Can my child start reception early?

[Adriana87]

My daughter was born in September 2019. This means it won't be until September 2024 she starts school. To be honest our prime motivator is childcare cost as its costing us over £1,200 in fees. I appreciate that drops by 40% when she turns 3 but it's still a bitter pill to swallow that she'll be in nursery for half a year longer than her brother before going to school. Is it an option for children to start reception earlier?

No, you can’t have them start early. You’ve had a child, suck up the childcare cost, schools aren’t babysitters you know. 🤬

Don’t be ridiculous. School is not free childcare. We educate your children at an age appropriate level (according to the government but that’s a different thread). You chose to have a baby in September so now you deal with that. My DD2 is also September born so will be starting school later. I’m glad for it. Let’s her be a child a bit longer.

Your DD is not even 2 yet, you have no idea how ready she will be for school in 2023. I could sort of understand you wanting this if she was due to start next year but really grown up for her age and ready for school now (one of my September born nephews was like this) but to consider this at this stage is madness. Not that it's even possible anyway.

My DD's birthday is on 30th August, she had been 4 for just under 2 weeks when she started school. We agonised over whether to defer her to the next year and once we decided to send her we were fully prepared to take her out of school if it was too much for her. Luckily she was fine and absolutely loved school so it was all OK in the end but she definitely struggled with things that the older ones had no problems with at all.

I know somebody that put a September born into school early (academic year above) but it was a private school. I don't suppose that state schools will allow it. This wasn't for financial reasons just that the child was deemed mature, bright and ready for school.

A girl in DDs Primary year missed being in the year above by 30 minutes.
Her Mum fought like mad to get her into the previous year but failed.

You probably could at a private school but that certainly wouldn’t save you any money!

No, OP. You can’t just post your child off to state school a year early because you fancy saving a bit of cash.

@BlackberrySky

It's rather odd that parents can take the decision to delay starting for summer borns, but not bring it forward for autumn borns who are also close to the cut off. Personally I don't think being the oldest is a benefit for all children. But that's the situation at the moment, so as things stand, you can't do this.

But the option to start early is already there. Not as early as OP wants, but her DC can start school 4 months before they reach compulsory school age, which is the beginning of the term after their 5th birthday, in OP's child's case in the September rather than the following January.

Summer-born children have always been able to start school when they reach compulsory school age in the September after they turn 5. What is (relatively) new is that they can now start school in a Reception class rather than going straight into Year 1.

No.
1200 a year is a lot of money, granted, but if it’s a huge problem then look at tweaking your working patterns between you so you don’t need as much childcare until the cost drops. The consequences of your choices shouldn’t fall on your little one.

Don’t do this.

My parents did it with us because my mum taught at the school (a million years ago) and it was allowed back then.

It’s horrible. Never mind academics, which I and my brother could cope with, it’s horrible from a social point of view. Everyone else is doing things you can’t do because you’re a year younger. And I was definitely much “younger” than my classmates and as a result didn’t really have friends at school.

@Emmelina

No. 1200 a year is a lot of money, granted, but if it’s a huge problem then look at tweaking your working patterns between you so you don’t need as much childcare until the cost drops. The consequences of your choices shouldn’t fall on your little one.

I'm assuming that £1200 is a month not a year

Yes, sorry. Typo!

I’m in the same boat, however not for financial reasons. I have an extremely sassy, mature almost 4 year old born in early September. I really can’t imagine her being in nursery for another whole year! She is already one of the tallest and most grown up in her class. She’ll be like a teenage when she’s 5
Nothing we can do though, ive already checked this out. Ideally I’d like her to start in January.

Look at it the other way and isn’t she lucky that as one of the eldest in the year group she will benefit from an extra year to develop ready for school!

We have pre school class joined to our reception class, is this an option for you ?

It means they get 30 hrs in school terms, but we aren't open jn the holidays , but they can access our before and after school club

No but if you only need the 6 hours of a school day childcare (which is what you get is they were in reception) then the 30 hours will cover that. You just need to find a provider that will use the funding 9-3 mon to friday as is intended. Some nurseries won't/can't so you do end up with a bill. If you need longer than that then being in reception won't solve your problem

I agree with other posters that the cost will be pretty much the same for 30 hours funding at nursery or being at school but still paying for wraparound care and holiday care. My DDs school offer 30 hour places in nursery where they go 8.30-3.30. (I don't know if they pay for the extra hour at lunchtime, but I don't think so).

You are financially at a disadvantage with a Sept born in that they don't get their funded hours until they are nearly 3;4 but that also applies to Jan and April/May born. (I can't remember when the cut off is for the spring term).

So you want your very young child to start school inappropriately early with much older children and miss out on a year of play-based learning? All so she can be "warehoused" in school and you can make what will probably turn out to be a fairly small saving on childcare costs?

Barmy.

It is a disadvantage right through to be youngest.
I dont think it's fair to say op dc is much younger. It would be a couple of weeks younger than august.
The code does allow you to request this. But school would have to agree. And the LA.
Imo there should be flexibility on age. So taking those ready ones as the unready impact everyone else.
Op dc may well change a lot in 2 years and even if they seem really bright, it is hard going being youngest.
Worst at sport. Maybe getting met expectations but not often higher.
Have you looked at the curriculum
All the improper fractions and multiplying multiple digits at 8yo.
The class reading harry potter at 7.

I agree with OP, that £1200 a month is a lot of money.
Childcare in this country is ridiculously expensive comparing to European countries. I would suggest to try and find a state school with a nursery attached. Their fees might be more reasonable. Also check if you are entitled to 30 hours free childcare after 3.

Hate to be harsh op but seriously?!!! School isn’t cheap childcare- you have a September born baby, tough!

Our school have a nursery attached. You can do a ‘full’ day, term time. 9am-3pm. You have to pay for the lunch hour 12-1pm and for lunch but it’s pretty cheap!

The nursery & reception is a foundation unit, do the children play together all day on & off. The nursery kids are essentially at school. They do a school day, term time. It’s fully funded bar lunch. Some kids do just a morning or just an afternoon but a decent chunk do all day.

I love that reception & nursery are one unit, it’s great for reception as it’s incredibly play based. And transition to ‘school’ is obviously no problem at all! My DD didn’t go to the nursery as we moved into the area but our youngest will 🙌🏼

Anything like this set up near you?

*your kid has to be pre-school age for this nursery by the way!

The longitudinal studies on child attainment show the later you start the better and while it will depend on the child, anecdotally, the sep born children in DDs school are the ones who are top of the class.

[quote zoeydollie]@KatherineOfGaunt sounds like that set up is specific to your local area. Where I am I think pretty much all school nurseries offer 30 hours.[/quote]
I always thought it was dependent on the parents' incomes, rather than a postcode lottery. 🤷🏻‍♀️

@Dollpiglet

The longitudinal studies on child attainment show the later you start the better and while it will depend on the child, anecdotally, the sep born children in DDs school are the ones who are top of the class.

As a teacher with 12 years' experience, imo it is definitely not the case that the older kids are always "top".