August born child

[DMrob]

Hi, my son is a August born child, I’m currently looking at schooling for him as he potentially starts September 2020.
This has probably already been asked a lot but I’m confused on whether to defer him or not.
What are parents opinions? Are there any benifits from doing this?

Both my sisters are August born. My mum chose not to defer and it doesn’t seem to have had a detrimental effect, ones a solicitor, ones a nurse. Both are much more academically minded then me and I was born in October and was one of the oldest in my school year.
The only thing it did affect was they were 17 when all their mates were 18, so they couldn’t go down the pub without borrowing someone’s ID!!😂

I've delayed my summer borns entry. He is very behind with milestones and is now having testing for SEN so I felt they would benefit

There is deferment and back-yearing. They are two different things.

Deferment refers to keeping the child in preschool or at home for the reception year, then entering school straight into year 1.
They are still in the year group they would have been in if they had attended reception.
The advantage of this is it gives the child more time to play and develop. The down side is they miss out on socialisation with their peers for that first year.

Back-yearing refers to the child being placed not into year 1 after that year at home or in preschool, but into reception. They are in effect joining the year below.
Some schools insist on moving them back up into their chronological year group before secondary school. Some do not and the child remains in the later year group. Benefits of this are they get that extra year with no detriment to bonding and learning with their peers. The downside interestingly is the other end of their schooling. They are legally entitled to walk out of school a year early.

I've been through this with two of my children. One was almost deferred but the school adapted and put in extra measures. Another was permanently back-yeared. They are both late summer birthdays,

If you have a good school that can put in appropriate measures both can work.

I skipped a year of school as a September born and thrived. My sister did too and didn’t.
It’s very much down to personality. My DD was due end of August and we just tipped into sept.
My whole pregnancy I worried and researched deferring etc. Now I’ve met her I’ve switched to worrying she’s going to be bored her last year at preschool!
I’d say the most important thing is the child-maybe chat to anyone at preschool/nursery if he attends for an opinion?

It depends on the child.

Have you spoken with his nursery?

In my previous Y1 class, of the half dozen children who were slower graspers, 5 were summer borns. On the other hand, my 4 faster graspers were also summer borns.

In my experience, summer born boys can be at a disadvantage in KS1.

By the time they leave KS2, you generally cannot tell which are autumn / spring / summer borns.

My summer born DS has been at a massive disadvantage throughout primary and is only now in year 9 starting to catch up, but doubt he will never really catch up completely. His two siblings have done so much better both being September born.
I also know August born boys who have done very well though.

Thanks so much for your advise, really appreciate it, helped a lot 😊