DELAYING PRIMARY SCHOOL

[maria1966]

Hi ,my ds is 4 in august and due to start school in september.He will obviously be one of the younger ones in his class.
Anyone delayed their childs schooling in these circumstances feeling they are too young to go to school full time .
I think in some european countries they don't even go to pre school and don't start school until they are 5.
Would be interested in some views on this .

does your school have an intake at easter?
If so he should be able to start then.
As far as I know they have to start school in the term they are 5...

why don't you have a chat with the school about it?

our school had two intakes, and because dd was born in june, she started this january and settled fine.

It may be worth discussing it with the staff at the school where you would like her to go. Find out if she would be able to start in Reception if you delay primary school. Some schools will insist that she goes straight into Yr1 and stay with the children who would've been her classmates had she started this year.

We, we're in Italy and DS will be 5 in two weeks and he doesn't start big school until the September in which he is 6, although TBH if we wanted he could start this September (when he would be 5). The norm here is to start at 6 and all the teachers agree that it allows them to mature a little more and enjoy being kids IYKWIM. However, he does go to 'asilo' which is a sort of cross between school and nursery in terms of learning and he is there from 9 until 4 every day. I think it's a great system and he is incredibly happy.

our school is getting rid of the split startdates though, dunno why, maybe it's to do with funding

i think so pamina, dd's class had 16 in it till she arrived in january (now 26 or 27) so i don't know whether the local educ authority funds this at a lower level for that term. i'm determined not to get involved with the pta!! [i have "too much on" emoticon]
(i think i cried when we got the school we wanted)

Thanks for all your advice.I will look into it with the school.His birthday is august 14th so may be able to start in january 2006.
It's interesting the idea as in Italy of delaying school until they are 6,as you say to allow for them maturing more.I suspose it varies from child to child anyway.Some children are overally confident at 4 where as my ds is confident at home but shy at pre school.
He just seems too young to be sending off to school full time,but that's probably more to do with me not wanting to let him go from my apron strings.

In Scotland, there is only one intake per year - August. Children must start Primary 1 at the first intake AFTER their 5th birthday. However, they are eligible to start P1 if they are 4 by 1st March of that year. ie my ds - Jan birthday - was 4 in Jan 2004 and coudl start school August 2004 - or defer to Aug 2005. It is quite common for parents to defer entry - we swithered quite a lot before deciding he could go. Before they start P1 they usually have a nursery pre-school place which gives 5 half days per week - but certainly not full time school at just 4!

Ooops! No idea why I kept typing "she" instead of "he". Sorry.

no problem coppertop,I knew what you meant.

I was just wondering if it sets them back delaying it though.
What is reception exactly?

Reception is the class for the year they turn 5. Some schools/Local Education Authorities stagger their intake of rising 5's so that older ones start September, younger may go part time then full time later in the year, or start in January or even after Easter. If you try to delay a full year (as legally you could) then your ds would be expected to go straight into year 1 with kids who have already spent up to a year in Reception and you may have to take a place whereever a school has a space rather than "choosing".

Have you already had to apply for a school for September or at least made a shortlist - we did last October for dd who is a August 27th b'day - if so, can you speak directly to the head(s) about your concerns. We are currently in Switzerland and dd would n't even start a non- academic Kindergarten until she had turned 5 and therefore not any formal school until 7 - which for her would be way too late.

HI Maria66

Why not go talk to the reception class teacher (Miss L, not Mrs. S., who is a dear but a bit batty). Tell Miss L. about your concerns & see if she'll give you an honst opinion about what a child with an August birthday "needs" to do well in school, reception, etc.

also, just from the kids I know, it seems like girls with August birthdays are fine, it's boys with summer birthdays that may not have the maturity, tend to struggle to behave & focus.

I agree I'm so much less worried about dd because she is a girl and also bright and ready to go to school academically, if perhaps not socially. But there is still 6 months to go...

I have sent off forms with first and second choices,just hope he get's into our local school nearby.
I will get in contace with schoo, to discuss my options as advised.
Thanks Zebra,I will search out Miss L and see what she suggests.

I am a childminder and 3 of the children I have minded over the last few years have had their school entry deferred by either one or two terms. They have all had the extra time at playgroup in the mornings and my house in the afternoons. They have all REALLY benefitted from this. The staff / child ratio is much higher at playgroup than in a reception class, and they have 'come on' so much in that last term or two, having been a 'big fish'. Their confidence and maturity has increased so much. The reception teacher thinks it's great to defer entry for younger children, and these 3 have not suffered at all either educationally or socially. The latest of these started school this January instead of last September (June birthday), and is absolutely blossoming.Everyone wants to play with the new girl (she was the only one who started then). She went half days until Feb half term, and is now enjoying full days. Strangely enough, all the Mums are teachers!

My two DSs are both August birthdays (15th and 31st). DS2 is now in Y2 and to be honest has been fine. We were living abroad when he started Reception and there was only one intake -full days from September. He was extremely tired, but coped socially and work-wise. However, he has always been an extremely sociable small boy with an unusual amount of confidence with unfamiliar adults etc.
DS2 will start at DS2's local primary this September at 4 and 2 days, I guess. We could defer to January, but the school discourages it from a social point of view. They say from experience that only a few parents (maybe 3 per class - we're in pushy SW London!) opt for the later start date and it can be hard for the newcomers to get into established friendship groups. They advised, unless we had particular concerns about social or academic readiness, not to delay. Also, this school only does half days for all the children until the January term, so he will not be at school any longer than he would be at nursery - he will just have to work harder.
I agree that it seems very young. I was worried with DS1 that he wouldn't keep up academically, but actually the things that were problems for him were practical things - socks, buttons, toilet etc. Fine motor skills are still an issue - but it would still have been an issue if he had started a term later.
So I am working harder with poor little DS2 on socks etc. Though as a second child, he is actually much better in the 'self-help' department than DS1...

Thank you all for some very helpful advice.
I have an appointment to see someone from the school to discuss this tomorrow and will take all your points on board and will now have a clearer picture of what questions i need to ask.