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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Starting Reception in term 2?

15 replies

Westcott313 · 26/08/2017 09:53

My ds is the youngest out of five. He has been attending a nursery for a year, it took him a while to settle and even then at the end of term they told me he often prefers to observe the other children and is reluctant to try out new activities.

The nursery think he isn't ready for full time school. I applied for a place but he didn't get our first choice so I secured his place at the nursery from September. However he is now number 1 for reception and likely to be offered a place soon.

If he gets a place I can defer until December as he turns 5 in September. I can continue sending him to the nursery for a term and then to start him in reception in January as that's when statutory education begins for him.

Or I just give up the nursery place and wait for the school place.

Last option is to leave him in nursery and consider home education (my other kids were home edded).

My ds is very attached to me and takes ages to get use to anything new. Every milestone has been difficult - from feeding him solids to potty training - he refused to eat until a year old and still has accidents sometimes. I know this is all normal but I didn't have this issue with my other kids. I'm also quite attached to him as he's the baby of the family but it means he gets away with things sometimes.

He doesn't want to go to school but he may be OK when he sees his siblings are going.

Will he settle in term 2 when all the other children have already got use to their peers and teacher? I read on here someone say that it might be better as he'll avoid seeing the other distressed kids at the beginning of term.

I feel as though starting in January gives us more time as he doesn't even have a place yet and I don't want to jeopardize his nursery place.

Would love to hear your thoughts as it's a confusing time for me. Thanks in advance

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Littlefish · 26/08/2017 18:19

Would you consider starting him at the school in September, but mornings only? This might be a good compromise. He will start at the same time as the rest of the yeargroup, but have a "softer" start until he goes full time after Christmas.

Alanna1 · 26/08/2017 18:26

I would consider deferring him for a whole year. Talk to the nursery first, but get some professional advice. You'll have to make an application to the council...

Original poster

Westcott313 · 26/08/2017 23:36

Will the school let me do mornings only?

Alanna1 my only concern is that he'd miss out on Reception by going to nursery ask year and then straight into Year 1.

OP posts:

Original poster

Westcott313 · 26/08/2017 23:38

*all year

OP posts:

Witchend · 26/08/2017 23:46

I would say if he'd find it hard to settle at the start of term 2, then a whole year would be worse.

Problem is that it depends not only on your dc, but also the form.
In ds' year one child deferred to term 2 and was very quickly one of the crowd. His form hadn't really started making friends-I suspect some of them didn't even realise he hadn't been there before. They were quite a young form in a lot of ways.
In dd1's form one who started at the same time struggled to keep up for most of the rest of the year. They seemed to always be a step behind the others, only just realising what they should do, where they should be as the others did it. Her form was much more confident in attitude in a lot of ways. They did catch up part way through year 1, but I think they'd have been better there from the start.

You also can't say that he will get a place anyway.
Same school:
Dd1's year had spaces from the beginning
Dd2's year full, had half a dozen leave/join off waiting list in the reception year.
Ds' year full, no one left or joined until part way through year 2 and the person who got the place had only joined the waiting list 2 months earlier. However 4 people moved away in year 3.

mrz · 27/08/2017 05:50

With a September birthday you don't really have the option of deferring a whole year. You could opt to Home Ed for the year then apply for Y1 but this could be even more difficult for him. My personal feeling is starting mid year disadvantages most children (as in all things there are exceptions) but missing a term socialising and learning means the child is playing catch up from the start.
If he gets his place could you ask the school if they will consider nursery hours to begin with? They may not agree.

Original poster

Westcott313 · 27/08/2017 07:31

Witchend I've been told there's a lot of movement in the first term in reception so am thinking a place will come up. But obviously I can't depend on that so am thinking to ask the nursery if I can pay half the terms fees and see if I can get ds in part time at the school without losing the space at nursery.

The only issue with that is it may confuse him attending both places. However, I could potentially give him a break from nursery for a bit while he's settling down into school, possibly forfeiting the nursery fees paid if I feel he's responding well to school.

Feels like I'm complicating the whole thing though!

OP posts:

Paddington68 · 27/08/2017 08:21

Are you paying for the nursery?
Is it possible they have a conflict of interests?

prh47bridge · 27/08/2017 08:29

Will the school let me do mornings only

Yes. They have to. The Admissions Code is clear that they have to comply with your choice.

Original poster

Westcott313 · 27/08/2017 08:41

Yes I am paying for the nursery after receiving the mandatory grant for under 5's. It's a lovely Montessori, very caring and always full with year long waiting lists.

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Original poster

Westcott313 · 22/09/2017 22:24

Update :

Ds has a place and we really don't know what to do. The teacher is lovely and ds really liked her. However he has really settled well at the nursery, and making great progress. He's happy and confident and his keyworker keeps me informed regularly with photos and comments via a website.

Shall I sacrifice this for reception so that my ds finds it easy next year when he goes into year 1?

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LegoHurts · 22/09/2017 23:07

I am not an expert but I would take up the place in reception and see how he gets on. They are only a couple of weeks into term so he really hasn't missed anything. If the school will agree to a staggered start he could do mornings and then longer days over the next couple of weeks.

IMO it would be better for him to start now with his own year group and he may well love it. I'm not sure that it will be any easier if you leave it for 12 months and then try to transition into Y1. If it's really not working you have said that you have the option of home-ed as a back up.

Original poster

Westcott313 · 23/09/2017 16:56

Thank you Legohurts, we are going to ask if we can visit the class with him before he starts rather than just leave him at the door when he does start.

Fingers crossed xx

OP posts:

StinkPickle · 23/09/2017 16:59

My DS started Reception in January 2017 (his entire peer group went in the September so he was the "new boy"

He wasn't ready in the September. He's now just started Year 1 and is in the top set, doing well, lots of friends.

He had no trouble starting when he was "new". Kids that age all flock to each other.

Please PM me if you want any more info

user789653241 · 23/09/2017 18:04

I think it's better to start now. More time to settle, more time to learn, more time to make friends, etc.

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