Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Education

Join the discussion on our Education forum.

Original poster

Starting school ‘early’ September born

72 replies

Trying81 · 08/06/2025 13:09

Our council cutoff for school age children is 31st August and our DD was born 2 September 2022

So our understanding is she’ll be starting primary school in September 2027 when she’ll have just turned 5

I assume she’ll go into reception as usual at this point, and likely be the oldest in the class.

Does anyone know if we can choose to enrol her sooner? I feel like she’s going to be bored if she joins at that point as she’ll likely be ahead of the other kids educationally.

I believe she could go straight into Y1 - but then she’s joining an established friendship group who already know each other from reception class. The school is only small and class sizes are 22.

Is there anything I’ve not considered in this? First time mum so not gone through this before - thanks

OP posts:
ncforschoolhelp · 08/06/2025 20:34

How will she be ahead of the others "educationally" if she hasn't had any education??

TheGutsyOP · 08/06/2025 20:37

State school in England won't allow it. If for no other reason than insurance. Also there are loads of threads on here about parents wanting to keep their summer born children back a year so they will be the oldest in the class. You would be disadantaging your child in the long run.

arlequin · 08/06/2025 20:40

You’ll be losing a whole year of having your child at home with you. Don’t do it!

trying29 · 08/06/2025 20:40

I was a year ahead all the way through school, and I can’t say I suffered in any way for it.
on the other hand I have a September born who is the oldest in his year and genuinely wasn’t ready for full time school until he was 5. You can’t make a blanket judgment on children starting a year ahead of themselves. I started in a private school and moved to a state school and I know my parents had to fight a lot to allow me to be kept in that year and not be moved down

Fourteenandahalf · 08/06/2025 20:41

She certainly won't be bored in reception. You might find she is bored of nursery , because she will be there essentially an extra year. My dd is also older and she was sick of nursery and very ready to start school - where she has thrived.
She can't start earlier.

Philandbill · 08/06/2025 20:42

legoplaybook · 08/06/2025 13:32

Being the oldest in the class is an educational advantage that persists up to A Levels - not even just educational, but will give her an advantage in sports as well, and she will be more likely to be picked for roles in school plays.

Why on earth would you choose to disadvantage her by making her the youngest in the class?

This. Lots of research about this subject.

Moriquendi · 08/06/2025 20:45

It’s very funny reading the comments on this thread compared to a thread about deferring summer borns! On those thread is all “they will be so bored/ it all evens out by Year 3/ my August born is the top of her reception class and getting an A* in GCSE maths next year” etc.

On this thread, about a child who may only be 2 days older than a child in the year above it’s the opposite!

I agree, you would be mad to put her at a statistical disadvantage OP. September borns do better through school, including in GCSEs and A-level. But having read some threads on here about deferred entry I can understand why you are questioning that!

FabuIous · 08/06/2025 20:48

Try not to let her get too ahead of her peers with reading, writing and maths. You can stretch her using music, art, topics etc.

Willyoushutthefrontdoor · 08/06/2025 20:49

My husbands bd is 1st September! I'm an October baby.
As a mum of 3... 1st born end of July, 2nd born mid September, 3rd born early August, I saw both scenarios of oldest and youngest in an intake. We did not think to defer youngest ones or try earlier for eldest tbh as the cut off is the cut off where i am. They all did really well joining into school nursery age 3 on half days before reception age 4 without any issues but i did note the September daughter was overly ready for it compared to the other 2 and they gave her full days quite early on whereas the other 2 waited til after the christmas break. She was given 15hrs council funded per week in a private nursery from age 3 until the school nursery intake. My youngest has 2 exams left of A levels so theyre all grown now. Academically they all did really well. Id say the july baby is academically the brightest tbh, But the youngest (August baby) is the only one who has chose uni in her pathway. All very bright ... but all quite different

FlutteryButterfly · 08/06/2025 20:54

It's not you're councils cutoff@Trying81! It's definitely Englands age grouping. The oldest are born September and the youngest August. There has to be an oldest and youngest in each year.

Fordian · 08/06/2025 20:57

You’ve won the school intake lottery- Sept born child. Don’t scupper it.

Ninkynonkpinkyponks · 08/06/2025 20:59

I have an early sept DC and looked into this too OP. It doesn’t happen in England for a bunch of reasons so no point thinking about it more, it’s not an option

lachance · 08/06/2025 21:03

Socially she will be at a disadvantage for her year when she’s older if you make her go up a year. Last to learn to drive, last to get into pubs with her friends, smallest in sport etc.

spoonbillstretford · 08/06/2025 21:08

2nd September is my birthday too. I saw an educational psychologist while I was at nursery school to see if I could start a year early. Academically I was ahead but socially they thought it was better if I stayed with my cohort and did another year at nursery. TBH I found other kids mostly just annoying and wasn't really interested in friendships until I was well into the juniors, but I think that was more to do with being an only child than being the oldest in the class.

Gloschick · 08/06/2025 21:11

I know someone with an autumn born child who sent their child to private school for the year before starting reception. You can use child care vouchers for private school before they turn 5 so it wasn't more expensive. It worked for their child as they had outgrown nursery, and private schools start at 3, so it is more like school.

Tooteefrootee · 08/06/2025 21:18

Don't go wishing things away. DD is also a very early Sept child and it can be a HUGE advantage in terms of maturity and readiness.

Yes, you will have a year of being bored at nursery/preschool, but don't wish that advantage away.

CarpetKnees · 08/06/2025 22:26

tinyshoulders · 08/06/2025 13:17

I feel like she’s going to be bored if she joins at that point as she’ll likely be ahead of the other kids educationally.

It really is not possible to calculate the likelihood of that about your two year old. In any case, someone has to be the oldest, plus being older for the year is an advantage in pretty much everything except your childcare expenses anyway.

This ^

Genevra · 08/06/2025 22:57

School should differentiate to make sure your child isn't bored or under-stretched. My DD is October born and it's a huge advantage being one of the older ones, she has coped so well with the transition to school. For areas where she excels academically (like phonics) she goes into Y1 for those lessons as she flew through all the Reception work, but she still gets the huge benefit of all the fun and play and exploration in the EYFS curriculum, KS1 is much more rigid.
Reception is such an important year, there is so much to learn in terms of school routines and rules and acceptable classroom behaviour. Even if it was possible to miss it, I can't see how it would be advisable.

2025ismybestyear · 08/06/2025 23:00

Reception is an important year. My daughter started school aged four years and three weeks, youngest in class but brightest in class. Age isn't everything. Read up fast otherwise you're going to be insufferable.

Original poster
Trying81 · 15/06/2025 08:23

Thanks everyone - sorry for late reply, I didn’t get notifications anyone had responded

It’s more that I think the extra year with a childminder she’ll be bored with than anything. I’ll try to get a place at the preschool but they tend to be oversubscribed so it may not be possible.

I work, so I won’t be losing a year of her being home with me.

I could use the extra year to plan some more trips in before we’re stuck with expensive school holiday prices I guess

OP posts:
Original poster
Trying81 · 15/06/2025 08:24

2025ismybestyear · 08/06/2025 23:00

Reception is an important year. My daughter started school aged four years and three weeks, youngest in class but brightest in class. Age isn't everything. Read up fast otherwise you're going to be insufferable.

I think you may be projecting but thanks for your view

OP posts:
Original poster
Trying81 · 15/06/2025 08:28

spoonbillstretford · 08/06/2025 21:08

2nd September is my birthday too. I saw an educational psychologist while I was at nursery school to see if I could start a year early. Academically I was ahead but socially they thought it was better if I stayed with my cohort and did another year at nursery. TBH I found other kids mostly just annoying and wasn't really interested in friendships until I was well into the juniors, but I think that was more to do with being an only child than being the oldest in the class.

Edited

That’s interesting to read thanks.

I think my worry is the boredom she may have at nursery / school if she is ahead due to age.

I don’t think she’s exceptionally bright, but almost a year extra learning (primarily through play) than other children is a lot.

OP posts:
arlequin · 15/06/2025 08:37

I meant you literally lose a year of them living at home as they finish school at 17 not 18

Aozora13 · 15/06/2025 08:39

Trying81 · 15/06/2025 08:23

Thanks everyone - sorry for late reply, I didn’t get notifications anyone had responded

It’s more that I think the extra year with a childminder she’ll be bored with than anything. I’ll try to get a place at the preschool but they tend to be oversubscribed so it may not be possible.

I work, so I won’t be losing a year of her being home with me.

I could use the extra year to plan some more trips in before we’re stuck with expensive school holiday prices I guess

I think that all sounds sensible. My eldest is August born and is doing well academically, but starting reception she struggled with things like writing because her fine motor skills were less developed and was emotionally less mature than some of her counterparts. On the other hand I’ve just moved my September born youngest into a preschool because I felt like she was ready for that step and getting bored at her nursery. And it’s probably more enjoyable all round to help a relatively older child stretch themselves beyond school than help a relatively younger one catch up. Plus September is the most common birth month so she won’t be alone.

CoffeeAndCakeBringMeJoy · 15/06/2025 08:45

In my DD’s class, more than a third of the children have birthdays in September and October, and four or five have early September birthdays which mean that they have almost always reached the “next” age before they return to school for the start of the new school year. This is obviously dependent upon the date of the first day of the school year. In my own primary school class, I had the nickname “baby” (hated it!), because my birthday is in early spring, but I was the youngest girl. I’m not trying to say that every cohort is like this, but I am trying to reassure you that whilst your daughter may well be the oldest, she may not possibly be the oldest by as much of a margin as we might imagine when our children haven’t yet started school.