Starting age at National School

[Raverquaver]

Hi all, we are moving to Ireland from the UK next year. I understand children can now start national school at 5.5, just wondering anecdotally how many children in a class would be starting at 5.5 rather than 4.5 now (so effectively delaying starting for a year). I know there can be significant educational benefits to starting a year later; at the same time it might suit us better to just get started with national school for one of our DC. I think it would really help our decision to know what age is most common to start now and perhaps whether there is any different between the approach in cities and rural places, as we will be on the more rural side. Really grateful for any insights, thank you.

Hi OP. My daughter was born in May so we didn't send her til she was 5. We were told that it's better, particularly for girls, if they're a little more mature when starting school as well. Later on in secondary it can become a problem if a child is quite emotionally immature.

From the experience of my cousin, who is a teacher in a rural town, parents seem to make their decision based on availability of childcare, whether their child has an autumn/winter birthday or late spring/ summer birthday, and sex of child (boys sent later than girls) with a few parents deciding to send children to school at the minimum age if they were already reading, counting, capable of neat coloring, etc. Some parents like to send siblings together even if the second sibling is a little young just because it's easier not to have to schlep children in two different directions in the morning (one to child care and one to school). Some decide to send a child if their little friends are going, or keep them at home for the same reason. There are lots of factors going into the decision.

The trend is definitely to send in the September closet to when they turn 5. spring birthdays are probably the trickiest to decide because they will definitely either be one of eldest or the youngest. With everyone else falling into the middle.

My eldest was born in July so started at 5. He is at older end of his year but has never been the oldest. Some children especially the girls can be almost a full year younger but IME those parents regret it big time especially now they are in secondary.
Middle DC is November so will go at 4 turning 5. Youngest is January so probably will start at 4 years 8 months.

Some parents make the decision based on childcare costs. I wouldn’t be surprised from my experience with friends and work colleagues if kids from more affluent areas go to school later then less well off ares.

Start at 5.5, definitely. The two years of ECCE ( preschool education scheme) make it rare for February/March/April babies to start at 4.5.

I know a lady who worked as a special needs assistant in a primary school for over 20 year's. The lady I knew said she saw kids starting at 4 and despite say knowing their letters and numbers that socially they could find school harder say with sharing or getting on with the other kids. Then the older kids we generally not as tired as the younger kids. She said I wait until they were 5 or very close to 5 before sending them to school.
I think as well that if a child is that bit older they cope with school better and are happy it makes easier for them to settle and enjoy school.

Another issue as well to be aware of is that some secondary schools won't accept a child unless they are 13 going into 1st year. One of my friends found this out when she applied to a particular good school in a big town but her child was 13 starting secondary school.

The trend is towards them being older so you'll find more 5 year olds starting than you would have 20 years ago. Schools can have different cut-off dates so keep that in mind. It is rare IME to have a summer born child start in the Sept they turn 4. As other posters have said, it is harder to make a call when the child is born in the springtime.

Wow thank you all so much for your replies. This is such helpful advice and really gives us a very good picture of what is going on and the factors we need to consider before making the decision. Much appreciated. We have a Feb birthday DC so very much on the cusp which makes this advice invaluable.

I have 2 summer babies who started school at just 4 years and month or two old. They both happen to be very bright kids who were bored out of their mind in playschool so it wasn't really an option to keep them there. Also only one ECCE year back then! I don't think it really harmed them socially or academically but its really impossible to know if it would have been better to keep them back. Now, the same school wouldn't accept them at that age, they would have to wait another year. My son is a year younger than many of his classmates. And a whole year younger than his three best friends.

I would definitely say wait until 5 if you can, or you might find them the youngest. But it might be best to ask the school you are planning on sending too.

I really think the age that kids start school should be standardised by the government, its unfair on those (likely to be those from disadvantaged backgrounds) who start earlier than others.

For what it is worth, if mine had been born in Feb I'd have started them at 4years7months. I would not have kept then til 5yrs7mths unless they were struggling in some way.

DS2 started at 5y 7mo (Feb born) and he is the one of the oldest in his class but there are several others just a few weeks apart.

I did originally have him enrolled to start the previous year but when it came to the time I just left him with his actual cohort and availed of the second year of ecce.

Never a bother with school, academically or socially. He’s flying it as we say.

I have a primary aged son, when he started school there were 22 in his class I think (all boys, Co. Dublin). As far as I remember (based on birthday parties etc.)
1 boy was about 5y9m
2 boys were about 5y6m
4 boys were about 5y3m
4 boys were about 5y
4 boys were about 4y9m
3 boys were about 4y6m
1 boy was about 4y3m
(and there are 3 boys whose bdays I don't know)

My own son was one of the youngest when he started, but for him it was the right decision as he is quite independent, couldn't wait to go, and his friends were going too, some of whom were only a few months older than him. Preschool said he was ready too. But it definitely wouldn't suit every child to go before 5.

Our advice from family teacher was if 5 before xmas and socially ready - go on ahead. If 5 after xmas - leave them a year. This really makes a big difference in starting secondary. There can be a big difference between a just 12 year old and 13 year old - for sports e.g. Rugby etc.

The primary teacher in my family recommends starting later. Very definitely.

DS1's 5th birthday fell during the first term so I sent him in as he was tall for his age and would have stuck out like a sore thumb if I left him until the following year. DS2 was 5 during the previous summer and not as tall! Both of them got on fine.

Mine were both 5, 1 in June and 1 in July. I work in a nursery and the difference between a 4 and 5 year old starting school is huge I've never heard anyone say I wish I had sent them at 4 but lots say I wish I had waited until they were 5.

Does this make them all 18/19 when they leave school?
I'm in England now, but did my leaving cert when I was 17 and along with a few others started university just before turning 18.
I can see advantages at primary age, but I really wouldn't want to still be at school at 19.

@SomersetBrie most of them do Transition Year after the Junior Cert so yes by Leaving Cert many will be 19

Thank you all very much again, this is such helpful insight. I found the idea of starting later really appealing when we first looked into this but more recently was wondering whether changing from our current nursery to preschool in Ireland, and then NS a year later might all be a bit too disruptive, but I am sensing that the long term benefits of delaying by a year will outweigh having several transitions at this early age.

As previous PPs have suggested, the best starting age is closest to 5th birthday.
A child starting school closer to age 6 will be easily bored in Junior Infants.

My DC started at 4.09 and 4.11 - neither could have started the previous year and really would have been much too old the following year. The 4.09 starter was 18th in age order from 23 starters in her year, lots of children were clustered around her age. She was one of the top Leaving Cert finishers in her school and so were a lot of that cluster who all performed better than the older starters. (Some of the older starters performed better at Junior Cycle but faded away over the 3 years to LC. I know this is one anecdote of my experience and not statistics.)

Irish system is generally 8 years in primary and 6 years in secondary if the student does Transition Year (which I would highly recommend) so 14 years - think about a 19.5 year old doing Leaving Cert - his friends from GAA will be home from Uni for the weekend and he'll be wanting to meet them, parent/teacher meetings become awkward. He won't have time to manage a part-time job and work for Leaving Cert. Child benefit stops at age 18 even where the child is still in full time education. Younger starters have a year's advantage in building up a pension or saving for a mortgage. Also, repeating a year in school is uncommon but does happen sometimes (maybe due to prolonged severe illness or injury, or the student's ability), best to have capacity to do this and still leave school as a teenager.

But, as his parent, you are in the best position to determine the starting age for your child, based on the recommendations of his pre-school/nursery/creche.

I think things have changed since yours started @SageRosemary. The trend is towards starting later now. There's been a noticeable change even in the last few years, probably because of the intoduction of the 2nd free preschool year.

@Darkherds You are possibly right about the trend, not sure if it is a good thing.

DC1 finished last year, no free ECCE for but had been in a creche with a Montessori included so had 2+ years of paid for (by us) pre-school education anyway. DC2 is still in the school system, only 1 year of ECCE in a far less formal setting, it would have been a complete waste of her time and taxpayers' money to do a second year of that. Both DC were so ready to start primary school and both were so ready to leave primary and start secondary when the time came. At age 12, the minimum age for starting secondary school, they are already a year older than their British counterparts at that point.

@SageRosemary most secondaries want them 13. When my eldest started that was mentioned a lot, Dublin area.

The UK system maps with their first year to our fifth class and reading the issues on this platform I prefer this format. I would prefer 11 year olds to still be in a primary environment. Secondary is a massive change in environment and brings huge challenges to children who may not be as mature as their peers.

There is a revised two year Ecce curriculum and it really makes a difference in keeping them engaged.

A lot of my friends had teens finished the leaving this year. All were late 18 some just turned 19 all delighted to have them heading off a little older into college/apprenticeship.

Realistically most will spend some time in third level so it will even out.

Government are meant to be addressing child benefit for 18 year olds in secondary school.

Research shows jurisdictions with later starts have better learner outcomes. The research points to the link of maturity bringing engagement at upper secondary.

I have heard locally schools implementing the 5 before Xmas rule and this will feed up the line.

Younger starters have a year's advantage in building up a pension or saving for a mortgage.

This is hilarious 😂

My DD (now 16) started at 4 + 4 months. She was one of the youngest, but not the youngest. (And now in secondary school, there are a quite a number younger, interestingly.)

But she was the last year it was possible (Dublin). There was a population surge the year after, and the cut off was 4 by the end of January before school.

My 2 DSs are summer born, each was 5.

For my DD, TY was essential & really helped. For my DS, TY is an option but not essential - it will depend on his maturity.

Government are meant to be addressing child benefit for 18 year olds in secondary school.
I wish they'd get a move on and I want back pay!