To think my summer born will be fine starting school in September 2020?

[worriedwinfred]

DS was born mid July. I'm just asking if I'm being unfair to expect that he will be ok to start school in the year group he is expected to start in rather than applying to delay for a year?
He's really confident and intelligent and I feel he will definitely be ready however i wouldn't want to send him if it's not the best decision. Does anyone have experience of sending summer born children to school the September after they turn 4?were they ok?

My July born is starting September. She’s more than ready and desperate to go! She can write her name, recognise all letters, read simple words etc so I think she’ll be fine

summerbornchildren.org/home-2/

Have a look around that website ^^

Join the Facebook group “flexible admissions for summer borns”

And read this....
www.newscientist.com/article/mg22029435-000-too-much-too-young-should-schooling-start-at-age-7/

Also absolutely tons of research out there about the importance of play over formal learning before 7 etc

My DS was very late Aug birthday, he was fine, lacked the same stamina in the early days of reception (fell asleep on the carpet at the end of the day a few times)

In his teens he was smaller and hit puberty after all his peers, that really knocked his confidence for a while until he caught up in height! He never seemed as tough as the other lads (but that's also his nature) but being the youngest didn't help.

Academically he always excelled. He is in upper sixth now and predicted AAA in maths physics & chemistry (the funniest thing is he really feels his young age most now as all his mates are 18 and able to go to clubs! And were driving before him, That's caused him more annoyance than anything!)

I queried holding him back a year before reception and was firmly told that no that never happens, I'm glad I didn't in the end.

Both of my two DS are youngest in their years. Because delayed entry is more common in Scotland, they are in class with children 15+ months older than them. They are both fine. One might have also been fine being deferred a year (though would have grown out of nursery so was not a good option at the time). The other has been around top of class academically and sports-wise throughout primary and would have hated to be deferred entry.

It depends on the child, but I thing most kids are fine in the "correct" year.

Deferring entry also starts a bit of an arms race IMO (and from my own small experience of Scottish setting where it is quite easy to do, if you have the childcare available). Many of those who do it are stereotypical middle class tiger parents and are purely after a relative advantage for the their own child.

@triangled you can’t delay unless your birth month is Jun-Aug so not sure how your daughter has children in her class turning 6 in April?

shiver summerborn is classed as April-August

My son's birthday is July so he'd only just turned four when he stared school. It's been the absolute making of him. Unless your child has SN, I'd say go for it.

@ALannisterInDebt my son wasn't the toughest in his year group either. He was very shy and got picked on. But he was the oldest in his year! Everyone is right in saying it depends on the child. They are all different and being the youngest eventually makes little difference.

My end of August children were fine. The first found it a bit daunting going from a tiny private school nursery to a 30 child reception class where some were a full year older and taller but she found her way very quickly and realised she was more able than most at most things (apart from climbing and reaching things). The youngest had been through a couple of years of nursery with her peers and was actually quite dominant despite being half their size and looking about two.

To add, statistically summer born children do worse academically even as far as GCSEs but that wasn’t true of mine or friends children. I think there are some who struggle academically but also think some of that is around expectations and excuses.

Shiverrrrmetimbers yes you can. "Children usually start school in the September after they turn 4 but parents of children born between 1 April and 31 August, also known as "summer-born" children, can ask to delay entry to reception for a year."
from www.gov.uk/government/publications/summer-born-children-school-admission

@ooooohbetty I totally agree, at the end of the day someone has to be the oldest in the year and someone has to be the youngest.

The school, teacher, friendship group and each child's individual personality and ability , I believe, have a greater influence than age.

they talk about the children deserving the extra year of play etc.

Whilst there are certainly kids who could benefit, looking back now, if you wanted an extra year of "play", would you have rather had it when you were 4, or when you were 18?

Wow - generalising other parents who choose to exercise their right to delay their child’s schooling as ‘middle class, tiger mums’ Really?! 🙄 Evidence clearly shows that summer borns do less well academically and in sports starting school just after they turn 4. Of course there will be exceptions to this and if a parent feels their child is ready for school then no one is saying that they shouldn’t send them in their ‘usual’ age group. Just because parents make different choices on this matter doesn’t mean that one or other is ‘right’ or is judging the other. Perhaps they are just acknowledging that they know their child best and are making an informed choice with that knowledge. No one is trying to give their child an unfair advantage at school as school is not a competition. It’s about an individuals learning and development (social and emotional as well as academic) and them meeting their own full potential. Also most parents want their child to enjoy learning and school rather than having meltdowns at home if they become overwhelmed by the expectations placed on them. Surely the parent is best placed to decide whether the child’s potential and needs will best be met at the age of 4 or 5. I don’t understand why other summer born parents who choose not to delay their child (because they feel it’s the right choice for their child) presume that their decision would be the right one for every single child in the same situation. I can assure you that as a parent of a child who is summer born, who I’m hoping to delay school start until 5 years old, I don’t have an opinion as to whether others should or shouldn’t delay their child, I don’t presume to know them or know what’s best for them! In fact of out of 6 mins I know with summer borns the same age as my son only myself and one other are trying to delay school start to compulsory school age, and I fully accept that for the others delaying them is unlikely to be the right thing for them because I trust the parents know what’s best for them.

My summer born joined when he should and was fine. In fact he loved it. Some of the younger ones struggled more with behaviour but not really academically. Reception is mostly play anyway. If I had deferred a year he would have just started with the same group in year 1 so basically miss a year of learning to read and write and making friendships. I also have to work so it was a nursery vs school decision so easy for me to make.

My Ds1 was 4 in August and started school 2 weeks later. He was fine. He had been toilet trained for almost 2 years and was ready for the routine due to going to nursery. Academically it did take him a little while to catch up but I expected that. I would never defer school entry - friendships are made in that first year and I wouldn't want him to have missed that