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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

WIBU to delay my DD starting school next year?

25 replies

AnkhMorporkmum · 18/04/2016 15:05

DD is summer born and due to start school Sept 2017 - she will have only just turned 4. We live on the edge of a fairly deprived area in a big city. There are two local primary schools, one that is over subscribed and rated outstanding by ofsted and another that is under subscribed, in a middle of an estate with a bad reputation and rated average by ofsted. We live well within the catchment area for both schools but the better school is tiny and at least 50% of the places go to siblings. WIBU to delay her start to 2018 if she does not get a place at our preferred school to give her a better chance?

OP posts:

MattDillonsPants · 18/04/2016 15:14

No YANBU but there's no guarantee that she'd get a place next time either is there. I suppose, she'd be more able though...so better equipped to cope with the challenges which the less preferred school might throw at her.

I probably would OP.

Can you choose to delay though...once you've applied?

SavageBeauty73 · 18/04/2016 15:14

Won't she go straight into year one if you delay her a year?

MattDillonsPants · 18/04/2016 15:15

I believe people can choose to delay now Savage...and then their child goes into reception.

Original poster

AnkhMorporkmum · 18/04/2016 15:31

I realise that there is no guarantee she will get in the year after but thought it would at least give her double the chance of getting in. If she didn't get in the following year we would probably look into getting a bigger mortgage and moving to a more expensive part of the city. If DD1 were to get in then DD2 would almost certainly get in the year after as siblings are given priority. When I looked into it on the council website it said that you should apply anyway even if you plan to delay their start just in case you change your mind so yes, I believe you can delay once you have already applied. Thank you for the responses so far.

OP posts:

MattDillonsPants · 18/04/2016 15:35

It won't give her double the chance really OP...it probably works out the same...unless you know for a fact that there is a large number of siblings this year with very few next year?

From what you say though, definitely consider deferring a year...it's nothing in the long run. They start ridiculously early in the UK. I've moved to Australia now and the kids begin later...yet they're all bright and developmentally just the same as UK kids.

AndNowItsSeven · 18/04/2016 15:37

I have just defered ds1 he is August born and was due to start in September. He will now start reception in 2917 we are very happen with our decision.

Groovee · 18/04/2016 15:40

We can defer in Scotland. I deferred Dd who is now16 and I see a huge difference in how she is and how well rounded she has been in all her education. She started at 5 and a half and was ready then.

I wish England/Wales would offer it,

monkeysox · 18/04/2016 15:44

You can only be in the catchment for one school AFAIK

curren · 18/04/2016 15:48

Deferring isn't as easy as it seems.

Dd was July born and absolutely fine.

But I am aware that the secondary won't take children out of their usual year. So some kids have gone from year five to year seven. And not been able to move up with their friends. As their friends are still in year 6.

Some LA insist the child goes in to year one not reception so the child will have missed a whole year.

Do lots of research about your area. What they do in cases where you defer a year.

newmumwithquestions · 18/04/2016 15:51

I'd check what the local authority policy is on deferred entry. Everyone can defer a summer born child but a lot of local authorities won't put them in reception the following year - they go straight into year 1, so all that happens is that they end up in the same class but just having missed a year of school. That's what happens in my area, but it varies by region.

newmumwithquestions · 18/04/2016 15:52

X post with curren!

CatThiefKeith · 18/04/2016 15:54

I wanted to defer dd but was informed that she might have to go straight into year one.

In hindsight I'm glad I didn't defer. She goes into year one in September and is reading and writing, as are the rest of her class. She would have been very behind if she was starting this September.

My cousin deferred, her child never really settled into a friendship group as the others had all gone through reception together and made friends then. The main reason I didn't was because of her experience. Her child is 10 and still doesn't really have any friends.

Frazzled2207 · 18/04/2016 15:57

Deferring is one thing but I don't see how you think she has double the chance of getting in next year?

Jemappelle · 18/04/2016 15:59

In all LAs I know including mine deferring leads straight into year 1 not reception so it isn't what it seems really.

WannaBe · 18/04/2016 16:02

"You can only be in the catchment for one school AFAIK" not true. Catchments are worked out based on e.g. Distance etc. When DS went into primary we were in catchment for two schools as they were an equal distance from our house. We could have put either down as first choice.

Also when we moved we had two schools in our catchment...

NynaevesSister · 18/04/2016 16:08

If you want to defer sk that your summerborn starts in Reception then it does depend on the local authority. And if the school handles its own admissions, the headteacher.

Starting secondary in Y7 depends on the head teacher of the school you are applying to. It is unlikely that they will make you miss a year as that makes things more difficult for them but it does happen.

The law was expected to change this year but it's gone rather quiet.

namechangedtoday15 · 18/04/2016 16:10

I agree, you need to check with the LA what the policy is for deferring. And its not just a question of primary school (i.e. whether they will go into Reception or Year 1) its also about the policy adopted by the local high school and whether they allow children to attend outside of their age-based cohort. Are you in a selective area for instance (with 11+)?

FWIW, if your child has to go into Year 1, rather than Reception next year, unless a child has left your school of choice during the year, there will not be any space. If the child can go into Reception, then you have as much (or as little) chance as this year unless there is a large sibling group this year.

TeenAndTween · 18/04/2016 16:17

Some of the reading I have been doing on this implies you may need to apply to defer in parallel with school application. They look at reason to defer and either accept it or reject. I don't think you can apply, go if you get the preferred school, and defer otherwise. That wouldn't be fair. I haven't looked into it all in detail though.

Knowledgeable people on Primary Education will be able to advise.

AugustaFinkNottle · 18/04/2016 16:19

You can only be in the catchment for one school AFAIK

Most schools don't work on catchment principles. They have a set of oversubscription criteria which tend to go something like:

Children with statements/EHC Plans
Children in care.
Siblings of children currently in school.
Distance

So you could stand a good chance of getting into more than one school, e.g. if there is an older child in one school but you live very close to another.

CheeseAndOnionWalkers · 18/04/2016 16:43

My children are in catchment for one school but high priority for another because of a sibling/attendance at a feeder primary for a secondary school.

saltlakecity · 18/04/2016 16:48

What do you mean by 'average' ofsted? Good or requires improvement? There's no 'average'. I wouldn't defer if it's a good school. Don't judge the catchment. A good school is a good school.

ExConstance · 18/04/2016 16:55

I'm not sure that age is as big a factor as made out. I was born in August and then was put up a year before going to secondary school, where I arrived just after my 10th birthday. My year spanned 2 years 9 months from the oldest to the youngest and we all got n well together and succeeded. I was the youngest in the class and the oldest remains one of my best friends. The only thing that I really minded was when my friends reached 17 and could drive and I had another 2 years to wait.

Original poster

AnkhMorporkmum · 18/04/2016 17:13

Thanks for the replies, I've been given lots to think about. I will definitely look into what the admissions policy are for the schools in question as I wouldn't defer her if it meant she was put straight into year one. I hadn't even thought about how it would affect secondary school admission so need to look into that too. I will visit the open days, make some more enquiries and go from there. There is still plenty of time yet

OP posts:

Ladybirdbookworm · 19/04/2016 17:00

I wish I had deferred my DD
I had the chance but thought that she might never 'catch up'

The benefit of hindsight !!

wheresthel1ght · 19/04/2016 19:41

My dd is mid August born and due to start I. Sept 2017. I am having the exact same dilemma as you!

Unfortunately in my area she would go direct into Year 1 if we defer. That also has its issues.

As I understand it, you would have to apply for the correct year and then defer her entry to the allocated school though so I am not sure I understand how you think if she doesn't get in to the preferred one in 2017 she would in 2018 u less I have misunderstood how it works which is possible as my head has been a shed this last week!

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