Page 6 | School full time at 4

rockpoolingtogether · 04/07/2023 21:16

Holeymoleyy · 04/07/2023 14:04

My DC turns 4 at the end of July. I received the letter a few months ago and applied for her school place. The offer came back and it says she is to start school full time from the 6th September. There didn’t seem to be any option of part time

She currently goes to nursery, who are not able to keep any children on who turn 4 before the start of September term and they were encouraging all parents to apply for a school place

She is very bright and sociable and her confidence has grown a lot since going to nursery so I have no worries there. I just hope that I’m doing the right thing. Any opinions appreciated?

Ask the head but legally he doesn't have to attend full time. If o wanted a day with my daughter when she was in reception I told the school and it was fine- I didn't need permission until the term after she turned 5 (eg when the early years funding stopped).

Jimbo2021 · 04/07/2023 21:17

Hardbackwriter · 04/07/2023 14:44

I have a July baby who is just about to finish reception (I'm also a July baby myself). There is a statistical disadvantage to being the youngest and the difference between the oldest and youngest is obvious at that age. There is a girl in his class who was deferred and so will turn 6 a few days after he is 5 - seeing the enormous advantage she has does make me wonder if I should have done the same.

That said, some of the rhetoric around this can be extreme. Your child will not be a lone summerborn in a class of September birthdays, so although the contrast between oldest and youngest is clear your child is unlikely to stand out in the wider context of the class. I'm not sure another year of nursery would have been right for DS either. I really liked being one of the youngest, which maybe swayed me unduly!

The reason they stopped routinely offering part-time or delayed starts to summer borns is because it just further disadvantages them - they're still the youngest but they then also get the least time in reception and so are less prepared for year 1. If you're seriously concerned I would say deferral is a better option by a long way.

"Defer" is where you start a child in the chronological school year, but later on, e.g. January or April. Deferring or attending part time is the absolute right of the parents - the school cannot stop that if that is the parents choice, no matter what they may tell you.

"Delayed entry" is starting Reception on reaching compulsory school age, which is at the start of September after a summer born child reaches 5. You do need to get agreements from your chosen schools for that though, as it's not a right.
More details in the Facebook group "Flexible Admissions for Summer born Children" where parents considering delaying their child will get all the information, and the RIGHT information they need.

As always with threads on this subject in this place, a lot of misinformation is bandied about (Child will have to miss a year, or must start in Y1, will lose Nursery finding, etc etc blah blah...).

Yousee · 04/07/2023 21:17

gogomoto · 04/07/2023 19:52

I'm an august birthday, didn't do me any harm. Your teenage child may resent you if you hold them back, imagine realising you could have finished school???

Whereas I resented being too young to enjoy Freshers Week at uni as I was a very young looking 17 at the time!

Curiosity101 · 04/07/2023 21:17

@Sugargliderwombat Strictly speaking they can suggest your child should return to their 'correct' co hort at any point in their school career.

However they have to demonstrate how it'll be in the child's best interests. Given they'll have formed friendship groups and they're suggesting forcing the child to miss a whole year of education it's clearly never going to be in the child's best interests to move back to their original cohort. Consider how hot they are on attendance - then consider just how much time they'd be 'missing' of their school career if they moved back into their original cohort.

I'm on a huge summer born deferral group and you don't hear about this actually happening. And if the school or LA tried to force it then there's a lot of support available online to ensure that it doesn't happen and the child's best interests are upheld.

You do have to reapply for the school place on the transition to secondary school though. But that's just a minor formality when the time comes.

Jimbo2021 · 04/07/2023 21:22

BeezHoney · 04/07/2023 15:46

My 3 year old is due to start school next September. They won’t be going to reception - for me, they’re still so young to be sat indoors (and still) for All those hours 5 days a week. So skipping reception, and will send to year 1

You can make requests to schools for a delayed start into Reception.

I really would not skip reception year - a lot of the building blocks are taught in Reception, and your child would be entering Year 1 a 5 at a huge disadvantage. The Department for Education have stated that nursery is not a substitute for Reception.

The Facebook group "Flexible Admissions for Summer Born Children" may well be of help to you.

Jimbo2021 · 04/07/2023 21:26

Ohhmydays · 04/07/2023 16:31

I think that it depends where you live or the ELC provider. In my area you can get 30free term time hours or you can spread them out throughout the year.

I don’t no if I am just a bit thick or because I stay in Scotland(don’t have reception)but what is the difference between reception and the preschool year at nursery?

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Big difference. Reception teaches the buiilding blocks they will need for Year 1, Phonics and so on, and also carry out the EYFS Profiling. A nursery/preschool will not do the latter. The Department for Education have stated that nursery/preschool cannot be seen as a substitute for Reception Year.

Jimbo2021 · 04/07/2023 21:29

While most summer born 4 year olds are perfectly ready for school at 4, BUT many are not, for a variety of reasons, and as parents we have to be guided by our gut feel.

Ours was to delay our DD and in hindsight it was exactly the right thing to do, she is just coming to end of Reception.

BeezHoney · 04/07/2023 21:56

Jimbo2021 · 04/07/2023 21:22

You can make requests to schools for a delayed start into Reception.

I really would not skip reception year - a lot of the building blocks are taught in Reception, and your child would be entering Year 1 a 5 at a huge disadvantage. The Department for Education have stated that nursery is not a substitute for Reception.

The Facebook group "Flexible Admissions for Summer Born Children" may well be of help to you.

Show quote history

I didn’t say nursery was replacing reception. I said home learning was replacing it. And My child isn’t born in the summer. I want them to enjoy their childhood for an extra year, that’s all.

Jimbo2021 · 04/07/2023 22:01

BeezHoney · 04/07/2023 21:56

I didn’t say nursery was replacing reception. I said home learning was replacing it. And My child isn’t born in the summer. I want them to enjoy their childhood for an extra year, that’s all.

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Ok, sorry, misunderstood your post, or got mixed up with another one. Been a long day.....

toomuchlaundry · 04/07/2023 22:06

Will there be a space for them in Y1 @BeezHoney?

Sugargliderwombat · 04/07/2023 22:09

Curiosity101 · 04/07/2023 21:17

@Sugargliderwombat Strictly speaking they can suggest your child should return to their 'correct' co hort at any point in their school career.

However they have to demonstrate how it'll be in the child's best interests. Given they'll have formed friendship groups and they're suggesting forcing the child to miss a whole year of education it's clearly never going to be in the child's best interests to move back to their original cohort. Consider how hot they are on attendance - then consider just how much time they'd be 'missing' of their school career if they moved back into their original cohort.

I'm on a huge summer born deferral group and you don't hear about this actually happening. And if the school or LA tried to force it then there's a lot of support available online to ensure that it doesn't happen and the child's best interests are upheld.

You do have to reapply for the school place on the transition to secondary school though. But that's just a minor formality when the time comes.

I had no idea! Unbelievably my school moved a child into their correct year group in year 3. I wonder why on earth this happened if it wasn't necessary. My council website all but says moving to the correct year group will happen at some point...how bizarre.

lifesnotaspectatorsport · 04/07/2023 22:31

Overseas here - my kids started infant school at 3 and 2y 9mo (youngest in the year). One month part time and then full time the rest of the school year. They've been absolutely fine, even my more sensitive boy. I guess it's like preschool at first, very play-based, gradually winding up to more like reception in the year they turn 5, where they start reading and writing more.

I really think that if your child is happy and content at nursery now, OP, she'll be the same at school.

BeezHoney · 04/07/2023 22:58

toomuchlaundry · 04/07/2023 22:06

Will there be a space for them in Y1 @BeezHoney?

Luckily we (currently) live walking distance to about, 6? So, I’d hope so. We live public transport distance to many more so I’m sure there’d always be options. If all else fails we’ll just homeschool year 1, but would take a lot of schedule juggling with work/studies etc.

Curiosity101 · 05/07/2023 07:06

@Sugargliderwombat Some authorities and schools are dead against delayed entries. It's improving over time but parents still face a fight in some areas. Sounds like your school and LA is one of those. If they're actively mis informing parents by saying that a child has to move back to their correct year then I guess less parents will fight the decision. And it will put a lot of parents off from applying for a delay in the first place.

But there's definitely no requirement for children to move back. And arguably once they've had their delayed entry it's very rarely (if ever) going to be in the child's best interests to move back into their original cohort and miss a year of school.