To be worried sick about son starting school to young!

[madmacbrock]

I appear to be on my own with this.
My son was born on the 29th Aug, and i am dreading school time (his is only 19mths) This is not down to me 'wanting to keep him to myself a bit longer' but all the research i have read that suggests summerborn children (espesially boys) do not do as well as those born in the autumn. He will be smaller than the others, less developed emotionally, physically and mentally. I remeber the summerborn boys from my school years and they were all 'outsiders'
I realise he could start a year later, rather than a few days after his 4th birthday but would go to 1st year rather than reception, that has issues socially! and also seems pointless as he will still be 'behind' all the way through to high school. does anyone know of anyway round this?
I am concidering moving country to a place where the stupid rule doesnt apply or even lying about his DOB, is that fraud? everyone i speak to thinks im over reacting and that the system has been in place for years and he'll cope! Is it wrong of me to want my child to at least have the opportunity to thrive rather than to just cope and get by?

Sorry, most countries: aged 5 in Ireland and the Netherlands.
7 in Poland . And Lithuania.

Intersting read. Thanks for the link.

I think 4 is too young for many. I've one early October born, who's sailed through most everything and one mid July, who's had difficulties. While many will cope that young, some will not. You just have to be really communicative with the school about your concerns.

My July born has SN too and has been pretty down about himself in school recently. He's started in a self esteem group with the learning mentors at school and has been way more positive since. They've really supported him in school and it's made a huge difference.

Go into any maternelle in France and you'll see there is a curriculum and it is indeed a school, with a head teacher, with class teachers, where most children attend every day, where the children attend in the same way as children further up the school in the élementaire" (primary) classes or in the same way as the nearby "élementaire". You are not going to see much difference in real terms between Reception class in England and moyenne section / grande section of a maternelle in France, there are certainly far more common points than points which separate these systems. Brits who move to France are often at first quite shocked to find school can start before the age of 3 there.

www.gov.uk/government/news/summer-born-children-to-get-the-right-to-start-school-later