Children born on 31st August

[SoozQ]

Hi! My youngest son was born early on 31st August which as many of you will know is the cut off date for school applications. He will be the absolute youngest in his year and we have applied to the local authority to ask if he could start his school career in reception just after his 5th birthday, ie he would be the oldest rather than the youngest. They have not been very helpful and have said he could start then, but he would have to join year 1 which defeats the whole purpose and would put him at a further disadvantage, not just as the youngest in the class but also having missed the first year of school! He is simply not ready for school this year and we are convinced it would be in his long term best interests for him to start next September...Does anyone have any examples of education authorities who have allowed this? If he was born literally a few hours later he would have been starting next year anyway!!! Any advice most welcome, thank you!

I know of a child born on 30th August and he is in the same year as my DS who was born on the 10th September the same year. Don't know how they did it and don't know mother terribly well to ask. We are in Trafford, Greater Manchester.

You might have more luck if you asked for a Januray/easter intake into reception?

My son would be the youngest in his year if I sent him as soon as I could (although cut off dates earlier in the year here in Ireland, children must be 4 and 4 months starting).

I dithered but now that I've made the decision to hold him back I feel a lot better about it. Instead of worrying about him having that disadvantage, I'll feel reassured that he can actually cope and be confident and capable going through school. As soon as I made the decision I was happy. It was the dithering that felt bad.

Holding children back a year seems to be more commonly done here anyway, and when I first arrived here, I thought 'no way am I holding either of mine back', but as it happens, my son has a speech delay and I definitely don't think it's fair to put him into a school year where as well as having that 'delay' he is also the youngest in the class.

There is a lot of evidence from Scandinavia and The Netherlands that suggests that far from holding them back it helps them in the long run.

Sorry, I did not realise that the choice is not yours. That's awful. They don't knwo your child. It should be your decision.

my ds is august 20th

i do not believe in deferring entry

he will be fiine if you start him with the others

1/12 of the class are august birthdays

My birthday is 30 August. I have never been or felt that I was in the wrong class or disadvantaged in any way.

That has applied all the way through my educational/professional life.

I cannot give you the answers you need BUT I wish I had done everything in my power, even break the law if neccessary, to delay my Summer-born DS start of school.

Too many summer-born children get tagged as 'special needs' when they are compared negatively to their more mature classmates. This could be excerbated if the child in question is a boy.

It is all well and good for a few people to say "I was the youngest and I was ok". However, what such comments do not take into account is the differences between people. Some kids will be fine as the youngest, others might struggle and suffer, as my son has...terribly. You know your child. I think you should follow your instincts. Keep looking for a solution you are happy with.

Good Luck

Excuse the spelling. I should be asleep.

DSD was born on 3rd September and struggled for a few years, she was kept back a year at the end of Junior school and is doing much better now - although it would have been easier for her if she was left to start school aged 5, it really should be up to the parents as some children are easily ready at just 4 whilst others aren't.

I completely agree with SqueezyDiva. My ds was born on Aug 15th and is the youngest in his class. Moreover we relocated recently and so he goes to an international school now.. and he has classmates as old as 8 years in his class, and he is still only 6 !

The teacher was a bit worried if he had any reading/writing difficulties, but of late he is doing better. So we are dismissing all that for now. Reading all the posts in these forums, I am more confident that there is nothing really wrong with him - he is just taking his own time.

I'm sure they will eventually get over the age barrier, but the initial years are difficult for most of them - I sometimes think more for boys than girls. If I ever have an August born again ;) I will not even think twice of allowing him to repeat a year, unless I feel he is confident enough to start reception.

I dont know if this will be a solution for you SoozQ, bu I know Independent schools allow you to join recepion late as well. You may want to consider that for a year or so and then try normal school?

I have an august boy who is now in year 3. i would say it's another 6 months until september and I found my ds changed an awful lot in that time. I would say he managed fine in the classroom it was the playground you could/can tell he is young. But he's fine and I'm not sure you could pick the younger ones out in a crowd.

You are probably able to do half days or not start until after christmas and still then only do half days.

I agree the system sucks, but unfortunately it sucks every year for july/august born children.

Have you asked whether or not he could start in Jan? My Dd is an August baby too and when she started back in rec they still did the two intakes but tbh DD would probably have been ok if she'd started in Sept as she was ready for school.

dd1 is a july birthday and really suffered in comparison to her older classmates, I wish I had moved back to scotland earlier where there is so mcuh more flexibility and they start at a later date anyway. Notan otter I had the same opinion as you until my bright dd developed the idea that she was stupid, she is 11 and preparing to go to the academy and the early intake has affected her whole primary schooling.

Can you write to your MP regarding your on and maybe get your GP to attach a letter saying it would benefit him greatly if he were allowed more time as he just isn't ready and it's assumed he will struggle.

In Germany we start school at 6 or 7 and even then there's always the option of putting your child in at 5 or 8. Every kid is different and you don't want your dc to always have to play catch up or feel overwhelmed by it all. He's only got one childhood.

Good luck!

regarding your son [sorry]

I think it makes a difference where you live, what your child is like and how much you are prepared to push for what your child needs and what you want.

I've heard it work (and not work) both ways, ie Aug babies going into "proper" year and waiting for the "next" intake. So go with your gut instinct and push for what you want, I think the decision should be yours, not the LEAs.

Good luck

I haven't read this whole article from the DCFS but the first sentence says that it isn't complusory for them to start at school until after they are 5 not 4.

Unfortunately I don't think you have any "right" to have him start in Reception at 5 - he doesn't have to start school till then, but the school/LEA can have him start in Yr1 if that is their policy. However, it might be worth pushing to get him treated as a "special case" - but what you have to do will depend on what execptions your area are willing to consider. Just being the youngest isn't enough - there has to be a cutoff date, and someone has to be the youngest.

Of course she has the right!! It's her son. She's the parent! Does the local authority have a clearer idea of his capabilities???

She absolutely should have the right to decide that he'd be better of being the oldest in the class not the youngest.

I'm actually quite shocked that it is not the parents' choice.

I mean decision, not choice. I am in this position. I didn't 'choose' to have the realisation dawn upon me that my son wouldn't be able to cope in his birth intake year (iyswim).

But what is the point of providing special needs teachers, resource, remedial etc etc if the local authority is not going to regard children as individuals and not just applicants.

I know that the OP hasn't mentioned any delays or special needs whatsoever, but sometimes just being the very youngest could be enough to knock a child's confidence. If you are advanced and confident and the youngest too, then it wouldn't make any difference. But it's not fair to a child who might be just in the average range, lacking a bit of confidence as well.

Margot, you don't have the right (in England and Wales, at least). I have a friend with twins born on August 30th three months premature who still had to start school in their 'correct' year, by birthdate and not by due date. And yes, they have struggled all along (now in Y10) and yes it is wrong, but that is how it is except in very unusual cases.

Frogs, I live in Ireland, and although the head teacher is pressuring me to send my son in his birth intake year, I am entitled to say that I will hold him back for a year. The head teacher can apply for a resource teacher when my son starts (as my son has a statement - same system as in the UK).

He needs two years in a specialised pre-school, where they are experts in visual learning techniques. He has very (imo) mild autism and verbal dyspraxia. His outlook later in life is good. But in the 'olden days' 1975! he'd have been bundled off to school with all the other four year olds and he would have struggled for 14 yrs.

that is really unfair on the twins born prematurely in August. I thought that the authorities would have the discretion to treat applicants as the individuals that they are!

Unfortunately in England it's not the parents choice - they can choose not to send till 5, but the school can put the child into Yr1 and not reception. I think it's a totally garbage system myself! Up here in Scotland about half of parents have the choice of deferring entry - children who will be 5 between August and February can either go at 4 and a half or wait till 5 and a half, and start in P1 whichever. Much better!