Summer Born deferring a year.

[blaisealex]

Hi,

My DS is due to start School September 2022. His Birthday is in July.

I'm wondering about starting in September 2023 instead after he turns five rather than four. I'd like him to start in Reception though and stay with that year group all the way through. Rather than skipping a year and starting in Year 1.

Has anyone done this or have an advice or experience? Pros and cons?

I was reading online and also unsure about when I would need to apply? In Jan 2022 or Jan 2023?

Bump ;)

Yes my cousin put her daughter a year back, she’s due to start reception this year at 5.
She said it’s the best decision as she knew she wasn’t quite ready.

I wouldn’t do it. My Dd is end of July and she’ll just be five when she starts in 2024.

I’m not planning on deferring her as they can’t go into reception will be skipped to year 1.

When I was a kid I was skipped forwards a year and it was awful when it hit year 6. Because I had to stay behind as I wasn’t allowed to go to secondary with my friends and had to repeat a year with “new” kids.

I wouldn't unless your child has a learning need. Just being young won't be a hindrance. Some of the most able children I've taught have August birthdays.

Join the FB group 'flexible school admissions for summer borns.'

An absolute wealth of experience and expertise and will walk you through the process. It's a bit of a postcode lottery and how easy/how much of a battle it will be can depend very much on where you live and what type of school you're applying to (academy/local authority etc) but it's certainly possible.

Good luck

I would only do it on the basis that he could start in Reception.just a year later than normal. And remain with that year group all the way through. I wouldn't want him to skip a year, so if that wasn't possible then I wouldn't do it.

I would proceed with caution. It's just not commonplace enough for these children to not have some issues later in school life (academic and social). Things like:

Will secondary schools accept them into year groups out with their normal age range

What if they want to do the 11Plus (you might move into an area where this is necessary or desirable)

Social issues of being older than their peers and constantly having to explain.

People will assume they've been 'held back'.

Of course if your child is really not ready, then keep them back. But most 4 year olds do well in reception - which in a good school is very play-based and just an extension of nursery.

For what it's worth.....you'll get lots of people saying you should/shouldn't defer but you know your child best and ultimately will make the right decision for them as an individual.

I'm a reception teacher and have taught a number of deferred children. I'm hugely for the process and wish it wasn't such a postcode lottery. That said, after a lot of thought I chose not to defer my own child and he started school this year. I knew he was ready and he is thriving so it was the right decision for us, but it just shows that it is very much down to the individual child.

Some will be more than ready for school and deferring will hold them back, others won't be as ready as deferring can be a great choice.

You need to consider all angles - if your child wants to play sports - football for example - he will be in a team with kids a school year older than him and not his age. What happens when he wants to move up to secondary - will the secondary school support him joining a year late? (I think they have to but do check)
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/921255/Guidance_for_parents_September_2020.pdf

This document explains why you should apply at the normal time and then make a request to defer entry.

You'd need to apply to delay entry to reception in the January before she "should" start school, so that the agreement is in place. In our case we had to apply for a school place for that year too in case our application was refused.

If you don't get approval to delay you'll end up having to decide to send her to school at some point in the reception year before she turns 5, or for her to go into reception when she starts in the September after her 5th birthday (not ideal)

The general principle is that children should stay in their adoptive cohort when they move up to secondary school - unless it is proved that it is in the child's best interests to miss a year (which is rarely the case). That's how the guidance I've seen is worded.

We did it, but because of medical/prematurity-related reasons. It was the right decision for us.

Whilst some schools allow them to stay in year group, when changing it might not be possible and there's disadvantages eg sports teams require you to be under whatever age on 31aug/1st September so they won't be eligible to play for their school with classmates. Another consideration is will your 18 year old be impressed they have another year of school??? If there's not significant delays think very carefully about your reasoning, differences disappear pretty quickly, I'm an August birthday!

You need the flexible admissions for summer born children Facebook group.
To answer quickly though, yes, in theory you can start him in reception at CSA (compulsory school age, aka 5) and he can remain in that cohort for his entire schooling. In reality it's a postcode lottery. The law is that schools must act in the best interest of the child, but many insist that they cater sufficiently for summer borns that there is no need to delay, and cite being forced to skip a year in the jump to secondary (again, supposedly only if it's in the child's interest) as being another reason not to. If you go ahead you have to apply in their normal year, then withdraw the application after getting approval from the schools and LA you're applying for. You then apply again the following year. My daughter is starting reception this September aged 5. It was best for her now but I do fear the ongoing fight to keep her in her adopted cohort.

@Tidypidy

I wouldn't unless your child has a learning need. Just being young won't be a hindrance. Some of the most able children I've taught have August birthdays.

Oh, yes, I understand that, completely. That isn't a factor at all in my thinking. I'd just quite like to have DS home for one more year before he starts School. Just turned four seems so young to be starting. I like the idea of starting later, like certain other countries do, much later than five, even.

We didn’t (he’s a late summer baby) as there was no need really. He started in nursery at the school he ended up in and settled well, he was reading and adding at the same rate as the other children - he was a little smaller (but then he isn’t going to he a giant) but age was never an issue.

We did ask the school if he should go to reception or stay back (his best pals were a couple of weeks younger and slipped into the next years intake) and they said that there was no need educationally or emotionally.

10 posts in the time it took me to type that 😂

@TheDamnFoolThatShotHim

For what it's worth.....you'll get lots of people saying you should/shouldn't defer but you know your child best and ultimately will make the right decision for them as an individual.

I'm a reception teacher and have taught a number of deferred children. I'm hugely for the process and wish it wasn't such a postcode lottery. That said, after a lot of thought I chose not to defer my own child and he started school this year. I knew he was ready and he is thriving so it was the right decision for us, but it just shows that it is very much down to the individual child.

Some will be more than ready for school and deferring will hold them back, others won't be as ready as deferring can be a great choice.

Thanks for your input. I mean, personally, I think DS would be fine with starting at four. I think he would be ready for that and do well. He seems to pick things up well and quickly. I just think for me, personally, four just seems so young and perhaps selfishly, I'd like to have a bit longer with him at home!

@stuckinarutatwork

I would proceed with caution. It's just not commonplace enough for these children to not have some issues later in school life (academic and social). Things like:

Will secondary schools accept them into year groups out with their normal age range

What if they want to do the 11Plus (you might move into an area where this is necessary or desirable)

Social issues of being older than their peers and constantly having to explain.

People will assume they've been 'held back'.

Of course if your child is really not ready, then keep them back. But most 4 year olds do well in reception - which in a good school is very play-based and just an extension of nursery.

Yes, I get that there could definitely be issues. DS currently goes to Nursery and has done on and off since he was 9 months old as I've needed to work. I'm now only doing two days a week so he's only in for two days a week at the mo. If Reception was guaranteed to be play based and an extension of Nursery that would be fine but I worry that it won't be.

Also, we are TTC, and again, perhaps, selfishly, if he started a year later, he and any sibling, would be at School together for just a bit longer.

Join the Facebook group as recommended by @TheDamnFoolThatShotHim

Educate yourself on all the ins and outs - it is a postcode lottery. If you are in a difficult area you need to brace yourself for a fight. BUT - legally you can start your summer born child at CSA in reception. We are in an 'easy' area and it was literally a breeze.

Application procedures will differ by LA.

Look at the Facebook group and search for your LA to get a feel for yours.

Once in their 'cohort' your child stays with them. You will need to apply separately for secondary school but the school has to take into account the year group they have been in up to that point. Your child will not miss Y6 or Y7.

Make the decision that is right for YOUR child to help them thrive, not cope. Good luck!

From all the comments so far, it doesn't sound like an easy process. Almost seems as though lots of LA's put many obstacles in the way and make it more difficult and arduous than it needs to be.

My DD was deferred and started reception last September aged 5 years and 5 days. It was absolutely the right decision for her to get that extra year in nursery, the things she was unable to grasp the first time round just clicked into place for her and she is like a different child.

I teach SEN and we are having to fight tooth and nail to keep a child in his current year group (one below where he should be), providing all sorts of evidence. I would check your council's policy on deferring as your child may then be expected to skip a year somewhere and proving they need to stay where they are even when they're SEN is hard.

Speak to the school before making the decision. I wanted to do this with my july born youngest (though 10 years ago ) and was told by the school that they would not allow it, that it was disruptive to the other children her joining in yr 1, that she would not be able to join the school year group below to do Reception after she turned 5. They also said that they would not keep her school place open, and that we would almost certainly lose it as it was at a highly sought after village primary. The reception teacher then complained when she fell asleep under the table every afternoon for the first term. If I could go back I wish I had insisted on it and sent her to a different school. Communicate with the school, to make sure that you know what your options will be regarding a school place if you do decide to do this.

I know it's a worry, but I wouldn't hold him back. I had a July born but sent him with his peer year on the advice of the Head Teacher who said it's not an issue. He's at uni now and did well at school all the way through.

@alldancinfeet the guidelines have changed in the last 10 years. Schools should at least be open to having the discussion. And actually shouldn't just say no.....look at the link I posted earlier to the latest guidelines (they are for parents there is a similar booklet for schools).

If you think he'll cope and you just want him at home I'm not sure you have a good reason to keep him back. My child is also a summer born due to start school in 2022 and I can't imagine them doing a further 2+ years at nursery - they're interested in and beginning to recognise letters and numbers, names shapes, remembers action songs etc. They'll love reception. I work in a school and it's not all the sitting down being forced to write all day that some people make it out to be. Also, people sometimes get hung up on the fact the other children will have just turned 5 and be a whole year older. This will be a handful of children, or maybe just one or two. Many children will be only a few months older or indeed younger.