Anyone else worried about their august born starting reception this year?

[WhatismyLife]

DD is my eldest and born 28th august. She currently attends the preschool at the school she will start in September, which will hopefully help her adapt to school life a bit easier.

I'm just so worried about how she will manage next year. She is so tiny compared to the other children and very immature. Nursery really tires her out and that's only 3 hours a day.

There's other things too, like, not being able to do up her coat by herself and she does sometimes still need help using the toilet.

I have spoken to her nursery teacher about my worried and she thinks DD will manage but I can't help feeling anxious about it.

Anyone else?

I was.
My DD started this year. I was very sad she had to go so soon.
She has been fine. She's had a lovely year and has coped very well. It's been no where near as hard as I had thought.
If you are happy with the school choice try not to worry too much.

Check out the FB group Flexible school admissions for summer-borns - it has lots of info and lots of posters with experience of fighting for (and being given in lots of cases) the right to send their summer-born DC into Reception at compulsory school age, and with experience if sending their summer-born DC part-time to Reception. (The new school admissions code actually gives parents the right to send their summer-born DC part-time to Reception.)

statistically deferrred entry does NOT improve outcomes for August babies.

In ANY system there will be youngest and oldest in the year
and the older they get the less it will matter

the teachers deal with summer babies every year
the systems are in place
the kids will be fine
just go with it

Talkin, there's a huge body of research that shows statistically different outcomes for summer-borns. You're entitled to your own opinion, but you're not entitled to your own facts.

Of course there will always be a child who is the youngest. My issue is that compulsory school age is 5 years old, and yet summer-born DC usually have to go to school at 4 years old, or to run the risk of missing Reception altogether. My DC is currently in Reception, but will not be of compulsory school age on a single day of Reception, which is clearly a ridiculous situation. The compulsory school age is significantly older in a number of other countries that have equivalent / better educational outcomes that the UK.

wasting
Talkin, there's a huge body of research that shows statistically different outcomes for summer-borns.
Read the current research.
Since pedagogy improved that is being evened out a lot.

And as for deferral
www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-31533785
"Delayed school entry linked with poorer results"

Talkin, there are significantly different outcomes for summer-born children in terms of SEN diagnosis, educational attainment, and bullying. I'm a scientist, and I have read some of the original (and recent) research.

Your second link is to a BBC article about Bavarian children in the 1989s who missed a year of school, i.e. they missed the first year of school, then started school a year later.

Sorry, 1980s.

My DS2 has a late August birthday. He was clingy at preschool - okay after the first few minutes, but it was always there. His first term at school was hard, again clingy and upset easily. But the staff were really patient with him and once he was settled and knew everyone, he loved it. He's Y1 now and positively thriving at school.

OP when you're buying uniform for your DD, keep an eye out for easy options, eg zip dresses rather than ones with buttons, velcro shoes, socks a bit too big so they are easy to get on & off etc. Same with book bags, water bottles & all of those sorts of things. Steer her away from the one she likes to the one she will be able to manage easily.

If her school is anything like my DD's, then parents can go into the classroom for the first few drop offs & so you can notice if there is, for example, a red flower next to her name on her peg or that her drawer is on the bottom row and that sort of thing so she can look out for those things if she isn't able to recognise her name (or may be able to recognise it printed but not in cursive which is what DD's school uses for everything).

Please try not to worry. You can always choose to let her attend part time for a while to see how she copes. We did that with our August born daughter. She attended mornings only for the first half term but she asked if she could go all day after because all the other children tended to stay. She has been absolutely fine . She is now in Year 3 and you wouldn't know she was one of the youngest. Good luck....she'll be just fine x

I was worried last year. Considered deferring or home schooling.

In the end she asked to stay for lunch on day 2, asked to stay all day on day 5. She has done ever since. Keep your dc part time for as long as you think they need it, that's your right.

DS is currently in reception. At our school the teacher/TAs have been great at looking after the children, be they the young or old in year; the problems have come at the times when they aren't around. Break times, lunch, etc. Of course there are always adults supervising, but not always the teacher/TAs who know the children best. (Also nearly-whole-class events outside of school such as birthday parties.) DS was absolutely not mature enough to cope with those situations (socially, emotionally) and although 'school' itself was fine, really struggled. And ended up actively disliking school 'because of lunch'. So in hindsight I'd suggest keeping your eyes and ears open as to possible issues arising in those moments where the teachers aren't there. It's hard as your child probably won't tell you (as they don't tell you hardly anything) and the teacher won't tell you (as they aren't around at those times) so if you don't dig a bit, you can easily miss it.
These things obviously don't have to become a problem, but if they do, there are often simple things that can help, if only you knew what was the problem! So it helps to be aware.

Thank you for all the replies. You've been really helpful and have given me a lot I think about.

The reason I spoke to the nursery teacher in the first place was to get her opinion on deferring until next year.

DD has a friend who is in reception now and is so excited about 'going to 'ception like X'.

Good tip about easy on uniform.