Summer born boy

[summertimeover]

Ok so I am probably being unreasonable... But aggagagagahaghhh.

Just met up with a friend who has a September born DD. I have a v late Summer born DS. They have both just completed their first year in reception. My friend just said "that age and sex are irrelevant when discussing childrens' progress in the first few years at school"

I was a bit... thinking my little boy hates colouring and is 10 months younger than your daughter... He is obviously not going to be doing as much/as well. She seems to think they have both been in school for the same length of time, so to blame age is an excuse...

It can have a small difference , but I do find many use it as an excuse

I also have a summer born just finished reception. He is at roughly the same level his brother was at that age and he is early spring.

My summer born boy failed to reach expected values for the early learning foundation goals. Every year following that he exceeded his expected levels and he has gained a lot of confidence by moving up the tables and sets -passing kids that he had thought were really clever. Socially it was a real struggle but back then you weren't allowed to hold them back for a year - even though it was what everyone involved in his education thought should happen.
My advice is not to discuss your dcs academic achievements with friends.

Problem is, she probably thinks that you're coming across as saying that her daughter's achievements are down to her "just" being older and a girl, and that if your son was her age and a girl he'd be doing just as well. Obviously, you're not saying that's the case, you're just explaining why it's hard for your son. But it could come across as minimising her daughter's achievements. I mean, girls do better at GCSE/A-Level and uni too, but it would be pretty annoying and offensive if you told a girl with all As and a first that she had got them because* she's a girl.

She's talking rubbish. My friend is due on 30th August. My ds was born end September. He can walk. Her baby is not even born. They will be in the same class at school.....a year makes a tremendous difference.

It does make a big difference.
When my small summer born twin boys were in nursery and reception the older taller girls seemed to run rings around them in every way from language to social interaction. My friend was incredibly vocal.about her little genius DD who was 6 months older than mine and recoting Shakespeare (barf) but then they caught up and are now in top sets etc. You have to suck it up for a bit, but know that the playing field will level out in the end.

Reciting!

How stupid of your friend, I have an August born four year old ds. He will not start school until 2017 for this very reason.

It is not a competition.
Why do parents discuss and compare like this?
Discuss progress with the teacher not other parents.

It does make a difference. DS1 is a similar age to your DS, and he's developed hugely over the last year in terms of stuff like maturity, ability and willingness to sit down and focus on e.g. colouring, social skills, gross and fine motor development. A year makes a big difference at the age of 4 or 5 years.

There's always going to be children at different ends of the ability spectrum, August born children who take to reception no trouble and September born children who struggle in reception - but that extra time the September born children have to develop and mature gives the average September born child a head start over the average August born classmate. Every now and then research results pop up in the news reiterating that on average, summer born children tend to have worse educational outcomes than autumn born children.

Not sure how much difference sex makes to it, although I've heard plenty of people saying that girls tend to be ready for school at an earlier age to boys.

It's best to always always avoid conversations which compare childrens progress, throughout school as it always leads to someone being either upset or offended!!

Yes age does make it harder for many reasons - there will always be people posting that their August born boy is exceeding and top of everything but the majority will be ploughing on through catching up......

DS1 is a summer born, whilst he enjoyed reception and Year 1 he was was definitely behind socially to his peers aswell as nearer the bottom to the top academically. All of a sudden he flourished (just turned 6) and everything seemed to fall into place. He's about to go into year 4 and is doing brilliantly academically and socially and the differences decrease each year

I have 2 school age boys one sept born and one summer born. It does make a difference. Ds2 has found reception so much harder. They have even have to let him nap some afternoons as was really struggling some days at start of reception (he goes to bed at 7.30 and sleeps til 7am).

If I could have deferred him I would

Of course it makes a difference. Studies after studies have proved this to be the case. Particularly in the case of summer born boys.
Obviously there will be exceptions to this, but generally this is the case. Your friend does not know what she is talking about .

garbage....colouring! sitting down focusing? what?

She doesn't sound very nice tbh,

Ofsted are now starting to look at additional support for dumber boys going to school that year and will quiz you on how you are supporting them as research suggests they are behind because of the age difference.

They still make allowances in the CATS scores in Year 7. Exactly what or how much I don't know but info from school said it was taken into account.

Of course it makes a difference. 10 months is a long time in the relative lifespan of a 4/5 year old. This is why the Government is supporting summer born children to start school in Reception, when they turn Compulsory School Age i.e. 5.
Advice on the admission of summer born children
Summer Born Campaign Website

My son is a July born baby, and he started Reception age 5, and it has been the best decision I ever made. Instead of struggling, he has thrived.

YANBU. DM was a reception teacher for 35 years and said that age and sex make a massive difference. Whilst a year might not sound like much the difference between four and five is a whole 20% of their lives at that age.

Also, your friend sounds bizarrely competitive and a little unkind.

hey guess what 20 years down the line its all evens itself out.

It makes a massive difference and there is loss of research to prove it. Of course there are children who buck the trend but generally summer born boys do the least well. A quarter of their lives is a long time both developmentally, socially and in their maturity. My son refused to potty train and only potty trained at Easter and he goes to school in September! We really wanted to send him at 5 rather than 4 however the private school we have chosen did not support this (the state school did). However we feel the private school will suit him better and he will be in a class of 8 with both a teacher and teaching assistant so hoping this helps bring him on.

Compulsory School Age i.e. 5.

No such thing. (It's Statutory Education Age - doesn't have to be school.)

It makes a huge difference.
Of course not all children are the same and sone will excel despite being one of the youngest. But, study after study proves that summer born children are more prone to struggle! And of course they do... I've just witnessed this firs hand. 23 months between DD1 and DD2. They are one school year apart. DD1 was three weeks off turning 5 on starting; DD2 had turned 4 6 days prior to starting. DD2 had nearly a year's less life experience/ development to help her.
I wish more parents were aware of the right to start summer born children (birthdays Apr to end Aug) IN RECEPTION MOT YEAR ONE when they reach compulsory school age which is technically the term following their 5th birthday.

Yes, whilst there is no obligation for a child of compulsory school age to receive their education in school as oppose to 'otherwise'. There is indeed such a thing as 'compulsory school age':

Some key legislation:
Compulsory School Age
Education Act 1996 c. 56, Part I, Chapter I, Compulsory education, Section 7
"7 Duty of parents to secure education of children of compulsory school age.
The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full-time education suitable—
(a)to his age, ability and aptitude, and
(b)to any special educational needs he may have,
either by regular attendance at school or otherwise."
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/56/section/7
" 8 Compulsory school age.
(1)Subsections (2) and (3) apply to determine for the purposes of any enactment whether a person is of compulsory school age.
[F1(2)A person begins to be of compulsory school age—
(a)when he attains the age of five, if he attains that age on a prescribed day, and
(b)otherwise at the beginning of the prescribed day next following his attaining that age.]
(3)A person ceases to be of compulsory school age at the end of the day which is the school leaving date for any calendar year—
(a)if he attains the age of 16 after that day but before the beginning of the school year next following,
(b)if he attains that age on that day, or
(c)(unless paragraph (a) applies) if that day is the school leaving date next following his attaining that age.
[F2(4)The Secretary of State may by order—
(a)provide that such days in the year as are specified in the order shall be, for each calendar year, prescribed days for the purposes of subsection (2);
(b)determine the day in any calendar year which is to be the school leaving date for that year.]"
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/56/section/8
The Education (Start of Compulsory School Age) Order 1998 1998 No. 1607 Article 2 ‘prescribed day’
"2. For the purposes of section 8(2) of the Education Act 1996- (a) 31st August and 31st December shall be prescribed days for 1998 and successive years; and (b) 31st March shall be a prescribed day for 1999 and successive years." www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/1607/article/2/made

Ofsted are now starting to look at additional support for dumber boys going to school that year

Errr, Griphook, was that an autocorrect moment, or are you actually calling very young children stupid? I'm reserving judgement for a momnet in the hope it's just a typo.

Back on topic, it makes a world of difference whereabouts in the year children are born. Which is why my son will be starting Reception this September, days after he turns 5, rather than starting last year, aged barely 4. Absolutely the best decision we could have made for him.

My daughter had her 6th birthday today, an ex classmate turns 7 in a few weeks. That's a massive difference!

And it is hugely relevant, statistically and practically. She's being a dimwit.