My little boys birthday is 30th August so would start primary school only a couple of days after he turns four. Does anyone child go part time while in reception?

[Isobel1998]

Hi all, my little boy turns 4 next year 😭 his birthday is 30th August so would start school only a couple of days later. The thought of not spending any week days with him for our little outings breaks my heart and due to my job I often wouldn't be home in the evenings.

Has anyone got a little one in school who only goes 4 days a week? Is this allowed?

In your case, the idea of missing a day a week sounds as if it's more because you'll miss him than because it's in his best interests.

Mine was very young in the year, and struggled with the full week - she basically did a 4.5 day week for most of the first year. The school were very happy for them to have an afternoon off if they were tired (even the oldest ones) - but mornings is often much more difficult as they will miss out on teaching input, so they may well discourage that.

Remember you'll still have the school holidays, and there's quite a bit of time after school on your day off (although for the first term he may not have much energy left after school - so you might have to enjoy cuddles and dvds on the sofa rather than outings).

True, but is this all guns blazing approach from parents towards the school really the best for the children?
Surely the starting point should be mutual respect and being prepared to compromise among the adults? Just a thought.

My dd turned 4 last month and starts school next week. She has changed so much the past few months so I do feel she is ready so I’m seeing how she goes. If she struggles I will keep her off with me now and then whether the school authorise it or not - legally she doesn’t need to be there till she turns 5. If she really struggles I’ll request flexi schooling but the head need to agree to that. I wouldn’t worry about 4 year olds singling each other out in reception if the kids are part time, they are a bit young for noticing that kind of thing!

I live in Australia where you don't start school until 5 and you can go part time from 4 onwards. Seems sensible to me.

No. Other countries do it as standard and there's no problem.

My son (almost 17) was born on the same date! He was part time (finished at midday, everyday) for the whole of Reception, it was easy for me to decide this as I had his 1 year old sister at home with me so I wasn’t working which made it an easy decision. I’m really glad I kept him part time, he was SO little and the youngest in the whole school! I don’t think he needed to be kept back a year as socially he was very typical and he’s done well academically, although has never enjoyed school work much and he didn’t start to reach age related expectations until year 6 but that’s ok. He’s always been glad to be the youngest, rather than the very oldest in the year.

Honestly I don't think anyone would even remember it by the end of Y1, and there's a good chance the class teacher won't care either as long as the child in question is keeping up with the other children in terms of the EYFS curriculum. There's no need for it to get acrimonious.

"I won't be bringing him in on Fridays."
"You can't do that "
"I can."
"We think it's a bad idea."
"Ok. Have a lovely weekend."

I don't think you got what I meant, as that's not what I asked. I am very aware of different approaches in education in Europe, as I am both European and a former primary school teacher in the UK.

My point is it's better for children if all the adults co-operate from the start. It's never a good idea for parents to take the "I'll do what I want and there's nothing the school can do to stop me" approach as a starting point to their children's education...

I deferred my son, he's just finished reception and just turned 6. It was very easy to do but experiences can vary from county to county. He won't ever have to 'catch up' that year. If you're interested the 'Flexible Admissions for Summer Born Children' Facebook group is really useful.

My child did half days for the year then will be repeating reception and doing full
days. We should have deferred but didn’t and the school offered the opportunity to repeat reception

Play it by ear. I have a mid August child and he was absolutely fine. Please don’t anticipate problems but deal with them when they arrive. There are 4 year olds who settle and 5 year olds who don’t.

This. ^

@Isobel1998

Definitely defer a year if you can (so he will be 12 a few days before he starts secondary school.) Some pupils will be 12 soon after, so he's not going to be the only 12 year old in the class! At least a third of the children will be 12 within 4 months of him (probably.)

Even if he is bright/academic etc, I think it's advisable to defer a year. My neighbour's DS has his birthday on 21 August, and she let him start school alongside all the children who turned 4 much earlier, (some after September, October, November the previous year, so they're 9-11 months older,) and he is struggling SO badly right now. (He has just gone 7 and she thinks if he doesn't catch up a bit this coming academic year, he will have to repeat Year 3.)

Yes, schools can accommodate part times to help them settle in eg 2 weeks of mornings and lunch before starting full time. Your child might surprise you though and love it, just see how it goes and be relaxed about it. Sometimes it's the parents worries and anxieties that are placed onto the child. You can defer so they will start reception the year after.

Yes, schools can accommodate part times to help them settle in eg 2 weeks of mornings and lunch before starting full time. Your child might surprise you though and love it, just see how it goes and be relaxed about it. Sometimes it's the parents worries and anxieties that are placed onto the child. You can defer so they will start reception the year after.

Our second DS’s birthday is 4th August,
( he’s now 23) he went to school but was part time until Christmas, this was back in 2006, the school dictated this.
He enjoyed school, was tired in the day until Feb half term, tried to have naps apparently!
I worked everyday, in a pre school setting, only opened til 12 ( can you imagine that!)
so he would either come to work with me or his Dad had him ( worked shifts)
You can defer for a year now, think it’s straightforward?
Just to say he’s doing ok, done a masters in chemistry now doing a Phd.

I’m a Reception teacher and I wouldn’t recommend a 4 day week. Even though your child doesn’t have to be in education until the term after they’re 5 if you’ve made the decision to send them it isn’t ideal not to send them every day. Missing a day a week could mean missing 2 phonics sessions every week and your child always playing catch up. That’s just one example. I think your decision needs to be do they start next year or do I defer?

I have an August born who has just finished reception. She is one for 5 August born children in her class, 2 were deferred and 3 started just turned 4.
My daughter settled in really well at school and adjusted to the hours well. She has managed very well academically but it has been at times clear that in terms of her social and emotional development she's been a 4 year old. It has hampered her schooling but has been something she has needed a little bit of support with during the year which has allowed her to develop this skills and has flourished.

One of her friends by contrast is an autumn born child and struggled to adjust to school hours. She did a part time hours for the first term which the school accommodated.

I'd speak to the school about what support your child needs in starting school and to allow them to develop as a fully rounded little person during their schooling.

This child’s birthday is 30th august - he’s 2 days on the wrong side of the cut off. If he was born on 1 Sept there wouldn’t even be a discussion about when he should start.

Those 2 days will make no difference to his maturity or school readiness. Having an extra year at home will.

Boys are generally slower to develop anyway, especially on things like interest and ability in writing. If I had a summer born boy I’d defer without a second thought (and NB in NI summer borns are the oldest in the year).

Yes, exactly this.

Yep this
I'm 29th August, I went into the normal class at primary school and got straight A's at GCSEs and A levels. You are being over-protective.

I’m mid August and just started school as normal. I’d just send him, otherwise he is singled out as being different from the start.

It's really not unusual, speaking as an ex reception teacher, for children to start school not long after their 4th birthday. I would strongly advise against deferring. Those parents that did often regretted it as they thought their children would've benefited more, both socially and academicly, from just attending school full time in the same class as their peers.

You're peddling misinformation.

For summer born children it is the parents choice when the child starts school, at either 4 or 5 years old. School has zero say in that part of the decision.

If a summer born child is starting at 5, and the school want to put them straight into year 1 (assuming the parents want them to start in reception), then it's up to the school admissions authority (not just the head teacher) to justify why it's in the best interests of the child to miss the reception year.

Government is also clear that a child that has been educated out of cohort from reception, the assumption should be that the child remains in their adopted cohort throughout their education, unless there is sound reasoning behind moving the child back into their age cohort.

It troubles me how many people who are involved in education are bloody clueless about these things.