Deferring Entry to Primary School (Scotland)

[jinxf1]

My partner and I have been asked to attend a meeting at my son's nursery in relation to him starting school (or not, as the case may be) in August.

We moved house a few months ago, and subsequently childcare setting too, and were advised by our new Head of Centre to place a deferral request as a 'just in case' to ensure that funding was available as a couple of concerns had been raised by his previous nursery around his emotional development - though deferral had not been mentioned in his previous childcare setting.

Fast forward a couple of months and the new nursery are also advising that our son needs 'support to regulate his emotions' and, after brief chats with his key worker and health visitor, I get the distinct impression that deferral is looking to be the recommended option at this meeting.

We're not averse to the idea, but do have a couple of concerns:

1. Without being biased our son is, intellectually at least, more than ready for primary school and this has been acknowledged by both his current and previous childcare settings. If he is deferred, will there be enough at nursery to keep him engaged and mentally stimulated. I'm very conscious that if there isn't, we may start to see behavioural issues as a result.
2. Son is quite tall for his age. He's already beginning to outgrow age 5-6 clothing. He'd likely be one of the biggest children in his class if we don't defer him, I'm worried he'll be huge in comparison if we do. Is he likely to be bullied because of this, as kids can be cruel?
3. If we do send him to school, will there be support available to help him with regulating his emotions or is there likely to be insufficient resource to do so, and would this potentially lead to behavioural issues too?

He is a December birthday, and was born 4 weeks prematurely so, if he was to start when he is 'supposed' to, he would be one of the younger children in his year (in Scotland the age cut off runs from March-February).

I'm not sure what I'm asking here. I guess, are there parents out there who have been in the same situation? What did you do? What kind of questions do we need to be asking at this meeting?

Thanks in advance for reading and for any responses!

[BitsAndBaubles]

Our daughter was a December baby we are also in Scotland , was deferred on recommendation of nursery, was clever enough to start but emotionally not ready. She was also the tallest in her class at the time and in 7 year old clothes. We have absolutely no regrets.

[SgurrNaCìche]

I suspect he will get far more support at Nursery where they have higher ratios rather than being lost in a whole class of children.

[roughtyping]

My son is a Nov birthday and I deferred him, he's currently in P1. The extra year was hugely, hugely beneficial for him - the nursery knew him so well, helped him to work on what he needed and were able to give detailed handover to school.

I know it's always trotted out but for me it's true - I've never met anyone who's regretted deferral, have met lots who've regretted not doing it.

Also important to think about the 'other end' of school. My eldest is a Dec birthday and was more than ready to start P1. However he went through a tough time in 4th/5th year (showing his fangs!!!) and I feel like he would've been a year more mature for sitting exams and making important life choices if we had deferred him.