Do you know if there's a reason why I can't take my summer-born DS out of reception and start him again in September?

[Blueyelloworange]

My DS, 4, was born in August so started reception a month after his 4th birthday. It is going ok, though he is behind in a few things. We want to move from London to Hertfordshire and the best way to get him into a good school there would be to have him start reception again. If we can move in time to apply there, do you think that would work? And is there anything I need to do like call up the Headteacher of the new school? The council website seems to suggest it could be an option but is a bit unclear.

Yes, absolutely an option. You contact your current council to say you are deferring (not home educating) him. You then make sure you apply on time in your new borough for his September start. Best of luck, I personally feel this is absolutely the best option for the majority of summer babies.

Legally he doesn't need to be in school until the term after he is 5 but he would be starting in year 1. I gather that it's very difficult to defer reception for a year. My sister has two August born boys and neither were allowed to defer even though one was born early and adjusted age was after September.

May depend on your area though so ask before making decisions

That was certainly the case with my August born, but I believe it’s changed since?
In London, anyway.

If grammar schools might be an option in future, check their requirements, usually they are on birth date only. I would not want to close that door personally.

This was Lancashire 1 and 3 years ago. They may be particularily strict!

My understanding is that starting in year 1 with the rest of his age group is absolutely an option but starting in reception (the year below) can be tricky.

Pulling him out now and sending him back for y1 is super simple.

Starting reception over is much more complicated (you should have applied for a delay with the initial school application ideally). You need to speak to the school and then admissions for county.

I'm aware of one or two children who repeated reception year. They were summer born and with SEN. One if them had their first reception year in 2019/2020 so due to schools being closed they really didn't get the input they needed and repeating reception made sense. I think you would want to discuss with the schools your reasons why you dont think your DC should stay with their age group and needs to drop back. I wouldn't chose it for my DC unless there was a specific need.

So much mis info on this thread.

You need the headteachers permission for him to start in reception rather than yr 1. Some schools are more willing than others. If the school isn’t willing you can fight it but you need time on your side. I would worry for you is moving in time for applying for school.

Reception is basically pre school with a couple of added learning times. I don’t understand why you would delay your child when reception is preparing them for year 1 and if the school don’t allow (in my area they don’t) they he will be shoved straight into year 1.
I work in a pre school and primary schools are so against this. I also learnt recently whilst on a course that it can have implications when it comes to secondary school as they don’t have to follow what the primary has done and instead of going into year 7 when it’s time to move up they are put into year 8 with their real age group.
Children can always be behind in some aspect, no matter if they are September or August born, schools aren’t looking for perfection, they’re still children learning and reception is a great place for them to get used to a school environment.

I’d think carefully. Will he thank you as a 17 year old still in Year 11?

Sorry, just remembered he’s August. He’d still be older though - in my experience as a secondary teacher it is weird for them.

It is at the discretion of the headteacher. If you are moving to Hertfordshire, you would need to be identifying schools now and finding out the head’s policy on deferral.

Where I used to work in London it was a blanket “no” to everyone, even premature-August borns, who would have been in a different year at full gestation.

As someone up thread has said, my head adopted this policy because the local secondaries could put them straight into year 8 if there were too many applicants, which in our borough there always would be for the “good” schools.

For what it’s worth, it’s not uncommon for children born at any point in the year to find the transition to reception hard at this point in the year. It’s a long day, full of processing new things, they are probably on a phonics programme already, even just the faces around them and that shift from nursery key worker relationship to teacher relationship is a lot for them. Reception is designed for 4-5 year olds. The teacher will have had august borns before and successfully taught them.

All other issues aside, I’m not sure it seems fair on him to miss out on a year with friends and new experiences just because you want to move house and hope to use the move to get a better school place. It may absolutely be the best thing for him and if it is, then I’d go with that.

But that would be under the assumption he would return to his current school. If you are buying, it seems an extremely tight deadline to sell, have an offer accepted, move through conveyancing and be exchanged in time for the January deadline. Maybe different if you’re renting. My neighbours have been trying to sell for over a year and a half. Finally had an offer accepted in February after a year of viewings. Was meant to be easy. Buyers were chain free cash buyers supposedly. The house itself is vacant (second home), no chain. It’s dragged on and on for 8 months now. No end in sight.

Would you be happy to delay and the return to the same school? Or would you be able to manage if you missed the application deadline and ended up well out of catchment at a school you don’t like?

I think by all means look to move, but I wouldn’t faff about with pulling out of school because that’s a risky move.

The thinking was we would sell and rent near the (hopefully) new school to make it all faster. We wouldn't pull him out of his current school until we had the new house all secured and I guess if that takes until after January we might rethink. We have a DD due in January too. It's a bit mad but there is never really a great time to move and if we can get him into reception again it could be worth it?

The other option is to move a little later and apply for him to start year 1 in Herts as an in year admission- there are a couple of 'good' schools with spaces in year one but not outstanding and the school he goes to now is outstanding. Herts does have infant and junior schools though so perhaps there would be another option for him to swap to an outstanding school at 7.

This is so helpful, I wouldn't have thought to check that but will call the relevant schools and ask about thier policies. I guess they could easily change them again by the time DS is 11 but it would be very helpful info anyway.

Thanks that's super helpful info

Thanks that's super helpful info. He has already started reception though, would that make it harder?

We relocated and moved my DS in reception he started his new school after Christmas. We were lucky the school had a place , and he's settled wonderfully. I think if you are going to move them the younger the better .

If your looking to defer there is a Facebook group that's meant to be helpful. But as a PP says grammar schools can be funny about it .

Thank you! He is settling pretty well to be honest, he can do all the communicating, listening, following instructions type stuff, just can't draw beyond squiggly or straight lines let alone write anything as alot of the kids in his class can.

Did you apply in year for reception then? The trouble is that there aren't places in reception in the good schools in his area.

Hertfordshire is very pro summer born deferrals. I didn’t defer my summer born but I know plenty who did and none have been refused. I think a lot of the experiences mentioned here about having to start in year 1 are out of date as the guidance seems to have change in the last couple of years.

I spoke to the school directly, and went to view it . It was pretty easy to be honest, but we were lucky there was a place they are normally full. I think in reception, Y1&2 they can legally only take 30 to a class. But from year 3 they can accept an extra child that's moved out of area. I think its year 3 you'll have to double check the age .

often it would mean they start in year one not reception, so check before you do so.

I’m just picking up on your comments about no spaces in the ofsted outstanding schools for current reception. I’m a teacher, please don’t go by ofsted ratings.

I’ve worked in schools rated as outstanding and there’s no way I’d send my own child there. I now work in a good school and I think it’s a brilliant place to be a student. Read the reports, but don’t judge just from the overall ratings.