To be shocked deferring by a year has become this common?

So many people are only thinking about how they will cope academically and in primary school, as well. A lot of the issues manifest at secondary school, especially with girls, and are about emotional maturity. There's absolutely no way you can predict how that will play out for your individual child when looking at then aged 3 and making the decision on whether or not to defer the following year, when they'll be 4. Hence why people are inclined, looking at the data (which is pretty shocking given the significant and lifelong effects) that it would be better not to take the risk, given their children an additional year of childhood and send them to school closer to the age when formal learning is developmentally appropriate (i.e. 6-7, hence why most countries begin formal education at this age). Sadly, here, the most we can do for children within our current legal framework is ensure this is delayed until they are at least 4 yrs and 5 months (the April borns who cannot be deferred). So obviously, people do it if they can because nobody wants to subject their child to unnecessary harm and needlessly having a whole year less of childhood/ education than other children. 🤷🏻‍♀️

It’s so child dependent. I have two summer borns. My girl was ready for school really. She was always very articulate and able. She did however struggle socially at times, and I could see she was one of the youngest at parties etc. My DS is august born, his language is quite delayed and we currently suspect some SEND needs. The pressure is on as he should start school just a few days after his 4th birthday. I suspect this is a big reason a significantly higher number of summer born child are identified at having SEND. We are seriously considering delaying him. It has nothing to do with him needing to be top of the class, I doubt he will be. I also think he will probably be ok in reception. But I know when he hits key stage one at just turned 5 he will never cope with that formal
learning. As a teacher I have seen so many children struggle with year 1 . I just don’t see why we rush them and strongly believe play based learning should be the norm for longer.

Way back when my August baby started school children joined reception throughout the school year, so he didn't start until the term before he turned 5. I think deferring has become a lot more common now that all children all start in the September

Just so you know he was still the youngest in his class, born just days before the cut off date, he was almost a year younger than some in his class. And it showed. But as he went through the school years it would often be forgotten that he was so much younger than many of his classmates. And even in first year of high school there's a big difference in the maturity level of an almost 12yo and a just 11yo

I had end of July babies - twins - had I the choice at the time we’d have deferred - school was a nightmare, ds was not ready socially. The teachers and the pupils made no allowances and he suffered.

Our local grammar allows them out of cohort sad long as they've been with their class at least 3 years. In terms of test scores they are headed as September born.

I checked with them before deferring.

I have been looking into this for a while as I have end July birthday twins born at 36 weeks. They hit lots of physical milestones very late - crawling at 12 months, walking at 18, and are very small for their age. I was very relieved when I found out about deferring, think it’s really good to have the option/flexibility. Child development is so individual, there will be some summer borns who will do just fine in Reception having just turned 4, and others who would really struggle and will benefit from starting just after they turn 5. My twins are now 3 years 2 months and I think they will start with their normal cohort in September 2025 as social, communication skills and development wise they are doing very well, but it is very reassuring to know there is an alternative option.

Standardised test scores are a thing. I’m a teacher and we used to carry out standardised tests in y4 if I recall. And they were given a score - almost like an IQ score. But their raw mark was cross referenced with their age in months to get the final score. So 2 kids who get the same number of marks on the test could score differently in the end depending on their actual age. This does make things fairer. I wish SATs and GCSEs were marked this way!!

It's changed.

Mine are both August born. Youngest was due September but arrived early. I didn’t defer her. Turned out a good decision. The pre school teacher was running out of work to give her as she was so able. Same with reception teacher. Those 2 year groups didn’t want to push her on but as she got older she kept excelling. She’s in y8 now and top sets. She can be slightly immature in her personality side - gets upset easily. But she has made friends with kids older and younger at school - several in year groups older through extra curricular clubs. I also suspect she has adhd and can’t ever be bored. So deferring her a year would have been awful as she would have just got bored. She’s constantly on the go. My older DD is also August horn and generally average ability but better in some subjects that others. Diagnosed autistic she’s always struggled socially, however more so as she prefers adult company and older children’s company than her own age peers. She’s always managed at school. Most weren’t aware of her difficulties as she masked them quite well and copied what she saw so came across older than her years quite often. I don’t think deferring her would have achieved anything better either.

For girls though both are noticeable ‘younger’ than the September girls. The older girls in both year groups seem to behave even older again. Dressing older, wearing make up earlier, ditching their toys sooner for designer clothes and makeup. When I see them out of school they often look much older due to the way they dress and act. My oldest does get mistaken for looking older without having to dress older but she developed puberty quite early on and has work adult clothes since she was 12. But she wears very conservative type clothes or jeans and hoodies mostly.

I do worry that both will be 15 when they take their GCSEs and get their results. They won’t be able to get a summer job after their GCSEs as most places around here aren’t taking on under 16s. So many of their friends will be busy working in that big gap in the summer post GCSEs and mine won’t. Their friends will all be driving and possibly even passed their tests before they’ll start learning.

But I’m not sure the whole deferring thing makes a huge difference. And often they defer and join reception late then have to skip y1 to go ahead to year 2 so they are in age appropriate year groups eventually. Not sure many stay back that year all through school.

Unless this has changed since 2016, When children defer there is no guarantee they’ll be accepted into reception the following year, they may have to go straight into year 1. It can also affect them when they move schools later on, they could be forced to go into the year group they ‘should’ have been in if they hadn’t deferred, therefore effectively missing a year. That’s what I was told by my local council at the time.

Look at the GCSE attainment statistics by birth year. Look at the distribution of global CEOs by birth year. Look at the diagnosis of adhd and SEN by birth year, particularly for boys. Being the youngest in the year in most cases is more disadvantageous than being the youngest. Also just turned four is very little for full time school, lots are barely potty trained, sleep nap and aren’t emotionally ready at this age.
There is growing awareness of the ability to defer and funded childcare helps. Deferral is correlated with higher income and educational levels in parents so possibly you are in an area with a higher socio economic demographic.

My eldest child is a June baby and started school in Reception age 5. He fits in well in his adopted cohort academically and socially... and actually no one at the school realised he was "out of cohort" until mid way through Reception when the school nurse pointed it out. 😂

I am very glad it was an option.

My youngest granddaughter was due to be born on October 6 2020 but was born 3 months early in July and spent 3 months in hospital with her mother. She started school this year so in my eyes she's not yet 4 and while she's healthy and not unduly small I do wish she'd been held back.

Less than 30 years ago children didn't start school until the term after their 5th birthday.

There was an intake in January and another at Easter In our local schools.

They would be in nursery, or playgroup, childminder, at home or a combination of things before starting school.They learnt through play. Most came in ready to learn. They knew numbers, letters, had dexterity to write, draw, colour.

Traditionally, Scandinavian countries and most of Europe started formal education later. They learnt through play.

It may be better to stay in the correct year group if you're considering grammar. The grammars where we live (I don't know about others) do not routinely allow children to sit outside of the correct year group. Also, the results are age graded so the younger children are not disadvantaged. Effectively, children born in a certain month are ranked against other children born in the same month.

It depends on your area.

I think approx 5-7% summer borns wait an extra year now, based on the data. There is a report online with all the evidence and stats.

I started school when I was 4 in the early 70s! Birthday in March so not summer born but still five months of school before I turned 5.

My daughter timed her pregnancy so her child would be one of the oldest in school year group. Baby came early and was actually the youngest.

So you need to apply the year before (in England anyway ) and apply for the option of deferring at the same time with your local council.. if the school refuse - they have to prove that missing a year of school is in the best interests of the child (which they can't at that age).. I have yet to hear of a child being forced to skip year 7... so they just stay in their adopted cohort and move with them into senior school...there are a couple of private schools that won't accept a deferred child but they are in the minority.. most of the good ones have overseas children come anyway that will be older..and I've asked a lot of them -for the majority it's not a problem at all..

When did it become the norm to start at 4? I am a late 80s baby and everyone was 5 when they started. Occasionally you saw one come in who was still 4 and they were definitely the odd one out.
It seems tragic to start them at 4 when they are forced into tiny uniforms and made to read and write from the get go (before the bones and muscles in their hands and arms are even ready!).
My son started at 4 BUT in a country with a rolling entry and a 2-year Reception. You then go into Primary 1. He is turning 6 in a month’s time and he and his classmates are only just starting to learn to read and write. No uniforms either. It all seems much better this way.

An August child would have the same weighting at 11+ as a September born so no impact

Excuse all the typos!!!

I deferred my end of August son and he is in year 3 doing brilliantly.. no SEN just very little and he would have missed a lot of reception during Covid and the difference in him a year was huge .i wasn't too worried about the academic side of things (but that's been fine!) - I wanted him to be more emotionally mature /able to sit still for longer periods etc and as a result he has had a wonderful start to school.. he is only 6 days older than the next September born in his class..I'd do it again in a heartbeat.. the head teacher who approved our request told me that 10 years ago he would have just said to parents that asked to get them in but he said the pressure on the little ones now is so much greater that I'd was before -he said the gap does close in year 3 ish but he has found the deferred kids to have had a much happier start and greater confidence.. I think it really depends on the child but it's been brilliant for us.. I did have to apply for dispensation from the FA to be able to play football with his friends in an outside club but that was a simple online process and for other sports like swimming and gymnastics it's Jan -Dec so hasn't impacted him at all.

My child is a summer born and I wish I had deferred a year. He’s in year 4 now and I still regret not deferring him.