Are your summer born children under achievers or high flyers?

[whoknowswho]

An article in the telegraph suggests August born children struggle at school by the age of seven and are more likely to take vocational quals than go to a top uni . My very late august born DD is thriving at school (Y2) top of the class and loving it but she's still very young so this could all change I guess. What are your summer born children like?www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8860219/Summer-born-children-less-likely-to-attend-top-universities.html#

Do people really plan their families to have Autumn born children?

Really? In the RL, do they?

Haven't read beyond OP yet.
My ds1[12] was born 29th August.He has always been very bright.He is at a selective Grammar and in top 3 for all subjects.
I don't know if this means he is a high achiever or not though.Have no idea what he wants to do future wise.
I never knew about all this about summer borns and boys! until a few years ago.Am pleased I didn't!

DD is an August baby. Scholar at Oxford, Distinction at MA level and a First in another degree. The only time she felt left behind was when all her friends turned 18. We turned a blind eye to a bit of creative age adajusting by her.

Blimey Trumpton you must have been doing something right !

Lets hope it was to do with being a Trumpton fan as that was my favourite programme as a child !

DS1 is an August baby (21st) and is doing 'fine' at school. He is neither top of his year, nor bottom. I am also an August baby (31st) I got 10 GCSE's at C and above, but dropped out of A-levels due to home problems, and I then had my DC young. I have applied to a college course for September, and having spoken to their admissions person, have been told I would be a welcome asset on any course, as I am academically very able :) So while the stats must mean something, I will definately ignore them :)

DD1 aged 14 was born 31 August. She just got an A in GCSE maths in Year 9 (aged 13) and a few weeks back scored 100% and another A in a science assessment.

Emotionally she veers between 8 and 18, but academically she is way ahead of her peers.

I have a dd1 - 6 who has an august bday & just had a conversation with her teacher at parent evening about such reports. Teacher said dd is very bright |& in top groups for everything & that you would never know she is the youngest of the year. While I am pleased & agree that she doesn't struggle academically she has socially & emotionally. I know she is probably a sensitive child anyway but she found mixing so hard in reception & yr 1 & I am sure that an extra year would have helped enormously. I think it's noticeable at sports day with co-ordination the younger ones, it's always the older ones winning even if they are not the tallest. Our school just has one class per year but I know friends with summer borns in larger schools who split the year in two & they have found it easier as at least the class is more similar in age.

Gosh, some of the stats and research mentioned here is very interesting. Purely anecdotally I did my MPhil and DPhil at Oxford and remember far more Autumn and Winter birthdays than Summer. I am an August child and excelled through primary and secondary schools but only with extra tuition. As the youngest in my class I do remember things taking longer to sink in cf my peers. It didn't stop me from being a high achiever but it didn't come easy.

My DD is 3 and June born. She's one of the youngest in her preschool year but her teacher says she's one of the brightest. However 3 is too young to determine much and only time will tell...

DS ( 19 ) late July birth - definitely in under achievers camp .
Terribly low self esteem ( now could this possibly be related to all those years in primary school where he struggled ? ) academically and socially .

my youngest DS is Sept 9th and i always think being the oldest isnt good too as you almost shouldnt be in that year, but in the year above...
but i do see the point about young ones born in july and august being behind in the year group.

love trumpton's creative age adjusting

I worry more about the boys than the girls, because being "sporty" is much more important social currency for them.

A point made earlier regarding grouping children per birth date. This is exactly what happened in my school, and I think as a summer born I definitely benefitted. I wonder why the is not done.

Liege - yes I know about deferring (sorry don't mean that as in I KNOW!! ) just I know I will have to ask eventually as it intrigues me as to why they would be allowed to take places then in a nursery when they should technically be in recpetion - I mean yes they could defer, but that is not deferring is it, it's going into the year below . I'm not bothered in that way just nosy I usually work in schools and DH is a teacher and have only come across it once (the eeping bac) and that was a down syndrome little boy who did an extra year at primary

hec, keep missing letters off my words, sorry

heck even double

scottish system appears to be better as there seems to be some flexibility in which year group a child starts in (january cut off but if jan or feb born can choose whether or not to start school)

one of my dc's is september born and would really have done with being a week or so older, had far outgrown primary school by end of year 5 but fortunately had an enlightened teacher for year 6 who could think outside the box (curriculum), another DC is July and although was capable of doing the work is very immature when it comes to actually studying

In Scotland, cut off end of Feb. However automatic right to defer Jan/Feb birthdays.........
DD Jan birthday. Didn't defer, she was ready for school. However I think she is the youngest in a year of 60. Also, there are kids who are more than a year older in her class, due to them having deferred.
The automatic right to defer seems to be now used alot to stop the child being the youngest, rather than any real issue about readiness for starting school. So December will become the new cut off point.

My DD is November born and in the French education system, where September intakes follow the calendar year (ie all children start the first year of maternelle in the September of the calendar year they turn 3). If she stays in the French system, she will do her bac aged 17 and a half. I am very keen that she should swap to an English school and "repeat" a year doing so, in order for her to have the advantage of being a November born child and a year older when she takes her high-stakes school leaving exams.

DD started school at 4 years and 1 month. She is top for everything and exceptionally bright.
DS2 is a June baby and is okay academically but young, emotionally.
DS1 is a Spring baby and is mid-top group.

Both my daughters are summer born. The main disadvantages from their point of view seem to be being short and having to wait a long time for their birthday parties to come around. DD1, in particular, is flying high academically. DD2 is a bit young to tell, but is in a literacy group with children two years older than her, so I'm guessing she's doing OK .

I was one of the youngest in my year group in Scotland. I didn't turn 18 until the November of my first term at University. Celebrated my 18th birthday in the bar of my Oxbridge college, and made the barman rather flustered when it dawned on him that I'd been under age for the previous month!

But it's all anecdotal. There doesn't appear to be much doubt that being young in the year can be a big disadvantage, particularly for children that are less academically-minded and less ready to start formal learning.

My DH has 4 A levels at A and 11 GCSEs at A plus a medical degree and now doing PhD. He was born in July.

My DD is an August baby. She's only 3 so not at school yet, but she is very bright & outgoing so I don't think she'll struggle.

My DHs little sister is 15 and is an August birthday & she's one of the smartest kids in her year at school & is seemingly brilliant at everything!

My mum is a June birthday & was put up a year at school so was nearly 2 years younger than some of her classmates, and excelled at everything. She went to Cambridge & read Classics & is very clever.

Think it's all a load of tosh. There are so many other factors to consider!

I was an August baby, was always the youngest in the year group and struggled, but I got there in the end. DS is a Sep baby and seems to be flying.

It's interesting about the sports angle.

When I used to swim, you used to compete by year of birth so those with Autumn birthdays weren't the oldest. I wonder if Autumn born people are still more successful at swimming despite this?