August born DS - could he go down a year?

[lemonbetty]

Okay, so this is my question. Eldest DS is born on 21st August. He's fine with it - keeps up with peer group - but we're sad that had he been born two weeks later he'd be in different school year and have effectively another year of childhood. (I know that's a simplistic way of looking at it!)

If we held him back a year would we run in to trouble with secondary schools? State schools are very strict about age of pupils, aren't they? Are indepndent schools more relaxed?

As your son is keeping up with his peer group it is very unlikely that his school will agree to him repeating a year. Given what you have posted I doubt your son would be happy to be separated from his friends, assuming he is already at school. If he is not at school, your chances of getting the LA and school to agree to him entering Reception a year late are pretty much zero.

If you did succeed in persuading them to allow him to repeat a year you may find that the secondary school returns him to the "correct" year, resulting in him missing Y7 completely. There are no hard and fast rules on this. You would need to check with local secondary schools.

But if he's bright, then he's always going to be "stretched" at school; more so than if he was in the year below!

All authorities will vary on their rules. My ds with Asperger's (Aug bday) repeated reception and has stayed 'down' ever since. But he has a statement of SEN stating that that forms part of his provision. It was done to help him with socialising and learning routines etc, as he only attended reception part-time first time around, rather than for academic reasons.

He has just finished yr 6 and is going to an independent school for yr 7 where they are very happy to have him 'out of year'. However, ALL of our local secondary schools would have also happily taken him out of year (except to pass the 11+ as an older child would have been slightly harder because of the adjustment made for age) stating that in the past it was not the done thing because dc could leave early without any qualifications, messing up their stats, but as they legally have to stay in education til 18 now, that is no longer a worry. I have just given that anecdote for anyone else reading the thread...

Having said that, I can't see that it sounds like there is any reason why your ds would need to go down to the younger year, either academically or socially. I wouldn't worry at all:-)

And if you move him down, DO NOT moan in five years time that he's bored at the top of his year group.

Life has cut off dates
learn to live with them

DS is 25th August.

My DS was born 8 weeks premature and with multiple health problems in late July (due date late September). This meant he was always going to be very young for his year, with the added disadvantage of prematurity etc. When he was due to start school, at 4, he was the size of an average 18-month old, and not reliably dry in the day. So he skipped reception, and I taught him to read and write etc at home. He started in year 1, academically well ahead of his peers, and has never dropped behind.

The one problem has been that he is very immature for his years, and behaviour has been an issue; he behaves more like a child in the year below (even now, at 9). He occasionally gets upset that he is smaller than his classmates, and gets teased about being skinny, but although initially I was thinking along the same lines as you (IE trying to move him down an academic year), I am so glad we didn't.

If you delay start of school- in UK state school, they will go into year 1 at just 5, without the reception experience behind them. Probably not ideal.

It is very difficult in the state system to get a child educated out of year group and if it happens there may be issues eg with secondary transfer and ultimately getting funding for a 19yr old in school when (unless special school) funding is till 18yr.

My summer born has thrived. She was ahead of her peers pretty early on I think (we didn't realise at the time). She had been at a montessori nursery before- don't know it that changed things (she's now 19)

My DS2 was born 3 weeks early and so is August instead of September and is the youngest and smallest in his class.

He is small for his age anyway and my DH really wanted him to repeat a year so he would be the oldest and more average in size.

Academically, however, he is in the top sets for everything (going into yr9 next week) He has also one of the very sporty boys and good at all sports except rugby which he loathes (due to his size??)
(this is NOT stealth boasting)

But my DH thinks he could feel more confident within himself if he was the oldest and of more average height in his year group. Certainly, despite the fact that he is a high achiever my DS2 has low confidence and was bullied last year by a clique of boys in his class.

We have even discussed moving to Australia or France where the children start a year later anyway and in Australia the years run from January I think so he would be in the middle age-wise.

This concern of my DH stems from a book he read, Outliers by Malcom Gladwell, its all about how significant your birthday is in terms of how successful you are as a sportsman.

If you read this you will definitely want to move your DS down a year!

however, from my DH's investigations into this, you will not be able to do this here in England, regardless of whether he goes to state or independent.

My ds born 15th Aug so I understand what you feel but honestly don't worry. It all works out in the end and to quote my ds someone has to be the youngest.

He is about to start yr7, so again he looks young going to secondary school - sob - but he had healthy sats, is confident, happy and gets on with his peers and those in the year below.

Don't tamper is my advice.

I work in an independent school and we allow some children with August birthdays to repeat a year and then move up with that new year group, we woudn't do it though if the child was coping fine with the original year group, but if they are near the bottom of the pile without significant SEN issues to explain this then it can be worthwhile. We have 2 children this year repeating Yr 5, one who was with us this year and one who is moving from a state school.

I was at independent school and I got moved up a year.
I would never put another sentient being through the disruption it caused me.