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.....

It's already crazy enough that the UK is starting school for kids at age 4, despite all the evidence saying there's zero benefit of this....keep her in nursery until she's 5 and ready to start reception.

Research shows kids on average do better being older - kids on the younger side are diagnosed with learning difficulties at higher rates than their peers, likely because they are exhibiting age appropriate behavior in the wrong classroom.

My DC is really bright but socially not a year ahead and has a similar birthday - not UK so options are different but we are looking at private schools for gifted kids. But she is bright enough to be noticeably different than her peers and it has already led to some issues at preschool and preK (5 years old). We had the same concerns though, being really bright, AND the oldest doesn't feel like a good combo.

I was one of the late in the year babies. I noticed it the most when in high school, tbh. Especially the later years, but also in primary school too. I didn't have my birthday until the last couple of weeks of the school year and missed so much. Everyone else in my year was allowed age related activities earlier, had milestone parties, driver's licenses, some could go out to pubs etc. I was always let behind and often left out and ignored.

My youngest was born three months from the cutoff and I can still see the effects on her confidence and maturity compared to her peers. DS does brilliantly because he had an early in the academic year birthday and was much more mature.

my Ds is a summer 2020 baby. Luckily we live overseas so he won’t start school until he’s 6. So September 2026. I cannot imagine sending him to school at just 4 to be honest, it seems crazily early.
Yes I would have been just 4 when I went to school years ago in uk, but now I agree so much more than education should be playbased until much later.

You may well find that the admissions team reject your application when they review it. Just because the system didn’t auto-reject it, doesn’t mean you’ll get offered a place.

Especially if (and I’m going to guess this is the case) you’ve also applied for popular, oversubscribed schools. It wouldn’t be fair to give a place to a too young child over a child of the right age.

Even if you do get a reception place, it doesn’t mean the secondary school transfer application will also be allowed. She may just have to repeat Y6 because she doesn’t meet the age criteria to apply for a space. Again, it actually wouldn’t be fair to deny a child of the right age a space so a child who isn’t eligible can have one.

If you really believe your DD is so special that the rules don’t apply to her, then you’d be better off talking to private schools. But many of them will tell you she should be in nursery anyway.

She will be more advantaged as the eldest and less likely to fall behind. But potentially from a financial perspective you may benefit from her starting earlier.

My son was a mid-August baby, so very young in his year. I think it was quite tough for him and may have contributed to the anxiety and poor self-esteem that characterised him through his childhood. Intellectually he was fine, but that is such a small part of primary school life. Things like fine motor skills (writing, putting his own coat on, etc), self-organisation and social skills were challenging for him.
He was actually three weeks premature and I sometimes wonder how things might (or might not) have been different for him if he had been born at full term.

This is a good suggestion!

Mine is an early September birthday and she did a year at a nursery and then another year at the school pre-school before starting reception. They share a playground with reception so she plays with a range of children, and the staff in the pre-school have the experience to cater for her.

My dd was born in august. I feel so guilty. She had no clue what was happening poor thing.

I think your dc would just be the eldest in the class the year after. Admissions have a cut off date and don’t think they make exceptions.

My daughter is the youngest in her year (late August birthday). We are very lucky that she is tall and bright and it doesn't seem to be an issue for her but I do not understand why you would make her the youngest in the year. It is one of my greatest regrets I didn't refuse an induction.

Why do you want her to go in early?

There's a cut off date because there has to be one somewhere!

She'll be like all the other September birthday children starting - why change that to her being an August birthday starter?

There's literally no benefit. They'll all learn to read and write etc in school whatever age they are.

Don’t send her now, wait until she is 5 and she should start reception then. Being the oldest in the year will give her a big advantage right through to GCSEs and A levels.

Just send her with her cohort

I'm in Scotland where we can defer quite easily. And lots do so their child is 5 when they start school. I did as my daughter was born the last day of the cut off (different date to England but would be equivalent of 31 Aug). No one ever tries for their child to be the youngest in the class. I'm confused by this post - are you wanting your child to be the youngest?

The council have allowed me to apply for her to start reception in sept.

What do you actually mean by this, @Sunburymum ?

1. the online computer system let you fill in the form?
2. You have written permission from someone at the council that it’s ok for her to go a year early?

Let her start next year. Being the oldest in the year is much better.
An extra year of nursery bills is a pain though. (Been there, done that).

I wouldn't send her. I have a late August child who has been academically fine but friendships has been harder. They've just been left behind emotionally and developmentally at times. The gap has narrowed with age but having a whole year between you and some of your friends when you're say 7, is big.

My son is 28th sept and I like this as I got to keep him home an extra year but he wouldn't have been ready last year emotionally, and neither was I.

About the only disadvantage to being the oldest in the year is not being able to troop off to the pub with all he school friends to celebrate her 18th birthday.

You may not consider this a disadvantage.

DD1 spent most of her primary years as the youngest in the year. At parents evenings and in reports we were always told she was a little slow in her work, a little immature etc. Definitely in the bottom half of her year but doing okay.

We changed country and DD1 became the oldest in her year. At parents evening we were told she was doing really well, pretty much at the top of the year, quick, mature etc.

I read a study a while back which suggested that the disadvantages of being the youngest dont unwind academically until about 15. Even then there can be some social disadvantages: being the last to be able to start learning to drive, not being able to go to the pub, being the 'baby' in the year.

Former teacher here... personal view based on years of experience is that I firmly believe no child should be starting school at just turned four. If I had my way the cut off would be 31st May. OP in your situation I would wait until Sept 2025. To be honest I've never come across a child turning 4 on 1st Sept being allowed to start primary on that date.

My son has a September 1st birthday.
He went to a pre school nursery and started reception aged 5.
He was supposed to be born in August but came two weeks late, everybody joked about how clever he was to have hung on so he was the oldest instead of the youngest.

He's the oldest child in his school now but quite a few of his friends also have September and autumn birthdays so there were plenty of children who turned 5 early on.

We were just talking a few days ago about what a big advantage it will be later on in high school when he and his November born sister will be able to get their driving licences and go out socialising nearly a year before some of their friends.

It's a small town and I work in the local Spoons so I'll know if any younger ones try to sneak in 😂

I’m September 2nd and my little girl is September 5th, so so pleased as she will get an extra year in pre-school. Why rush trying to send her to school?

Your DD is very lucky!! She gets an extra year of preschool! Why try and make her go early?

Applying this September (2024) means an acceptance date in January 2025 and start date September 2025. She’ll be 5 when she starts and the eldest in her year.