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Original poster

August baby boy

20 replies

LittleMissWorryHead · 06/09/2010 20:21

OK. Am feeling a bit dim. When I booked in to have my c-section, all the dates in early September were all full up - I wanted a later one as I didn't want to have to push him out early (plus he was my third, I know they're easier in there!) so I went for the only available date - 29 August.

So he will be due to start school in September, when he is 4+1 week or something.

Well that's fine I thought, I can just keep him back for a year if I want to, if I think it would benefit him.

THEN i look into it, and I can, but the poor boy would have to start in year 1?! So I would be putting him at a huge disadvantage as he would have missed out on a whole year of schooling?!

Is this right? Has the world gone mad?!

Is it true that summer children tend to not do as well in school (I know this isn't always the case!) because they start in Jan or April and miss out on schooling rather than because they are the youngest. I know that the rules have changed and so he will be starting in September so will have a whole year...but still.

Jeez, all I can say, is I am SO glad Sam'n'Cam had an August baby, they might change things now!!!

Thanks in advance!!!

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thisisyesterday · 06/09/2010 20:28

i would see if i could change the c-section date to be honest!

i am sure you'll get plenty of people saying that their child was fine, but i KNOW that ds1 would have been nowhere near ready at just 4 yrs old.
it's really hard on them i think (and i say this as someone who's b'day is august 28th!)

if you do end up having him on the 29th then it's worth bearing in mind that as he doesn';t legally HAVE to be in school until the term he turns 5 that you could just send him part-time to start with, tho that may equally be hard on him if everyone else is there all the time

sorrento56 · 06/09/2010 20:31

My dd started school at 4 and a month.

I think you should have your baby the day that is better for him, not what date suits the start of school tbh.

Changebagsandgladrags · 06/09/2010 20:33

Yes he'd start reception just after he's 4. He could start a year later in year 1, but there might not be any places in a good school. Or he could start at any time in that year.

As for summer children not doing well, that is supposed to be the case but I'm not so convinced. I am an August baby, I have a degree in Maths, DH is an August baby and he has a first in Computer Science, my brother is a late July baby and he is a college lecturer.

AnneofCleves · 06/09/2010 20:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NinthWave · 06/09/2010 20:36

Er, not sure it's possible for OP to change the date of the c-section, as it was a week ago Wink

thisisyesterday · 06/09/2010 20:38

oh yes, of course! i am such a dimwit sometimes lol

alicatte · 06/09/2010 20:41

I am not totally sure about this but where I work some August boys have been put in the following school year at the request of their parents - this seems to be OK with everybody including the secondary schools that they eventually attend. I notice that these children are all born in the second half of August and are all boys.

I am not sure what the legal position on this is but am sure that it must be acceptable or our school wouldn't do it - we are very traditional and proper.

Original poster
LittleMissWorryHead · 06/09/2010 20:42

Well, hmm, I think this is where I step in and tell you he is already here and 2!!!!

AnneofCleves - very helpful indeed, I would not have wanted to have a c-section if I hadn't needed to, and would have loved for him to have come when he was ready, hence the bit about me wanting to keep him in there as long as possible, so I find that comment pretty ridiculous...but thank you, you are clearly all knowing. I was 39+6, was that close enough I wonder....

I wouldn't have chosen a date around schooling (obviously, he is a (SHOCK HORROR) August baby....)

So, I guess I just wanted to check this was right, as I really was under the impression that I could hold him back for a year - bloody hell, I think I was wrong!!

Thanks Changebagsandgladrags Smile

I guess its just because he is a boy and I have been panic reading, plus DH wants to keep him back for a year.....although I have yet to break it to him that he would be starting in year 1.

I may have to start a petition.....

OP posts:
pinayangel0912 · 06/09/2010 21:21

Ace was born august 20, and will start reception yr tommorow monring full day... from day 1... he was 5 weeks premature should of been born sept 28, i should be applying now for him to start next year where he will be one of the eldest, i applied last year sept.. and now he is one of the youngest if not the youngest in the year/class... I know plenty of people who are august born who have succeeded in life for example for my cousin in philippines is a midwife - gynacologist etc... all through her teen late, early twenties.. study study study... whilst her friends was always out.. Ace is quite advance, its up to you... you never now.. btween now and the time you start applying for school, the government might of changed...

thisisyesterday · 06/09/2010 21:24

you could move to scotland. i think up there you can keep them back and start them in reception. i could be wrong tho!

if it were me tho i would definitely consider holding him back a year. he'll learn plenty from you and at nursery.

OR, just send him part-time. as i said before he isn't legally required to be there until the term he is 5, so you could insist on mornings only for as long as you want.

then again, the time might come and he might be perfectly ready, in which case you won't need to worry :)

sarahfreck · 06/09/2010 21:33

Oh boy! Really don't worry at this stage!! Why not wait and see how he is when he is older. Some children are perfectly ready for reception at just 4, others might be better with a part-time place for a bit or staying in nursery a bit longer. Wait and see, and also see what your chosen nursery/school is able to offer by way of options!!

pinayangel0912 · 06/09/2010 21:42

i agree with sarahfleck.. your boy is only a week old!! just enjoy his time as a baby as tiem will fly!

Original poster
LittleMissWorryHead · 06/09/2010 21:48

Thanks Smile But, as you can see from my name, I am a worrier...so I will probably carry on worrying while hoping Dave might see sense now he has an August baby of his own to worry about....

ps He is 2, so a bit older than a week old Wink

OP posts:
pinayangel0912 · 06/09/2010 21:56

ah okay soz!!!!!!
most of us thought that you only just had a c section as your post wasnt very clear... so is he on the lists for any nursery yet? you might be worrying when he gets married have children lol...

exexpat · 06/09/2010 21:59

Every reception class has boys (and girls) with late August birthdays and they can't all be struggling - the reception teachers are used to the big variations in development. The only August-born boy I know who really has had trouble had other issues as well (speech delay and likely dyslexia).

Personally I think there should be an option to delay by a year if necessary, but not every child should need it. I think I remember reading one recent study that found a slight August-birthday effect at GCSE level, but I think it was less than half a GCSE grade on average, and obviously didn't apply to everyone. I'm sure other factors can make much more difference, like parental involvement in education, good schools/teachers and so on. And I would think starting in reception with all the play-based curriculum would be way better than going straight into year 1.

FWIW, I have an August-born DS who started school at 5 (not in this country) but had to join his own age-group when we returned to this country, even though he has had one year's less schooling than his classmates, and it hasn't made the slightest bit of difference.

Olihan · 06/09/2010 22:04

Her son is 2!

LittleMiss, my dd was born on 21st August and started reception last year aged 4 years and 12 days. I was so, so worried about it and like you, wanted to hold her back but found our LEA wouldn't even contemplate the idea.

However, apart from being very tired at the beginning she has coped fantastically and is thriving. She loves being there, she's coming on in leaps and bounds academically and has a lovely circle of friends.

I think it helped having an older sibling already at school because she was familiar with the building/staff/reading books/phonics etc so it wasn't a huge culture shock to her.

The new foundation stage curriculum is amazing and really benefits the younger children in the year group because they 'work' at their own level.

Honestly, I remember well how stressed I was about dd but it has been more than okay for both of us. Please don't work yourself into a state about it. So much of how well they do depends on natural ability, personality and a hundred other variables. Being August born isn't necessarily an instant detriment to learning.

It's worth bearing in mind that a few LEAs do allow august borns to start into reception in the following year but it's a very small number.

pinayangel0912 · 06/09/2010 22:09

i think we all know her son is 2 now... ! but obviously it should have been clarified at the start

Original poster
LittleMissWorryHead · 06/09/2010 22:54

Sorry. Now clarified Wink He's definitely 2, he throws things at me, hits his brother and sister and is constantly demanding weetabix...

Thanks for all your posts, especially Olihan, I feel much less worried, so thank you Smile

Still might start a petition, also thought I might mention it to the school as it's a really tiny village school and both my other two have gone there, so there might be a way if he needs it....

Stupid rule though, it really should be up to the parents I feel....

I did wonder why all the c-sections were booked up from 1st Sept - 16th!

OP posts:
Olihan · 06/09/2010 23:23

Ours is a smallish village school too and there are only 24 in her class which has helped her personally as she's quite shy. They also do a lot of integration between YR/Y1/Y2 so those that are very able do some work in a higher class and the ones that are struggling go down a class but it's so common for the children to mix classes that the children don't seem to notice.

A small school will definitely be an advantage for him, ime.

Glad you're not quite as worried, it is hard because they are so young when they start, but I really do feel it more than she does!

lingle · 07/09/2010 10:23

Google "When you are born matters" by the IFS.

It's not in dispute that on average August-born children fare worse than September-born children.

But statistics don't mean your own child will struggle.my son is one of the minority of August-born children for whom starting reception at 4.0 would have been disastrous and he started reception today at 5.0. Only a minority of August-borns suffer long-term effects - the August borns who are immature for their own birth month, not the ones who are merely and predictably immature compared to kids a year older. Teachers can support the latter group.

To understand the issue I find it help to think of it has follows:

you need to combine the following factors before you think about a particular child:
family - scale from chaotic to supportive
school - scale from excellent to bad
degree of maturity for own age - scale from mature to immature
age relative to school peer group - from oldest to youngest.

So if you are in a supportive family at a good school and reasonably mature for your age, then those factors will probably outweigh your later birth month. A few parents even report their child being spurred to greater efforts by knowing they are the youngest!

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