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Original poster

Delaying school start for summer born child

122 replies

Piper22 · 14/03/2022 19:49

Hi,

Has anyone ever/ or is anyone considering delaying the school start date for their summer born child?

If you have done this, would you mind telling me about your experience? Do you regret it, or would you do it again?

Thank you

OP posts:
Bevvyoc · 14/03/2022 19:50

Why do you want to delay?

Duracellbunnywannabe · 14/03/2022 19:52

I’m assuming OP means delay entry to reception by a year so the child has more time to mature. I have summer born too so I’m interested in the answers.

Original poster
Piper22 · 14/03/2022 19:53

@Bevvyoc

Why do you want to delay?
I don’t know whether or not I want to yet. It’s something I’m thinking about because of the research showing that summer born children are disadvantaged at school. Our local authority accepts applications for delayed school entry for children born in April onwards.
OP posts:

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Original poster
Piper22 · 14/03/2022 19:54

@Duracellbunnywannabe

I’m assuming OP means delay entry to reception by a year so the child has more time to mature. I have summer born too so I’m interested in the answers.
Yes exactly this. Do you mind me asking which month your child is born in?
OP posts:
ilovemyboys3 · 14/03/2022 19:56

My son was born on 17 August. I didn't delay starting and he started school 2 weeks after he turned 4. He is thriving and wouldn't know he is the youngest in his class. If you delay then they miss reception and go straight into year 1. Reception is an important year I think, they establish friendship groups and it's a lot of play rather than working.

Hercisback · 14/03/2022 19:58

Statistically yes being summer born is a lifelong disadvantage.

However if every summer born delayed school start, we'd be back where we are now.

Personally I wouldn't unless I had serious concerns about my child's development.

Original poster
Piper22 · 14/03/2022 19:59

@ilovemyboys3

My son was born on 17 August. I didn't delay starting and he started school 2 weeks after he turned 4. He is thriving and wouldn't know he is the youngest in his class. If you delay then they miss reception and go straight into year 1. Reception is an important year I think, they establish friendship groups and it's a lot of play rather than working.
Thanks for your thoughts. My daughter wouldn’t miss reception if I did decide to purse this though, she would join reception a year later and then go on to year 1
OP posts:
Strawmite · 14/03/2022 19:59

My eldest DC was late July but 4 weeks early so due date should have been 1st September. She started the school preschool at 3 years + 5 weeks old. I remember thinking she seemed so young but she was tall for her age and kept up really well with her peers. She absolutely thrived and is now one of the brightest in her reception class. For her, keeping her back would have been a disaster. By just 4 she was more than really for school and loves the structure. I think you need to be very child led. Unless they are particularly shy or young for their age most children manage ok and keep up with their peers. Schools are generally very nurturing and supportive these days.

Kage30 · 14/03/2022 20:01

There is a Facebook group for parents dedicated to this. Each area is different as is each school.

I wanted delay my July born daughter a few years ago. I was heavily discouraged by professionals (she has some degree of sen) and by the school she was going to. Even though I so desperately wanted to delay her start at the time, I'm glad I didn't. School helped Dd more than pre school ever day, she's come on leaps and bounds! There's also the possibility of part time for the first term!

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 14/03/2022 20:01

My DD has an end of June birthday. We didn't defer, but I've thought many times over the years how much school would have been so much easier for her over the years if she had been the year below.
She wasn't ready for reading in reception. She could barely count to ten when she started school... I had made a concentrated effort to teach her in the weeks leading up to her start. And its felt the whole time likes she playing catch up... her reading has been a year behind all through school, only catching up now in Yr6.

The flip side of this is maturity. Shes a lot more mature than the year 5s in many ways... shes always had an independent streak and is flourishing now in Yr6 as they get a lot of responsibility in her school. She is definitely ready for Secondary school now, so from that aspect I'm glad we didn't defer.

It can be hard to look at a 3yo and know what to do for the best. They change so quickly at that age. Good luck with your decision

Ginflinger · 14/03/2022 20:06

Yes, delayed June born son. Decision helped by working at DfE at the time with access to all their research. Also think about impacts when older- i wanted DS to be doing GCSE at 16, not just 15 etc. Very clearly the right thing for us but still not easy decision. DS now year 3 and thriving. Things to consider 1. Sports year groups - DS plays above his year group 2. Every bloody random person in the world will have an opinion!

I will worry forever about if it was right decision. As I would have if we did not delay him.

Great Facebook group somewhere. Good luck. Feel for you!

Bevvyoc · 14/03/2022 20:09

I have two summer born children. My June baby struggled at first but soon caught up by year 2. My August born baby was more than ready for school. I'm glad I didn't delay with child. Unless there is a medical reason I don't think there is any reason to delay a child. Most children do catch up eventually.

Michellexxx · 14/03/2022 20:10

This is actually very common in Scotland but for Jan/Feb birthday- cut off is end of feb for an Aug start. We deferred so dd was 5 1/2 when she started and all of my friends deferred.
There is quite a bit of evidence that being the youngest is a disadvantage- especially once in secondary- in particular for boys, academically. The social aspect can play a role with maturity too. Obviously for some it is fine.
I am very happy with this choice though- the difference in her maturity and social awareness for that year was huge and she is getting on amazingly now.

Wilburisagirl · 14/03/2022 20:10

I delayed my oldest and it was the best decision I could have made. It was also a decision encouraged by everyone I spoke to within the education settings.

My daughter is bright, tall for her age and now doing well socially, but at the time when she was due to start, she had some speech issues (pronunciation) and was very shy. I was concerned that if her introduction to schooling was difficult, it would taint her interest in school forever. Instead she is now loving school, has made great friends and is eager to learn. She may well have been fine, but I have never regretted delaying her start.

WhatHaveIDone21 · 14/03/2022 20:11

My DD has a July birthday and went to her school settling in day on her 4th birthday. She is top of her class and has just received an academic scholarship for high school. Socially, she has a wide circle of friends.

I think it is hard to generalise and say all summer born children would benefit from being kept back a year. It's very much dependent on the individual child I think.

tryingtosettle · 14/03/2022 20:12

I was under the impression it was the schools choice as to whether the child then joined in reception or went straight into Y1. Is that not the case?

Jamboree01 · 14/03/2022 20:13

@ilovemyboys3

My son was born on 17 August. I didn't delay starting and he started school 2 weeks after he turned 4. He is thriving and wouldn't know he is the youngest in his class. If you delay then they miss reception and go straight into year 1. Reception is an important year I think, they establish friendship groups and it's a lot of play rather than working.
This is no longer the case. They no longer miss reception and go into Y1. They go through as they normally would
Duracellbunnywannabe · 14/03/2022 20:14

Mid July but her due date was the very end of August.

Northernsoullover · 14/03/2022 20:14

I didn't. He's currently studying for his A levels. He doesn't seem to have been disadvantaged. You couldn't get a younger summer born either. A day later he would have been the eldest in his year.

LadyMacduff · 14/03/2022 20:14

I considered it for DS but sent him in the correct year, and I don't regret my decision. I could not imagine him still being at nursery now; I think the company would have been too babyish, and the children he played with all would have left him behind.

Jamboree01 · 14/03/2022 20:16

@Piper22

Hi,

Has anyone ever/ or is anyone considering delaying the school start date for their summer born child?

If you have done this, would you mind telling me about your experience? Do you regret it, or would you do it again?

Thank you

My son was born at the end of July and I delayed his start. It isn’t really a huge deal and I don’t regret it for one minute (particularly after lockdowns and school closures). He completed reception and is now in Y1.
ImInACage · 14/03/2022 20:19

We delayed our son. He started school in reception, aged 5 years, 7 weeks as he was emotionally immature at 4 and most definitely not ready. He's now 9 and thriving in year four. The school weren't keen to begin with, but both the head and our senco agree that it was the best decision for him and have since said that he'd be really struggling in the year above.

MrsSantaClausitback · 14/03/2022 20:23

I have a July born DS in reception. He’s very tall for his age but emotionally, this time last year, was very much still a young three. He was a little delayed with his speech too, but is now flying with that, with an incredible understanding and vocabulary. I did consider delaying him but so glad I didn’t. He’s settled in so well in his reception class and I can’t imagine him being at ore-school still, it would’ve been far too babyish for him.

From a learning point of view, he’s a typical summer born, active little boy who shows very little interest in reading and writing. His hand writing is also very big a spidery. I can tell he’s a little behind but nothing major. In fact, he’s asking to write after school now.

In all other areas of his learning, especially maths, he’s flying. Socially too.

I do think that this time last year he wasn’t even 3.5, whereas some of the children in his class will be 6 in September! Developmentally you need to do what’s right for your own child and only you know them. I’m so glad that we did what we did.

frostedfruit · 14/03/2022 20:24

I was a mid Aug baby and always the youngest in my year. I never noticed an easily able to excel. Starting with everyone else might be good for bright, younger, kids as they will be stretched in a way they won't if they are held back a year. However, if like my boy your DC is a bit of a late bloomer - keep them back a bit perhaps. I don't agree that a summer born is 'forevermore' at a disadvantage - I was in fairly high sets all the way through school.

JennyHogon · 14/03/2022 20:24

It depends entirely on the child and the parents (assuming schools allow it).

Mine are all summer born (July/August) and they all started school for the final Reception term. So they were in the correct school year. I did it that way because I didn't see any reason to send them earlier - I was very happy to have them at home learning and exploring with me. By the time they started school, we were all ready for it. I wouldn't have wanted them to be in the year below, though.

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