August born babies school year

[nearlymumofone]

Hi,

I'm in early days of pregnancy and due 26th August. Just wondering when he would start school? Do August babies start school when they are just past their 4th birthday? ... wondering how long i'll need to keep my legs crossed for!!?

yes they do! Cross your legs until at least 1st Sept, think you're ok then but up to 31st definitely not! if it's your first, likely to be late anyway. Good luck x

It's my second- dc1 is a september baby and was 10 days late, best I hope to be at least 5 days late with this one then!!

My due date is 26th Aug too and have been thinking about this, had myself utterly confused trying to work it out!

Oh dear - I'm due August 30th!

Better get working on my pelvic floor hahahah

Gandalf voice

YOU SHALL NOT PASS!

I'm a teacher and I think the 31st Aug rule is terrible... If I had my way parents would have the option of deferring Reception until a year later if their babies are born after the beginning of July. It should be YOUR choice... Although I will say in my experience not all August babies struggle, I've noticed anecdotally since working with children with minor SEN that a lot of them were late July or August babies... I want to stress that my comments are not based on research!!! But I would also be crossing my legs at the end of August

I really wanted an August baby (and am 11 weeks gone with due date of 4th). I really like the idea of an early start at school because in my experience starting a year earlier, with support at home, the child can do as well as his peers that are a year older. It may even give them self confidence boost to know that they are younger and can do well.

...and nice to have that year in hand at the other end too.
Doing your GCSEs at 15 when everyone else is 16.

One of mine is an Aug baby and is in the top group for stuff and managing really well socially with lots of friends (mostly the kids who are already 5). No obvious SEN either. It's not necessarily a curse to be Aug born. Whenever the cut-offs are, some children have to be the youngest .

Also, my youngest is an Autumn baby, and even as a toddler, I can tell is going to be a nightmare when stuck waiting to be old enough to go to school. With 2 older siblings they're already 2 going on 12!

There has to be a cut off point at some point anyway.

They have flexible school entry where I grew up. You can defer for nearly a year and they often hold kids back a year if academically weak, or let them skip up 1-2 years if very bright. The upshot is that the children of the best informed parents are most advantaged, yet again. Billed as "choice" but in reality yet another way to entrench social inequalities.

Where do you live lljkk?! Totally agree with your point about entrenching social inequalities - spent my whole politics degree writing angry essays about sharp middle class mothers with sharp elbows. Yet now it's MY baby... (bad person!)

I was an august born baby (2nd) and i actually took my Maths gcse at age 14! I got a B and was quite disappointed. I dont think it makes that much difference at gcse level but i was SEN until i started secondary school really. It was english that was my weakness, still is really, and maths my strength, think thats just me tbh though. x

Research does show that babies born in August do worse. I was reading an article about it (was it guardian family?) a few weeks ago.

I am due 2 Sept and am hoping it doesn't come early. Other countries start them in sept but selection is based on earlier months in the year iyswim.

Found it, can't do links properly tho:

www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/nov/01/birth-month-affects-results-well-being

I grew up in California, Peasand.
Someone has to be the youngest. Other factors (things you can control) are much more important.

Spuddybean -that's true on average, but it doesn't make it necessarily true for one individual child .

My August son has struggled with reading, and since he started KS2 I've felt that if he was in the year below he would be thriving. His school have been marvellous at helping him raise s reading age to match his peers, thank goodness, but being the "baby" of the class is quite evident sometimes.

I know a couple of August born children who have struggled, but I know more who have thrived.

DS1 is October born and I wish he could have been in the year above as he is mature for his age and not stretched enough at the moment.

DC2 &3 are summer born and I worry about them being young compared to their peers.

So close your legs by all means but it won't stop you worrying when the time comes!

My friend, father of two (1 and 3), said its best to have August babies as they could save on nursery fees and when the kids grow up the difference is hardly noticeable. It's a hard one but I guess it's not up to us to pick the birthday anyway

I thought the stats were for July and August babies being behind because they are so much younger and smaller than the rest of the class.

You can defer to January to start, cant you? I'm sure you can!

I started in Jan at 4, and I was fine, so hoping my July/Aug baby will do well. Lots of support at home is the key.

I would be happy with August, my oldest was October and had to wait an extra before school and was more than ready. Now he's the oldest in the year and is finding all of the work very easy and boring and is not enjoying school because he is bored, they are giving him harder work but it's still easy. I'd rather he was the year above and stretched more.

There was a long thread on here a while ago on this subject. On average summer born children do worse, but that doesn't mean all summer born children will. Some will be bright/mature beyond their years. Some will be quite the opposite. However, the trend is there.

DC2 is due 1 August (so no chance of hanging on for a month). I'm going to play it by ear as where I live you can defer if you want to providing the school agree that it's appropriate. I wouldn't rule it out especially as otherwise DC1 and DC2 will be in consecutive school years, as were my sister and I, and it was too close for comfort.

My DS2 is an August baby and has never struggled academically or socially. I know that it's anecdotal but I work in education and wouldn't say that a significant percentage of summer babies have difficulties.

I think in most local authorities you can defer starting reception until January?April. We did, DS2 started after easter and moved up to Yr1 at christmas so he had that extra term in reception.

I have only great experience with my late August born boy.... I think it makes little 'tryers' out of them. Ds1 started school soon after 4th birthday and had to fight to keep up from the start. Made him very happy to work and make an effort all his life - my early October borns both walked into education top of the heap and been much more lazy...
I have a July born due to start soon and no worries

I say this everytime there is a summer borns thread.eldest is late july. academically shes done well,form prize at secondary (highly selective school too) amazing exam results etc etc. she would have been fed up to be a year below.

she was in a study during her primary years to follow this up and the problems there were seemed mostly to do with prems especially multiples who crossed " the line" through being born early - eg due sept, born late july

Reallifeisforwimps do some research as I think you are not correct about deferring school entry.

Yes a child is of statuary school age and so has to be educated in school or otherwise from the term following their 5th birthday- so Sept for summer borns. BUT what happens if you do defer is that they miss reception and go straight into year 1, which must hugely disadvantage them.

(also schools wont hold a place as they aren't paid for it so you'll get a year 1 place where ever there is space not necessarily the school of your choice or even your nearest school.)