HELP - Am I right to defer my childs entry to school? Have 2 DAYS TO DECIDE!!!

[MoosieGirl]

I know this subject has been posted to death (I myself have started a thread) but I have to make this decision as the deadline is Monday 12th Jan.

My son will be 4 on August 4th and is bright and confident (with no SN) but I feel that he is just too young to start school.

DP and I have taken advice from his pre school teacher who agrees totally that another year at pre school would be a huge advantage to him (and other Aug born kids). But she also said that if he had to go in Sept 09 (as opposed to Sept 2010) he would be fine in her opinion.

I think we have almost made the decision to defer him until 2010 so he would be starting school at 5.1.

But are we doing the right thing "messing" with his education? Most people we have spoken to have never heard of deferring and are quite scathing of it and its really knocking my confidence in doing something that I believe will help my son get on in life.

What are peoples opinions on deferring just for the sake of being summer born?

He will be allowed to go into Reception in 2010 (not Y1) and wont have to skip a year further down the line as long as we dont leave the LEA area (Bradford).

Can anyone see any drawbacks to deferring him? Has anybody done it?

The application form has to be in on Friday

Please help!

Thanks bollock - how did your DC's feel when they realised they were out of year group? Was it ever an issue for your DC's as they went through school?

mine were not allowed to go into reception but had to go straight to year one. You are lucky in that respect as it is very rare to be able to do that, and something i originlly set out to do.

However, there was not an issue with regard to being behind, somehow they must have managed to keep along the same level being at home with me, and also at nursery.

You will not regret it one bit.

I think more people should have a say in When they feel their children are ready to start school, rather than being scared into sending them, when they are just not ready, and have supported several of my friends in their decisions to do the same.

I totally agree bollock. Thanks!

oh my god mollieO, that is a very unusual policy! I wonder what lies behind it? Again, I think it was historically the reaction to policies like that that led to the 4.0 reception start creeping in in most of the country.

Moosiegirl, yes, there is another mum deciding whether or not to defer with her child in my school too. I've confessed to her that it's no use talking to me about it because (a) I'm so passionate and (b) selfishly I of course want her child to defer to so it becomes the norm! He's her youngest of 4 so she knows her own mind.

Moosie, I'm going to object to Bradford's proposed changes. We have until 27th Feb to do so. I think it's in our personal interests to stay active on this because (if you defer) it means our kids will be part of a trend, and more knowledge will flow down about the benefits of deferring (this is why Rose has made everything harder of course).

I've got your email and sent it to Stella. Am seeing her this pm so will mention it.