what age will my dd be when she starts primary school reception?

[twik]

My dd was born in October 2002 so will be 3 in a month and 4 in October 2006. I can't for the life of me work out what will then follow in terms of her schooling. I know she can't do pre-school until the term after her 3rd birthday but then have heard conflicting things about when her reception year would begin. Some people say the Septembr before she's 3, some the one after.

Anyone enlighten me? We're London based if that makes a difference?

She'll start reception September 2007. So she will be 4y 10m (or 11m).

As far as I know reception starts the academic year in which they have their 5th birthday so for your dd that would be September 2007. However some schools have an Early Years Unit (like ours) where they start the term after they turn 4. This makes a difference to some children but not others depending on when their birthday is. My dd1 is an October birthday so she had 5 terms in early years whereas dd2 is a May baby and will only have the 3 terms of reception.

Thanks for this. Is it an advantage then to be born on October seeing as she'll be so much older than the other kids?!

There are pros and cons Twik.

Older children (autumn/winter birthdays) have to wait longer to go to school, and so you have to pay nursery fees for longer.

But younger children sometimes struggle to keep up - more often on the social/behavioural side than the academic side IME. And they are also more likely to be shattered at the end of the day/week, and don't have the energy for extra activities.

BUT bright children often find it easier to cope if they are the youngest in their school year, rather than the oldest iyswim.

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Pay for nursery fees? DS will be 5 in 2 weeks time, so one of the oldest in his school year. He's been at nursery for the last year - 2 1/2hrs every afternoon - which was free!

The term after they are three they are eligible for funding for nursery/playgroup

Apparently high % of professional sports people are Autumn/winter birthdays ... it makes sense.

I think socially/behaviourally/physically by boys would have found it easier to be in a year below (they are both summer birthdays). But academically it would have been disastrous for them.

I have 4 girls 3 are at school, 1 is an August Birthday and 2 are September birthdays. I can honestly say it has not mattered a dot

Jade is 10 and the youngest in her year and started Nursery at just 3 and reception at just 4. She was not any different at age 6 to what the twins are now.
The only thing I found was that the twins wre ready for 'proper school' ages before they started.

Katie is a June 2003 birth so starts playschool in January, Nursery Next Sept and reception Sept 2007. She is ready for playschool already but cant go till she is 2 and a hlaf and will be a young reception child but I am sure she will be ready for it

My DD2 is 4 on 3rd october, she is starting nursery now (2005) and will start reception in sept 2006. So she will be one of the oldest in her year. She was at preschool school from 2yrs 11months.

Thanks everyone!

Why, roisin, do you think it's disadvantageous for a 'bright' child to start school when they're a bit older? I ask because dd's pretty bright in the talking / imagination / drawing type of ways. Socially she's moderate but very inexperienced (an only child) and pretty shy. Physically she's not that hot, prefers riding in the buggy to walking and only started jumping a couple of months ago!

twik, roisin means (I think!) that a child whose ability is average will do better if he or she is old for their academic year (ie. autumn birthday). But a child who is naturally academic may find the work too easy anyway, and this is likely to be exacerbated if he/she is one of the oldest in the year. Conversely a summer-born child who finds academic learning difficult will be doubly disadvantaged by being the youngest in the class.

But these are generalisations -- it all depends on the overall ability profile of the class, which you won't be able to tell until after she starts school.

I just mean that a bright child with a July birthday may well be top of their class, but it's still realistic for a teacher to give them work that will stretch them, and they will not be completely bored by the classwork that their peers are doing.

If a very bright child is also one of the oldest in their school year, then it can be a struggle for everyone to ensure they are challenged.

This is particularly the case in KS1. I know of some bright September birthday girls who are writing neatly and reading fluently before they start in reception. But in carpet time the work the teacher is covering is on the basic letter sounds ...

OK crossed posts with Frogs who expressed what I think far more eloquently

hi. whats the difference between nursery and reception. I am paying very high fees at a private nursery and would love a second child. We could just about afford it but would have no life and no room for uexpected expenses etc. ds is october born and will be 3 this year. Can i send him to government nursery or any other alternatives?

Our eldest went from a private Montessori Niursery to a State Reception- and lost about a year by doing it! He went to a school which though in receipt of excellent Ofsted, had an intake of kids who hadn't been to playschool, let alone were able to dress / write their names. So if my local school were like that, I'd be tempted to keep him in the private sector or find a better area (which is what we did). BUT Ds2 went from Nursery to a state school (we moved) where standards are fantastic, and everyone received free nursery ed at the on site facility. There'd be no point paying, I couldn't imagine better.

I really think the answer is, it depends on what the local schools are like. But most areas have a good one, so you should be able to sort something out.

going4potty,

A child can have funded playschool/playgroup etc.. the term after their 3rd birthday. If your ds is 3 in october he will start a School nursery which is government funded Sept 2006

Sorry meant to add, reception starts the school year they are 5 and Nursery starts the school year they are 4. Anything before that is playschool, playgroup or private nursery

Going4potty, it is confusing!

In the state system it works as follows:

A child starts Year 1 in the September after his or her 5th birthday. This is the start of compulsory schooling. In practice, most children start school in Reception, which is the year following their 4th birthday (ie. the year in which they will turn 5). Some schools will start all reception-age children in September, others phase them in so children born Sept-Feb will start in September, and children born Mar-Aug will start the following January. But they will all end up in the same year group and will normally all move up to Y1 at the same time, though younger children may have only had two terms in Reception instead of 3.

Some (state) schools will have attached nursery classes, which take children the September or January after their 3rd birthday. In most schools nursery will be part-time, although one-form entry schools may go fulltime from the start. These classes will be partly integrated into the school, ie. they may go to school assemblies and use the same lunch room. They will generally have a separate building or wing for their classrooms and separate play areas.

These school nursery classes should not be confused with day nurseries (which provide childcare), preschool (playgroup-type arrangements) or private nursery schools (which may take children before they are 3, but will generally be term-time only). Private schools also sometimes start their nursery classes earlier than 3.

hth

roisin, didn't mean to take words out of your mouth! Good summer?

You can start pre-school earlier than the term after their third birthday; you just have to pay for it. My son will be in the same school year as your daughter but he was born June 2003. He starts a playgroup for 2 mornings a week this September, will go to a nursery class (for free, 5 mornings or 5 afternoon a week ususally) attached to a state primary school in Sep 2006 and a reception class in Sep 2007.

Hi Frogs - great summer thanks, and you? (In a few weeks/months time if/when I am finding the job hard work remind me of how much I enjoyed having 6 weeks off! Paid!)

nursery from jan 2006 reception sept 2008

sorry 2007 crap at typing!

My dd1 is having the same probs as Roisin and Frogs described she is 6 in Dec very bright , fluent reader and writer, good at adding take away and very interested in everything!Only thing she is not as good at is PE(like me) but she is a good swimmer o she gets enough exercise that way!
My youngest has had speech and lang probs and will be 4 next week so will have benefitted by waiting the extra year to start rec. although she has just about caught up, just difficult to iunderstand now.