Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Education

Join the discussion on our Education forum.

Original poster

My boy was born April 2003, when will he ^have^ to go to school?

24 replies

colditz · 14/04/2005 12:17

I am not sure my son will be ready to start school at 4, so what is the latest I can leave it? Unless he seems really ready, I would rather not put him in any earlier.

OP posts:
rickman · 14/04/2005 12:19

Message withdrawn

Original poster
colditz · 14/04/2005 12:20

NOooooo! He will not even be 4 and a half, he will still be a baby to me! I started school at 5, I was fine!

OP posts:
beachyhead · 14/04/2005 12:21

I thought it was the term in which he was 5, which is the legal definition, but it will depend on the schools input terms - ie. some only take in the September, so he would go Sept 2007, but the latest would be Summer term 2008, I think.....

Any teachers out there?????

rickman · 14/04/2005 12:21

Message withdrawn

Roobie · 14/04/2005 12:21

DD was born in April 2002 and, as seems to be norm in Kent, will be starting school in January 2007.

Original poster
colditz · 14/04/2005 12:22

Don't have a chosen school, he will be going to the local primary. If I leave it til he is 5, will they have to give him a place?

OP posts:
Roobie · 14/04/2005 12:23

Check out your local authority website - should have all the details you require.

rickman · 14/04/2005 12:24

Message withdrawn

Original poster
colditz · 14/04/2005 12:24

Thanks guys

OP posts:
rickman · 14/04/2005 12:27

Message withdrawn

maisystar · 14/04/2005 12:33

agree with rickman, it's ages away

ds starts school this sept(he will be 5 in nov so one of the older ones), until a month or two ago i didn't think he would be ready but he has suddenly 'grown up' and tbh the thought of 5 free days a week, although still a little daunting, is becoming much more appealing

wild · 14/04/2005 12:38

my ds has an early Sept birthday and all his friends were born earlier (ie before cut off end of Aug) so unless we can get school to take him early, disregarding the odd few days, he will be a year behind them
anyone any success with persuading school to do this?

crunchie · 14/04/2005 12:44

I think you maybe worrying too early IMHO. Children seem to do fine at 4.5 ish, if they only have one intake your son will be about in the middle of the class. Our school do two intakes, and DD1 started the term before she was 5 and tbh she could have started earlier

hana · 14/04/2005 12:55

wild, schools don't do this - start them early. there has to be a cut off point somewhere and the kids on either side of this date suffer in different ways. in a few years time it makes no difference. My dd is early sept as well - i look upon it as having her at home with me for an extra year!

LIZS · 14/04/2005 13:03

wild, you may be able to do this in the private sector but unlikely in state unless they operate a flexible Nursery/Reception so that they move them as and when ready. Friend's dd was born mid Sept 2000 and started Reception at a private school last Septmber. She had to take an assessment though at aged 3 and a bit alongside girls almost a full year older.

wild · 14/04/2005 13:05

thanks hana
It's mainly cos I'd like him to be with his friends
Sure he'll make more tho
ds not at home, I see another year nursery fees !

wild · 14/04/2005 13:06

yes it will be state
he's only days over the limit
I did try lots of curries

Lucycat · 14/04/2005 13:09

I think he'll be fine. Reception teachers are very aware that there are some really little ones in there and do compensate for it. My dd is a May birthday and her Reception year is divided into 2 classes of about 20. The Sept -March birthdays in one class and all the others in my dd's class. They have been great with them, although all her friends are in her class, so it's starting to get into party season - very expensive!!

Perhaps your primary school does this? If not then suggest it!! Get onto the governing body and push it!!

Bearess · 14/04/2005 13:15

colditz, if you lived in our area (NE London) your ds would start Jan 2008. Look on the bright side wild, apparently kiddies born at the beginning of the school year do better in exams etc - as dh moaned to me when ds was born in Aug - at the end of the school year. My response? Well, being born in July never did ME any harm!!

piffle · 14/04/2005 13:38

My son was a Feb baby and I kept him out until he was five.
dd is October so no such worries for her....

LIZS · 14/04/2005 16:59

wild, you may benefit from Nursery Vouchers for longer to compensate a little !

merglemergle · 20/04/2005 09:48

He doesn't actually HAVE to start at any age. You don't have to send him to school full stop.

The problem will be the school. It might be that they only intake September of his 4th year, and that to get a place later would be hard.

However, I know a few people who have opted for kindergarten, and have generally found it pretty easy to gets kids into school a bit later since other kids do leave too.

We're facing a similar problem. My son was born August 2003, so he would be just 4 when he would be expected to start school. I started school at 4 (put up a year) and for me it was absolutely too young. I could read etc, but socially I was just too immature.

It didn't help that the register was organised in order of age, so my name was ALWAYS called last!

tortoiseshell · 20/04/2005 09:50

colditz, I looked into this, as ds is a june birthday, and dd is august. Basically, you can leave it until the term after they are 5, so I could leave it a whole year. BUT, they go into the year that they would be in had they started at 4, so they would miss reception if they started a year late, AND the school will not hold a place for them. In our area that would mean having to go to a really awful school miles away. Not much of a choice really! They'll both start when they're 4.

goldenoldie · 20/04/2005 16:22

Mine went the September after 4th birthday. One was only 4 years and one month old! - yes, far too young.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread