goal rather than incidental.

My son's school day is 8:40-3:15.
The school has a breakfast club, and a local nursery does an after-school club pick up as do a few childminders.

The curriculum is play based (or should be) but that doesn’t mean there isn’t lots of teaching, and learning going on! It’s a really important year for children - well children who will be going on to school based education anyway.

I taught Reception for years. Obviously there’s certain exceptions, and varying degrees but by and large the children began the year not being able to read and write, and by the end of the year they could. Now for some that meant write a simple sentence, for others it was writing perfectly punctuated stories.

I don’t believe that is even the most important part of what children learn in Reception, arguably the social and emotional side is more important. But the idea that nothing much is taught during the year is untrue.

Curriculum can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2

Deferring is possible, but fairly uncommon at least in my part of England.

My school is 8.45-3.15.

By the end of Reception children are expected to be reading at yellow book band level, to be able to write a sentence using their phonics knowledge, to be on top of number bonds up to 10 and working with numbers up to 20 (and various other maths things - it's all available online). It's not just play.

I have had three go through Reception in recent years. In 2016, yes mostly play based and some phonics.

In 2022 it had gradually changed to being more like yr1 - by the time my youngest had finished Reception she and most others were already fully reading. They are also expected to have good control of number up to five (not just counting but adding, taking away) etc.

Missing Reception these days would mean starting school behind on the curriculum. Some kids would catch up quickly but many won’t. Yr1 can be quiet the learning curve already.

I find reception year quite brilliant, in that the children think they have been doing nothing but playing, and yet they come out the other end being able to read and write! Quite amazing! I would definitely not want my children missing it. I have four children, and all the three school aged ones absolutely loved reception year.

I’d just be concerned at putting my child at a disadvantage as literally all of the phonics teaching was in foundation at my sons school (although he was a lockdown starter). They literally finished the harder bit of phonics the first term of year 1 then we’re straight on to phonics assessments and reading plus the socialisation aspect. Sure they might make friendships, but most children will have formed friendships and routines

I really wouldn't skip reception unless there was absolutely no other choice.

I think you only have to look at the cohort who missed 2 terms of reception due to Covid 19 to see the effect of missing that year had. As a group, my child's cohort are immature for their age and especially lacking in coping skills. Reception is where children start to learn to sit still and be ready to learn in year one.

If you don't apply for a Reception place then there might not be a place in Year 1 for them.

My youngest started fs2/reception last year aged four, he was five in December.

It's a similar class room and playground environment to his old private nursery which put him at ease. He was very nervous but has loved it.

It is mainly play based but they have also been learning phonics and practice writing letters, counting etc. He's learnt a lot since September! I can't imagine him starting the following September and all his class mates having had so much more time there than him, like a head start.

I think if you wanted to leave them another year but then start school I'd want to know if the school could let him start at fs2 even though he was older, rather than throwing him into year one without having done reception at the school really.

He did seem little when he started, especially as he'd missed a lot during the lockdowns (in terms of social time with peers, playgroups, nursery time etc) but he's loved it.

One of my kids didn’t do P1 (first year of school in Scotland). It’s worked out absolutely fine but there were lots of variables that made me happy with the decision that may not apply in your case.

Plus year one is hard enough after a year at school let alone the first a child steps into a school.

Almost everyone sends their child for reception. Why wouldn't you?

It's not age five it's the term after a child turns five. You can still use 15/30 funded hours at nursery until CSA which is a much better environment for young children.

Reception is the fun bit. Year 1 is quite full on so I think that would be a horrible start for your child. They won't understand the routine of school and won't have made friends, then to go in year 1 and straight into sitting at a desk alot of the time! Reception helps introduce them to formal education.

However on the other hand if your child is born between April-August you can use the summerborn legislation for them to start a year later in reception rather than year 1. Not all schools are keen on it and you do need the schools/LAs permission in most counties.

Most children that age enjoy being with their peers and they might get a bit bored with preschool if they are the oldest. It's worth contacting the schools that are options and finding out how they manage the youngest ones as school cultures do vary. Some have a more gentle start in September and others just go in all day from day one

Overwhelming children start school at their normal time in reception but that doesn't mean that you have to. Make a judgement based on your own child not anyone else's

It is basically like nursery with some phonics etc. What if your child is behind the others when they start?