To repeat reception or not

[user1498076524]

My DS is just 5 his birthday is in June, he is supposed to be moving up to year 1 this September but his teachers have today met with me and said they do not feel he is ready for it yet.

He can't read or write anything apart from his name and they say he is struggling in basically every aspect of reception. He has seen an educational psychologist but unfortunately she is useless and has taken over 6 weeks to submit her report...and it still hasn't happened. He is also waiting on a speech and language referral as his teachers feel he doesn't have much comprehension of what is being said to him.

He absolutely loves school and has made some really close friends in his year group and I am so reluctant to hold him back a year. I feel that repeating the year would be of absolutely no benefit to him and would just mean that he has an extra year at school which I don't think he will appreciate when he is older. I also feel that the play based way of learning in reception probably isn't helping him and a more structured classroom environment such as year 1 would be a lot better for him, although his teachers disagree. I just really don't know what to do and I need to make a decision by tomorrow so just wondered what other people would do.

I think I would with a June birthday tbh. The difference between him and the eldest will only be three months.

Do you have any other concerns about his progress or development?

I think it's difficult, and to be honest I'm surprised they're giving you the choice.

The first term of Y1 should be transitional anyway, so it shouldn't go straight to a formal, 'everybody sit down and work' situation. Truthfully, it shouldn't ever really be like that in Y1, but that's another matter.

I've had children in my Y1 classes that couldn't recognise or write their name, only recognised a handful of graphemes (2/3 maybe), couldn't recite numbers in order beyond 4, and the option wasn't given to them to repeat YR.

But then I have a child who, at the end of YR, was then just about ready to start that year over. It wasn't an option for them to repeat the year, which was a shame as they would've really benefitted from it the following year, if that makes sense.

I think you need to consider your sons personality and decide what's best for him - I'm assuming the school have things in place to support him (since he isn't at the age related expectation)? I would want to know what they intended to provide for him in Y1 to help catch him up. I would want to know exactly what their reasoning was the have him repeat YR and how they were going to handle it with him/you/his friends, and how they would handle settling in with new children.

I think you know it's unlikely he will meet age related expectations at the end of Y1 (if he's so far behind now), but the school should be doing all they can to catch him up.

(Obviously this is being said with no formal diagnosis or indicators of difficulties in place - that could change things as you'd then be looking at a developmentally appropriate level of provision)

This doesn't happen very often at all. Have you got it in writing that he will not need to go to secondary with the current cohort (effectively missing out on y6)? That would be my immediate concern.

I wouldn't hold him back a year, I think the impact of having to start again with friendship groups would be pretty huge and he would surely be upset by being left behind. Can he not have additional homework/tutoring alongside the SLT? And why have they only just raised this with you at the end of the school year?

Autumncolour - no I have no other worries about his development and I feel he interacts with other children his age really well it's just he's not grasping the writing/reading/maths at all.

I think you should keep him back.

I think you'll appreciate him having that extra year in primary.

If he ends up starting Y7 far behind he's almost certainly screwed.

This is a very unusual thing for them to offer. In face even seeing an Ed Psych in YR is unusual so they must have a lot of concerns.

If I do decide to have him held back a year then he will always stay in that year, he won't be forced up into secondary school and skip year 6.

The reason they want to hold him back is because when they move into year 1 his teacher was saying he will not have the one to one help he currently has access to in the reception class as they have more staff then year 1 so they feel he would benefit from this.

I said I am worried he will be upset that his friends have left him and he is now in a class with the "babies" as he calls them! However the teachers said that they feel he would be more upset and frustrated with how much he would struggle in year 1 and that he would enjoy being the oldest in the reception class.

They had mentioned to me before about holding him back a year but at the time said that was highly unlikely as they thought he would be okay but now today have said they would recommend to hold him back so it has taken me a bit by surprise

I would. We've had 3 children repeat reception last year as they were so far behind. One boy has a developmental delay, the other 2 are summer born boys. All the research says play based learning will benefit them most. However we are a small school, so these 3 boys will go back into their year group next year, as the next class is a Y1/2 class and teacher has been differentiating for them this year anyway.

Why would you want him in a more formal setting where he'd struggle so much more?! If he's good at making good friends and d getting on with other children he'd have no problems making new friends

It is rare for schools to offer this option so it probably is best to keep him back. If he has not made any progress over the year he is not going to cope in year 1. He will also have to follow a completely different curriculum so any friendships will be harder to maintain as he becomes academically isolated from his peers.

Teacher is right - being far behind won't be fun for him. And if he's very far behind he is unlikely to catch up. Another year in reception could totally change his life.

In a heartbeat yes. My dd is August born and will start reception this September age five. I am glad he will be 16 not 15 when taking his GCSE's . At the very least you would be giving your ds an extra year of childhood.
All that is without the additional needs your ds may have.

I would hold him back. The jump between reception and year 1 is substantial. He hasn't yet grasped the basics and needs more intensive support Before moving on.

Frame the move positively. Lucky boy will have two groups of friends - year 1 AND the new reception. You'll need to arrange a big party as there will be so many friends to invite! He will know the ropes in his present classroom and he can show the younger ones. This will boost his confidence levels hugely. The reception kids will look up to him.

And no the reception children aren't babies. Many will only be a month or two younger then him.

By juniors it's very likely he will realise he's miles behind his peer group academically and it's very likely this will effect his confidence deeply. Potentially it could be crushing and very long term. Holding him back a year at least gives him a chance.

I wouldn't, if it's just academic, my ds struggled in reception through to the end of year 2 and now in year it's all clicked and he is reading fluently, and has caught up and is average academically, he just wasn't interested before year 3, though he did change schools then to a junior school and the pressure was off as he went from a tiny village infant school to a much bigger junior school, weirdly the less help we give him the better he does, I think it's the lack of pressure.

Year 4 now

Everyone will quickly forget that he's moved year groups. The change will be fleetingly aknowledged and then forgotten. He will make good friends in his new year group

Also the biggest way you can support him is to get him hooked on books. Reading and being read to.

Also the fact the teachers positively promote the change in year group. That counts for a lot.

Do you know what the normal expected levels of achievement are for the end of year one? If he was average or bumbling along slightly below, it would be fine. But he's clearly seriously struggling.

I have a little boy who turns 5 30/6 and as he has no development issues his age doesn't hold him back another child in his class Birthday is August. I also have a 15 year old who has global developmental delay sounds serious but it isn't however he has mild learning difficulties and has always struggled to keep up even though he has an October Birthday. He would have massively benefitted from this as it has become more and more apparent as he's got older socially too he is just not as mentally mature.
I think you need to wait for the ed psych and the speech therapy report and shouldn't commit until you ha e them. If they don't consider there is a problem let him try year 1 he may have a massive spurt but if they think there are difficulties it probably will be best in the long run.
I would if I had my time over.

Being in a class of children who are moving forward with skills and activities that you're not ready for, and just can't do well in, is an absolutely undermining , painful and destructive experience. The effects on a child's self esteem can stay with them throughout their childhood.

It's not very common for teachers to advise this. Please listen.

It's a myth he won't be with own age group- a summer born child is just as close in age to the first half of the lower year as they are to the younger half of 'their' year.

What's his reading like?

September is a long way off. I'd press on with y1. And do writing and pencil grip over the summer holidays. I assume this is a private school given you have the choice? Do the school regularly hold back summer born boys? Speak to parents in higher years to see if they regret it? My son has taken massive strides in y1 (summer born)

If DC has been referred to an Ed Pysch in yr R, there must be significant concerns, not just a bit of delay.

I agree with dancingledge . Ed psych assessments cost the school and sometimes have to be badgered for!

I did with my DS, August birthday. He's now year 6. It was the right thing to do and at the end of reception I remember he was so far behind his classmates and seemed so young. He did ok and is now very ready for secondary school. He didn't suddenly become top of the class but went from really struggling to keeping up nicely. He was happy and relieved to redo reception as he also was aware how far behind he was - poor kid! Especially as some friends' kids were doing so well. It can work the other way though, a friend's son was kept back and by year 5 it was clear he was ready for secondary school so he skipped year 6.