Deferring summer born children

[SB2017]

Hi,
Just looking for some advice about whether to defer my son or not for primary school. He was born 26th August but I’m not doing this because of his age. He has had hearing issues since he was born and speech and language problems. I don’t think he is ready for school yet as he is behind esp compared to his nursery classmates. I saw a school today and the headteacher made me feel awful as she was strongly opinionated against deferring and made me feel like it was the worst thing in the world just considering it. Has anyone done it?

I haven't done it yet but DS2 has exactly the same birthday and I am strongly considering it.
He doesn't have the same issues as your DS but he gets so tired after 3 hours at nursery, his fine motor skills are weak and even though I think he'd be fine in Reception I think he would struggle with Year 1 and 2.
I know from DS1, also an August baby, that the problems came later when he just wasn't ready for high school.
I'm going to speak to the head teacher and find out their opinion as I think it really varies across counties.
Sorry I haven't actually got any advice but you're not alone.

A blanket opinion from a headteacher is not helpful as every child's case should be taken into consideration, individually. Is the headteacher the head of a mainstream school because if she is, it's not even her decision, it is the LAs.
I work for a MAT and when parents apply to defer, the LA makes the decision, because they are deciding on deferment to education, not to one school. Parents are advised to contact academies to see if they would honour the LA's decision. As a MAT, we agree to honour the LA's decision, but make sure parents know they have to apply in Yr5 to defer for secondary education.
You know your child best, so you should go with your gut feeling. If you don't feel he is ready, then apply. You have valid reasons with him having hearing and S&L difficulties, not that every LA insists on reasons. Some LAs agree to defer all summer born children if their parents request it.
Advice given as a summer born (very late August!)

The choice is yours and I'd respect whatever you did choose however I currently teach year one and I have to say, being a summer born child makes no difference to their education at all.

Having hearing and speech and language issues is also not going to make a difference. I have a non-verbal little boy in my class who is thriving from the interaction he receives from adults and his peers. He works with a 1:1 but we are currently working on his independence and using his speech. He is working at the expected level in maths and on what we call P scales for literacy (reading, writing and SPAG).
We accommodate all needs at our school so please don't let one head put you off schooling.

I've also taught a little boy who was homeschooled and had his place deferred for a whole year. Please bare I mind that you will be placing him into a class of 29 children who already know each other, have fully formed friendship groups, know the routines and regulations of the school etc. It is a big jump from EYFS to KS1 and without the transition, he may fall further behind. It isn't just the educational side of it you need to consider but the social aspect.

I'm not trying to ram my opinion down your throat but please look at both sides and also other schools! Not every school is like that and you need to find the right one, whether you send them in sept or defer.

The OP is talking about deferring for Reception entry not going straight into year 1. And of course being summer born has an impact

Please bare I mind that you will be placing him into a class of 29 children who already know each other, have fully formed friendship groups, know the routines and regulations of the school etc

Not if the OP starts him in reception at compulsory school age.

OP I have done this for my daughter. She ‘should’ have gone to school in September, she will start in reception next September instead. I am so so happy with our decision.

There is a brilliant Facebook group that I will try to post a link to. Loads of advice. The process varies greatly depending what local authority you are in.

m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=121613774658942&ref=content_filter

Both my kids are August birthdays and both have been deferred, i.e. started in reception just after they turned 5. Neither have any SN or delays or anything, it was just the right thing for them socially and emotionally. No regrets or problems at all here.

Look up the flexible school admissions for summer blend group on Facebook and the summer born campaign website, loads of information there on how to do it - good luck.

You are the best judge for what's best for your child as you know him. Not the headteacher whom he has never met.

@newmumwithquestions

It was meant for if she deferred. How have you managed for them to be in the reception class the year after? Surely they will still need to move on when they are 11 but will then be a year behind?

I'm not saying don't do it, I'm saying consider all options.

(I'm also a summer born - 16th August) I hate the stereotype 'summer borns' get. Surely all children can achieve what they want if they put their mind to it?

It was meant for if she deferred. How have you managed for them to be in the reception class the year after? Surely they will still need to move on when they are 11 but will then be a year behind?

No. We have permission for her to stay with her adopted cohort for any school for which the local authority is the admissions authority.
If we move out of county or apply to a secondary school that’s their own admission authority then that school would have to show how it’s in my daughters best interests to skip a year - which it isn’t going to be.

@newmumwithquestions fair enough! Our LA doesn't do this, they would be put in their correct year group so would miss Reception our altogether and go straight to Year 1. If it's done like that, I can't see there being an issue as they have the same learning experience as everyone else.

@Lxx16
Your LA can’t have a blanket policy on this - they’d still have to show how it is in the child’s bests interests to skip a year going into secondary.... a tough thing for them to argue!

The first thing you should do is to contact your local admissions authority. As PP have said, policy varies by area. Some authorities seem to be more willing to defer than others. In your case, your child has particular needs that may make them more likely to be considered for referral.

However, as said above, you must make sure you find out whether or not your child could gain deferred admittance to the Reception year, rather than deferring their place to take it up in Year 1. You should also clarify the situation regarding secondary school admissions.

I wish I'd done it for my child who was born at the end of June. I also which I'd had my start deferred. I am summer born and felt the age difference very strongly at the end of secondary school, while doing A levels also and on to Uni. The only advantage it gave me was being able to graduate by the age of 20.

The deferral is quite stressful and to be honest I am feeling very judged by the schools I have been to and spoken too. If deferral is such a problem and the schools don’t like it and you need to provide all this evidence to try and prove your child is not ready then why is it available to parents? I have come home quite upset as I’m made to feel like a bad parent. Me and my husband have researched the pros and cons for the last year so we haven’t made this decision lightly. There is a huge developmental gap involved and I feel the council and school just see stats and numbers rather than the whole picture

I agree there can be a huge difference SB to WB. On average they will be several cm taller. Have spent 2 more terms at nursery. Also 4-5 was still quite challenging behaviour wise but 5-6 is getting better. I just dont think school realise that 1 big day like nativity or trips or parties at weekend can have a knock on for days after. Maybe because they are in all 5 days.
4yo are significantly disadvantaged learning to write. Many will start the year with a whole hand grip.
Not to mention other parents can be quite judgy about your dc immature behaviour.
20% age difference is just too much. Schools doing 'ability' grrrr groups certainly doesnt help as they can get further behind and I personally resent it being referred to as ability so young.
as that is like saying wow my dc is so ypung and great at walking (at say 10m) lets put them agaimst the 19m old not walking and mine must be going to be an olympic athlete. But naturally the 19m starts walking the next day and within months the difference is gone.

I agree being older/oldest wont fix everything but, aug could easily be bottom group as otherwise they would need to be ahead for their age whereas sept would need to be 12m behind to be bottom.
If it didnt become easier with age repeating PSC etc the next years would be mostly pointless

I eas a summer born child and had I had summer born children I would def have deferred them.

If you defer, you might regret it for 12 months. If you don't, you might regret it for 14 years.

I have 4 year old son born in July, he speaks in 2 languages, so his English is delayed, he doesn't control his blader yet, he wets himself every day, GP say he needs time to grow out of it, he is a shy boy, and he found best friend with genetic disorder, who doesn't speak at all. My son regressed since he started school, he copies this boy behaviour, we just think school is too early for him. Headteacher thinks he is bright and it seems like she is not going to be helpful or agree with our decision. Did anyone, who went through delaying one year, knows what steps we can take if headteacher doesn't agree with delaying him for a year?

I have 4 year old son born in July, he speaks in 2 languages, so his English is delayed, he doesn't control his blader yet, he wets himself every day, GP say he needs time to grow out of it, he is a shy boy, and he found best friend with genetic disorder, who doesn't speak at all. My son regressed since he started school, he copies this boy behaviour, we just think school is too early for him. Headteacher thinks he is bright and it seems like she is not going to be helpful or agree with our decision. Did anyone, who went through delaying one year, knows what steps we can take if headteacher doesn't agree with delaying him for a year?

The deferral acceptance or rejection is either done by the council or the school itself. One of my sons schools has their own governors as it’s a Catholic school so they decide and the other schools are through the council. You still have to apply online to the council for all schools you apply for.
It shouldn’t be this stressful but I’m nearly 39 weeks pregnant and hormonal!

My son started school this year. He was deferred. Born early August, although his due date was late Sept, so he has joined the year group he should have been born into. He had some health issues which meant that the deferral was supported on these counts as well as his prematurity!
It is honestly the best decision we could have made!! He is ready to learn, and is loving school!!

It sounds like those that have managed to be deferred have done really well and it was the right decision. I just have to hope that they see what I’m trying to do is best for my son

They do not make it easy. It is a PITA for them and they would rather you didn't do it. I wish I had done it for my child but I couldn't come up with good alternatives of childcare for the extra year.

Teachers/schools should build in interventions to help the younger kids and those with SN. But I think having SN and being SB is a huge disadvantage. How is your child doing with phonics? Drawing? Can they form letters? I'd say if there are issues mark-making and early reading then push for it and try and put your stress aside. I know it is easier said than done.

I am glad I saw your thread. It is making me investigate a complete relocation and deferral at a later stage. Maybe between Primary and Secondary.

My son loves books and being read too but he can’t pick out what letters are which and when we try and get him to sound letters out he doesn’t really try and when he does it’s the wrong sound. I think this is where his hearing issues have an affect. He draws but it’s all scribbles but he only turned 3 In August. Nursery have a place for him if he does get deferred which is great and they are putting together a progress report to help support my application which is so nice of them.

Probably the most important thing for your son is his language development. Perhaps assess the choices with regards to which environment will be able to best support his speech and language?

Is the hearing problem "fixed" or fluctuating (eg glue ear)? What are his other skills like, for his actual age? He will change so much in the next 10 months it must be difficult to predict how ready he would actually be next September.

It sounds very positive that you have nursery support on this. I hope you end up with a really good outcome whichever way it goes - either deferral working out well, or non-deferral with a well-supported start to school meeting his needs.

At your son's age I was very speech delayed from hearing problems; but in my case severe glue ear was the main cause and after ENT intervention had about 6 months of better (still not normal) hearing before I started school. My speech was still a long way behind as well as some gross motor skills, but in other ways I was very ready.

Can I just add an encouragement to enrich his auditory environment throughout his childhood, to make the most of what he can hear as he gets older? (music etc)