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

@Stressedmum1966 the law may be that you can defer and start in reception a year ‘late’ but the reality where I live is that I would have had to take legal action to claim that right in the absence of a SEN statement or medical issue - the council push back hard against this.

my child is now year 6. Anything where n = 1 is anecdata and I point you to the excellent post by @Kathryn1983 for the facts. That said this is my experience - my child is outgoing and on the smaller
side. I was shocked to find out when he started in his class that he was the youngest by five months. Out of a class of 30, 15 were born autumn term and 14 spring term. He is currently being diagnosed for SEN. This was slow to be noticed as the characteristics were put down to development. Being one of the handful of kids in his class who spent all of covid out of school didn’t help either. He is above expectation in reading and below in everything else. He believes he is stupid and he is called out for being short though he is thankfully good at sport.

I find it hard not to compare him with his play school chums; there are five or six in the year below ranging from 5 weeks to 4 months younger than him - in other words closer in age than anyone else in his actual class.

Another comparison - at his final year in nursery he went in to the top class where they tried to teach some phonics, maths etc. I was surprised to see some kids who I thought were moving to reception there - they were actually autumn borns doing this group for a second time who then went on to be in his class at school.

so yes, there will be some high flyers but my DS is probably more typical.

My son was born on 28th August and I've always regretted sending him to school when he was just four. Although school (both primary and secondary) was a disaster for him he did eventually catch up and a little later took a degree and now has a good job. I think that his life would have been easier if he had started the next year.

I also have a granddaughter in the same position, the school were willing to let her start Reception the following year but I think there were problems with her staying in the school nursery for an extra year. She's now eight and is also still a little behind.

My daughter was a July baby and at first she struggled. It actually wasn’t the academic side, it was the emotional side. After the first year, there was really no telling the difference between any
of them in her class. She’s now 12 and is doing really well.

I now have a son who’s 4 and he’s one of the eldest in the year and struggling! I’d honestly keep at plan A; more change could cause more issues.

DD is an end of August baby, if she’d been 2 days later she’d have been the year below. I toyed with the idea of deferring her reception year but on the advice on a friend who taught early years I didn’t - she said that in the absence of any major speech or motor delay she wouldn’t recommend to do so.

DD is now coming to the end of Y1 and absolutely smashing it! She’s exceeding all her targets at school and also doing well at her out of school sport clubs. I’m so glad we didn’t wait to start her.

I was slightly worried about her not being at the same level as others emotionally or socially as I did notice a difference at her preschool in the way some of the autumn born girls played and how she did. But she has an amazing group of friends at school and is very confident so I think that was just personality looking back. There are 6 August born kids in her class - must have been something in the water round here in the November of that year! - and all, as far as I know, are happy in their class.

NCT friends with babies born at the same tine have remarked on tiredness but we haven’t noticed that, surprisingly as she napped after lunch right up until the summer before she started!

your worries are warranted and if you think an extra year in nursery is better then def hold him back a year - i’d rather my kid is the oldest in a class than the youngest! it’ll benefit him more

DD is late aug birthday, she's also on the short side so very much looks youngest in the class.

She's been fine. No more tired than her elder sibling was, has held her own academically and socially.

Where I live schools won't delay a reception start unless it does seem justified - typically children where there is a concern there is SEN etc.

Reception is very play based, the teachers know some children are younger. The fact that it's delivered via a "school" doesn't change that its not terribly different to whats covered at the same age in a french maternelle etc. There will always be a range of ages in any intake.

The thing is as well op, being older doesn't guarantee success! DDs best friend is among the eldest in the class and she's the one who has to be peeled away from mum every morning at the gate. There's another little girl who is a september birthday but very immature socially, and most of the boys are generally less ready than any of the girls regardless of when their birthdays are.

As a teacher when they get further up the school you can always tell which children are the youngest in the year group. No necessarily from their academic level but from their maturity and ability to handle tricky situations. I sent my two a year later and it was the best decision. Can you not change and defer for this year?

Sure but now imagine those children are a year younger. They'd struggle even more.

The point is not that all summer born children are behind all autumn ones. The point is that all children (of reception age) are much more mature when compared against themselves (not against all the unusually immature kids with birthdays in September that you know) a year ago.

I’m a bit late to this thread, but I was in the exact same position when my son turned four. he was literally born right at the end of August so he started school about a week after his fourth birthday. I was concerned that he would be struggling so when we got our placement, I made an appointment to speak to the headteacher and took him along with me. During this appointment she observed him playing. She answered questions that he gave her as children do and she reassured me that he would have no problems fitting in. This is the recommendation I would give to anyone who is concerned that their child may be a bit young for reception at age 4… speak to the headteacher of your chosen school. They might be able to help you.

Is he happy? That’s all that matters.

Think very carefully before deferring. If your child starts in reception a year late they will actually reach 16 before they start year 11. So legally they can actually leave school at the end of year 10. They are no longer required by law to attend school so if they choose to leave before sitting their GCSE’s there’s not much you can do about it! Also mainstream provision is only funded until the end of academic year they are 19 so they could run into issues if they need to retake A levels for example. This information is government guidelines available on gov.uk. People always worry about the impact on the child at the start of their school career but you need to look at the whole picture. My July born struggled all through primary but once they got to secondary they have excelled. A lot is down to the school you choose and the support they give plus also your input as a parent. If you are really concerned perhaps a part time phased start to reception may work.

After following the often lengthy process for delayed entry at CSA, it’s unlikely an engaged parent is going to allow a child to leave school at the end of year 10. I doubt the thought would even enter my son’s head either; he never even mentions that he would have been in the year above by his birth date.

The point is the parent will have no say! If the child doesn’t want to stay on at school there is nothing legally the parent can do. Some parents struggle to get their children to go to school when it’s a legal requirement, and it’s not always through lack of trying on the parents part. Not all 16 year old listen to their parents! Also not all children fly through their exams and get the grades they need first time. By delaying the start of school you are limiting resit time with free funding. So you also need to factor in self funding, not everyone is in a position to do that. I’m just making people aware of what the Government guidelines are, don’t shoot the messenger! What people choose for their child is their business, only they know their individual requirements but it’s not just about the child at four years old, their are other implications to deferring school starting age that people are not aware of or do not consider.

August born children have statistically the worst educational outcomes, September have the best. Summer borns are much more likely to have special educational needs.

In respect of funding for post 16 studies. This is from the DFE, there is no issue with funding if you decide to delay your child. Please don’t spread untruths unless you’re 100% sure about what you’re saying. It causes unnecessary worry.

Mainstream students are eligible for post-16 young people’s funding if they are aged 16, 17 or 18 on 31 August in a funding year. This is set out in the 16-19 funding regulations available here. Those whose admission into compulsory education has been delayed will enter post-16 education a year behind their normal age group and, as such, would ordinarily only be eligible for two years of funding. There is, however, an exception to this. For those students aged 16, 17 or 18 on 31 August at the start of the funding year in which they started their learning programme, will continue to be funded as a 16 -18 year old student. This means that, if the student turns 19 years of age during their learning programme, then they will be funded to complete their learning programme.

It does depend where you are sadly. Some areas like Oxfordshire are more progressive and don’t force a child to miss a year

People really need to stop giving false information.
It doesn't depend where you are in the country. Everyone is entitled to defer by a year.
If the council is being difficult about this then join the summer born Facebook group and they will help you with fighting it.

Why is there so much bullshit on this thread, I find it really odd how invested people are in children staying in their lane.

It’s either mums who’s children aren’t summer born and are upset that some have “cheated the system” or summer born parents regretting their choice to send their child at 4.

A mix of ignorance, competitiveness and/ or guilt for not having done the best for their own child.

I would hope the OP (and anyone else reading) relies on the guidance and very helpful research into this area to inform themselves rather than the armchair experts spouting crap on here.

The data is clear, and the policy exists for a reason. Summer borns are at a disadvantage, throughout their education, they do not ‘soon catch up’ like everyone says, and are more likely to suffer severe bullying and mental health issues. It’s so awful to see the impact; if you can help your child correct this disadvantage then why wouldn’t you????

@Muthaofcats - I can assure you that I don't feel guilt, am not ignorant or competitive and definitely want the best for my child.

And you're now the one talking crap. And I'm not an armchair expert but the parent if two August born DDs. And they didn't "catch up" because they were never behind.

I didn’t feel the need to keep my child back because she’s really well adjusted and mature emotionally, socially and intelligent enough to hold her own. You don’t have to attack people like me just because you didn’t have the same faith in your own child’s abilities 😁