Guest post: “A later start can be the best thing for many children.”

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My summer-born daughter Olivia is the oldest child in her school year.

Nearly four years ago I told Mumsnet all about our ‘fight’ to start her in reception at age five.

Olivia is now in Year 3 and enjoying school.

But other parents up and down the country are still fighting for the same right, with their children being made to start at age 4 or enter Year 1 at age 5.

This is despite assurances from the Schools Minister Nick Gibb in 2015, that ‘summer-born children can be admitted to the reception class at the age of five if it is in line with their parents’ wishes’, and the promise ‘to ensure that those children are able to remain with that cohort as they progress through school, including through to secondary school.’

A later start can be the best thing for many children. Olivia enjoyed her reception year, but the jump to Year 1 was a bit of a shock and she found some of Year 2 hard. I’m so glad she had that extra year of development behind her to face those challenges.

No one could pick Olivia out in a crowd; she fits in perfectly well with her class cohort and is thriving in Year 3.

Despite all the warnings that she’d be ‘on the wrong register’, be ‘the odd one out’ or ‘have to take her SATs a year early’, we haven’t encountered any problems along the way (although she did receive a birthday card with the wrong age on one year, but that’s about as tricky as it’s got!).

Olivia even thanks me for what I did.

I have always talked about it openly (and proudly) and explained my reasons to her. She tells me that she couldn’t imagine being in Year 4 right now. ‘I’m right where I belong, mummy,’ she says.

The truth is, Olivia knows more about the law than some staff who work in admission departments, and even some school heads. She often corrects adults who tell her she ‘should’ be in Year 4, saying, ‘I could be in Year 4, not should.’

Of course, every child is different. That’s why choice and flexibility is so important (but only if it’s fair for all). Some summer-born children will enjoy school from age four and do very well, while others won’t. Whatever choice parents make should be without judgement.

Every time I read about the summer-born issue it ends in confused debate, so I wanted to finish by debunking a few myths and ensuring everyone knows the facts.

What is the law? Do you know your rights?

The School Admissions Code requires councils to provide schooling for all children in the September following their fourth birthday, but a child does not reach compulsory school age until the term following their fifth birthday.

So, for a summer-born child (defined as born April 1st - August 31st), that’s a whole year later than when they could first enter school.

Here’s where it gets tricky. Summer-born children are still the only group of children who don’t have automatic right of access to reception at that point (compulsory school age); parents can only request that their child starts in reception.

Some admission authorities have a policy of automatically agreeing all requests while others will only consider requests if parents present very strong evidence of special educational needs or developmental delay.

It’s important to know that it’s your decision when your child starts school, whether prior to compulsory school age or at compulsory school age.

The admission authority for the school has to make a year group decision based on the best interests of your child at that point (i.e. compulsory school age). The discussion should not be about ‘school readiness’ or how they can meet your child’s needs at age four.

The question an admission authority must answer is: ‘What is in this child’s best interests at compulsory school age, reception or Year 1?’ It must then clearly explain the reasons for its decision.

Incredibly, it has been nearly four years since Nick Gibb’s assurances and promises, and in that time many children have been forced to miss reception or start school before their parents wanted them to.

There needs to be a consistent approach across the country, and soon.

For further information regarding the admission of summer-born children, please see the Summer Born Campaign website and join its Facebook group.

Rosie will be returning to the post on Wednesday 22nd May to answer some user questions

Or, sunshine6, the eldest child could be extremely bright and the August ones very behind. Who knows.

What I cannot fathom, is how you can not understand that a 17 month gap makes any issues there is with a 12 month gap, worse.

Because you're not only going to get those who think their child will struggle or is not emotionally ready deferring unfortunately. Everyone who can do it, both financially and logistically, will do it, because it gives their own child a better chance.

I have a 16 month gap between 2 of my children and there’s hardly any difference between them. This legislation came in in 2014 and yet there is still not many making use of it as people don’t like to not follow the norm so I think your assumption that everyone who can do it will do it is wrong. It’s not always an easy process to go through and I really don’t think people are going to delay their child if their child is more than ready to start school, as most are. I seriously don’t believe there will suddenly be half a class of April borns and half August borns. If there is maybe one or 2 born on the 1st April I highly doubt that’s going to have a huge detrimental impact on a few August borns. I still don’t even get how it could be detrimental. There always has been over achievers and under achievers no matter what their ages, as every child is different.

I think another issue that hasn't really been raised so far is the impact on other children in terms of school places. The local outstanding school here is hugely oversubscribed and this year I know of five children who are deferring until next year. That's five children in next years cohort who won't get a place because children out of year will be taking them. I know that there's five extra places this year but it's not much comfort to those first five children on the waiting list next year. I also have a friend whose very open about the fact that if her May born daughter hadn't got a place this year, she would have deferred and rented closer to the school to ensure she got a place next year. How is that fair?

My July born DS has a September born cousin - they're both still v little so maybe it'll even out more than I think, but it does seem crazy that right now they're a 10 month old who can't walk and hadn't said a word yet and a 20 month old who can run and hold conversations, but that in four years' time a school will be treating them as the 'same age'. But as people have said, creating a potentially even larger age gap doesn't seem like the answer either.

Because Autumn -and winter borns start nearer there 5th birthday anyway! And you do find that most of not nearly all of these types of applications are June, July, August Borns.

I have just deferred my child. I had to apply for 2019 place but as my deferment was accepted I did not even get allocated a place for this year and was NOT told whether I got in or not. So that would not be possible. It's not as straightforward as that.

The grammar school marking system is weighted by your birth month. Children born in the summer mo the get extra mo the added that increase from April to August. (Evidence that a difference still exists even at age 11)
For a child that has started school at csa. They have no points added and are treated the same as a September born. So the younger children they are sitting the 11 plus with will get quite a few extra marks added to their score.

We have a superb private school set in beautiful surroundings just down the road from us that I’d love our kids to go to but we can’t afford the fees. Small classes, the individual needs of each child catered for and nurtured, exactly what every parent would love for their child but not everyone can afford it, that’s life. If there is some way of improving your child’s experience of school so that they aren’t struggling and always playing catch up why shouldn’t you be able to do that, if you can. We aren’t MC, have 6 children and live on my husbands average income yet we have delayed our son as knowing how the school works we knew he would’ve really struggled. He’s not taken anyone else’s place as he has started reception at CSA which is every child’s right. With mental health issues in children at an all time high and so much testing and pressure being put on kids in school why wouldn’t anyone try to make the school experience as good as they possibly can in whatever way they can?

I still don’t even get how it could be detrimental. There always has been over achievers and under achievers no matter what their ages, as every child is different.
There is a significant, measurable difference between the achievements of summer born and autumn born children. Of course there are many individuals who do well whenever they were born, but at a population level the difference is obvious.
The Government have been aware of it since at least 1967.
These are not over and underachievers, there is no difference between the intelligence or ability of summer born and autumn born children, and yet the summer born children do not do as well.
The obvious solution seems to be to delay the start for the younger children, which may help that individual child, but at a population level the strategy does not work, it just shifts the problem to another group of children.

I strongly believe a lot of the reasons summerborns don’t do so well and often get diagnosed with behaviour disorders is due to them not being mature enough for the school system. That extra year to mature, become more independent and confident, learning through play means they are better equipped to handle what is expected of them at school. It eases some of the pressure on teachers too as they aren’t having to spend so much time helping them.

I strongly believe a lot of the reasons summerborns don’t do so well and often get diagnosed with behaviour disorders is due to them not being mature enough for the school system
But research has shown that that is not the reason behind the summer born disadvantage. It is more the Relative Age Effect, which is caused by being the youngest in that group.

Yes exactly, as too much is expected of them that some aren’t mature enough for yet. Meaning the teachers don’t have time to spend on them so they flounder at the bottom getting overlooked. Some 4 year olds are more than ready and can cope fine but for the ones that aren’t having that option to delay means they can go in and thrive a year later rather than struggle.

But that doesn’t work in getting rid of the disadvantage.
In countries with a start age as late as 7 (so plenty of time to mature) the summer born children are still disadvantaged compared to the older children.

So the only answer is for no one to give birth in the summer then? 😂 Even if every single child in a year group was born in September you are still going to have some way more advanced than others, every single child is different and what works for one doesn’t for another. Some 4 year olds can cope fine at school while others can’t, parents having the option to do what is best for their child, who they know best, is a good thing.

parents having the option to do what is best for their child, who they know best, is a good thing
You are assuming that all parents want what is best for their child, and know what the best thing is.
In countries such as America where delaying has been allowed for decades the children who are delayed are overwhelmingly from white middle-class families.
So he only answer is for no one to give birth in the summer then
No, because then the spring born children would face the disadvantage.

So hang on, are you suggesting no one should strive for the best for their child as it’s not fair on the children whose parents don’t 🤔

I'm August born. I think I would have killed my mum if I had to stay at home another year, I was very happy to go to university at 18 and 3 weeks. It's not just about 4 year olds, will your 12 year old thank you when he can't play football for his school because he's too old (sports teams cut off on the 31st August so final year of primary, kids held back will be ineligible).

As many kids are in nursery from 1, and nearly all from 3, this whole delaying entry doesn't make sense except in specific circumstances eg extreme preemies, sn and other health reasons eg my neighbours kid was in hospital until she was almost 3, putting her development back.

It speaks of middle class parents trying to game the system thinking later entry will advantage their kid. It's also a slippery slope, if everyone in August delays, them July are the babies of the year, so what about them, or June or May??? Someone has to be youngest, I was (got to sing for the mayor as a perk!). If there's a move to change school start dates then it should be for all kids not just pushy parents

Yes. Because in this instance the process of securing an advantage for your child actively disadvantages other children.

Sorry, that was in answer to Sunshine

Well let’s just ban parents from sending kids to private schools while we are at it then? And ban parents from paying for tutors? Just laughable. In this country the legal age for being in education is the term after the child turns 5, for every child.

How exactly is my son starting reception aged 5 & 3 months actively disadvantaging another child?

www.dur.ac.uk/research/news/thoughtleadership/?itemno=23069

And? You still haven’t answered how exactly my child being older is having a negative effect on other children?

I totally agree with the solutions in that article but that’s not happening here and don’t imagine our government will be interested as they are just constantly asking for more testing. Baseline testing of four year olds for eg.

You still haven’t answered how exactly my child being older is having a negative effect on other children?
The effect is a relative effect. Simply being in a class with much older children has a negative effect on the youngest in that group. The bigger the age range the bigger the effect.
It effects their self esteem, their confidence, their ability to succeed, their access to higher level work and teaching. They are often judged in relation to their peers, their behaviour is misunderstood, their language levels are significantly lower (vocabulary is the number one indicator of academic success). Physically they are less capable so cannot compete and rarely get selected for sports teams/events.
They have less opportunity to develop leadership skills. They judge themselves against their peers which affects their self image.