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.....

We knew someone who fought tooth and nail for their 1st Sept child to join reception early. They did.
A couple of years later they moved house and the child had to redo a year in the new area.

Why would you do that? She'll be the youngest by almost a year in some cases. I have a may 2020 boy and feel sad about him starting school next year and feel it's a bit young. He's very bright too and in full time childcare already.

My boy is 2nd of September and we are prepared for him to be starting when he's 5! But he's only 2 with a speech delay so different situation and I think it will be a really good thing for him.

Some schools mix their preschool with reception which is best practice, and great for kids like yours who are "ready" but not school age! I suggest looking for an option like this for her

I didn't think this would be allowed. There has to be a cut off somewhere and it's 31st Aug. Frustrating for those who just missed it sure but if it was a month later you'd have those born 1st Oct impacted and that could go on forever.

Even if somehow this Primary school agreed there's every chance she'll have to do two years in year 6 so she starts secondary in the correct cohort. That would be pretty devastating, her watching all her friends leaving. It's not something I'd risk.

Even if they said to you now she could go into Y7 with her class, I wouldn't risk putting trust in this. Anything could change over the 7 years of Primary.

I should have been Sept born but came late in Oct.

My sister should have been Sept born but came early at end Aug.

School was definitely easier for me.

DD should have been Sept born but came late in Oct. She was the last in our NCT group so most of the other babies are in the school year above. DD definitely has it easier.

Two parents deliberately aimed to have their seconds in July/August to save a year of childcare fees. 😬

My daughter is September 3rd, she started school on her 5th birthday and was the oldest in the year.
By the end of year 6, she was desperate to leave primary school as it was so 'young' for her and she wished she had moved to senior school the year before.
Although everyone will say being the oldest is best for the child my daughter didn't feel like that x

You can't start them early, only delay the start. My DC is September born, oldest in the year group. It has been fine. She was a little bored at pre-school in the last year but there were plenty others of her age still there.

My dd is the youngest in her class and while she hasn’t struggled if she had a 1st sept birthday I wouldn’t have fought to make her the youngest. Far better to be the oldest in the year than the youngest

This. In a very similar position.

I help out at school regularly. You can tell the youngest kids in every class. They struggle much more emotionally and with life skills.

It's not all about academics.

I wouldn't dream of doing this. DS is really bright and fairly mature. He has a lot of friends in the year above. But no way if I had the choice. It's setting your daughter up to have a lot more difficultly than she needs. Give her every advantage you possibly can in life.

This isn't one.

DS's birthday is in the first week of September. He's 15 now (Y10). He was a little bit fed up in his last year at nursery because some of his friends had moved on to reception. Apart from that, being old in his year group has always been positive for him. He's never vaguely struggled with anything. Obviously, this is just my experience based on 1 child. He might just be super bright but I don't think so.

I was born 3rd Sept and initially started at 5 but they put me up a year at 6 for the duration of primary. I eventually did two year sixes before going to grammar. Didn't do me any harm. If she's mature enough see if they'll do it.

Mature enough? Most 4 year olds are still giant babies even the smart ones. I wouldn't send a child to school earlier than needed. What's the point.

Please don't do this. My second is an end of August baby and although I've been lucky and they've settled fine in school, I've found it hard sending him off at literally just 4.

Please read up on the disadvantages summer borns do have at school - yes, there are lots here who say "I was born in August and I did fine", well yes but the plural of anecdote is not evidence, plus we all know expectations in education have changed MASSIVELY since the 80s/90s. Children are expected to learn more, sooner. If you try to send her earlier, you are putting her at a disadvantage.

My youngest is also a 1st September birthday. Being the eldest in the year is one of the best advantages possible from an educational POV, albeit an unfair one in no one's control.... leave her to her right year group.

I wouldn't do it. I know I wouldn't have liked to be the oldest in class, and I see in my son's class it causes at least as many problems as being youngest (in fact the younger ones seem happier, whereas the oldest ones look too old and get bored with many of their classmates). However she would definitely be the youngest if you move her up, and as you say it might cause problems down the line with secondary school and university.

Also enough people defer now that there may well be older children - the oldest ones in my son's class have July birthdays.

But yes, that last year of nursery will be challenging. My son's birthday is before Christmas and it became obvious from the September before he started school that he was ready to move on.

They let me do a paper application as the online application wont allow anyone out of range to apply

It is generally thought by a lot of people that August born children are at a disadvantage when the time comes to go to Uni. I agree with this view. I would let her start the following September when she is five.

So hey must also have told you what their policy was as to how such applications are treated - ie what criteria they will consider, whether it is 100% at the local authority’s discretion.

The other way to think of it is she has fortunately and narrowly squeaked into the olesr in the class bracket. Relief!

I'm not in England we get a choice 4 or 5 in Ireland. My DS is July and I won't send him until he is 5 and 1 month.

I think let them wait the year. They missed the cut off and will probably be better off for it.

I would start her in Reception in her correct year, in September 2025. Better to be older than younger, and just easier to be in the correct group.

If her current set up isn't challenging her, then I'd look for somewhere with a more dedicated pre-school set up. Also, if you feel she's coming to the end of her natural time there, then a new setting would keep things interesting for her.

It depends on how far ahead you think she is and whether you have confidence at the school would provide appropriate work for her. Mine are both very young in their years. My youngest right at the end of August. Both confident readers in nursery (older one ND and just learnt on her own at 2, taught the younger as she wanted to learn). They were both extremely under challenged and bored at their mediocre teach to SATs primary school. I can only imagine how awful it would have been if they had been old in their years. Younger never had any social issues, just a bit small for uniform. Thought she was quite tired after school in reception. Older one struggled socially, but this was undiagnosed autism/adhd and schools poor response to bullying rather than age. Both now at SS grammar school and doing well academically. Not top of everything but above average in all subjects. They might have had slightly better results if they had been the oldest, but they would have been painfully bored in primary and might have checked out.

If you feel she’s more than capable of being comfortable doing the work, and would be ok socially I’d see if it’s possible.

I have 2 dds. One is born in July, so was pretty much the youngest in her year group at primary. The other was born on 2nd Sept, so almost the oldest in her year group. To be honest, I don't think either extreme is ideal but has been immeasurably easier for the one born on 2nd Sept by almost every metric.

I would keep your DD in the year group they should be in and not try to send them to school a year early.

I definitely wouldn't. She's got a natural advantage there being the oldest in her cohort. If you put her in a year early she's then the very youngest. Could have implications socially as well as for sports and academics.

I have a DD who is a beginning of September 2020 baby. Some would also probably consider her advanced (knows letters and sounds, writes part of her name, beginning to understand addition). I consider her a curious child who learns what interests her. I've never pushed it.

Her friends who are 1 and 2 weeks older will be going to school in September and I have no doubt she'd academically be fine doing so. Emotionally though, i'm not so sure. I'd never dream of pushing for early admission.

I've never understood the british rush to school. It used to be nearer 5 and now seems to be pushed to 4. You need to consider more than just academic learning. Also consider her future. GCSE years, university years. Whats the rush? i realise that my DD will be 17 and 18 before her peers at school. She'll potentially be the one buying the drinks and driving them all around while they wait to age. No issue with that.

I get that some children may tire and be somewhat limited by nursery by the end as they near 5. But we balance learning at nursery with home. It's my responsibility as a parent to also support her learning. Museums, activities, reading etc. We also have a great nursery generally, who have a QTS in their preschool room and they support and encourage her love of learning. If you find nursery is limiting her look at local preschools or even private preschools. Or just accept 3-4 is not an age to worry about academia!

I do get your concern. I am also a September born and got incredibly bored at school by 8. But as a parent if this happens for my DD i'll look at how to encourage learning outside school. Tutors, extra criculars, family learning, flexi or homeschooling are all options. But i'll deal with that if and when it happens. I'd rather that than a child who's academically and emotionally struggling and i caused it by pushing her too early. Embrace the play at 4.