School year confusion, maths help please!

[ShinyWorthKeeping]

I'd like to preface this by saying I'm completely dyscalculate, so please explain this kindly but slowly

I was born September 1990, my sister was born March 1992. 18 months between us and she was in the school year directly below me.

DD2 was born july 2024 so due to start school 2028. I am expecting DC3 in September 2025 so 14 months between them, with a school year in between them, (DC3 starts school in 2030).

How is this possible?? How can there be 14 months but a school year in between when there was 4 more months between me and my sister and she was in the year directly below me?

There couldn't be children in lower years older than a child in the year above them so what am I missing?

It's to do with the month they are born and how many school summer holidays come between their birth months. Eg my older siblings was born in Dec, I was born 18 months later in June. 1 school summer holiday between us so I'm in the school year directly below him.

My children are also 18 months apart but eldest is born in March and youngest in Nov, 2 summer hols between them so 2 school years apart

So this is because the school year runs from September to August.

You were born right at the start of a school year, for people born September 1990 to August 1991. Your sister was born halfway through the very next school year, for people born September 1991 to August 1992.

DD2 was born in July so almost at the end of a school year, for people born September 2023 to August 2024. The very next school year is for people born from September 2024 to August 2025. Your DC3 will be born right at the start of the next school year after that, for people born from September 2025 to August 2026.

Does that help?

I just don't understand how a child in a lower year could be older than a child in the year above, I know it's me not understanding properly though

They’re not older than a child in the year above. You’re muddling up two things - what age gap is possible, and who’s older.

If in England, the cut off is 31st August birthday. So there can be as little as one day’s difference in age between school years, or as much as 364 days difference in age in the same school year. It’s nothing to do with how many months apart they are born, but where their birthday is relative to 31st August. Does that help?

School year runs Sep-Aug in England.
Your DD2 will be one of the youngest in the year, and the DC3 will be one of the oldest in their year

Sorry I'm going to be annoying because all of this is going over my head, but if there's a child in year 2 who is 18 months older than a child in year 1 and 14 months older than a child in reception then isn't the child in reception 4 months older than the child in year 1?

Sorry everyone, I promise I'm not stupid, I have a degree...I just can't do maths!

But that is NOT the scenario with your sister and your children - you weren’t all born in consecutive years.

No, because you are not thinking about their date of birth relative to 31st August.

You were one of the oldest in your year. Your sister could have been up to 1 year and 11 months younger than you and still only be in the school year below.

This is because the school year runs 1st Sept to 31st Aug.

Your daughter is one of the youngest in her year, so your next child would have had to have been born within 13 months to be in the same year.

Your dc1 is one of the youngest in her year
Your dc2 will be the oldest in their year.

If your dc2 is born August they'll only be a year below dc1.

Your DD2 will be in a school year with kids born between 1st September 2023 and 31st August 2024.

Your dd3 will be in a school year with kids born between 1st September 2025 and 31st August 2026.

Does that help? It's only 14 months between your children but it's 3 years between the top and bottom of the agreement ranges.

With you and your sister.. the oldest in your year was 1 September 1990 and youngest in her year August 31st 1992. So although 18 months between you and her only two years at top and bottom of possible ages.

Stop looking at age gaps. It is birthdays in relation to 01-Sep.

You could have a child born on 31-Aug who is in a year above someone born on 01-Sep. So they are 1 day apart age wise, but 1 whole school year apart

They aren't? Where are you seeing that?

OK let’s stop talking about years and numbers as it sounds like that stresses you out.

Every school year has a front, middle, and back. Let’s imagine it’s a horse (sounds silly I know but bear with me). You are at the front of your horse, touching its head. Your sister is halfway along the next horse, touching its middle.

Your DD2 is at the back of a horse, touching its tail. There’s a horse beside that. Then there’s another horse beside that, and your DC3 will be at the front of that one, touching its head.

This isn’t happening.

In your head is it for example:
Child in Yr2 (you) is 18months older than
Child in Y1 (your sister)

If so who is the child who is 14months old and in Reception?

There isn’t one. Your children weren’t born the next year after your sister, their example is a completely separate pair. Where they are:

Child in Yr R (your first born) is 14months older than
Child in nursery (your second born).

I'm embarrassed enough to pretend I understand and just name change at this point!

Would drawing it out on a timeline with school years (Sept- Aug) help?

😂 no don’t! Keep trying. Which bit is it that’s the most muddling? Would it help you to draw it out? Grab a pen and paper and try a timeline or something?

And remember your fact is true, so hold on to that:
There couldn't be children in lower years older than a child in the year above them

Because the cut off is at the end of the summer.

You need to stop comparing it to your sister and age gaps, it’s not relevant.
No one in the year below will be older than the students in the year about, in a normal
intake.
However there could be days between them in terms of time but they are in different school years.

There couldn't be children in lower years older than a child in the year above them -

This can be possible but only if they start reception at complusory school aged. With a July baby you may want to consider this.

No, it wouldnt be the same child in year 2. You would need two children in year two at different ends of the year

Nooooo… Don’t confuse matters when the OP’s trying so hard to get her thinking straight! That isn’t what’s happening here.

Imagine your and your sisters years were the current equivalent. The time line would look like this.

Purple curly line - you and sister
Yellow line - your two dc.