To Decelerate School Entry

[Bl00dyH3ll]

My daughter was born 26th August due to start school September 2022. I just don't know what to do 🥺. She's small for her age and I worry that she will visibly be the youngest and struggle. Statistically speaking she's likely to be at a disadvantage, who wants to deliberately place their child at a disadvantage? A year is a huge difference! Children in her year group would have learned so many skills when she was being birthed, from words to walking! I can absolutely see the difference in a September/October baby from the previous year, yet no difference between her and October babies who are 2 months younger. As a summer baby, I was all good academically but fell short socially so I just feel she's likely to fall behind in one of these areas.

No developmental issues and is perfectly fine at nursery with children her age, aside from speech regression last March when the nursery closed and lockdown began she didn't say a word for 6 months, not even mummy but her speech is now spot on. I do worry about her ability to deal with change and pressure at this young age. Another concern is potential covid restrictions and I don't want her first year to be tarred by the current crap.

Gosh, why couldn't she have been born on her due date - 1st September!

Mine is an early august baby and will be deferred. I can’t see any good reason why not. Especially since contrary to what is said upthread by some they can still do the reception year. Seems like a no brainer to me.

What is the LA policy on skipping a year? In some areas they put them straight into year 1

That is what will happen if you have not secured agreement to defer and try to apply for a later year. The computerised system will flag a 'wrong' date of birth, and if no agreed deferment, will reject the YR application

The best time to arrange the deferment is before the closing date of applications for the year of your DC's age cohort.

I have an August born, we had the option of a Jan start but the same cohort, tbh I think that hindered rather than helped her and was glad when the school discontinued it before her summer born siblings arrived.

She has just finished yr 11 top sets across the board, someone has to be the youngest in the year....

Do we all want to do what's best for our own children?
Absolutely yes.

Should deferring even be an option?
Absolutely not.

The 'youngest in the year' point is not a good one, someone has to be. But 'too young to start at just 4' is valid. Maybe the whole year group should start in January.

It makes no sense and puts the next year's younger children at an even bigger disadvantage.

Why should children have to go to school with others more than a year older than them?

Stop comparing to children a year older, look at those a couple of months older

You know your child. If they can start in reception and stick with their year throughout, then it is definitely something to consider if you think they will struggle starting at just turned 4.

Ignore those saying "someone has to be the youngest". It's true, but it's not true that all of those who are amongst the youngest will struggle. If children will struggle with school (and how you start sets the tone for your whole school career), there should be the option to defer their start. We know a little girl with an August birthday who will start school at just turned 4 and her parents have no concerns... she's physically and emotionally ready for it. That sounds totally different to your DC.

We would have less issues with school readiness in this country if children didn't start school at such an absurdly young age and if education was play-based for the first few years rather than just reception.

Fwiw, my DC is a winter baby and will be 4.8 when they start. I'm so grateful they will have an extra 8 months of play-based nursery learning in a relaxed environment before they start and I can't pretend that I don't think it will make a difference. So don't listen if anyone criticises you for giving your DC some extra time to develop before starting school... it could make all the difference.

I have a summer child (now in secondary, top sets for everything, plus on the Gifted and talented programme). We looked into deferral but didn't, one of the main issues being that whilst there was a system in place for this at primary level, there wasn't at secondary (ie he would have had to enter Y7 with the cohort above him). Do check this in your area - this was about nine years ago for us so things might have changed by now. My son was fine without the deferral though.

I was a 30th Aug baby and have loved being the youngest in the year - it's still with me today so I feel young even though I'm definitely not any more. It didn't hold me back at all academically or friendship-wise. If your DD had developmental issues then I'd understand the concern, but given that she's doing well at nursery and gets on well with her peers, I wouldn't let statistics dictate your plans. Base it on your experience with her specifically. It sounds like she should probably move up with her peers and keep learning at their level. And bear in mind that if she was Sept 1st, you might be frustrated at another year of nursery when she was able to progress.

It's a good point regarding the comparing to the September borns. I think those who defer, justify using other children to give their child an advantage by imagining that all the other 29 in the class are born on September 1st.

It's a good point regarding the comparing to the September borns. I think those who defer, justify using other children to give their child an advantage by imagining that all the other 29 in the class are born on September 1st.

If they're allowed to delay a year and then go into reception and stay with that year-group all the way through their education then I would consider it.
If, somewhere along the line, they will have to skip a year to catch up with their age contemporaries, then absolutely not.
You see your child as an individual at 3/4 but once they're 7/8 they will be so bonded to their friends and classmates that it would be far more traumatic to move year groups than it will be to cope with starting school a bit earlier than you might choose.
The Covid thing is valid though - it certianly hasn't been the best year for anyone doing anything significant and I'm not sure that next winter will be all that different in terms of restrictions.
However, one factor people don't often consider with a delayed start is if a summer born child has older siblings or even cousins who they play with regularly then they are used to keeping up with older kids (DD2 with an end of July birthday was far more grown up at 4 than DD1 January birthday was at 4.5).

Hi op

I would defer. I have 3 childresn march sept and june. If it was more normal I would defer the June one. But i read and couldnt tick the boxes.

So for an august I 100% would.

My db lives in a different country and they deferred there dc4 who would have been 4.8 years if started normal entry and she thrived. Luckily for them all a personal decision and more normal than in England.

I also grew up in scotland where the year group was march -feb but could defer dec -feb children. I distinctly remember the feb children vs the March children who were 5.5 when they started school.

Just defer. You know what's right for her.

One note of caution…if you happen to be in a grammar school area they often have to take the test at the ‘right’ age.

I have a late august DD who I did not defer. Happy with the decision so far. One thing to consider is that if you decide to defer you still (at least in my area, worth checking) have to apply in the “correct” year then apply for the deferred year afterwards. You cannot keep the school allocated to you first time round. The next year’s application is treated as a new one. This might influence your decision if you live in an area with tight catchments etc. Ie. If you got allocated your first choice first time round, would you be happy to risk not getting it the year following?

Can I just offer something on the flip side. My dd1 is at secondary school now so these days are long gone.

However she's a September child so we had the complete opposite problem In that being the oldest In a class particularly at lre school and in reception tbh she'd outgrown it for want of a better word. That presented its own set of problems. It sorts itself out a little later on when things become less play based and more academically oriented.

But that is something to consider. Being older doesn't necessarily give you an easier time because you can end up ready for more while parts of the class are still aimed at 4 year olds. It could well just be swapping one set of problems.for another.

Its a really tough choice op I hope you can figure out what to do. I wish you luck

In my council area you can delay the start for a whole year but you go straight into year 1 with your original cohort but your place isn't safe. So you are relying on the school not being full at that point. Or you can have a delayed start within the year, and your place is safe. You can start after Christmas or Easter (as long as before they turn 5 is fine. So in theory a June baby can start at Easter.)

It's not fair to compare your child to September borns & that isnt what school will do either.

My DD is a late Aug birthday and was due in October (prem). She's clearly younger than her cousin who is September born, same school year, but when I compare her to two or three peers who were born between April & July, she seems pretty comparable to them. My mother is an infant teacher and said boys often benefit most from delayed starts as it's common for them to be socially less mature. She thinks my DD will be absolutely fine. Reception is play based anyway.

I have been reassured by seeing my eldest. He changed a huge amount between 3&4, and could easily have coped with reception from just after 4. I would never anticipated that seeing him at 3.

Can she not just go into year one when she starts school? Pre school until she starts will prepare her a bit for school. Mine always did much better in year one as they couldn’t handle the chaos of reception.
My youngest is May born and won’t start until he’s five and he will go in year one.

Whatwouldscullydo

This was me age 5. I was an early september birthday and reception was boring. I and 3 other early birthdays often had to be taken out as a small group because the younger kids were learning things we had already mastered, and that was even with summer born children being in a separate reception class at our school.

At the end of the day, a year is a long time at age 4, there will always be variety among a reception class and teachers are used to managing that.

Thanks all.

Putting other children at a disadvantage? I'm sorry but my priority is my own child and whether she will be at a disadvantage. She's already considered at a disadvantage as I am a lone parent on a low income so its just added disadvantage.

When she turns 3, six days later there will be no difference to her and I wouldn't have this issue.

Looking at children a couple of months older, they are toilet trained, have a better understanding and are more emotionally capable than her. Of course I am going to compare her to those older there are going to be far more Sept-Mar babies than Apr-Aug.

She will be far more capable if I wait a year. My local authority grant deferred entry to reception and it follows through all through school. I do not want to set a precedent for her the rest of her school year if she falls behind.

Thanks for Facebook group suggestion. I will join

If you are worried about her social development- sending her straight into year 1 when everyone else will have had a year growing, learning and playing together in reception may not be the best idea. I’m sure it would suit some children (that’s why they offer it?!) but I think for most, being around their peers will accelerate their learning and social skills. (I have 1 summer born, 1 spring born) x

Sorry just read your last post- I suppose if they defer her to reception that’s better for your circumstances. Personally, I still wouldn’t do it, but it’s good you have the option x

I think people on here are a bit confused about reception. Reception is part of the Early Years Foundation Stage, exactly as preschool is. It is largely play based, lots of child led and free flow. It is more similar to preschool or a nursery class than it is to year 1.

I had the “someone has to be the youngest” rubbish.

It’s nothing to do with not wanting our children to be the youngest, it’s the fact that there is so much research and information out there that says starting school at just turned 4 is detrimental to the child.

They are more like to struggle socially.
They are more likely to be diagnosed with SEN.
They have lower pass rate in assessments.
They are more likely to develop mental heart problems.

It isn’t about the focus being on reception and Year 1, it’s looking at the bigger picture of the child’s best 14 years in the schooling environment. Research has also shown that the disadvantages that can affect summer born children can be seen throughout the duration of their whole education.

Even if my child was joining a year group where 90% of the rest of the class were also summer born and just turned 4, I would still defer him.

Like I said, it’s not about the whole ‘youngest in the year” myth but simply about the fact that starting school at just turned 4 is disadvantageous.

At the end of the day, the Government would not allow deferral to happen unless there was very good evidence to show the disadvantages of being summer born. So that says it all.