Youngest in the year - reception

[yaboreme]

Hi,

I was just looking to see how things are/ turned out for any of you that had summer born children who started school at 4.

My son was 4 in August and I'm really worried that I made the wrong decision to send him to reception after only turning 4, 2 weeks prior to the start of the school year.

He's emotionally a little behind and is a little behind his peers with reading, writing etc but I have been assured that he knows the concept of simple math and is very enthusiastic to learn.

My concern is that he may have benefited from an additional year to be 5 when he started to be of a more similar age to his peers.

Am I worrying about nothing? Or should I enquire about resitting reception (if that's another option).

Hopefully this makes sense.

Thank you

Am I reading this wrong do people think if they don't put their kids in at 4 in reception that they'll go into reception at 5 because that's not the case according to the gov.uk website and certainly not where I live. If they don't enter reception they automatically go into year 1 at the age of 5. reception is a choice year 1 isn't. So you may think by holding them back your helping them but year 1 is harder than reception and if you do t send them into reception they'll miss that vital bonding and play time that reception have plenty of. Year one is where work begins and there's less play more structure so harder to settle in. That's what reception is for.

Both my DDs are born end of August. My eldest surprisingly seems older than her her peers. My youngest does seem "younger" than her friends but they've both coped fine

Please do not hold your son back a year
He will then be emotionally furthur behind. Someone has to be the youngest and oldestbin any year group. If the provision is of appropriate quality for reception he will be fine. The only thing which seperates a four year old from a five year old is their concentration length. Proper provision will account for this at all times. The reading and writing will follow, there should be no rush for these.

What you say makes perfect sense but hang on play IS work and can continue to be so throughout KS 1 with appropriate provision.

Yes, you are reading it wrong. Lots of people on this thread have already explained that you can start reception at 5. There is no need to miss reception.

Why would he be emotionally further behind when he’s a year older entering reception?

Absolutely do not worry. At that age, 1yr difference is 25% of his life but he'll be fine. Ours made it into his school year by 3 days. He's always been the youngest and it's never hindered him. Please don't worry. As for school saying he's behind his peers, well obviously, some are nearly 12 months older. Be confident in your decision, he'll be fine. I was a late summer baby, always the youngest but it never held me back.

Thriving still in y1. Working ahead of national average, doing particularly well in her reading, confident, happy, well behaved and has friends. Couldn’t ask for more!

My eldest son was a 30 Aug baby so I completely understand your concerns. He wasn’t confident and had a stammer so I was very anxious. It took him a while to settle in & given his stammer and processing issues took him longer to learn to read. He did make great friends & became a lovely rounded young man. He found his own creative path through school, wasn’t traditionally academic but worked hard and did very well, took a gap year and travelled at 18 and came him a confident man, graduated with a 1st. He has found his niche in the world of work, bought a small flat in London & is flying. It came together a bit later for him than his 3 younger siblings. I think it was harder initially for us as parents and the anxiety sat with us, we were supportive but tried hard not to make him aware of our anxieties. Good luck - I am not sure there is a right or wrong answer.

My youngest daughter was born on the 14th July and was the youngest in her year. She absolutely flew through primary school and was consistently given awards and accolades. Not every young child struggles. Some thrive!

"he knows the concept of simple math"
......is this America?

I can't say what’s right for your LO, but my daughter has a summer born classmate who is repeating reception for the same reason, so it is possible. Not all schools will allow it (he had to move schools to do it in the end) but the family fekt he needed it and it's worked out well for them.

I have a boy who was 1st of August born, I absolutely regret not making him wait. It wasn't a thing back in 2006. He is physically and mentally not at the same age as fellow class mates. All of his friends are typically 1-2 years below in school.

My other son I deliberately booked my C section to land on the 1st of September making him the oldest. Studies show older kids (boys usually) fair better than the youngest.

Hi OP, Two of my three children are August born, and I deferred their starting school for a year, until they were five. Best thing I ever did for them. They are both academically capable, but we didn't feel they were mature enough socially or emotionally, so would not thrive. And we wanted them to thrive, not just survive. One is now in Yr 8 and the other still lower primary, and I know that although people use the throw away comment 'they catch up', that the yr 8 would have been a lamb to the slaughter if she'd gone to secondary just turned 11. As it is she's comfortable and happy and thriving. So speak to your school about your concerns and repeating reception, so he can thrive not just survive. Our headteacher was initially opposed to it before my eldest started, but we convinced her, and now she says it was absolutely the best thing to do. If you want any help in putting forward your case let me know.

That's not the advise on Gov.uk page it clearly states they start in year 1. You can request but it's not very often they will ok it unless there are serious special educational needs.

https://www.gov.uk/schools-admissions/school-starting-age

Please read the school admissions code and educate yourself before commenting.

Following this with interest. My 2 year old turns 3 in the last week of August which means we will be applying for his school place this autumn. Looking at him now it just seems ridiculous. I know he'll grow a great deal in the next 17 months but barely turned 4 seems so young for school.

How academic is it In reception? Is there a big jump to year 1 if held back?

He was due at the beginning of September because I wanted to avoid this dilemma. Best laid plans...

I never understood the worry about summer born babies
It's not like all kids are born in September/October and thus nearly a year older than August born kids 🤔
Some are born late winter or spring or early summer etc
My daughter didn't seem ready for school in reception and she was born in January, even the teachers would say, she's a summer baby isn't she? (as if there's a type they could tell) and I would say no, winter baby lol

Also, I have 2 nieces
One is born late August and one is born early November so just over 2 months age difference between them but a year difference at school
The August born started school and her mum was very worried and my niece did seem a little young for school
Whereas my other niece who was still 3 in September was so upset she couldn't start full time school and seemed more ready than her cousin
Tbh school at 4 is early anyway
But I just meant worrying about months differences between kids is just overhyped

It's odd because whilst its entirely child dependant there is a huge difference between a child of 4 and one of 5
It's a quarter of their entire life

loads of things impact it

are they reliably toilet trained
have they had sufficient time socialising and learning to share
are they bright and do they have parents who are supportive of their schooling and such

yes an intelligent child will thrive either way but one less gifted may well struggle significantly

as for the overhyped statement that's proven to be false by data

September born babies do better academically throughout school career (on average/statistically)

September born babies are more likely to be professional athletes than august born because they're larger and stronger when teams are picked at school so they get more opportunities to learn those skills

they're also significantly more likely to become successful in professional roles and go into management and leadership positions as adults also because they've had that advantage from the first day of school

https://evoke.ie/2023/09/02/life-style/family/september-babies-successful-adults#:~:text=Research%20has%20shown%20that%20people,and%20the%20results%20were%20fascinating.

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/september-babies-have-an-advantage-in-education-and-that-s-just-the-way-schools-like-it-8611070.html

so whilst children on an individual level can catch up they are essentially outliers statistically when the data of thousands is factored in

My son is an August baby. He’s about to sit his GCCSEs and I still wish he’d started school a year later. I don’t know if you should get him to retake the reception year. As others have said it may be too late. But I think my son would be ready to knuckle down and take responsibility for his revision and exams next year. He’s still emotionally behind everyone else.

@StressedOutButProudMama can you post a link to the gov.uk website that states that? Because the rules changed some years ago. You can now defer and go into reception age 5.

Edited - I see you’ve posted a page but my understanding is that all kids can defer

One of my grandsons is an August baby. It’s never been a problem and he is always in the top 5 in his class. He’s always loved school too.

As people further up have said, it's the school admissions code you need to read.

My DC started reception at 5 last September. No SEN, and no difficulty getting it sorted.

We deferred my summer born DC. They are thriving. Best thing we ever did. As others have said statistics show that being the youngest in the year puts them at a disadvantage.

I also work in a primary school OP and couldn't tell you who were the summer born children in EYFS. I personally don't think it makes any odds.