Any negatives to deferred school start?

[1golfterrace]

Thinking ahead really as dd2 is only 9 months, but a mid Aug born baby.

Dd1 is at an independent school and I'm aware that previously they have been happy for summer born children to start reception a year later.

My current thoughts are that if it is easy to get it agreed that dd2 can start reception aged 5 that will benefit her and I cant see any negatives. Or is there something I'm missing?

All the same ones that being the oldest in the year already can have, the same as for some being the youngest have, e.g.

Being more advanced but not more able than the average can be demotivating for some as they go from "the best" to "average" simply as maturity catches up with others. Both in academic and physical arenas.

Peers who are always babies, or have less experience and freedoms than you, that lead you to having less in common.

Depends on personality. My early August girl is quite pushy even if the smallest in a group so I am not considering deferring her. If she were less self assured I would consider it more but think that she would be better off with older children - keeping it under review though as it's scary to think that she's due to start school in just over 2 years!

Thanks. Hadn't really thought of the negatives of being the oldest in the year, only the benefits of not being the youngest. Typical me.

Hoping though that if she is in that year group from nursery, dd2 will never really see the difference between herself and peers. Some may be as little as 2 weeks younger.

Yes random, will definitely need to keep it under review, see what she's like at about two and a half maybe.

Usual things of playing out of year for sport etc
If you're in the independent sector, unless you're in a 3-18 school, you won't know whether the future senior school will make your child sit the entrance exam with their correct cohort or the cohort you have chosen.

What wrinkles said. I wouldn't agree to this until I knew the likely secondaries would be likely to take a similarly relaxed view to being out of year.
If it's a through school to 18 and you like it enough, maybe that matters less (although sports could still be an issue).

Thanks wrinkles. Is that usually a problem - playing out of year for sport?

Not a 3-18 school so would be doing entrance exams further down the line. I kind of assumed that as several children have been allowed to start reception at 5 that it's not considered an issue. But definitely something I will need to check.

I don't know about independent schools but I've been worrying about this for my DS who is a July baby. However, he is in nursery and doing really well there and off to preschool in September. My thinking is to put him in and talk to the school- a lot. If it's too much for him I'll maybe organise half days but as reception is mostly playing- and he already does that at nursery- he should be ok. DC might get to 3.5 and be desperate to start school, you never know! Do independent schools do a January intake?

Thanks wrinkles. Is that usually a problem - playing out of year for sport?

Not a 3-18 school so would be doing entrance exams further down the line. I kind of assumed that as several children have been allowed to start reception at 5 that it's not considered an issue. But definitely something I will need to check.

Yes! You can't be on the under 9 hockey team if you are already 9, so you have to play with the year above who may have their sports sessions in a different slot in the timetable as you so you can't practise with them & miss out on the team.

I have an August born boy and he was the youngest and highest achieving in Reception. He's bright but socially a bit behind so struggling to keep up with some things - he's very disorganised and struggles to keep track of his stuff.

At 9months I was starting to see signs of what type of child he would be but could only really tell in nursery, aged 3, how he would manage in a more formal setting.

Sorry about double post - no idea how that happened 🙄

Yes, I see about sports team now - but surely will be in the same boat as children born early September?

I though at state school.they just miss reception out if they were deferred. So they are entering a class of ready made friends.

Likely would have to pay for winter term fees even if she started in the January to secure the place, otherwise they could just give it to someone else.

It's not so much about whether dd2 would struggle if started reception at just turned 4. She might cope fine.

Its more that if there is the opportunity for her to start a year later with little consequence for her that I should take that opportunity.

Twitching I think state schools have to consider on a case by case basis whether can defer, and start in reception a year later.

In this case it is entirely the schools decision.

For sports, it is usually age on 1st September.

So U9 is under 9 on 1st September - which although it might not matter at a lower level, when it is more likely to be described as e.g. 'Year 3', not by age, would matter for other competitions such as county type ones, and as they get older.

The other thing you REALLY have to think about is transfer to secondary. To avoid children taking competitive entrance exams a year later to gain advantage, most require them to be done once, and one only, at the correct age (a few allow early, but not late). Equally any transfer to the state sector, either selective or non-selective, might well require a return to her correct year group.

I would definitely get assurance from all prospective secondary schools that they would honour an 'out of year' child's application in the 'wrong' year, and what their recommendations for entrance exams would be, before even considering it.

Thanks cant. Definitely given me things to think about.

Would she get bored "waiting" for school, especially as a second child? They tend to develop more quickly. DC2 (winter born) is definitely ready for school in September having seen his older brother going for 3 years.

DC1 is a late August baby and struggled academically in reception. Definitely didn't "get it" until after Easter and more properly yr 1. Council here would not let me defer and start in reception. He has caught up and is doing well. Definitely top third in his class.

It's too early to say what type of personality your daughter will have but great you have the option with private school if you need.

We gave a lot of thought about being out of the usual year group as DD's school in Y2 suggested she move up. But as DD was a Feb born the difference could potentially be 18 months. For us we kept her in her Year group for the following reasons: emotional maturity similarities with her cohort; issues with physical differences and puberty; taking tests at GCSE seemed very difficult out of the age group; whilst at a particular level at the point in consideration would this even out more in time. Does the school you are considering have a pre-reception on half days (seems to be getting more common in the independents near us) or similar that can ease in the experience?

Will the secondary schools be happy for her to join a year later? If there are entrance exams how would that be managed eg 11+,13+
I don't think you can do 11+ age 12 for example

I think Mil has her suspicions about the financial issues.

DD birthday is very end of July so she had only been 4 for 6 weeks when she started Reception ... and she bloody loved it!

She thrived, has always loved school and is now doing great academically and socially.

One of my DD's friends birthday is 30 Aug and again she's doing great and not behind in any way.

Don't discount your DD2 now... many summer born babies do great starting as normal... wait and see how she is and then decide when it comes time to apply. Having an older sibling will possibly means she benefits from that and is more than ready when the time comes.

At the other end of the system. She could technically leave school the year she turns 16 without taking any exams? Thinking turbulent teenage years!

Sports teams are based on a 1 Sept-31 August year group so it can be a problem for anything other than friendly matches between schools - children out of year will often have to be left out of tournaments or play with the year above.

It's definitely an issue for independent secondary schools to have children out of year, as when it comes to league table submissions they have to put the child out if year in as a zero (i.e. they have to include them as a year 11 pupil not getting any GCSEs even if the reason is that they are in year 10 out of year). I know one school which took a girl out of year and had to do a lot of publicity about the reason for the oddity in their results in the year above her.