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Original poster

To think a child born on the 5th august isn’t that young for their school year

208 replies

Penny779 · 15/02/2026 16:36

As there are still three weeks left of the academic year so still could be many children much younher

OP posts:
FoxInABox · 15/02/2026 17:44

My child’s birthday is 15th August. They were second youngest in their year in primary, and the youngest in their year in seniors out of 180 kids until year 10 when a new kid joined who is a few days younger. My dc was quite annoyed about that!

Sarah24x · 15/02/2026 17:44

My ds is 27th Aug currently in reception. I was worried about him being left behind but he’s actually in the top set for phonics and reading.

Of course a kid born 4th August is going to be one of the youngest in the year. Think there’s only 3 others in my son’s year (70 kids in total) who are August born.

PurBal · 15/02/2026 17:41

One local school keep the youngest 8 “back” in reception when they’re in year 1. Intake of 22 and 30 to a class. DS is July born and I asked about this in practice. To get 8 youngsters they have sometimes gone back as early as April borns. We chose a different school.

Imaginingdragonsagain · 15/02/2026 17:40

Of course they’ll be pretty much the youngest in the class. What a strange thing to say.

WhatWouldDianeLockhartDo · 15/02/2026 17:39

It’s fine and no reason to hold back a year but they will be one of the youngest and the vast majority of the cohort will be older. Both are true.

bridgetreilly · 15/02/2026 17:32

So, there might be one or two a couple of weeks younger, but some eleven months older. Yeah, OP, that’s bonkers.

Waitingfordoggo · 15/02/2026 17:31

In my year at school, there was a child with a 31st August birthday and one with a 1st Sept birthday! Mad that they were basically a year apart. I think differences would have been more obvious in Reception and Year One than later on in our school career.

imnotwhoyouthinkiam · 15/02/2026 17:30

Waitingfordoggo · 15/02/2026 17:28

I’m confused as to how you were the second youngest! Isn’t August 31st the cut-off? (Maybe you’re just saying there was someone else with a 31st August birthday who was born later in the day?!)

Show quote history

Indeed I was saying that. My friend is about 12 hours younger than me. We always used to joke about me being older, despite it making no real difference.

bobkelso · 15/02/2026 17:30

Scotland so different cut offs but DC2 is May birthday, our year runs March - Feb so I expected DC to be one of the oldest. Not even in oldest half of their class due to the amount of deferrals! There’s a child in the class born October 2017 (year should be March 2018 - Feb 2019). Based on what deferrals look like these days I would expect August to definitely be one of the youngest.

hellotomrw · 15/02/2026 17:30

Mines 30th July and the youngest in their class

Waitingfordoggo · 15/02/2026 17:28

imnotwhoyouthinkiam · 15/02/2026 16:45

Of course that makes them young in the year. Its unlikely there'll be many children born after them in their year group.

DS1 was born 21st Aug. He was the youngest in his year at primary, and as far as we knew, the 2nd youngest at secondary.

I was born on 31st August. I was the youngest at primary, 2nd youngest at secondary!

I’m confused as to how you were the second youngest! Isn’t August 31st the cut-off? (Maybe you’re just saying there was someone else with a 31st August birthday who was born later in the day?!)

Bravemama · 15/02/2026 17:27

My husband was born 5th of August and says he always struggled in school because of age.

Sorrynotsorry2 · 15/02/2026 17:27

My sibling was born on the 31st August. They were nearly a year younger than the oldest child in their year. They were treated no different to the older children.
It did make a difference.

SkibidiSigma · 15/02/2026 17:22

My son was born early July and is the youngest in his year 🤷

bluebelle78 · 15/02/2026 17:21

Ds is a June baby and was the second youngest in his 2 form reception class.

MrsMe1978 · 15/02/2026 17:20

My child was born on 31st August 😬

HelpMeUnpickThis · 15/02/2026 17:19

YABVU

from mother of a 2nd Aug born.

Bunnycat101 · 15/02/2026 17:19

What an odd post. Anyone who has ever had a child in school in England will know that any August child will be one of the youngest. A few weeks make no difference where there can be a 9-12 month difference with the autumn borns. I have one summer born (not August) and was the third youngest in the class.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 15/02/2026 17:18

Newsenmum · 15/02/2026 17:14

August babies are newborn when a September baby is already a year old. It’s a massive difference.

You are absolutely right, @Newsenmum. Ds1’s best friend in his school year was almost a year older than him - one of the oldest in the year - and I could see a massive difference in maturity and development between them. It got less obvious as they hit the teenage years, but I could still see a difference.

ACommonTreasuryForAll · 15/02/2026 17:17

"...much younger"? How?
Being summer-born can definitely bring disadvantage -so many of my pupils receiving additional support over the years have been summer-born pupils who would have been absolutely fine in the year group below, but couldn't keep up developmentally with the cohort they were 'supposed to' be in.

Achingtoomuch · 15/02/2026 17:17

They will be really young. If a few of the very young ones are held back a year they will really stand out.

Mmmm19 · 15/02/2026 17:15

Sausagescanfly · 15/02/2026 16:40

In a class of 30, 2.5 are born each month (I acknowledge that you can't have 0.5 of a child).

So they'd typically be one of the 3 youngest. That's quite young.

exactly! And with the trend to hold summer borns back it may be a bit less than this

Newsenmum · 15/02/2026 17:14

August babies are newborn when a September baby is already a year old. It’s a massive difference.

YourKonstantine · 15/02/2026 17:13

How is 3 weeks ‘much younger’?

caringcarer · 15/02/2026 17:13

Watchoutfortheslowaraf · 15/02/2026 16:38

Of course August born children are young in their school year - bizarre to suggest otherwise

This.

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