Only one term in Recption Class?!

[needmysleep]

My little will start school in April just after her 5th Birthday. This will give her 1 term in Reception class before the summer break. Should I be worried that she will not have long enough in Reception class?? I have asked if she can start in January but it is School policy that children born after March have to start in April.

I just wdon't want her to miss out on anything....does anyone have any advise?

Reception follows the same Early Years curriculum as pre-schools/nurseries etc.
So your DD will be doing "the same" as if she goes to any other setting. If this is standard school policy I imagine there will be many other children in your position so the local pre-schools/nurseries will be used to dealing with children in your situation.

Redskyatnight is correct. However, if you are in England and you are still concerned you could try pointing out to the school that they will have to change their policy next year.

From September 2011 onwards the school must admit any child who is 4 by the end of August. So in 12 months time they will have to admit your child in September or January if that is what you want. You could suggest to them that, given they will have to do it next year, they might as well get used to it and change their policy now.

If they say they aren't aware of this change, tell them it is in the latest Admissions Code issued in February this year.

My DD only had one term in reception.

I had mix feelings about it. My friends children who, although were the same age as DD, were starting in the September. So I was concerned that she may be missing out, but at the same time, felt that she was too young at just 4 to attend school full time.

Looking back I don't think it was that much of a problem. She attended school nursery for half days in the Autumn and spring terms and spent time in the reception classes. So the transition to full time was stress free. Also, she was so tired and ratty doing full days at first - I dread to think what she would have been like at just 4!

I did have a panic towards the end of her time in reception, when I saw the standard of work in the Autumn and Spring start reception classes. But she soon caught up, and by the end of year 1 you cannot tell she is a summer starter. (But of course, being a Mumsnetter child, she is terribly bright )

Message withdrawn

dilemma too true.

Thanks everyone for your advise, I think I am going to try and make sure that my DDs preschool is doing everthing they can to prepare her for Reception and stop worrying. After all theres nothing I can do to get her in earlier as its against school policy.

One more question is what can I do to prepare my DD for school? Should I be doing some phonics / numbers and writing practice at home? I just dont think they do enough of it at the preschool and am also worried that she will be bored there for another 7 months but dont really want the upheaval of changing preschools.

Any advise would be great!

Look on it the other way round, in reception she will be one of a class of thirty with one teacher and maybe a classroom assistant/ta/nursery nurse. Pre-schools have a higher adult to child ratio and the highest ratio of adult to child is when she is at home with you.

Make use of this time by having lots and lots of one to one conversation with her, do phonics and numbers when out shopping, point out words in the street. It worked with my younger children and when they started reception everything fell into place.

Also you will have some very special memories of that time of just before school