to think its unfair that september born children get more nursery education paid by the state than august born children

[reallytired]

August born chidren are young in their year. It is a bigger challenge to get an August born child ready for school than a september born child as the september born child is almost a year older.

I find it ridiculous that a september born child gets 5 terms of nursery vouchers, but a summer born child only gets 3. It is completely arbitary and nothing to do with need.

I think that all children should get three terms of nursery paid for by the state and children who are not ready for school should be allowed to have an extra year in nursery. The money saved by only funding children for 3 terms could pay for children who need longer in nursery. It could also help to pay for early intervention to help with school readiness.

A disportionate number of children with special needs have summer birthdays. Allowing children who NEED it to have more nursery education woud save money later on.

Reception teachers could teach rather than having to clean up poo. Children would not be put of education for life by being asked to do things they are not developmentally ready for.

I had never thought of this before, but I think you have a very good point, it should probably be consistent, e.g. 3 terms for everyone. The 'starting from 3' thing only works if school also starts from 5 (or at least the term before 5), which it doesn't. Either make school starting age 5 for everyone, or as you suggest do 3 terms of nursery for everyone.

D

Do that many parents actually take up the extra 2 terms? I only found about them after DS2 started school.........DS1 is a September baby, and DS2 is a November one.

DS3 is a May baby (end of May) so one of the younger ones. Tbh I haven't noticed much difference between him and his DB's.

And when I look at the children in DS2's YR2 class it's impossible to tell who is a August and who is a September birthday/

AIUI August born children DO have the option to defer for a year. If you think you are entitled to MORE FREE NURSERY TIME take that option and keep your kid back for a year. Can't really see what your gripe is or do you just not understand the system?

Op, yanbu. I've often thought this.
(not sure why you've got a for it though)

you do not have to send your summer born child into school at just turned 4, you can keep them at nursery if you want.

they don't have the option to "defer", they just don't have to be in school.
Going later would mean going into the school system at a later stage (part way through reception / straight into yr1) which may have its own problems (not least getting a place).
But it is a option.

You can keep them back but they just join the year they should have been in anyway surely?

Doesnt it balance out when they go to school though ?
They start Reception the year they are going to be 5. So the baby I am currently pg with is due in July. So will start school age 4 and 2 months. Whereas my September daughter was 5 when she started Reception. So she went to school a whole year later ?

Erm personally I think YABU

On the flip side you are benefiting from a year free from nursery fees. The vouchers rarely cover a place for most children who attend nursery.

I've had two children, one september born, one july born.. the september one was horribly bored at nursery for a good 6 - 8 mths before starting school , and the july born one was so utterly ready for school. and my september born one ahs SEN. and the july born one never soiled herself in reception.

so yer know, it is a bit pointless making blanket statements

reception is , IME , a bit more structured than nursery, but still very much about learning through play

are your DCs struggling at nursery/school?

Phoebe that seemed really rude to me - in England you may not defer, only delay, which has the problems squirrels mentioned above.

They do don't they.

In my area every child gets three terms of nursery starting the September after they turn 3 in the state system.

if you go private you get funding from the term after they turn three until the term in which they turn 5.

amd the nursery education paid for a small amount of DSs private nursery fees, but all of DDs pre school at the state school.. 5 monrnings, 8.45 - 12.15.
maybe DD will be cross I denied her the private nursery??

In England there is no flexiblity about starting ages for children. Children are not allowed to defer a year in England. A child can start later but then they miss education. Ie an August born child would go into year 1 instead of reception. It is not truely defering a year.

Its not really a problem for my family anyway. My son is a winter born baby and my summer born dd is developmentally quite advanced.

I know someone with a lovely little boy who really struggled in reception. The little boy was not stupid, just immature.

Pheebe, I think its YOU who does not understand the system in England.

The way I see it in terms of "free" ness (£££) is that from the term they turn 3 they are "covered" a certain amount and from school they are "covered" the maximum amount (because they are at school) - so a parent of a child who is "young" in their year has paid less overall because they start school earlier. Which is a good thing in terms of £££

Are you saying you should "get" even more by qualifying for funding earlier because your child starts school earlier?

YANBU, I can completly see your point. DD is a June born baby and due to when our preschool lets them start some chilren had a hole year in preschool before she was ebtitled to her free place (they did have to pay for the first term)

Defering for a year doesn't really solve the problem as most local authorities then put them straight into year 1, missing out on reception alltogether.

YANBU

I think and IME know, that a good reception teacher will take into account immaturity and disparity in ages.

DD was 4 yrs and 4 weeks when she started school. DS was 5 years ! There are children in her class almost a full year older than her. for us, it's not an issue and hte year at pre school helped her develop enormously and get her ready for shcool

but DS hsa been the one who's struggled.

you cannot extrapolate from your friends child struggling that it is acrosss hte board and all summer born DCs will struggle

I was starting to get all wound up as I hadn't thought about this and My DS was born at beginning of May (I think you have to wait until beg of next term ie a whole 4 months so just as bad as being an August baby in terms of how much free nursery you get), when NorfolkNChance made a very good point. Thank you, I feel better now.

YABU. August born children go to school a year earlier than September children, so the state is still paying for their education from age 3, just in a different setting.

I'll bet a lot of September mums would rather have had 3 terms of nursery and their DC off to school a year earlier rather than then being so old and climbing the walls to get to Big School.

I've got an August child, who was due early Sept. I'm eternally grateful she arrived early! I'm happier she started school last year than getting and extra 2 terms of free nursery!!!

YABVVVU

Like AnnieL said, what's the difference between the state paying for nursery or school? If anything the younger children are getting longer hours paid for by the state.

My DD1 was climbing the walls by the end and couldn't wait to go to big school. I wish we'd had a CHOICE of sending her to school with her friends the year before...!

Statistically many summer born children do under achieve.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1298707/Summer-born-children-school.html

Not all children catch up.

"Are you saying you should "get" even more by qualifying for funding earlier because your child starts school earlier?"

No, I am saying that all children should have the same number of hours of funding fro pre school education provided, unless there is a special need. State money needs to be targetted where it is needed most.

Being born in September is not a special need. Making sure that a developmentally delayed child can speak in sentences is a justification for extra funding. Money needs to be targetted where it is needed.

we could just do away with all the funding, at least no one would be happy then.

"Like AnnieL said, what's the difference between the state paying for nursery or school? If anything the younger children are getting longer hours paid for by the state."

Younger children also leave school earlier. Overall an August born child has less education than a September born child. All children sit their A-levels in June and leave at the same date.

A child needs to be in suitable educational provision. A child who cannot speak in sentences or reliably use the toilet is not ready for school.