Starting school early

[SkedaddIe]

I hope this doesn't come across presumptuous.

We are ttc our 2nd and want a summer child rather than an autumn child so that they start school younger but covid and post pill amenorrhea has really disrupted our plans. We ideally wanted a smaller gap between our children so they could bond and learn from and with each other.

Is it very difficult (in England) to start early for autumn children? And how would we organise it?

Dd 4 loves school and we really appreciated that the professionals are better at educating then we are! For example we felt a little bit bad that dd started reading at 2 by memorising words rather than being taught phonics and blending.

There aren't any good private schools near us but lots of good state primary schools and a very decent spread of grammar schools.

I think that our next child will also very likely be well above average at least and would benefit from the birth date acceleration just as my dd seems to. Plus 1 or 2 years acceleration feels to me like it is a good balance between academic and social development for bright children.

I wouldn’t. I started school a year early and I was right at the start of the academic entry point so I was very much younger than all the other kids. I began school being able to read Winnie the Pooh and was bored stupid by the time I got to primary 2.

I have a bright DC, he didn't start early but at one point it was suggested that he could go up a year. The problem is that state secondary schools wouldn't have taken him early, so he'd have had to repeat year 6. Not a great idea IMO!

The g&t topic is the gift that keeps on giving

5/10

Early years are so as much about socialisation/emotional development as well as they are academics. I worry that you will disadvantage an advantage child by doing this.

As an FYI, I’ll be honest you are pretty assumptionous to presume your second child will be bright. Please don’t say this all out loud on the school gates, you’ll isolate you and your children pretty early doors

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In English schools, it's pretty much impossible. It would have to be agreed by the admissions authority of the primary, decided on the best needs of the child, and it's incredibly rare. In fact in 10 years of being a governor/appeals panelist/working with the local LA on education matters etc I've never come across it. And as a PP says, you then have the issue that secondaries would have to agree too, when it came to that point.

My friend skipped into my year, November birthday, but that was 30 years ago, I don't think it happens these days. The local girls' grammar takes some girls a year early, skipping year 6, I think with strict criteria though.

I was definitely too young to start school and always felt like the ‘silly baby’ in the class even though I was always at the top table (we were grouped by level).

If your child is bright, surely you want them to start earlier?
Ignoring the presumption that a child who isn’t born yet will definitely be bright!

A child in the UK would not go to school early.

I do think a bright child could learn more in a good nursery than in the school environment if they are likely to be beyond Reception curriculum at almost 4 anyway.

I remember being put up a year in first school, started at the normal age, but was moved up.

Except as PPs have said not all schools allow it, so the middle school wouldn't let me join with the rest of my class. I had to wave goodbye to all my friends and re-do the last year of first school in a class where I didn't really know anyone.

Pointless exercise, I would have been better off staying in my correct class forging friendships with my own year group.

As others have said, at that age it really is about socialising, and learning how to learn, as in reading, writing, listening and understanding how to interact with your peers and teachers. All the building blocks for when subject based education begins - which is not at age 5.

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So you're asking about early entry for a child who isn't conceived yet, or your current genius?
It's not generally a good idea.

I can sort of see your point, as my parents were relieved that my genius brother (well, extremely bright) was born early,in late August. But that was later on, when it became clear about his intelligence level, not pre birth planning.

I have one bright child. And one with additional needs. There are no guarantees.

You could just wait until July to ttc so you have an April or later due date if it is important to you. I do understand, I am glad that my DS is one of the younger ones, I think it helped him fit in with his year group socially when he was younger.

Do people really try to plan conception around potential school start dates?

@Liquorishtoffee

Do people really try to plan conception around potential school start dates?

I've heard of people delaying to avoid July and August so their child is the oldest.

State schools will not flex the start date to advance a preschooler, private schools may.

Every parent of academically gifted child wanted or thought about their children to start early at some point, I assume, I certainly did. But over the years, I never seen it happen. And now my dc is in secondary, I think it was great it was that way. The child being academically advanced doesn't mean they are advanced mentally, emotionally or physically. Being in the right age group have great benefit.

God alone knows why my parents in their infinite wisdom packed me off to school at 3. I can only assume I was a pain in the backside at home.

As PP have said, this would be nigh-on impossible in the state system. There is a lot you can do at home with bright children that isn't academic as such, eg chess, puzzles, discussing the news etc. You might find this to be a better pathway, as even bright children may not possess emotional maturity and may struggle socially with older peer groups.

@Clymene

The g&t topic is the gift that keeps on giving

I'm not a prolific poster but I've been on MN long enough to know to wear a hard hat and post on sunny day so I can laugh at myself or hide in the garden with a beer.

But yes I'm deadly serious.