Children start school at 5, oh no they don't

Mine too, and he’s doing well with his phonics etc but the school is pretty strict and I’m not sure he’s ready for the rules 🤣

My 4 children started school at 5y4m, 5y1m, 5y11m, and 5y (days after turning 5). They wouldn't have been ready aged 4. Two were slow to toilet train due to additional needs.

In Northern Ireland the cut off is 4 on or before 1 July. So July and August Birthday kids have turned 5 before they start ?

and our kids start in P1 usually not reception?

I come from mainland Europe where school starts at 7

Do most children attend preschools/nurseries? In countries like Finland "school" starts at 7 but what children mostly attend before that is very like our EYFS & even year 1 which often still has a lot of play.

British education is typically ranked in the top 10 globally. Many countries with the highest rankings have better average outcomes with a smaller spread between upper and lower ends of the cohort. British education has typically had a broader focus that allows for higher academic attainers to achieve very well indeed, thus leading on to the extremely well regarded university sector with a disproportionate number of globally ranked universities.

I agree. People don’t say theta start at five.

Reception is EYFS, its play based and the learning outcomes are very child development focussed on younger kids - communication, personal development, social skills etc. Learning numbers, letters and sounds etc happens through play, in many schools teachers/TAs don't hear individual child read at all any more, most of the work of actually getting a child reading is done through parents doing the daily reading at home.

I had a v young august birthday who started school having been four for two weeks, was absolutely fine.

My just turned 4 year old has just started another year of pre-school as I did not think he was ready for school yet. All set up to start reception next year at just turned five. I thought about his readiness and what would work best for him individually when deciding.

My dd's school is continuous provision until year 3, so plenty of learning through play etc. It is one of the main reasons I chose the school . Children will have years to sit down - I want them to play!

Homelands, in*

I come from mainland Europe where school starts at 7 and my helanda education is jn worlds top 5 every year in maths,science and languages. British kids go to school at 4/5 and leave school without speaking other languages etc- what are they doing there all these years?

My granddaughter was 4 years and a few days old (birthday at end of August) my daughter is primary carer and gets no maintenance and pretty much zero financial help. So she’s working to pay a mortgage, car, utilities , food, hobbies, clothing etc whilst ex partner lives in a mortgage free house thanks to her paying off a massive chunk, has me spitting feathers but our concern is for granddaughters well being.

I’m in Scotland and I didn’t realise this. (I think here children have to be in school before the age of 6?)

My little one would no way have been ready at 4 1/2, play-based learning or not.

3 of my children started school as soon as they turned 3. Full time within weeks. Important socially, educationally etc.

Reception is still Early years. It’s still follows the nursery curriculum.

In France they start school at 3. In Scandinavia 6/7. Before that they just go to preschool where they learn things but are not supposed to be able to sit down like In a classsroom.

@Cattenberg I agree! Year 1 is a big shift. I noticed this for both my kids, one who is highly academic and the other who is average - they both struggled with the move to Year 1. Reception is really just playing in a building that happens to be a school.

Year 2 is a lot easier - although there’s a lot more focus on bums on seats, crack on with work, by now both my kids were fine with the principle.

My DD turned 4 at the end of June, she’s just stared reception. I didn’t think was ready but she’s loving it and thriving.
As others have said, reception is basically nursery, they play 90% of the day, do painting and drawings, the only actual “lesson” they have is PE and even that’s just playing.

Well exactly this, but not just that, I didnt take OP's comment literally that he's barely out of nappies, just that she is amazed at how quickly time has gone and now people are talking about school for him when in her eyes he's still a toddler/baby.

SEN support where does OP say this?

My DD in July born and started school soon after turning 4. She was 100% ready and did amazingly both at the learning side but also the social side. She would never have forgiven me if I'd held her back when all of her friends were off to school. One of her best friends is October born so a good 9 months older but my DD was in many ways more mature. I understand some kids need slower entry to formal education but not all.

It sounds like your child was quite late potty training and having bottles, perhaps for your child it makes sense to hold them back, but you would be holding them back from their peers. It's your choice but most children are very happy in reception at 4.

I wanted to hold my DS back but was not allowed by the school. I've just finally got agreement from the council to move him back a year. He is 15. It was ruinous going at four. We never should have done it. Well done for thinking about this.

Reception for DD was really nice, she loved it.it’s mainly play based.

Do we say they start at 5? I’ve never heard that. I would say they start in the September of the school year they turn 5. I’m in NI so school year is July-June. People tend to say “how old will the be when they start school then” and I say eg he’s Sept so he’ll be nearly 5. But obviously a child born in June will be 4y2m. I’ve never heard anyone claim or imply that children start school at 5 but maybe they do in England!

Generally we say they start at 4. DS 4 2wks before he started and i’d say for a year or two he was a little behind, largely as he didn’t attend the school nursery who started phonics earlier. He did however leave secondary with highest grades in the school, and just graduated with a 1st class degree. Don’t sweat it. Reception is very play based and kids adjust.