about summer born children and school

[chilled7up]

My DS a summer born (July). He is 3 and due to start Reception next year. I know that one year will make a massive difference in his development, but I feel he'll be too young and immature for school. I worry that a bad start will damage his confidence on the long run.

I'm I being unreasonable to think that parents should have a choice and should be able to decide whether a child should start school a year later? I know we can defer reception and go straight to year one, but that won't make any difference, just delay the problem.

molehill in my case you def couldnt tell when ds1 startes school at 9 that he is aug born, and ds2 caught up and then overtook older childrne at the end of yr 2 and now in yr 5 is flying and academically you would never know he is july born.

i do think that by yr 2-3 it starts to all even out :)

Parenting has a lot more to do with it. From my perspective, we live in an 11+ area. Primaries are big, 1,000 pupils with 3 form entry . Children are divided by term birthdays. The last class, containing May and June birthdays always sweep the board with Grammar places and SATs @ 4a and more usually a clean sweep of 5s.

State school, incase anyone is wondering.

I have 3 August born children (Yes , I know...bad planning!)

DD who is now nearly 19, struggled at first but did well in the end, and got the qualifications she needed to go on to do what she wanted

DS nearly 17, struggled at first then romped ahead and is doing really well

and DS2, nearly 11 who is er...well...hard to describe . He is still struggling with reading and writing and I have no idea whether he will thrive or flounder at Upper School in September. I think he is going to enjoy practical subjects that he hasn't yet had much experience of.

I don't think being born in August has affected them much. Apart from them moaning at me about their friends all being able to go to the pub/ clubbing /learn to drive / prison etc for nearly a year before them

I declare myself the Mumsnet expert on crapping birth planning August born children

Yanbu. MY DD is a July baby and I was able to hld her back until January as we went private...we're in state now and she's 7 and in year three...the sight of her next to some of he peers...who are 9 in some cases is just silly...they're big girls and she looks lke a baby still in some ways...she's not as developed academically either.

hoops...so those May and June birthday DC are among the youngest but still get into Grammar?

We have a choice here (Ireland) and Ithink it's a 50:50 split whether parents send children aged 4 or 5, mostly due to the cost of childcare.

And that's why I tend to object to flexible entry. It shouldn't come down to a factor like access to cheap childcare.

The youngest-in-yr effect is found in studies in other countries, it isn't just UK or down to how much preschool ed there was.

I'm not COMPLETELY sure about this, but my understanding is that you're not required to have your children educated until they're five years old. Your problem might be that your ed authority wouldn't be willing to fund another year of nursery for your DC before starting reception.
So sorry if I'm duplicating other posts. I confess to not having read ALL the posts :(

My DS is also a late August born. He was slightly behind his peers socially and still is tbh. He's 7 now and just about to finish year 3.

However despite his obvious difficulties socially and with concentration he has also done well acedemically - so the age thing hasn't been a factor there and tbh I don't think the social thing was age - he is generally immaturer than children his actual age iyswim?

In fact - just seen his teacher tonight and although in writing he is a bit below where he should be (yr 2 expected level), in maths he's where you'd expect a child to be at the end of year 4 - not bad when some year 4's are nearly 2 chronological years older. What I mean by this information is it seems not to be an age thing but more that he's good at some things and struggles in others - as do the oldest in the year.

A child is not legally bound to be in school FT until the term after they turn five. You could request PT for him if you think FT will be too much. All I will say though is DS' school did staggered starts and one of the social issues he had was because being summer born he went FT last - even more detrimental to a child who finds making friends difficult.

I also agree they do mature greatly in this year.

My DS1 is a 28 August baby (now 19) and my DS2 22 June(now 12). Absolutely no problems agewise/socially /academically, whatsoever. My DD1 is 2 January. No problems there either.
To be fair, the worst it got was when my eldest was in sixth form and he had to wait a whole year to " be an adult "!!
My feeling is the 'Summer Born' thing is a fallacy.

There are statistics supporting the 'Summer Born' thing.

Having children who aren't ready for school in the classroom can't make it very easy for the teacher or the other children.

My DD2 is not 4 for another month and will be the youngest in the whole school in September. Luckily she is really looking forward to it so i hope she will be fine. She will be in a mixed reception/Y1 class so will have children who are almost 6 in her class.

DD1 has a July born in her class (who will remain down in DD2's class as the youngest spend 2yrs in Reception) who is reading Green level books and an August born who has only just grasped CVC words. The teachers are able to deal with all their needs as they are very used to it.

I am an August birthday. It has pros and cons - the biggest con being that technically I wasn't allowed to drink on A-level results day.

The biggest pro was that I went to university and got a grant - 12 days later and I'd be paying tuition fees!

I got 4 A's at A-level so it didn't damage me hugely education wise. Actually thinking about it my last year at primary was pretty nightmare-ish as the school had run out of maths for me to do. Being in the year below would have been tough from that point of view.

On the other hand I was not particularly emotionally mature for my age which meant that some of the teen years were hard. But they are for everyone and being in the year below may not have helped.

The other thing is that leaving school and so university young meant that I had an extra year to build a life and a career before I had dd.

In Scotland I think they have a choice?

"In Scotland I think they have a choice?"

Yes you can defer till the next august if you have a winter birthday I think the cut off for that is december, dd is a feb birthday she went when she was supposed to but i could have kept her back till she was 5 and she wouldve went that august< but dd1 was 5.5 when she went to school she is a april birthday ,

It's good and reassuring to hear so many examples of summer babies who did or are doing well

We know two girls born on 31st August - one walked into St Pauls and the other into LEH! Our dd is late May and top average; ds is January and pretty bright, DH is August and took a first, I am July but wasn't regarded as bright enough to go to university . It all depends on the child and the gap closes the older they get and it lets out their inner beings.

I am a late June baby and it have never stopped me! We are an 11+ area so sat/passed it at just 10, GCSE's at 15, A-Levels at 17 and graduated and working before my 21st. To top it all I am an only child so had the whole 'I'm not the centre of someones world anymore' to cope with when starting school.

Never stopped me as it actually gave me confidence as I was younger and able to do the same things as the 'older' girls and achievement more younger!!!

My DS1 was 5 years 10 months when he started kindergarten in Canada, it's funny to think he would have started so much earlier in the UK. He did go to a nursery school for two or three mornings a week before he went to Kindergarten. It does seem like they go to school too early inthe UK although I understand that it really is a gentle introduction to school.

I am sure the teachers will be very used to dealing with the younger kids.

My DS1 was 5 years 10 months when he started kindergarten in Canada, it's funny to think he would have started so much earlier in the UK. He did go to a nursery school for two or three mornings a week before he went to Kindergarten. It does seem like they go to school too early inthe UK although I understand that it really is a gentle introduction to school.

I am sure the teachers will be very used to dealing with the younger kids.

Doh!

www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR017.pdf

interesting-ish study

hoops...so those May and June birthday DC are among the youngest but still get into Grammar?

Yes, they clean sweep every year.

Mind you we have staggered intake .... we still use the 'rising 5's' - one entry in September, the next in January.

chilled, my DS is a late August baby and is going to start YR (F2) in September just turned 4. I think the best thing I could have possibly done for him was to enrol him in his school for the F1 (Nursery) year. He has come on amazingly well from last September, and I don't have much concern for how he will settle in to his next class.

Have you considered enrolling him in a nursery class? I appreciate you said you think children start school too early in this country, but of course the children in these classes are learning and developing through play, which is not exactly taxing - plus it is only 15 hours per week. The age is largely irrelevant in a sense as each child is at a different stage of their development - some are simply more mature for their age than others. By the time your DS goes into Reception he could have three terms of "school" experience under his belt. He will also have had a further year of life - you're judging him by how he is now, which could be different from how he will be in 2013 (which you have pointed out) He might surprise you.

YANBU in your sentiments op. My DS has a July birthday and since we moved from Scotland has found himself the youngest in a class spanning two year groups. He's struggling socially, not helped by being the smallest as well. Scotland has a cut off of March, and children born in January and February can defer. Much better system.