Defer reception place for summer born child

[Cascada]

DS's birthday is early June. I am considering (somewhat late in the day) trying to defer his reception place (he already has a place) for September 2017 so that he starts in April 2018.

My understanding based on the information on my LEA's website is that because we're looking to do this rather than delay by a full year that this is something that we have the right to do rather than needing to request the school or LEA's permission to do. This is because the info says once you get a place you can take it:
"Immediately (from September 2017);
 On a part-time basis until the beginning of the term after their 5th birthday; or
 Defer your child’s admission until the beginning of the term after their 5th birthday but not beyond the beginning of the final term of the school year for which it was made". It then goes on to suggest you speak to the school to discuss these options.

I have not yet discussed with the school and am unsure as to their attitude towards this - they are already talking about some of the reception kids potentially going on a part time basis if more appropriate so my expectation is they view that as preferable rather than deferring the place to April. For various reasons I would prefer to hold my son back fully - he just doesn't seem to be ready to start yet. I didn't raise it when we first got the place cos I wanted to see how he progressed over the next few months.

However, I just spoke to the LEA in the first instance and they said that the school would need to agree to the deferral - i.e. it was not just a discretion of the parents. This seems at odds with the guidance pasted above.

I would be very grateful to hear about people's experience of this. I would kind of prefer to be clear about whether it's a right that I have or a discretion of the school before I approach them about it. Thanks in advance.

I can't advise on whether you have to 'request' it or whether it's a 'right'. I'm sure someone will be along soon!

Regarding the school preferring part-time to deferred start, it is most likely to be because there are normally short periods of formal learning each morning during which phonics are taught, systematically from September. A child starting in April would be two terms behind on this learning, which would prove a challenge for that child as well as for the teachers.

Hopefully someone will come along to clarify your 'rights', which I know is your main question.

That guidance says what you can do, it doesn't mention 'rights' anywhere.

Delayed entry is by negotiation with the school. Most schools would prefer at least part-time entry as they are then sure that child will start and will be on roll. Census days will also take place in the Autumn and Spring term which define funding for several streams, including next years budget and if a child has not started on roll and attending, at least part-time, the school will not receive funding for that child the following year. Also, the school is responsible for the progress that child makes and it is difficult for them to argue that the child needs support or is making progress if they are not attending.

Thanks everyone, very helpful. Will have a chat with the school to see how best to handle.

By deferring a year, will your child go into the next year I.e. Miss a whole year and join the year group your child would have been in anyway (and still be the youngest) or will they be joining reception a year later i.e. They'll be the oldest in the year?

If you know what I mean?

Go onto the Facebook summer born group. They have up to date accurate information. The rules changed last year.

Don't do it.

I didn't think schools could refuse delayed entry if your child is under 5 as long as they started either Jan or April of Reception year. That may just be my area though.

I looked into my DS starting reception later in the school year and keeping him at Pre-School. He is July born. However DS' Pre-School had their concerns that he would be held back by the younger children (some would only be just turning 3) and that he may find it hard to make friends starting school so late in the year. Plus he would be repeating last years learning rather than learning new things.

I had a meeting with his school back in May and we have agreed to DS attending 4 days a week. As he has a speech disorder and only attended Pre-School for 14 hours a week (he left today) we all felt he would benefit from an extra day at home. School will be in regular contact and when he is ready he will do his 5 days.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

I second the pp about looking on the Facebook group supporting summer born children. A lot of schools don't actually fully understand the rules themselves so give out incorrect information. Go armed with your research before you speak to the school.

I've deferred my August 2013 born daughter until next year. Feel free to PM me, and join the FB group - they have been amazing and given me so much advice.
You do not have to start your child at school until they are 5 - that's your right. The LEA will have to prove it's in their best interests to start in Year 1 and miss Reception, which is very hard to do.
The government intends to bring this into law but at the moment it's a postcode lottery how much you have to argue your case.

Just wondered how your DS is doing generally, in nursery etc and also how tall he is?
I was really worried about my June born DS starting school at only 4yr 3mo. He wasn't reliably clean and dry until quite late for a start.
I wondered about deferring but didn't in the end.
He has just finished reception and really enjoyed this year. He is happy and settled, he can write cursive, is doing well with reading and numbers and got expected or exceeding on all EYFS points.
I do worry year 1 will be more of a test but his teachers reassure me that he is ready for it.
He is also tall and would be like a giant both physically and emotionally compared to the year below (there are 7 July born that year- they are tiny!)
On the other hand if your DS is struggling in nursery I would try to defer but by a full year, don't miss 2 terms of reception, reception is vital. Defer to start at CSA in reception if possible.

I might consider deferring and starting in reception age five if I was convinced my child was developmentally unready for full time education. I would not defer until January or Easter as this puts the child at greater disadvantage.

I'm so confused by all this. My LO isn't in nursery yet- he's two in August. I wanted to send him to a school-based nursery next September when he's 3 (2018). He's very emotionally immature and has a disability, so I will defer him a year. Just wondering how this impacts him starting nursery? Should I defer that too? This is all new to me, no idea what I'm doing. Where do I go from here?

Three of mine are August babies and did just fine starting with their cohorts in September (at 4 years and 3 days in one case). They adapted and thrived. I think it's different if your child is struggling but personally I'm not convinced it's good for children to miss almost a year of school - that their older peers have received. Two went in full time from September and one started part time until Christmas.

You have an absolute right to defer your child's starting date until they are 5. The admissions code says -

2.16 Admission authorities must provide for the admission of all children in the September following their fourth birthday. The authority must* make it clear in their arrangements that, where they have offered a child a place at a school:
a) that child is entitled to a full-time place in the September following their fourth birthday;
b) the child’s parents can defer the date their child is admitted to the school until later in the school year but not beyond the point at which they reach compulsory school age and not beyond the beginning of the final term of the school year for which it was made;
c) where the parents wish, children may attend part-time until later in the school year but not beyond the point at which they reach compulsory school age.*

So you can delay your child starting until April 18 assuming they don't turn 5 before then. They will start in reception, just two terms after other children.

The issues arise if you wish to put the child down a year and start reception in sept 18, but you don't. You do have a right to not start your child full time until the term in which they turn 5, and that is not up for debate with the school.

My eldest dd has a birthday in August and was only just 4 when she started school.
She was fine, although back then in 2007 she only did mornings until Easter and then went all day.

"You do have a right to not start your child full time until the term in which they turn 5, and that is not up for debate with the school." However if you do so your child has the added disadvantage of starting school two terms behind the other children in the class and has to make up a years work in just one term.

Reception year is so gentle and supported - I don't know why you would want to keep your child back to be honest. Far better that they start with all their peers and get extra support if they need it rather than missing 2 terms of educational and social development.

Op, I felt the same of you with my August born baby who was also very shy and had confidence issues. She wasn't 'ready' either but when I thought about relationships and her joining an already established class I decided to let her join with the others and I'm so glad that I dd, it was he right ting to do (for her).

As PP has already said reception is so gentle and so much fun for the children but they also do a lot of learning with regards to phonics. You run the risk of your dc being even further behind than their peers.
But ultimately only you know what's best for your dc. Good luck with whatever you decide,

My ds starts in September but is January born so no issues for him.

However at the intake meeting they told parents that this year's cohort is very young (19/40 of the intake born after May).

If it was similar to this at your school then your child would be in good company - but I doubt the school would agree to defer as half the cohort would be in a similar position.

Perhaps worth checking if it's similar at the school?

As you're only considering rather than decided i would say that starting a term or two later could be harder in terms of establishing friendship groups and missing out on the slow start of reception. Ime the autumn term contains little 'formal' learning which gradually shifts over the sprong term and by the summer there are periods of what we'd probably recognise from our schooling as 'work'. So as others posters have said you run the risk of it being harder rather than easier to settle in.

Based on that I would discuss your concerns with the school and either go for a part time start (so he still has some more relaxed home days) or consider a full year deferral if he really isn't ready.

Im not enitrely sure the current system of schooling so young is quite right anyway, but it's what we've got so it seems to me that it's best to make the most of it. School will be uses to summer borns, work with them if you can.

I'm confused as to why some posters are saying that deferring will put children even further behind?
If you defer Reception by a full academic year the child will not miss any of their education - they will just start at 5 instead of 4. There are a lot of misconceptions around this issue, which is why I would join the FB group. It's full of people who have deferred and has all the up to date information on the law around it.
There is much evidence based research which clearly shows that summer born children are socially and educationally disadvantaged, and that the disadvantage lasts throughout their academic life. For me I expect my daughter would have coped, made friends and done well, but I don't want her to cope, I want her to thrive. The extra year in nursery of free play will give her the extra confidence I feel she needs.
I don't completely agree either that Reception is 'gentle'. Yes, it involves a lot of play - but children learn to read and write, and the day is very structured. My son was exhausted for the first term.
I'd recommend reading up on the research and definitely seeking advice from the Fb group.

I would advise against starting them late unless it's necessary. You'd be surprised by just how many children starting are summer born. Where we are, the overwhelming majority of children are spring and summer birthdays, meaning that that is actually the typical age for the cohort.

I have two born in winter, so they'll be about 5.5 when they start school, and two who are summer born, so they'll be bang on 5 when they start (DD2 will turn 5 only about 10 days before she starts school). Unless I felt there were clear, already present, issues with them starting school, I wouldn't hold them back. Most kids adapt very well, and keeping them out of their "right" age group can have more adverse effects than just letting them get on with it.

Where I live, you can easily hold your child back (don't have to apply to the school or anything like that), and a child as young as 4.5 can start school. When I was in school, one of my best friends was in the grade above me but was only 3 months older - she was only 4.5 when she started, whereas I was bang on average. This is a theoretically good system, as it allows young kids who are ready for school to start and allows those not emotionally etc. ready to be held back, but the reality is that you end up with some kids who are 4.5 and others who are nearing 6 all in the same class.

I think posters like myself are saying that it's s disadvantage to start a term or two behind, rather than a full year harrassedmumof3.

Because the op isn't talking about deferring for a full academic year she is talking about starting her child in April