Delaying starting Primary school

[Flowerface]

I am not sure about doing Home Ed long term, but was thinking about keeping DD at home for the first year of primary (until she is 5). I think 4 is too young to start full-time school and that it will be exhausting, overwhelming and counterproductive for her. What do you think of this as an idea? Will she suffer socially, since the people she currently plays with will all be busy at school and making new friends?

Sounds like a good idea to me. :)

Where do you live? We are also going to keep ds out of school I think and are also concerned about his peer group going off to full time reception...

We live in the middle of Wales - Aberystwyth.

I have a DS two years younger. Don't want DD just to get stuck doing 'baby' things with him.

My DH thinks this idea is crazy but then he subscribes to the philosophy that if everyone else is doing it (starting school, in this case) then it must be the thing to do.

Hi flowerface, I just thought I would offer a bit of support. We have been deliberating about HE with our dd who is due to start reception in September. We have decided to just start off with deferring her entry until next summer term or possibly until next September. I have been finding that once you start talking to people about 4 being too young to start school lots of people will agree with you but they don't believe they have options. This is what we are finding. We have a meeting with the head at our school tomorrow to "discuss" deferring (I know from talking to someone else that they have previously "refused" this to another family). I have been reading the admissions code and the local protocol on deferral and there is nothing the school can do, it is your parental right to defer until the term after their 5th birthday.

If we do start her at the school at a later date I am hopeful that she will make friends no problem. I feel that I can't send her to school early for the friends reason alone. Plenty of people move around and their children move schools. It is crazy to think that you are commiting to staying in one place, at one school now, because of the friends she may or not make.

FWIW it doesn't feel like an easy decision but the idea that I won't be bundling her into a uniform and not seeing her all day for 5 days a week in September makes me feel light and free!

I would definitely go and speak to the school to fully understand what your child's day in reception would be like. My dd is october born & was more than ready to start reception. Ds idea May born & has had a slower start. However, he has absolutely loved being at school, making new friends, learning new things, doing sports clubs, being involved in shows and going on trips. Reception is very much play led & is a lovely, gentle step in to school. Is your dc keen to start school?

I deferred my child. Just one term. Worked out fine. School happy with it. She then went part time for Easter term (three days a week) and will do so until end of this academic year. Absolutely no problems at all. Full time in Y1, unfortunately.

If your school is amenable I would suggest going part time is as good as deferring - reception year really very play based indeed, and everyone seems to be having a great time.

I deferred because I think four too young, in principle. Full time schooling will now start age five and a half (which I still think is too young but is an improvement). Very flexible school, fortunately.

BTW: You cannot defer until September, only until the start of the summer term (it's the term after the child turns five, or the summer term, whichever is the sooner). To defer until Year One you'd have to go through the admissions procedure again.

The school can't refuse you deferring, btw.

I just thought I would update that we met with the head and it was all fine. I said that we would like to defer and he wasn't at all hostile to the idea. He said it was our decision and his only concern was of socialisation and DD and integration later in the year (which is a consideration to us but that we think will be OK).

Phew.

Fantastic. That's good news, mummyinthemiddle!

Bigger is right that the place will only be held for your daughter provided she starts by the time she reaches compulsory education age, and by the end of Reception, whichever is sooner. However, there's nothing in the law to say that the child has to start at the beginning of a term, so if you have a summer-born child you could literally send her just for the last few days of Reception to secure the place.

On the other hand if the school is undersubscribed then you don't have to worry about the above. You can just wait until the beginning of Y1 and ask for a place then. (Or even later if you are prepared to home educate for a while.) If there is a place, your daughter cannot be refused. If you are thinking of doing this, check with the head to find out whether there are vacancies, and keep checking back to ensure they aren't filling up with new arrivals. A small school may have a capacity of less than 30 per year group and may be full even if it doesn't look full to an outsider.

This is indeed a consideration and we asked about possibly deferring and reapplying to start next year. This is an over subscribed school and they have already taken on 2 more in reception than their allowance, so 3 children would have to leave for there to be a place for DD next year. If we want her to go to this village school then she would really have to take up her place this year. Good to know it doesn't have to be the start of the summer term though, thank you.