August Born : should I send him to school full or part time?

[BingBong36]

My august born DS is starting school in Sept and we have a choice whether to send summer borns part or full time until Christmas.

It is no problem for him to be picked up and I wonder how little ones can concentrate when they are so tired. They do formal learning in the morning and play in the afternoon.

Can any one advise or give me their experience?

Thanks

I'd say go for full time, you will be amazed how quickly your child gets used to the routine. My Dd has a late August birthday and she was in a class with all Winter born children, she looked tiny in comparison but held her own. Yes, she was asleep at 6 o'clock at night during the first week but then got back to her usual bedtime. iM not sure if they even offered a part time entry ten years ago but full time worked out fine for her.

All reception children are shattered the first term regardless of their age. I would opt for full time but I am a reception teacher and know how valuable the afternoons are for friendship building and settling into a new routine.

My ds is august Born and we opted to send him part-time until after the Christmas holidays. We were the only parents to do this though. Where we used to live our dd (also an august baby) it was the norm to have the younger ones part time until January.

what are others doing? If he's the only one to go part time I'd think that would be quite isolating. If lots are doing it, and you maybe go to the park with the others once a week or so, might be fun.

We opted for part time until December but DD wanted to go full-time after the October half term. Her class teacher said Wednesday afternoon was the 'total class exhaustion' session so suggested we pick her up before lunch on Wednesdays, which we did until the end of yr R.

Thank you for your input. At present I have no idea what the others are doing, but there are only a few summer borns in his class.

They're all different but my son was born 31 August 2010 so is just finishing reception. Full time from the start caused no problems at all for us. Good luck!

I think it really depends on your son. Some children seem to suffer from their school day being cut short, mainly because play is disrupted. If the kids have been playing a particular game in the afternoon and they continue it at morning break time, your child might be left out as he wasn't there at the start. For some children this can be upsetting, others don't care and easily carry on playing with others. Do you have the option of changing your mind if it seems that your son is robust enough to last a whole day?

Not every child is shattered when the start reception! Mine were not. Both summers borns and one mid August. They were enthusiastic and full of beans. If your child is sleepy with just nursery or pre school, then part time might be best. However, mine never went to bed at 6 (they would have been ill) and were perfectly able to cope. You just have to know your child. Mine hate not being like everyone else!

Month of birth is a bit of a red herring some August born children are raring to go and thrive from day one while some September born's find it all too much for them when they start. You know your son best.

Thanks again all. He currently does 9-3 Monday and Wednesdays at pre-school and half day Fridays, Tuesdays and Thursdays he very tired.

I have to make the decision before end of term but it's great to get everyone's imput.

Thank you.

Based on my experience I would send her full time and don't mention that she is younger ever, treat her like all the other boys and girls.

DD went to a school that had to separate their intake over 2 classes, the summer born children went into one class and the winter born into another. The age thing was always being talked about and DD just knew that she was younger than a lot of her peers, it knocked her confidence big time. It has taken another 2 years in a different school to get her confidence to where it should be.

DS is starting in September and I am not mentioning his age at all. I will keep an eye on him, but I as far as he is concerned, he is as good to go as all the others.

Thank you. I am veering towards full time and he can have the odd 'sick' day if tiredness gets the better if him.

My school is very good about parents judging when their child goes full time, so you can start part time then see how it goes and move to full time sooner or later depending on your child.

They do say though that if you have any doubt it's better to go part time first. It's easier to get the child raring to go, enthusiastic and desperate to go full time than it is to drag a very tired child in every day, and then perhaps cut their hours and risk confusing/upsetting them.

Our school has quite a few who start part time but generally all are full time by October half term, even if some parents envisaged waiting until January.

At our 90 intake primary all are FT - the summer borns do fine. Have a chat to the school tho. I would start FT, accept that they are all exhausted then see how it goes, some have been in FT nursery 8-6!still find it tiring, others don't

At our school phonics etc is in the morning and yes they do fun play based adventures all afternoon

I would send him full time. Splitting the day I two s scion would mean he gets the "boring" stuff like phonics and numbers but misses the fun playing around and could resent it.

If he is the only one it could be that other children comment on it, we had this at a friend's school where the boy was collected after lunch for the first term and comments like "baby needs a nap" weren't unusual unfortunately. The teacher in the end stressed the parents to send him full time.

DD is a July baby and while she was tired despite full of beans after a full day nursery it changed after October. For her being in a room with 29 other children and just 1 teacher and 1 TA meant it was mentally challenging. They expected more independence from them as well. Saying that her friend is Octover born and suffered equally.

he can have the odd 'sick' day if tiredness gets the better if him.

I think if he is too tired to go to school, it would be entirely reasonable not to send him. He won't be of compulsory school age for the whole of Reception, so won't come to the attention of the EWO if he's having lots of time off school.

But please just tell the school he's tired, not "sick".

Thanks all... Yes I would do that and say he is too tired.

Thanks all