can my gifted son go to school earlier (late birthday)?

[nybom]

my son's birthday is at the end of september which means he'll go to school at the age of five and will be one of the oldest of his year...

my son is very sociable, his social skills are highly developed, and he's very independent for his age (he's never had a problem with unfamiliar people or places, doesn't need any time whatsoever to adjust to new situations). he LOVES going to nursery 3 whole days a week (since aged 6 months), he'd love to to go to EVERY day, asks me each morning if he can go... basically he is bored at home, wants constant intellectual stimulation as well as other children around him. my son shows several signs of giftedness, e. g. he can spell 6 letter words since the age of two. many people (psychologists, nursery nurses, gps etc.) have remarked on his intelligence though we haven't actually had it tested yet.

my husband and i both have an IQ of 140, and i remember when i was a child i was so bored at home, so my mum had to teach me to read and write at the age of three. i wished i had had the opportunity to go to school earlier then...

can i have my son's intelligence/suitability for school assessed so he might be able to go to school a year earlier?

it's not that i want to push him into something, make a genius out of him or anything like that, if he's really not suitable that's fine with me! but i feel strongly that it is wrong if he goes to school so late, that he's ready now... does anyone know if there's anything i can do/how to procede?

thanks, nicky

[lijaco]

Most kids who are starting school and are 5 in September are at an incredible advantage already. Kids develop at diffreent speeds and you will notice in the future the ones that you label slower actually take over. In secondary school the take over is amazing. I ahve 4 Boys who are always labelled as slow, lazy and not as quick as girls. Mine could read, write , spell simple words from around the age of 3. They quicker than al the girls that I know as well as the ones in their class. If you have a clever boy they excell much more. Having said this they have had alot of time spent with them. If you put the time in it shows. some kids no time spent with so actually don't have achance to prove how clever they are. This is why G & T cannot realistically be measured. Some kids have good parents, good opportunities and are loved and praised. These kids thrive.

[craftymum27]

yes honoria, she is fantastic company and we do have some lovely times together. all 5 of us ( ds1+2, and dd1+2 ) have been out to the playing fields today, flying kites and picking blackberries and plums with my mum (nanny) and have had a fine time. my main problem is that with dd1 being so so bright, i find it difficult to keep her and dd2 (not quite so bright, iykwim) occupied at the same time because they are at such different levels. dd1 wants to be doing really hard stuff like cooking and cleaning and learning about anything she can get her hands on, but dd2 (2 1/2) needs a lot more one to one attention overall as there are so many things she cant do. physically they are both very able with dd2 only at a very slight disadvantage being a little shorter and rather more round iykwim. lol, but intellectually dd1 is at a 6-7 year old level while dd2 remains well, not. dont get me wrong i'm not saying dd2 isnt bright too, just nowhere near as bright as her sister.

[HonoriaGlossop]

There must be local pre-schools. It doesn't have to be the nursery class of a school. She would be funded because she's three. She could go to pre-school for five sessions a week, that's every morning or afternoon, and it would be free to you.

Other than that she sounds good company and I would concentrate on having lovely days with her; get her helping you more with real life things, get her measuring out for baking, adding up the shopping bill, measuring the room if you're having a carpet or something - just get her involved and it will keep her brain going.

[craftymum27]

yeah but when we moved to the area last year i put her name down but they had no spaces. that was at the school my boys go to. there are not any others with nursery classes close to me and i dont drive so i cant go further afield

[elkiedee]

Do any of your local schools have nursery classes?

[craftymum27]

tbh, i have just read this entire thread and there are some very valid points in it. although, my dd1 is 3 1/2 years old with two older brothers, she is also ready for school now, can read and write, spell do basic sums, get dressed , go to the toilet completely by herself, tie her own laces and pretty much everything her 7yo brother can do. she is also very mature and tall for her age, and towers over most of the children who have just finished their reception class this year. she came out with the funniest comment not long ago, walking to playgroup through a small housing estate, mummy, do you know, walking through these houses its really complicated having to find the way through!!! i was utterly shocked that a 3yo, could even say the word "complicated" let alone knowing what it meant and being able to put it into a meaningful sentence. she would love to go to school now as she is totally bored at home, i do loads to try to stimulate her and dd2 who is a year younger, but no matter what i do it is never enough and she actually tells me she is bored. i am now having to photocopy pages from ds2's school workbooks just so she can be occupied for half an hour, and do you know she manages to get most of it right!!! (ds2 btw is about to start y3) she has already finished all his old ones. her social skills are also amazing, she will hold a conversation like an adult, and will often converse with adults about varying subjects. i now am totally suck for ideas with what to do with her!!! any help????

[LAlady]

Yes but the only way is by going privately which is what we have done.

My son would be in year 2 about to go into year 3 in the state system. Privately he is in year 3 about to go into year 4.

[Clary]

January intake is usually (like, always?) decided by LEA ie it is area/county wide not specific to a school.

Mor eand more are moving to all in Sept (an das the mum of a January starter I actually think it's a good thing )

[shrinkingsagpuss]

look for ofsted results on the internet. and make an appt and talk to teachers about how they handle bright kids, or kids starting early.

[cory]

If they have a double intake, that may well be your best bet. Ring them up and ask.

[nybom]

some schools do a spring intake... sadly not many though. Best ask your local schools, and ask about G&T at the same time. If one can take him early but has rubbish results, it's prob not worth it!!<

HV asked me the name of the school DS is registered with, and she's pretty sure they do "spring intake", but of course she doesn't know if they're full yet or not. would have to ask them. the school has a pretty good reputation, though that doesn't necessary reflect on the results, or does it?

[shrinkingsagpuss]

some schools do a spring intake... sadly not many though. Best ask your local schools, and ask about G&T at the same time. If one can take him early but has rubbish results, it's prob not worth it!!

[nybom]

as my HV was here today for the baby i asked her her opinion about DS1 starting school earlier - and i was surprised by her answer: she said at some schools children that are due to start school next year could start in december or march, so he'd only start a couple of months earlier...

[cory]

Singersgirl, I wasn't actually discussing that (though I'm sure you're right).

I was just pointing out that the OP was not about her child having grown out of nursery (she clearly says he would like to go to nursery every day). It was about her needing him to go into fulltime education, due to her personal commitments, because school, unlike nursery, is free.

[singersgirl]

Cory, I actually agree too with the general point about summer-born children, particularly boys, and I think there should be more flexiblity in start dates for young-in-year children.

I think the early emphasis on writing particularly is very destructive for many children, especially (though of course not exclusively) younger boys. If my own DSs hadn't been very confident at other things, the physical requirements of writing could have completely derailed them.

[cory]

Do you people actually read the OP? She said specifically that her son is not bored at nursery, that he would love to go there every day, but that she cannot afford it. Her problem is that her son is bored at home on the days when she can not afford to have him in a nursery setting. So where is the point of suggesting more places that you have to pay for? That was the problem in the first place.

[BosworthBear]

Do any local private schools have a pre school class? These tend to be run on more of a school basis rather than a nursery basis, smaller numbers, classroom assistant, early learning goals etc.. but with emphasis still on learning through play with some more formal teaching around numbers, letters and early reading. You can still do either full time or less and you can use your government childcare assistance to pay the fees in the same way as nursery fees. Realise that this would still mean changing his actual school when he eventually starts but despite this, I do have experience of this working well for children who are growing out of nursery but can't go to school yet.

[Anna8888]

My sister (December birthday) did her whole school career a year ahead and it was totally uneventful for her. Though her gap year was a pain as she wasn't yet 18 which made it difficult to live independently.

I started off by being a year ahead but dropped back into my normal year when I moved schools in the middle of primary.

My partner was a year ahead until age 15, when he repeated the year (French system). He thinks he should never have been pushed ahead.

My best French friend was two years ahead, and left school at 16 (she is extraordinarly clever) and did brilliant university studies. She is quite determined not to do this to her children and has worked very hard at broadening the life experiences of her children rather than accelerating their school careers.

[shrinkingsagpuss]

Re- moving up a year.

I was moved up a year at the age of 9. It was a socail disaster, but the best ever educational decision. In hinsight, and my parents agree, it should have happened much earlier.

Teacher friends are recommending my DS should go up a year, but to do reception year fisrt, to learn about "being at school".

Wioth all the emphasis on G&T nowadays you may find he doesn't need to move up a year.

As for now....I have the same trouble. DS is 3.5, and driving me mad he wants to learn so much, but it is fun!!

[Anna8888]

warped picture

[Anna8888]

LittleMyDancing - you paint a slightly warped situation of the pre-school (école maternelle) situation in France.

Three year olds in petite section quite commonly do half-days at school or come home for lunch in the middle of the day. While it is most unusual for three year olds not to attend pre-school at all, there is rarely any issue with them attending for mornings only and having days off at the drop of a hat for illness etc.

My daughter has just finished petite section and she has learnt many useful things, as have the two other three year olds living in our apartment block in Paris (who attend a different school to my daughter).

[cory]

Jaberwocky, this sounds really nice for your ds.

The OP's problem is slightly different though: she wants her ds to start school a year before the UK set age because she cannot afford to pay fulltime childcare and is too busy to entertain him at home.

She specifically states that her ds gets on well with the children in his age group and loves nursery, so it is not a question of him not fitting in. Her problem is that she cannot afford fulltime nursery and does not have time to stimulate him sufficiently at home. To me, this is not about the child's specific needs, but about the needs of the mother.

My experience of the UK system suggests that the education authorities will look on this with a jaundiced eye. Before the school start the UK authorities only provide a few hours of free nursery: beyond that parents are expected to either pay for the rest or stimulate their children themselves.

[jabberwocky]

I have not read entire thread so apologize if repeating anything. We have a similar situation but are in the US so I don't know how much will apply. We had ds1 tested just after he turned 4 - that is the earliest that children can be scored and still some of the tests will only score for age 6. We shared the results with his teacher who then arranged for him to do math with the kindergarteners (5 year olds) and reading with the 1st grade (age 6). He still had a "base class" IYKWIM with the other 4 year old children and this worked out extremely well. This was at a private school.

This summer he has gone to camp at the local children's science museum with the 6 - 9 year olds and has been cleared to do one of the camps offered to 8 - 12 year olds. He has really enjoyed it; in fact I have rarely seen him so excited.

I have spoken with the principal at the public school he will be attending in the fall. They will evaluate him to see if the same approach (different age-group classes for different subjects) will work or if we do indeed need to think about skipping a grade or two. We are well aware of the problems that might entail but have decided to take it one step at a time and hopefully make the best decision for him. The problem with kids like this is that they really don't "fit" with any one group. The principal stated it thusly, "As an adult he will find his niche but it is much more difficult in a school environment."

[Clary]

singerss girl that's a fair point. My thign about Sept born doing well was of course a general point - and nybom is talking about a particualr child here (as are you and of course as was I).

Sorry I got a bit annoyed. And yes, I saw she's not going to send him in Sept now (not sure quite how she was going to anyway...)

I'm glad that you're happy with how yr DS is doing, but the thing is on MN and in RL too, I know more people unhappy about their summer-born being too young than about their sept-born being too old for school.

So I think that's why some people have been a tad sharp - tho not unhelpful imo.

[expatinscotland]

Another example of a poster who starts a thread having already made a decision, then gets bent out of shape when people disagree.