to think it should be made easier to hold a child back/start later at school ?

[doley]

I have been very spoilt living here in the US ,it is a piece of cake to defer a year or hold your child back if you and the school want to ...

Why is it such a pita to do it in the UK ?

I want to do it for my August born son when we return in the Autumn ,he only started school in 2009 (at 6) and when we come home he needs to go to year 4 !

I understand this particular part only pertains to me ,but there are so many parents who want to start their summer born kids later ~I think they should be allowed to with zero fuss .

Now that school/training is going to be gradually introduced till 18 ,surely we should have more flexibility to do what we want for our children

Obviously ,those that would like their children to start in the present system should be given that option also .

I have spoken to the Primary school my son will attend ,and although they are not ruling out holding him back ,it would only be a temporary measure ?

I want it for good ...I personally want more choice ...

Unreasonable ?

dozer I think I started that thread in education

So,I am wondering where can I start making a protest ?samels001 :)

I am in the US till the Autumn ,but after ...

Thanks.

Both kids like school, tho DS better than DD, who I think is more tired by it all. That said, she is more able to decode and so forth and has better social skills. DS struggles the most with this, and I am freaking out here because the schools are changing age of transfer (to middle/next school), so DD will go to middle school at the end of year 2 whereas DS will go at end of yr 3... and the middle school has a rep for being strict and 'to the line'.... allegedly keeping kids in at playtime for their handwriting practice etc.... (i.e NOT a punishment...).

DD was keen to do stuf, she did things at home she refused to do at school... now she says, "don't be silly mummy, I can't" if I ask her to read a word/draw something etc... :(

What I need to know is who can I take this up with,

If legally my dd does not have to start school until the first term after her fifth birthday then surely I have every right to expect her to go into reception.

Surely she shouldn't be penalised for being young ?

The cut off in Scotland is February, so any child born Iin december onwards automatically has the option to stay back a year and not start school till they are 5 1/2.
Ds1 is December born and went to school the August after his 4th birthday we should have kept him back.
DS2 is february born and we kept him back and DS3 will be the same.

Totally agree Nojustice .

It is a very unfair situation .

I would also like to know where I can start to get information to take this up .

When I was growing up in Australia, this was possible - I was one of the youngest and we had interstate and international transfers, so some kids were almost 2 years older than me. I don't recall that it caused any difficulties, but would defer to expert opinion on that one!

I wish I could have started my youngest a year later in reception, but if I'd held him back, he would have lost his school place and then would have had to gone straight into year one. I started him in the January, but lots of schools are insisting on only one intake at the moment.

Well FertileMyrtle, it seems to work out alright in Ireland, because although some people choose to hold their children back, most don't. Most people do want to get their children into school if they are ready, and although you hear people here say 'he's not ready' you also here people say 'she's been ready since she was 3!', so on balance, people mostly make the choice that is right for their child. They ARE better equipped to make a decision that suits their child than the council (or whomever else) is. And that is good for the class as a whole. Some maybe only just four and some may be five and a half or a five and 3/4s but the class is ready.

We don't have that sports scholarship culture here, so we don't have people holding their child back so he/she will be the best at sports!! I believe that a bit of that does go on in the states! but over here, there WAS a bit of a 'stigma' (a mild one) about being the eldest in the class, so people don't tend to hold their child back unnecessarily.

@ nojusticejustus, I completely agree with you. It makes no sense to postpone your child's school start only to then have to put them in with the class above! They have then missed a year AND they are younger, so that';s a double DISadvantage. I can't believe that there is no way round this for parents!

Private can be more flexible (there is an older child in DD's reception class) but assume you have to keep the child at private.

Until approx 5 years ago our small northern town had the traditional wakes holidays meaning children started back mid august - both my friends son and the girl next door started full time aged 3 in reception as August born babies.

My friends little boy has struggled alot not academically but socially/emotionally - he is small for his age aswell which hasn't helped.