ds late Feb birthday (Scottish)

[TheFalconsmistress]

He will be 4.5 when starting school. I was going to keep him back but now I feel he is ready. Is there anyone here whos DC has done well at this age entering p1?

both dd and ds have children with jan/feb birthdays that seem to do ok - dd has 3 feb birthdays in her class and they are in the top maths/english groups (she is p5 now).

Ds1 was a late feb birthday. He is in top group for reading and language, though does struggle a bit with his maths but I Just think its doesn't interest him as much he does get some extra help for this but he is generally doing well so I'm not too worried. He is now in P5. He was definately ready to go, and after defering ds2 last year I did question whether I should have done it for ds1 but I think you just 'know' when they are ready.

My children have November birthdays are there are a lot of December, January and February birthdays in their class. However the top set for reading and maths and made up with the exception of one October birthday by the oldest children in the class.
Friends who have younger children have said when they are choosing there standard grades the children are only 13, which is very young.
Remember when they come to leave school and go into university they will only be 17 and still not allowed to drink, and all there friends will be driving before them as well.

I have a November birthday and left school after 5th year age 16 and went to Uni just before I turned 17 (didnt stop me from drinking either!). I graduated from uni at the age of 20 with an honours degree. I didnt pass my driving test until I was 26 though.

DD started school last August and she has a February birthday. She had thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Her reading is wonderful, her number work coming along well and she had socialised well. She does get tired though.

She would have enjoyed another year at nursery as well though. Sometimes I wish I wasn't a slave to the school timetable yet.

Thanks for all the replies

I have a meeting to enroll him on Monday I feel he is ready your positive replies helped. I have a feeling he will struggle a little with language but thats him rather than his age. He is very good with math already loves adding and subtracting etc he is just that way inclined. He does a lot of pretend reading where he makes the story up as he goes so hoping it will come soon. He is a whizz on computers too not surprising as dh is a developer and my dad an engineer. He seems on that path but it may all change

The main thing is he is ready for the challenge and happy as crazy as its sounds for MN I have no deep desire or expectation for him to be top of the class but for him just to love learning and find out what excites him!

Right, can I just hi jack slightly.... If a child Has their fourth birthday in march, does that mean they won't be starting school until they are nearly 5 and a half in Scotland?
Thanks

Yes, it does. Dd has an Oct birthday, so was 4.10 when she started P1, and is one of the youngest in her class.

That is correct leaf. The oldest child in the year group will have a March birthday. Children born in Jan & Feb have a legal right and entitlement to remain at nursery rather than start school at 4 and half. Children born after August may request to defer a year so they are five when when they begin.

If you ask to defer between August and December you need a report from an educational physiologist or you will not be funded for a further year of nursery education. In most cases I know deferral was rejected unless there were social or physical problems.
I have friends who gave deferred but that was because DC were off to public school and they wanted DC to be oldest in class. In these cases they self funded private nursery

That's right. DS has a late Feb birthday and we chose to defer him for a year, so he will be 5yr 6m when he starts P1 in August.
DD has a mid March birthday and will start P1 when she is 5yr 5m, no option to defer her.
I know a few people who put their Jan/Feb birthday DC to school at 4.5, the DCs needed a wee help to begin with, but soon caught up and they seemed a bit more tired at the end of the day.
You know what's right for yours, ask the nursery/childminder what they think.

Margetts it depends on where you live. I work with two people who have deferred their children both with November birthdays. They have had a further year of funded nursery without any referrals or reports.

I wouldn't send a child with a January or February birthday and it is not just about being top of the class. Ds finished school this week. He is still 17 (October birthday). Three of his friends were 18 before he was 17 and it does make a difference. Also for starting secondary, I think it helps to be that bit older.

If he were in England he could be starting school at 4 and 1 day, so I think he will cope fine at 4 and a half. My DS (April birthday) starts school in Sept and will be 4 and a half (nearly).

My (Scottish) DH has a late Feb birthday and always coped brilliantly at school (PhD from RG university).

Yes, in comparison to English system, it is a significantly later start to full time education. I know that in other parts of Europe, full time education does not start until age 6 or 7, and I wonder if there is any cited theory behind starting at specific ages.

I dont know if P1 in scotland is as play based as reception would be so may need to be a bit older and a bit more mature.

Margetts - no issues here with deferring (midlothian). DS's school has three P1 classes which are arranged by age and probably half of the oldest class are children who have deferred.
DS1 is a late Dec birthday and seems to be managing fine so far.

As a teacher, I have never known anyone regret deferring a child. I have met a number of parents who regretted not deferring. But, not every parent.

Go with your gut instinct. If you think your child will cope academically, physically, emotionally and socially don't defer. If you have any doubt, defer.