Keeping a child a year back?

[OceanForest]

Hello fellow mummy's, my first post here. A friend recommended I ask for advice on here.

Trying to cut a long story short I have an amazing 4 year old daughter who's due to start school in September. I do not think she is at all ready for this, I am not speaking as a neurotic parent who doesn't want to part with her child. I have an older son who was so ready for school and thrives in the environment. My daughter has always been very slow in her development, only way I could really try and describe it is she's a 4 year old but seems to have the mental development of a 2 year old.

She's been tested multiple times for things, seen by paediatricians, health visitors etc. Tested for autism (which they are confident she does not have) but I am always told she just likes to do things at her own pace.

I honestly do not feel she's at all ready for school. I wondered if anyone had kept their child back a year, how the logistics of it work, if she'd be able to start reception a year later? Do you feel it benefited your child or made it more difficult for them?

This is really starting to worry me & any and all shared experiences and advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Afaik you have the right to ask for your child to start reception a year later but that does not mean that request will be granted. Only that the LEA can't dismiss it out of hand. Other possibilities are delaying starting reception until January, April or the September of year 1 depending on when your child's birthday is.

Other things to take into account are whether a secondary school will accept the child in that age range as they do not have to. Most do but that could be because up until this point there have been other considerations in play such as SEND or illness.

My ds was not ready due to SEN but we put him in anyway. At the age of 8 he is now homeschooled. My dd was and is very ready and is in reception now.

Some children are ready, others aren't. Some seem like they are but aren't. Some seem like they aren't but are. They're is no easy way to tell and you'll probably just have to bite the bullet either way.

If she is already 4 years old holding her back a full year is not an option. Unless you intend to home educate, she must start school at the start of term following her fifth birthday. You can defer entry or send her part time until then but no further.

You could home educate her until next summer but she will then almost certainly go straight into Y1.

She can only start in Reception next year if she is a summer born child. Even then, you can only request it. The decision is for the school and the LA. Many will only allow your daughter to enter reception a year late if there is evidence of significant developmental delay.