really worried...

[alexsmum]

ds1 camae home from school yesterday with a note saying that anyone with children born between..(can't remember) and 31st august2003 have to collect their application forms from school for them to start next year.
now ds2 is an august 2003 birthday.
he is incredibly young. as i speak he is pottering around naked, he has a little toddler tummy, he likes his dummy at bedtime.he's just learning to use the loo.he's my baby in other words.i can't believe i'm expected to let him start full time school in 12 months.
they don't do any breaking them in gently-it's a full day right from the off and no january intake.and much as you can say reception is all play, i know ds1 had homework every week and was really pushed.
have previously spoken to head teacher about this and she said that while it's not encouraged, it's my choice if i want to keep him back a year.this is what i want to do.but a discussion on here the other day, said he would have to go straight into year 1. i can't do that to him.
i am so worried about this and what to do.
i just wish he'd been born 2 weeks later and then i wouldn't even have to think about it, and isn't that ridiculous?

night night-and as a ps.ds1 absolutely LOVES school!

Hi alexmum. I'm glad the meeting with the Head went well. It sounds as though there is more flexibility than you first thought.

One thing to just check with her in November is that if your ds starts a year later and goes into Reception rather than Year 1, at what point will he return to his correct year group?

Many secondary schools refuse to accept children into the wrong year group, so children then miss out a year group, going straight into Year 8, rather than Year 7.

As an ex-reception teacher, I think that if you have an option to send your ds part time until you feel he is ready, but keep him with his correct year group, then I would suggest that this could be a good option.

I'm surprised that they don't have a flexible intake policy for all children, regardless of age. All the schools I've ever worked in have always had part-time starts, sometimes up until Christmas (and in one case, Easter) dependant on the individual needs of the child.