If you have a DC born in August 2009...

[BrienneOfTarth]

Is anyone else thinking about deferring entry to Reception for a term or two?
I know we have a right to do this but I can't decide whether it's the right thing to do. I know there will be a lot taught in those first couple of terms and that starting school a term or two after everyone else would therefore be disadvantageous academically - but someone who has just turned four is just so young and doesn't necessarily have the developed skills they need to be able to cope with school.

Does your child attend the nursery of the school you hope they will attend? I have a summer born [not August mind] and that smooth transition with his friends reassures me. He starts Reception this Sept.

Yes Aug 29th. She will be starting full time in September. She is little and she will likely be the youngest but socially she is better than many of my friends children with autumn borns. She will sit and listen at carpet time, follow instructions etc.

She is at a disadvantage already being young I wouldn't hold her off to be further disadvantaged.

My DD is August 2009 but she is more than ready! I have no worries about sending her in September.

My DS, though - how I wish I could have deferred for him! His birthday is much earlier in the year but he wasn't socially or physically ready to start school.

I would go with your instinct. If I were not certain DD could cope, I would be keeping her back, even missing Reception altogether.

I have a sept born, but if he was august I wouldn't keep him back. Mainly as schools are likely to be oversubscribed in his year due to a baby boom. I don't want him missing a place at a good school.

I would have thought August born children would benefit from MORE time in Reception rather than less. My August born certainly needed the full school year to get himself up and running!

Not if they aren't ready for school. Much better, imo, to keep them back and send them when they're ready.
I don't believe they are academically disadvantaged. It's still Early Years and they very quickly make up for lost time at this age.

There's no risk of losing the school place by deferring, Schrodingers. The place is reserved for the child and cannot be given to anyone else. This requires him to start by the end of his Reception year and also by the time he reaches compulsory education age in the term after his fifth birthday, whichever is earlier. So a summer-born child has to start by the end of Reception.

If you wait any longer than that then the place will not be held.

Thanks for all the replies.

I'd just be thinking of deferring till after Christmas. I wouldn't want to miss out reception altogether (and we'd lose the place if we did=bad idea!). I'm really unsure - my gut is saying it's too early although both Nursery and School (which aren't linked in any way) say it'll all be fine and making me feel like I'm being overly fussy and PFB.

I have a DD2 who was born Aug 03 and is now just about to finish year 5. I didn't defer her entry, although I was worried that she would struggle emotionally with school (DD1 October born so no such worries). She managed perfectly. I expected her to be really tired every day, but she was no more tired than going to preschool. At her school, although reception was very play based, they still learnt sounds and shapes of letters and worked their way through the phonics system. If I had deferred her then she would have missed out on this.

I was also concerned that if she started later then friendships within the class may already have been formed (although they chop and change between friends all through primary school), potentially, it would have been like "being the new child".

Obviously all children are different (and you know your child best), but I found that her starting with all her classmates, was a very positive thing.

My DD isn't Aug 09 born, but she is late Aug 07 born and coming to the end of Year 1.

DD didn't settle in nursery and, even during the final days and weeks, she would cry at practically every drop-off. We also moved during the summer holidays, but did manage to visit the school we intended on sending DD just before the end of the summer term. I expressed my concerns to the HT at this visit and she was fantastic. She said we could defer for a term, do mornings, some full days or full-time - basically whatever suited DD. I felt instantly reassured that the school had her best interests at heart.

As it was, DD started full-time and never looked back. She has truly thrived at school (at the end of Year R she was streamed into the Yr2/3 class with a couple of her cohort) and I feel our decision not to defer was the right decision for DD.

All children are different though, and you know your child best.

Both my children are summer born one July and one August I planned to have them in the summer as it lovely having birthdays in the summer and they are certainly not disadvantaged at school. I feel they are at more of an advantage than those September born children as those born in September have to wait until they are 5 before they start school and they are so bored of nursery/pre school at this stage. Reception is a fantastic year as it is a play based year but in the school atmosphere. Mine where both more than ready for school and if my august born son had been born 2 weeks late he would have been in the next school year and I honestly would have gone mad if he had had to have him at home another year as he thrives on stimulation and routine and school is fantastic for him. I think keeping them back is a mistake unless they are extremely socially and academically behind but if they are attending a nursery or pre school reception is not that different!!

My twins were born two months premature on 31st august and did brilliant in reception, view came on loads, personally I think they would of found it harder to cope if they had missed out on those early weeks of settling in with everyone

Just to add my twins actually have done much better in school than my April born child

My DS is August 26th and I am slightly concerned. He currently goes to preschool (not attached to school) 2 and a half days and he tells me he doesn't want to go because he misses me.

I am slightly reassured as I am an infant teacher and I have seen that children do cope and the staff are very good and experienced with children who are summer born. I am concerned about him coping independently with things like toilet, dressing, eating etc. However, I am going to focus on all of those things in the summer and ensure he can do most things by himself. Remember they hopefully won't be wearing coats for the first few weeks so you will have a bit longer to sort that out!

How does the school start the Reception children? My DS will go to 12.20pm the first week, then 1.30pm the second week and then if me and the teacher think he is ready he will go full time. I am fully prepared to keep him as part time until the October half term or longer if need be. This will in no way affect his education (most letters and sounds and number work is done in the morning) but will ensure that he isn't too tired to go the next day. Most schools won't expect them in full time until Christmas so you should find out if this is an option.

I wouldn't defer. I actually think that those children who are born early September are actually at more of a disadvantage. They will be going to preschool for another year and will probably find this quite hard. Then when they go to school they may find that they are just doing the same things as they did in preschool for the past two years!

My (boy/girl) twins birthday is 9 August and they both started Reception last September aged 4 years and 1 month. They settled really quickly, I have never been told by the teachers/TAs that they are "behind" in any way, they have a good set of friendships starting to establish.

They enjoy school to the point that when they were ill a few weeks and couldn't go (weren't allowed, esp as their teacher was pregnant!) they cried for two days solid.

The main problems were that we were still having occasional "accidents" (but the school coped with most of them, apart from a couple of occasions when I was called in!! >.>) and the short period of tantrums in the hour or so after school when they were "coming down" from the high of being around so many other children/outside stimulus to being back at home and relaxing back into the afternoon/evening routine.

So for me, it was fine. For you it may be different - you know your own child better than anyone. Perhaps a part-time start is the best compromise. Then you can see how your LO takes to it without overloading either of you with too much pressure too soon.

Good luck, I hope whatever you decide works well for you both.

In every class there will be an oldest and a youngest.
If the cutoff was not 1st September it would be different children.
But it is.
They cope with it.
And by year 10 its very, very hard to tell who is old and who is young - in fact it can be hard to tell the year 11s apart from the year 9s