Help please over school starting age

[littleStinky]

Can anyone in the know clarify this for me please?
I was of the understanding that a child does not HAVE to be in full time education until the term after they are 5.
So my daughter was born 2/8/11 so we understood that September 2016 she would start reception at primary school. She would be 5 years and 1 month old.
I have just got a letter from the council telling me my child NEEDS to start reception from September 2015.
The government website I have been on contradicts this letter www.gov.uk/school-attendance-absence/overview

Yes you can request she start reception rather than Y1 in Sept 2016 but this will be refused unless there is clear and documented (supported by medical evidence) special needs or developmental delay.

FYI, my daughter is a 31/8 birthday and started reception 3 days after her 4th birthday. SHe was more than ready to go and we have had no real issues.

Just had a call from the school. They are absolutely fine for my daughter to start reception the term after she turns 5. So there is hope out there for anyone else wanting to do the same!

I don't think it's up to the school. The LA needs to be involved as if your dd moves school at 7 or 11, she will be in the wrong year and may be forced to miss a year.

Please please check with the LA too.

It's not up to the school; it's a decision by the LEA.

And one you need in writing before deciding not to apply at the normal time for her age.

As others have said, it isn't up to the school.

Ds has just started reception, he is off the bottom of the centile range and due to his disabilities is delayed by about 2 years, he also has no speech at all.

There are a wide range of children in year R and the teachers and TAs are usually experienced with a range of ages, abilities and personalities.

We did look into delaying ds for a year (he is a July birthday) and due to his disabilities this would have been possible, but still not easy. But know just how much progress they can make in that initial reception year.

Gatesheads admissions document online expressly says deferment will be decided jointly by them and the school. School may well be fine with it, great, but it isn't up to them, they are not the admissions authority. The LEA need to agree too - which is very unlikely. You need to start the discussion with them now - you do not want to be in a situation where you should have applied this year, don't, and are stuck with a school no one else wants as that is the only school with a space for y1.

also be aware that deferred entry is referring to entering straight into year 1, and delayed entry is negotiating entering into reception a year later.

Delayed entry has to be decided by the admissions authority.

Thanks for the heads up, Would have thought the head teacher would know this? Very strange

Also check on knock on effects if she were to transfer school especially to a different Local Authority or Secondary.

A girl was out of year in dd's class (private - she was an early august birthday so only 3 weeks too old) she has now gone into state and had to skip a year and is now in her correct year.

If the school, local authority and parents all agree that a child will start in Reception after their 5th birthday, then they stay with that cohort for their entire education, they would not have to return to their "correct" year group. My headteacher investigated this for a parent last term.

Only if they stay in that school little fish

Have you looked at school by visiting and talking to teachers? All schools have shy tiny just turned 4 yr olds starting every year. In our school 70 percent have already been to nursery there for a year. The new ones are not over whelmed as the school are ready for them. So much is done on learning to be at school, basic phonics, number lines and bonds and tons of play on those first 2 terms. Learning to change for PE, learning to listen to story time, learning to use the canteen, taking themselves to the toilet, getting to know teachers and finding their unique friends. I think of reception as a stepping stone between home or nursery and more formal school in year one. I would worry that late starters miss all this bit

FWIW My DD was a tiny, shy, just-4yo who started Reception and did fine. The hardest bit was the playground, but after a lot of play dates a year down the line she has found a few very similar friends and all is well.

She has taken the classroom "learning" in her stride.

As above replies. Also the older children wont be big and bolshy. My own child was one of the oldest, he is the sweetest child and goes out of his way to help others in the class. he is also not that much bigger or older than the younger children. The slightly older children are just as nervous and shy as your child I think you need to remember that not make very wrong assumptions about very young children.

Mrz - that's not what we were told. It may be that it has to be within the same local authority though.

Mrz is correct. Even within one local authority a high school can refuse to take a child outside of their normal she group. It doesn't usually happen because it is rare that a child is educated outside of their normal age group and it happens for very specific reasons.

We have been told categorically by our local authority that it is for the primary and secondary educational life of a child. Ie. if a child is out of year in primary, then that will continue into secondary.

I think that might be something decided within that local authority.

It usually is honoured by new schools because it is in the child's interest but their is no requirement to do so legally as far as I know.

I've experience of it happening Littlefish.

Have you got a written guarantee?

OP I imagine she is your first child? All 3 of mine have seemed far too small and tiny to start school. all have loved it and thrived and been absolutely fine. By christmas they are all settled in and doing fine and as others have said, every reception class will have some younger ones and some older ones - all of my DC classes have august borns and September borns in them and the whole range between. The teachers and schools are used to this and make the necessary allowances. The differences in maturity iron out as they progress up the school. And I really don't think, even in the roughest primary school you could find, that there would be many nearly/just turned 5 year olds bullying or picking on just turned 4 year olds. No reception teachers would allow this and kids of 4/5 are not like that anyway - they just see themeselevs as a bunch of small children that like playing with the same toys.

unless your child has additional needs I really do think you are worrying unnecessarily. Part time or January entry to reception would be a good phased introduction maybe but I would have thought that missing Reception and going straight into year 1 would be much harder than starting reception as a younger one.

in all 3 of my DC reception classes there were children who cried and found the transition tough, but they were the ones that hadn't been to nursery and had spent all their time with their mums - birth month and physical size were not a factor.

There is a flexibility for admissions for summer borns campaign on google and facebook. Very supportive group, trying to ensure flexibility in start date. A lot of progress over the last year. If your head has stated what he has please get it in writing.

I do know one little boy with a late august bday who is staying back a year and will be starting reception just after he turns 5. His parents have had to fill in forms and have S&L assessments--it's been quite a process but it can be done. You have to show that the child will be disadvantaged.

FWIW DD2 is a July baby and very small. She loved reception and has thrived in school since she started. She's not the youngest or the smallest in her class.

Some schools will let you start part time, would that be an option for you? Does she go to any nursery or playgroup now? I was so worried for DD1 (May, also titchy) but once she went to nursery and I saw her with the other children I realized how capable she is.

You may be lucky and your DC will go into a very young class. My DC was in a class where 60% of the class had birthdays from May-August.

There's another year before she starts and you'll likely find that she changes massively over that year. I found a massive difference between 3 and 4. Any decent school will let her proceed at her own pace as well.

I delayed start for my daughter she started school in the January part time in reception and got on great. As she was the new child she got a lot of attention from the other children and ended up being very popular. She let me know when she wanted to start staying for the whole day so she lead that. My son is going to start in the September and be part time (so I'm going to treat it like nursery). I felt my son will benefit from everyone being new together as he is painfully shy...........we shall see how that goes. I'm going to keep him part time for as long as he wants. It's your choice you know your child. Reception is very much a play environment and is very different from year one. I found year one to be much more traditional school work and I know my children would have been shocked to go straight into that environment especially as they had never been to nursery.