Daughter born 1 day over school deadline for admissions

[Sunburymum]

My daughter is 3 and a bit years old, born 1 sept 2020. The council have allowed me to apply for her to start reception in sept. Not sure if they will accept but if they do I'm a bit stuck what to do. She's very bright and confident,her speech is advanced as well as her writing and numbers.She is currently in nursery in age group 3-5 so varying abilities meaning she's not always being stimulated as lots of kids are younger or different ability. We feel reception would benefit her. If she doesn't go this year does she start reception when she's 5 and year 1 when she 6 or does she jump straight to year 1 as she'll be 5 on 1st sept 2025. Also some.parents are telling me not to send her to reception this year and have her another year at home as I'll be sending her to college and uni a year earlier?very confused.....

Being the oldest is far better for her than being the youngest and it does make a difference all the way through Primary.

DD is a September birthday, she was walking and communicating/signing before some of her year group were even born. Throughout Primary she was better a sport, learnt to tie her shoe laces early etc as her fine and gross motor skills were more developed due to her age, same with cutting with scissors and holding a pen and writing at length.

She did 5 terms of (school) Nursery, is this what you mean instead of actually starting Reception.

My son’s birthday is very early September. Everyone said when he was born that it was great to be the oldest in the class and so far it’s been great. He’s Year 2 now. The hardest thing so far has been working out who to invite to his party when they mixed up the classes between Reception and Year 1 so he didn’t know some kids in his new class!

Every year Mumsnet is chock full of people really worried about having to send their summer born kids to school when they are only 4, looking for advice on how to defer. You’re crazy to rush it. I do admit that the last 6 months before he started he was more than ready for school but his nursery were great at keeping him stimulated. And if you use a private rather than school nursery don’t underestimate the value of that last summer without long holidays to deal with!

You might think she's ready now but think about the other end of her school career - heading off to uni as the very youngest in her cohort...

My DD is early Oct baby, already in a school nursery but won't start Reception this Sept, has an extra year to wait so will be one of the oldest. She's bringing reading books home (self led and school supports this) so it's a weird thought she has another year to wait.

Meanwhile my eldest is an end of July baby and went straight into Reception when compared to her peers (small school, she's one of 7 in her class all were born before April) she's a lot younger. She is however, thriving, above expected in all areas so that's good.

It's luck of the draw, our system doesn't work for any child either end of the close off date, either too old or too young - my eldest will always be the youngest in her year, but she works so hard. My second will be the oldest (at current anyway), but I guess it will benefit her.

Just go with it OP, if you think DC is more than ready, all I can suggest is a school based nursery, totally different to other private nurseries (and cheaper!)

I do know someone who got their 1 Sep child into the year above as she was more than ready so you can try. I have an early September born and its definitely been an advantage for him to be the oldest in the class. It's given him a lot more confidence than I think he would otherwise have had. He also tends to get picked for school sports teams too as he has the advantage of being bigger and stronger than others.

I do also have a summer child who struggles with being the littlest in his peer group even though he's fine academically!

Dtds are 30 August and are doing fine but if they were 1 sept no way would I have fought for them to be the youngest. They will be the last of the year to learn to drive/get served in a pub and will be celebrating their A levels with a Pepsi max (okay, probably not).

My cohort of baby friends span years 8 and 9 nowadays. Some August and some September/ October babies. I was glad my dc was the eldest in the year rather than youngest. Its been an academic and sporting advantage.

This is odd. She hadn’t missed the deadline, she just falls into the following years cohort of reception kids. I really don’t understand why you would want to send her early.

My daughter has a late July birthday and is one of the youngest in her class. She was 4 years and 2 months when she started reception class. She has not struggled at all and is infact working at above her year average. Being the youngest child at home also is probably a contributing factor (attempting to do her older siblings etc)

*attempting to do her older siblings activities

Just let her be the oldest in her year. Make sure you have lots of stories at home and she has plenty of chances to play. Life isn't a race.

(And I say that as someone who was a very bright child and has a v bright child!)

I have 2 DC, one late August birthday and one early autumn birthday. They are now Y11 and Y13. Trust me on this, the older a child is in their year group the better they do. I didn't have the option to defer school for a year for my August born child but I wish I had. They are now Y13 and it's been a constant battle. Even now the Y13 leavers do is being held in a venue for 18+ only. My child can't go. Just wait.

What everyone else said. Be in no hurry.

I have one with an early Sept birthday.
I know it hurts that you have an extra year's childcare (although a lot less now, with funded places, than when mine were little) but honestly, it makes life that much easier for them being the oldest in the year, rather than the youngest.

Most parents would celebrate the fact they managed to slide into September rather than their child being the youngest in the year.

I thought the rules regarding date of birth and eligibility for school admission were absolutely non-negotiable?

Literally just turned four is very little and reception is a lot to handle for new starters. I recommend seriously considering waiting til next year.

Keep her in nursery for another year.That year will be an advantage to her when she goes to secondary school..Some children come to us very young and often they don't cope well with school life.

0-7 years should all be play based according to experts so personally I’d leave her in nursery.

much better off being the eldest in the class then the youngest. It’s a massive advantage is so many ways - physically, emotionally, academically, confidence wise. There will be other children who are equally as bright in her year group

Absolutely better for her to start at 5. There’s a whole reason summer born guidance is a thing to give children the chance to delay reception and start when they are 5. Statistics show outcomes and results for September borns are higher than their summer born peers. You will be deliberately putting her on the back foot by having her start at 4 and 1 day.
As others have said, it’s not about academic ability but all of the other skills needed.

In Scotland, the end of February is used to determine the school year children will go into, with children starting school in August aged between 4 and a half &
5 and a half.
Those with January and February birthdays, and sometimes October-December birthdays, can defer starting to the following year.
In my experience, the vast majority of those with January or February birthdays defer. This is what my teacher friends recommend too, remembering it's not just about their capabilities when they start school, but their journey through school and into to adulthood.

Always better to be the oldest than the youngest. It’s such a shock even if she’s a genius school is such a shock socially and emotionally.

It’s not about her being academically bright and ready, it’s more her social and emotional skills. Personally I would keep her where she is, she would be better to be one of the oldest rather than one of the youngest.

Goodness, why aren’t you thanking your lucky stars that she’s September born!? I’ve no idea why you’d ever conceive of sending her early and missing a whole year of her early years development.

Look at all the evidence around being summer born/youngest in the class- the outcomes/risks are really poor and follow a child throughout their education, the disadvantage is real.

People fight so hard to ensure their summer born doesn’t face these issues by delaying their start so would find your decision to force this on your child out of choice really mind boggling.

The only way I’d even be considering this is if my child was so exceptionally gifted - Ie can she read fluently already? But Is she very socially and emotionally skilled because that side of things is arguably even more important for navigating school and a skill one benefits from developing over time. Even then, I’m not sure why you’d take the advantage away from her and risk knocking her confidence ?

My 2 year old is super bright and ‘school ready’ now based on the fact she can dress/eat independently, write her name, is sociable and confident etc. She truly seems on a level with some of the (younger) kids reception but would I send her to school now!? Of course I wouldn’t!

as a September born Who did very well at school I was put up a year a couple of times at primary as I was performing far ahead of my year group (but also ahead of the year above too) and yet socially I was miserable and was desperate to be returned to my cohort.

Id do a bit more reading about the impact of starting school at just turned 4 if I were you and see if you can find any evidence to suggest it’s in her interests (I have researched this area extensively and the evidence is overwhelmingly in favour of starting as late as possible, the U.K. starts children at school much much younger than most other countries and this is for funding / economic reasons and not because of what would be in children’s best interests )

My DC2 is the oldest in her year, and My DC1 is one of the youngest, it's a massive advantage to be the oldest, you would be crazy to forfeit that advantage. The advantage lasts for years.